Getting to the bottom of "craps big 6 8" comes down to two dice. Craps is a dice game played at a casino table, and the rules look harder than they are. What decides every bet is how two dice land, so the whole game works from one small table of combinations. Knowing that table explains what each wager pays, why some bets carry a far bigger house edge than others, and how to play without slowing the game for anyone else.
Table etiquette keeps a busy game moving. Anyone who wants to shoot craps waits for the dice to come round, then throws them with one hand so both hit the far wall. Chips go down before the stickman calls for the roll, never while the dice are in the air, and winnings stay on the layout until the dealer pushes them across. Handing money straight to a dealer is avoided; it goes on the table in its place.
Craps also comes in other forms. A bubble craps machine shakes the dice under a clear dome and takes bets on a screen, with the same rules as the table. Crapless craps removes the losing totals from the first roll and pays for it with a higher edge. The all tall small bet, the meaning behind the letters ATS, is a side wager on rolling every small and every tall number before a seven. At home the game needs only two dice, and whether playing for money is illegal depends on local law, not on the dice.
Common doubts
What are the big six and eight in craps?
They are bets that a six or an eight is rolled before a seven. They pay even money, while a place bet on six or eight pays 7 to 6, so the big six and eight carry a far higher house edge, about 9.1 percent.
What are the odds behind the line?
An extra bet placed behind a pass or come bet once a point is set, paid at true odds with no house edge.
How do pass line and come bets work?
The pass line wins on seven or eleven on the come out, loses on two, three or twelve, and otherwise needs the point before a seven; come works the same way later.
Is there a strategy that beats craps?
No. Strategy means choosing bets with a low edge and skipping the rest; the dice cannot be beaten.
What is the ATS bet?
All, tall and small is a side wager on rolling every small or every tall number before a seven, with a large payout and a high edge.
Which craps bets have the lowest house edge?
The pass and come bets carry an edge a little over one percent, while the proposition bets in the middle run far higher.