Craps Dictionary and Terminology

10:31 Jul 15th, 2018 Craps Games , Online Gambling

This craps page will give you a rundown all the craps lingo and game related terms you might encounter at the craps table in a casino one night. Making sure you understand the basics is necessary with so many types of bets available on this game. If you are looking for a list of online casinos to play craps in, click here.

Ace/Deuce

– This is a one roll bet in craps where the player bets that the next roll will equal three…a one and a two.

Action

– This is a reference to how busy the craps table is or the number of wagers that are in play at the craps table.

Any Craps

– This is when a craps player bets that the next roll will be a two, three or a twelve.

Any Seven

– This is when a craps player bets that the next roll will yield a seven.

Apron

– This is the outside perimeter of the layout on the craps table felt.

At Risk

– This is a reference to a craps player who is in the action or has a live wager on the craps table.

Backline

– This is the same as the Don't Pass Line in craps.

Ballerina Special

– This is a roll of double two’s in craps.

Bank Craps

– This is considered the proper name for the casino version of the game of craps.

Barber Pole

– This is a reference to the manner in which a craps player is to stack casino chips of different denominations. The proper way to stack gambling chips or cheques of varying denominations is to stack them with the highest denomination on the bottom.

Big Six

– Big six is an even money bet in craps that a sum total of six will be rolled before a seven is rolled.

Big Eight

– Big eight is an even money bet in craps that an eight will be rolled before a seven will be rolled.

Big Red

– Big red is a reference to placing a bet on any seven in craps.

Bones

– This is another name or reference for the dice themselves in the game of craps.

Bowl

– This is the container near the stickman that holds the dice at the craps table. This container is often wooden or plastic and sometimes metallic.

Boxcars

– This is a bet on double sixes, or a sum total of twelve in the game of craps.

Boxman

– This is the casino employee that is located between the dealers at the craps table opposite of the stickman. The boxman is responsible for the House Bank at the craps tables.

Boys or The Boys

– This is slang referring to the craps dealers.

Broke Money

– This is a reference to the money that the casino will give to a broke player to use for transportation.

Buffalo

– A buffalo is a craps bet on each one of the Hardways as well as Any Seven.

Buffalo Yo

– A buffalo Yo is a bet on each of the Hardways as well as eleven in the game of craps.

Bump

– A bump is a reference to when a craps dealer is given an extra twenty minute break because the table has less action at the craps table than the craps dealers justify.

Buy Bet

– This is when a craps player will give the casino a five percent commission in exchange for being given correct odds for a place bet. A player who places a buy bet on a four or ten will reduce the house advantage from 6.67% to 4%. In some casinos the player is allowed to retain this commission unless it is a winning bet while other casinos will require the commission regardless of win or lose.

C and E Bet

– The C and E bet is a proposition bet in the game of craps, a bet on any craps and eleven.

Charting a Table

– Charting a table is a reference meaning the outcomes of a craps table are being kept track of.

Capped Dice

– Capped dice are said to be crooked or loaded craps dice.

Change Only

– Change only means that a player must convert cash into gambling chips before placing a craps bet rather than just placing a cash money bet.

Cocked Dice

– Cocked dice are a single die or the pair of dice that did not land flat on the felt craps table but rather on the wall, chips or money. It is the stickman’s decision as to whether or not to count the dice roll.

Cold Table

– A cold table is a craps table when the dice shooters are not making any of their points.

Come Bet

- A come bet is exactly like a pass line bet but is made after the come out roll.

Come Out Roll

- The come out roll is the first roll of the dice in a betting round in the game of craps.

Comp

- Comps are complimentary services provided by the casino to the player in appreciation for the player gaming at that casino. Examples of comps are discounted or free hotel rooms, meals or shows.

Covered

- Covered is a reference to the dealer and the craps player working in conjunction with one another to make sure the multiple bets are positioned properly.

Crap

- Crap is a reference in the game of craps to the numbers two, three and twelve.

Craps

- Craps is the name of a casino game played with dice. Craps is also a reference to the numbers two, three or twelve on the come out roll in the game of craps.

Crap Out

- To crap out or crapped out is a reference to rolling a two, three or twelve on the come out roll in the game of craps. Crapped out is also the same as seven out.

Crapless Craps

- Crapless Craps is a variant of craps only played at the Stratosphere in Las Vegas. In Crapless Craps the numbers two, three, eleven and twelve are points and not craps.

Dead

- When it is dead, there are no craps players at the craps tables.

Dealer

- In craps, the dealer is the casino employee who is responsible for all the bets made on his or her half of the table. When a craps player is making a lay bet, a free odds bet or a place bet in a casino, the player should hand the chips to the dealer and they will position the bet on the craps table.

Dice are in the Middle

- The dice are in the middle means that the craps dice have been placed in front of the Boxman above the Proposition Bets on the craps table. At this time the craps players should make their bets.

Don’t Come Bet

- A don’t come bet is a don’t pass bet in craps made after the come out roll.

Don’t Pass Bet

- The don’t pass bet is the opposite of a pass bet. On the come out, the don’t pass bet loses on a seven or eleven, but wins on a two or three. The don’t pass bet can only be made immediately before the come out roll and it will win if any other number is rolled as long as the player sevens out before they hit their point. If their point is made, the bet is lost. At any time the player may increase their bet by laying odds to the true odds of the craps dice.

Double Odds

- Double odds is an odds bet that is two times the size of the original pass or come bet. There are some casinos that have craps games that allow even higher odds like five, ten and even a hundred times odds.

Down Behind

- Down behind is a phrase called out by the craps dealer in order to inform the don’t bettor that his or her wager lost out.

Down the Middle

(or Straight Out – Down the middle or straight out refers to the player position number six in the center of either end of the craps table.

Down with Odds

- Down with odds is an action and statement both announced and executed by a craps dealer when both paying off a players place bet and moving that same players come bet on to a specific number signifying that the players bet is covered.

Downtown Odds

- Downtown odds refers to better craps odds and/or pay-offs on place and proposition bets on six and eight and field like the odds offered in downtown Las Vegas casinos. This reference is in comparison to strip casinos.

Duker or Duke

- Duke or Duker are references to big money suddenly entering a craps game. When this happens at a craps table, the dealers and boxman get prepared for the action to get heavy. When this happens it is usually more than one high betting player and is usually at both ends of the craps table. Dealers are also using up to four or five denominations of gambling chips.

Eyeballs

- Eyeballs is craps slang for rolling a pair of aces or ones for a total of two.

Field Bet

- A field bet is a craps bet that the next roll will be a two, three, four, nine, ten, eleven or twelve. Three, four, nine, ten and eleven are even money bets while two and twelve usually pay two to one. Casino rules may vary such as some casinos may put the five instead of nine in the field bet. Some casinos may also offer to pay three to one for either the two or the twelve but not both.

Fifty Yard Line

- The fifty yard line is the middle of the craps table. The craps player shooting the dice, or shooter, must roll the dice beyond this line in order to be a fair roll.

Fill

- A fill at the craps table is when the casino refills the house bank. When this takes place there are usually guards present while the boxman and dealers count and sign off on the fill.

Flat Bet

- A flat bet is a craps players original or contract bet, before laying or taking odds. This also refers to a craps player making the same denomination bets rather than fluctuating wagering amounts.

Free Odds

- Free odds, also referred to as true odds is another term for an odds bet.

Garden

- The garden is craps slang for the field on the craps table.

George

- A George is a craps player that consistently tips the dealers.

Hand-In

- A hand-in is a tip handed to the craps dealer or dealers. This usually takes place during or after a good roll or maybe when a craps player is cashing out and leaving the craps table.

Hard Way

- A hard way is a craps bet on four, six, eight or ten and it only wins when the dice show two of the same number as in a roll of two fours for a total of eight.

Hawking the Dice

- Hawking the dice is a term referring to the craps dealer watching the dice as they are rolled to the other end of the table. To protect the game and provide better customer service, the craps dealer is supposed to always watch their end of the table.

Hi-Lo

- In craps, Hi-Lo refers to a one roll bet on both twelve and two.

Hi-Lo-Yo

- A one roll bet in craps on twelve, eleven and two.

Hit a Brick

- Hit a brick is a statement sometimes made by the stickman at the craps table when a craps player rolls the dice and one or both or the die hit a stack of gambling chips preventing them from rolling the length of the craps table.

Hook

- The hook is a reference to player position four and five at the craps table. These positions are near the corner at both ends of the craps table. These positions are often referred to as the inside and outside hook.

Hop Bet

- A hop bet is a craps bet that the next roll of the dice will result in a particular combination like a hopping hard eight, which would be a pair of fours.

Horn Bet

- A horn bet is a craps bet that the next roll of the dice will result in a two, three, eleven or twelve.

Horn High

- The horn high bet is a craps horn bet on two, three, eleven or twelve with more than one unit bet on one of the selected numbers. An example would be the horn high eleven, which could be a one dollar bet on each of the two, three and twelve with two dollars wagered on the eleven.

Hot Table

- A hot table is a craps table where players are winning, usually come, place and passline bets.

House Bank

- The house bank is the gambling chips stacked in front of the boxman between the craps dealers at the craps table. The house bank is used to pay out winnings and color ins.

Inside

- The inside is craps reference to the numbers five, six, eight and nine.

Insurance Bet

- An insurance bet is a craps bet that is placed to pay off if another bet loses. This is also called a hedge bet.

Jam Up

- A jam up at the craps table means that the action has slowed the game down. This usually happens during heavy proposition betting action in the middle of the craps table.

Juice

- Juice is a commission fee on some wagers also the same as vigorish.

Key

- The key is a mathematical formula used by craps dealers for figuring out payouts on complicated proposition bets.

Knot

- A knot is a craps players wad of cash, which is usually kept rolled up in a rubber band.

Lammer

- Lammers are plastic markers used to mark lay and buy bets as on or off. The lamer is also used by the boxman to keep track of the total amount of money in the drop.

Late Bet

- A late bet is a craps bet that is made after the dice have been sent out or while the dice are in the air. When a craps player places a late bet, the dealer or the boxman will call out bet or no bet referring to whether or not the bet is valid.

Lay Bet

- A lay bet is a craps bet where the player is betting a seven will be rolled before whatever point is being rolled for.

Lay Odds

- In craps, laying odds is an odds bet after the point has already been established and the player has already made a don’t pass bet.

Lights Out

- Lights out is a statement made by the stickman in craps as a reminder to the dealers to move the marker puck to the off position, which is the black side.

Line Bet

- A line bet in craps is a bet on the don’t pass line or the pass line, which is a shooters required bet to shoot the dice.

Little Joe

- Little Joe is craps slang for rolling a total of four.

Lock It Up

- Lock it up is craps dealer slang meaning to put all the loose gambling chips into the house bank or into their respective stacks.

Lump

- A lump is craps slang for a dealer who has a difficult time with heavy craps action at the table.

Marker Puck

- A marker puck is a plastic disk that is used to signify the point number on the craps table. Right before the come out roll the marker puck is arranged such that the “off” is face up meaning that free odds bets and place bets have no action.

Midnight

- Midnight is a reference to a craps bet that the next roll of the dice will bring a twelve.

Monster Roll

- A monster roll is any roll by a craps shooter that lasts for more than twenty minutes or any roll that wins a lot of money for everyone.

Mop

- The mop is craps dealer slang for the stick that the stickman uses to move the dice on the craps table.

Nina Ross

- Nina Ross is craps slang for rolling a total of nine.

No Bet

- No bet is called out by the boxman or the craps dealer when a craps player places a late bet indicating that the bet will not count.

No Roll

- No roll is a statement called out by the boxman or the craps dealer when the dice are not rolled successfully, meaning that a die is cocked or lands short or interrupted.

Odds

- Odds bets are also called free odds bets. Odds bets are bets that are in addition to the don’t pass and pass bets and are made after a shooters point has been established. Odds bets are paid at the true odds and so the house no additional advantage. Limits on wager amounts and payout odds vary between casinos.

Odds Off

- Odds off refers to free odds bets that are not working. Unless otherwise specified by the craps player to have their odds working, the free odds bets are usually turned off during the come out roll. A crap shooters money will be returned to them in the event they roll a seven on the come out roll if the come odds bets are off.

Off

- Off is a reference to lammers or marker pucks that have been placed on craps players bets to show that they are not active.

Off and On

- Off and on is a statement referring to the way in which craps dealers pay out winning come bets on numbers where there is already a positioned wager.

On

- On refers to lammers or marker pucks on the craps table that are placed on bets indicating that they are working or at risk.

One on the Rail

- One on the rail is a statement usually called out by the craps dealer telling the boxman that a die that has rolled off of the table has been set on the rail near the boxman for inspection before returning it into play.

Outside

- Outside is a craps reference to the numbers four, five, nine and ten.

Ozzie and Harriet

- Ozzie and Harriet is craps slang for a hard eight or two squares. A hard eight is a pair of fours.

Parlay

- Parlay in craps means to let your winnings ride on the next bet.

Pass

- Pass, which is the same as pass bet and pass line bet is a craps bet that wins when an established point is made before a seven is rolled or when a seven or eleven is rolled on the come out roll. The pass bet is popular because is carries a house advantage of only 1.41%.

Past Posting

- Past posting is an illegal maneuver where a player places a bet after the dice have already rolled and stopped or betting on the don’t line after the point has been established.

Paying Behind

- Paying behind is a statement made when a craps dealer is paying the winning don’t bets.

Pips

- Pips are the white dots on the craps dice.

Pit

- The pit is the area in the casino where all of the craps tables are located.

Place Bet

- A place bet is a craps wager that a particular number or point will be rolled before a seven is rolled.

Player Position

- Player position in craps refers to the place at the craps table the craps player is at. There are eight different positions on either end of the standard craps table layout. The placement of the craps players wagers on the table as well as paying out winning follows this format.

Point

- When a craps shooter rolls a four, five, six, eight, nine or ten on the come out roll, that number becomes the point and must be rolled again before the shooter rolls a seven.

Power Press

- Power press is a reference to a method of wagering to maximize parlays on place bets in craps.

Press Your Bet

- Press your bet is craps jargon for letting it ride or doubling your bet when you win.

Pressure

- Pressure is craps lingo for doubling a bet on a winning bet.

Protection

- Protection in craps refers to game protection or the manner in which the employees watch and take care of the craps table. The boxman confirms the result of the dice as well as watches the payoffs on the end of the table where the dice are rolled from. The stickman watches the payoffs of the dealer on the end of the table where the dice were thrown as well as handles proposition bets. The dealer watches and services their end of the table.

Proposition Bet

- Proposition bets are all of the hardways as well as all of the one roll bets in the middle of the craps table.

Rack

- The rack is the rail around the craps table where the craps players can place their gambling chips.

Rail

- The rail is the area around the player side of the craps table.

Right Bettor

- Right bettor is a reference to craps players who bet on the pass line and not the don’t pass line.

Rip And Tear

- Rip and tear is craps slang referring to extreme measures of hustling tips by the craps dealers.

Rounded

- Rounded refers to winning payoff amounts in craps that total up to the half dollar amount being rounded down to the closest even dollar.

Save the Odds

- Save the odds is a statement called out loud in craps by the stickman. It is a reminder to the craps dealers to pay odds on come bets after the come out roll when a seven is rolled.

Self Service

- Self service in craps refers to the Big Six, Big Eight and Field bets, which are placed directly by the players rather than being handed to the dealers.

Service

- Service refers to the way the craps dealer and boxman can work together arranging specific wagering patterns correctly for the craps player as well as pushing payouts within easy reach of the winning player.

Seven Out

- To seven out in craps is when the craps shooter rolls a seven after the point has been established. When this happens the dice go to the next shooter.

Shooter

- The shooter is the person at the craps table who is rolling the dice. The shooter is required to place a line bet in order to roll the dice.

Single Odds

- Single odds is the amount of the original come or pass bet. There are some casinos that offer double or better odds.

Skinny

- Skinny or big red is craps slang for a bet on any seven.

Sleeper Bet

- A sleeper bet is a bet at the craps table that has been mistakenly abandoned by the player.

Snake Eyes

- Snake eyes is craps slang for rolling two ones or a total of two.

Still Up

- Still up is a statement made by craps dealers to either ask a craps player if they would like the same wager or to remind the player that a wager is still in active.

Strip Odds

- Strip odds is craps lingo referring to the lower payoff odds on big six, big eight, place bets, prop bets and sometimes on field bets at casinos not in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada.

Square Pair

- A square pair is craps lingo for a hard eight or a pair of fours.

Stacks

- Stacks is craps slang for the dealers casino chips in various denominations.

Stickman

- The stickman is the employee at the craps table who is responsible for returning the dice to the craps shooter and calling out the results of the dice roll. The stickman also places and pays out proposition bets.

Stroker

- A stroker is a craps player at the table who is hustling bets and/or making it difficult for the dealer to manage.

Stiff

- A stiff is craps dealer slang for a craps player that never tips.

Table Odds

- Table odds refers to the amount (in multiples) a craps player may wager on free odds bets comparatively to the pass line bet.

Taking Odds

- Taking odds means placing an odds bet in craps.

Three Way Craps

– A three way craps bet is a horn bet without the eleven bet. This is a bet divided into three parts, one on two, one on three and one on twelve.

Three Way Seven

– A three way seven bet is when a craps player makes a bet on any seven.

Tidy the Bowl

- Tidy the bowl is a statement to the stickman to arrange the extra dice in the bowl into a neat row.

True Odds

- True odds are the actual odds of rolling any number.

Tub

- A tub, mini or half table is a smaller, one or two dealer craps table that is often used in smaller casinos.

Turn-About

- Turn about is a statement called out loud by the stickman when the dice are being passed to the next shooter at the other end of the craps table.

Turning the Dice

- Turning the dice is when the stickman sets the dice in the middle of the table and turns them so as not to send them to the craps shooter with two, three, seven, eleven or twelve showing.

Two Way Eleven

– When a craps player bets on an eleven, both for him or herself and the craps dealers.

Two Way Parlay

– A two way parlay bet is when a craps player makes a parlay bet, both for him or herself and the craps dealers.

Vig

- Vig or vigorish is the term referring to the house commissions that are taken on a particular bet.

Wall

- The wall or back wall is the wall at either end of the craps table that craps shooters are supposed to hit with the dice in order for the roll to count.

Whack

- Whack is a craps reference to causing a craps player to lose.

Whip

- The whip is stickman slang for the stick used by the stickman in craps.

Working Bets

- Working bets are bets that are in action, or live bets.

Whirl

- A whirl is a five bets in one bet that the next roll will be either a two, three, seven, eleven or twelve. One unit is wagered on each number.

Wrong Bettor

- A wrong bettor is a craps player who bets on don’t pass or don’t come.

Yo

- Yo, or Yo-leven is craps slang for the number eleven to differentiate it from the number seven.