Craps

Just mention the word craps, and images of smoke-filled casinos full of burly men in pin-striped suits in a classic film noir comes to mind. This game is probably the most exciting of all the games played on the casino floor, attracting players and spectators in droves. 

Originating from the old English game of hazard, this game is all about the roll of the dice. The actual word "craps" has been attributed to the old French game of crapaud, which also used a pair of dice to reach specific point totals. The game may have been imported into Europe and the Americas by slave traders who picked up the game in Africa 200-300 years ago.

To the uninitiated, the craps table looks wildly complicated. In reality, it's simply a board with places for people to bet on the many outcomes of a roll of a pair of dice. Before the dice roller, or shooter, throws the dice pair against the backboard, player place their bets across the table in the hope that the dice will fall their way.

The most popular bet on the table is called a pass line bet, where players wager that the dice total will be 7 or 11, which produces a 2:1 payout. If the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12, then he loses. If the shooter rolls any other total, then he must pass the dice to the next player in sequence for them to try out their luck. There are a myriad of other betting and rolling variations, and these all appear on a chart over the craps table. Craps is real participation game, with everyone's eyes on the shooter. Just watch out for those snake eyes!