When thinking of craps, most people envision a felted table in a luxurious casino. However, you don’t have to visit a casino to shoot dice. Street craps, also known as street dice, provides a fun and cheaper alternative by letting you play anywhere outside with friends.
This version offers notable benefits over casino craps, which you can learn about later. But first, we’ll discuss street craps rules, playing steps, legalities, and differences from the casino variation.
What is Street Craps?
Street craps is a two-dice gambling game with simple rules that people play outside of conventional casino settings. For example, gamblers can huddle around a sidewalk or alley and gamble on the results of dice rolls.
The name “street craps” implies that this game is only playable on city streets or country roads. However, street dice is workable on any hard surface, whether it be a road, hardwood floor, countertop, etc. A backboard or wall is often a prerequisite to randomize each dice toss further.
No land-based or online casino currently offers street dice. Las Vegas Downtown Grand introduced Street Craps in 2014, but that game simply involves a standard casino craps table on the sidewalk.
Street Craps Rules
The best place to begin with street craps is the essential components. You can learn about the critical terms and rules behind street dice below. While reading, you may notice that many aspects of this game mirror casino craps.
The Dice
This game uses two 6-sided dice, just like the casino version.
The Shooter
A “shooter” is the person who rolls the dice. They can either make the pass or don’t pass bet before rolling.
Pass Bets
Pass wins when the shooter tosses a 7 or 11 on the “come out” (initial roll of the round). It loses when 2, 3, or 12 come up.
Don’t Pass Bets
Don’t pass wins if the shooter rolls a 2 or 3 on the come-out. It loses when 7 or 11 happen and pushes when 12 turns up.
The Dice Bounce
Dice must bounce off a secondary surface for a valid roll. Many players roll towards a wall or curb to ensure compliance with this rule.
Setting a Point
If the shooter tosses a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, the relevant number becomes the “point.” To win a pass bet, the shooter must roll the point before a 7. They need to toss 7 before the point to win a don’t pass line wager.
Interference
Players are not supposed to interfere with rolled dice. The shooter will re-roll if their toss hits any players, nullifying any previous results.
How to Play Street Dice
Street craps doesn’t require much to get started. You need dice, a hard surface, a wall (optional), and multiple players. Once you have the setup, you must learn the simple rules and objectives below.
The Objective of the Game
The goal of street dice is to bet on the winning dice combinations. Pass wagers, for example, win with a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll or point number before a 7. The shooter hopes to roll winning numbers based on their bet (pass or don’t pass). However, rolls are entirely random, especially with the bounce rule and a wall.
Playing a Round of Street Craps
Street dice isn’t an overly complicated game, but it may be a little confusing in the beginning. You can use the following steps to breeze through rounds and look like a pro immediately.
Choose a Shooter
Players can either select the first shooter or roll for the honors. Sometimes, the player who starts the game acts as the initial shooter.Setting the Wager
The gamblers must agree upon stakes for the game (e.g., $1 per wager). In some cases, players match the shooter’s bet size.Players Place Their Bets
Each player needs to place the agreed-upon wager to participate in a round. If everybody agrees, some “house rules” may offer side bets beyond the pass and don’t pass bets.Shooting The Dice
The shooter needs to roll the dice after the betting round. They toss towards a wall in many games to produce a kick-off that further randomizes rolls.Determining The Outcome of The First Roll
A round can end on the first roll if a 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12 comes up. 7 or 11 wins pass bets, while 2 or 3 wins don’t pass wagers and 12 pushes. Any other roll sets a point.In The Case of a Set Point
The shooter establishes a point by rolling 4, 5, 6, 8, or 10. They must roll the point before 7 to win pass bets, or 7 before a point to win the don’t pass wagers.Bets Get Settled Before The Next Round
Once all results are determined, players need to pay winners and take money from losers. Winners receive payouts based on true odds, meaning there’s no house edge involved.Dice Move to The Next Shooter
A winning shooter typically keeps the dice and continues rolling in the next round. However, some groups may decide to pass the dice clockwise for the next round, regardless of wins and losses.
Is Playing Dice Illegal?
The legalities of street or casino craps depend upon where you live and if you’re playing for real money. Some states are OK with social gambling, so street craps in a private place could pass.
In that case, throwing dice on a kitchen counter in a friend’s house would be fine. However, the local authorities might have an issue if you’re playing on a public street.
Of course, social gambling laws vary from state to state. Therefore, you should check your jurisdiction’s laws to see if you’re clear to play street dice.
Casino Craps vs. Street Craps
Casino craps happens on a regulation-sized table with standards and set rules. It also features dozens of bets of varying house edges. For example, a pass wager (1.41% house edge) provides a better chance to win than stakes on the Hi-Lo roll (11.11%).
Street craps has flexible rules and relies on the players to agree on wagers, guidelines, and payouts. There’s no specific table since people can play street craps on any hard surface with a nearby wall. This game is also more straightforward than the casino version because it generally has two base bets (pass & don’t pass).
Try Casino Craps Online for Free
For those times when you can’t get a crew together to shoot some dice, free online craps makes for a convenient alternative. It can be a great way to learn the basics of the game. You can then apply this knowledge to either street or casino craps.
Head Outside and Enjoy Street Craps with Friends!
Street dice is one of the most entertaining and accessible forms of gambling you can enjoy at home with friends. It also holds one distinct advantage over casino craps because it doesn’t have a house edge. That means all the money in the pot goes into someone in the huddle’s wallet.
However, you might not always have time to form a dice game with friends. In these cases, you can visit a virtual casino and learn the game without risk. Plus, you can always make a deposit and play online for real money if you feel like it.
