You enjoy playing craps online, or perhaps land-based casinos are more your taste? Then you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to get to know the most frequently used terminology related to this popular game.

Common Craps Terms Explained

Are you familiar with the most common craps calls and jargon? If the answer is no, you have found yourself at the perfect place, as we shall equip you with some essential phrases. In case the answer is positive, it’s a perfect location as well because chances are you will learn some funny calls you haven’t heard before. Blackjack, but can also apply to craps players who use dice control or players who know how to gain maximum value from bonuses and comps. Ante: An initial bet required (usually in card games) before a hand can start. Automatic Card Shuffler: A machine used in some land based venues to automatically shuffle one or more decks of cards.

As silly as it might seem at first, craps is not just a game of cold probabilities and memory-less dice at all times with all shooters. Rather it is a game of ebbs and flows, and rhythms and repetitions. The Captain of Craps. Scobe's Tenth Law: In all endeavors, in all aspects of life, there are more horses' asses than horses! - Frank Scoblete.

Craps is quite a beautiful and amusing game. The act of rolling the dice at the craps table, along with the anticipation of whether the desired dots will land, fill your entire body with an adrenaline rush. But, in the game of craps, there is much more going on than a mere throw of dice. There are specific rules that you must understand, and follow, to not only play the game correctly but also win some significant sums. Typically, to understand the rules, you must know specific craps terminology and even slang related to this engaging game.

Even though craps terms may sound a bit unfamiliar, you will learn them in no time. Craps lingo is not as complicated as it may seem at first glance. Don’t let the craps glossary, together with its terms and slang prevent you from playing this entertaining game. Seize this perfect chance to familiarize yourself with the most frequent craps terminology and slang.

Craps Glossary

2-Way — One-roll bet placed for both a player and a dealer.

3-Way — A 3-unit wager placed by a player. One unit is placed on 3, another on 2, and one on 12.

Ace Deuce — A one-roll suggestion wager claiming the following roll is going to be 3 (the combination of 2 and 1 on the dice).

Aces — Wagering that the following roll will amount to 2 in total. This term is also known as Snake Eyes.

Action — Bets which are placed on the craps table and are currently active.

Any Craps — Betting that the following roll will amount to 2, 3, or 12.

Any Seven — Betting that the following roll will amount to 7.

Big Red — Additional term for Any Seven, as the players refrain from uttering “seven” when playing.

Back Line — Additional term referring to the “don’t pass” line.

Bank Craps — The official and legitimate title of the game. The commonly used “craps” is derived from the official name and is far more familiar.

Big 8 — A wager where a shooter will roll 8 prior to 7.

Big 6 — A wager where a shooter will roll 6 prior to 7.

Big Red — A different way of referring to wagers placed on number 7.

Black — A slang word dealers use for the $100 chip, as those chips are primarily black in the majority of casinos.

Bones — Another term for dice.

Boxcars — A slang expression indicating the number 12. It is also known as midnight.

Boxman — A supervisor sitting at the craps table among the dealers but opposite the stickman.

Box Numbers — A bet placed on numbers 4-5-6-8-9-10

(The) Boys —A slang term referring to casino dealers.

Capped Dice — Dice that were altered to favor particular figures.

Cold Dice — A term used for describing the craps table in a situation when no points are made.

Color In — An expression players use when replacing low-value chips with high-value ones upon withdrawing from the craps table.

Come Bet — A bet that is placed after the point has been established, equal to the pass line bet.

Come-Out Roll — The very first roll of the dice that needs to establish the point.

Comp — A complimentary reward or gift that is given to players on the basis of their activities.

Crap Numbers — Numbers referring to figures 2,3, and 12.

Craps — Besides referring to the title of the game itself, the expression refers to the situation in which the player rolls 2, 3, or 12 during the come-out roll.

Craps Check — Placing bets on any craps figures, along with the come-out roll, in order to avoid the pass line bet.

Dead — A game table at which no one is playing.

Don’t Come Bet — A don’t pass wager placed after establishing the point.

Double Odds — An odds bet which is double as the initial pass/come bet. The odds differ in various casinos.

Down (or Take me Down) — The expression players use to signal they want their bet to be abolished or returned.

Easy Way — An expression referring to the situation in which 4, 6, 8, or 10 is rolled with different figures on the dice.

Even Money — A situation when the bet is cashed out 1 to 1 — the players lose or gain precisely the same sum they invested.

Eye in the Sky — Video surveillance office or security cameras that monitor both dealers and players.

Front Line — A different expression for the pass line bet.

Garden — A slang expression that refers to a field bet.

George — A slang phrase referring to a live casino player that leaves outstanding tips.

Green — A slang word that indicates a $25 chip.

Hard Number — Any figures rolled in pairs. Two 4s represent hard 8, whereas two 5s represent hard 10.

Hard Way — A wager placed on numbers 4,6,8, or 10; but only if the dice come out in the following pairs: 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5.

Hi-Lo — A one-roll wager placed on 2 and 12.

Hi-Lo-Yo — A one-roll waged placed on 2, 12, and 11.

Hop Bet — Betting that the following roll will come out in a specific combination of dice, e.g., 3-5, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4.

Horn Bet — Betting that the following roll will amount to 2, 3, 11, or 12, but in multiples of 4. Every number should appear in one unit.

Horn High Bet — A bet placed in multiples of 5, where one unit is on 3 of the horn numbers, whereas two units are on the high number, i.e., 12.

Hot Dice or Hot Table — Refers to the situation in which a player is winning the game, or they are rolling too many numbers.

House Edge — The advantage casinos have over players for any given wager or bet; usually given in a percentage.

Inside Bets — Wagers placed on 5, 6, 8, or 9.

Inside Numbers — Wagers placed on 5, 6, 8, or 9.

Insurance Bet — Two or more wagers that cover each other if one of them fails to win.

Juice — The provision casinos take on particular wagers.

Lay Bet — Betting that number 7 is to be rolled prior to the placed number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9) appearing.

Common Craps Phrases List

Lay-Out — The area on which the bets are placed.

Lay Odds — Extra odds that could be made after establishing the point, and which may win if the initial “don’t pass” bet manages to win.

Little Joe — A slang term used when a pair of 2s or, in other words, a Hard 4 appears.

Marker Puck — A disc made of plastic which is used for indicating the point. “On” can be seen on one side and “Off” on the other.

Mark the Point — An action the dealer performs in order to indicate the point number by placing the disc on the craps table.

Midnight — A slang term used for number 12. It is also referred to as “Box Cars”.

Natural — Numbers 7 or 11 obtained during the come out roll for the triumphant bet.

No Roll — No roll is announced when a player fails to roll the dice to the opposite end of the craps table, if they drop the dice, or if they fall off the table. This means that the roll is not valid.

One Roll Bet — A wager placed on the final result of the following dice roll only. It stops being active once the dice are rolled. If you want to go on playing, you will have to make additional wagers for every new roll.

Off — A signal used for indicating that the bets are no longer active or working with the following roll of the dice.

On — A signal used for indicating that the bets are active or working with the following roll of the dice.

Outside Numbers — An expression that refers to wagers placed on numbers 4-10 or 5-9.

Parlay — Boosting the bet sums by adding new wagers to the initial bet.

Pass Line Bet — A bet placed during the come out roll where you wager that the player is going to make the point.

Payoff — The sum obtained from a successful bet.

Payout — The odds connected with bets, or the sum obtained from a successful bet.

Common

Pips — The dots on the dice marking the figures.

Place Bet — Betting that a specific number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) is to be roller prior to number 7.

Place Numbers — Figures 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10.

Point — The figure that is set up by the come out roll.

Press a Bet — Boosting the bet sum, commonly by doubling the wager.

Phrases

Proposition Bet — all one-roll wagers and bets placed in the middle of the craps table layout.

Puck — A marker that resembles a puck used in hokey. In craps, it serves to signal the point number of the action round.

Rack (or Rail) — A grooved part located on the craps table in which players keep their chips.

Right Bettor — A player who places bets on the pass line.

Right-Way Bettor — Participants that are betting against the shooter, expecting that the point number will be rolled prior to 7.

Seven Out — A term used for describing a situation in which a player rolls number 7, but fails to make the point. This means they lost the pass line bet.

Shooter — A game participant who places bets and rolls the dice.

Skinny Dugan — Yet another slang expression referring to figure 7. In craps, it is considered bad luck if someone calls out number 7 during the game.

Snake Eyes — A slang term referring to figure 2. It is also known as aces.

Square Pair — A slang expression referring to hard 8 (two 4s).

Stickman — The dealer who uses a stick to pass the dice to players and calls out the figures.

Take Odds — An extra bet placed on the pass and come wagers with good odds (no house edge). This bet is commonly placed immediately after the initial bet.

Three-Way Craps — The one-roll suggestion bet placed on figures 2, 3, and 12 in units of 3. One unit is assigned to 2, another to 2 and the last to 12.

Toke — A slang word used for a tip that the players give to the dealer.

Two-Way Craps — A wager placed by a player that is split among them and the dealers. It is commonly made during one-roll bets.

Phrases

Up Pops the Devil — A slang expression referring to a roll of 7.

Vigorish — The term used for indicating casino commissions for specific bets.

Winner on Dark Side — A slang phrase indicating a roll of 3.

Working Bet — A wager that is active at the moment or that is “on” for the following dice roll.

Common Craps Phrases For Beginners

World Bet — A wager placed on the horn numbers together with any number 7.

Common Craps Phrases Cheat

Wrong Bettor — A player who places their bets against the one rolling the dice.

Common Craps Phrases Examples

Yo or Yo-leven — An expression that refers to the number 11 to prevent any confusion people might have with the figure 7.