Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Other spots that generally offer $5-and-under (but usually with more than two
decks) include the following locations on the Strip: Barbary Coast, Excalibur
(usually not during peak hours), O'Sheas, the Riviera (usually not during peak
hours), the Sahara (as low as $3), Casino Royale, Slots-A-Fun (as low as $1, $3,
and $5), and the Tropicana.
CRAPS
That raucous screaming, the jumping up and down that's going on near the
tables? Oh, they're excited because they finagled a night with Demi Moore.
Crazier things have certainly happened at the craps table.
For the thrill and popularity, you'd think craps would be easier to learn, but it
takes some thought and planning, and practically picking up a new language,
what with the “Come,” “Pass,” “Yo” and more. Newbies may want to watch for a
while before throwing themselves in. While women who are new to the game are
considered good luck, novice males are considered bad luck. Either way, if you're
clueless about how to play you'll make enemies quickly—you're all in it together,
and basically betting on the luck of the guy with the dice (the Shooter), until he
craps out and a new shooter takes over. Many of the casinos offer free lessons, and
if craps interests you, I'd advise you to take them. It's much easier to pick up while
playing—and without everyone at the table hating you for spoiling their game.
If you play it right, you can make your money last a while and have a rip-roar-
ing time. But heed these words: Never utter “seven” at the table. That, too, is con-
sidered bad luck. And when it comes to gambling, luck is really all you've got.
“Big red” and “six ace” are viable alternatives for the unlucky number.
The game begins with the shooter rolling what's called a
Come Out
roll to
establish a
“point,”
that is, the number the shooter is going for. If the Come Out
is a 2 or 3 (also known as “craps”), those who bet on the Pass Line lose, those who
bet on the Don't Pass Line win, and the shooter continues rolling. If a 12 (also
known as “box cars”) turns up, Pass bettors lose and it's a push for Don't Pass bet-
tors. Rolling a 2, 3, or 12 on the Come Out is referred to as
crapping out.
If a 7 or 11 (11 is also known as “yo”) comes up, those who bet on the Pass
Line win and those who bet on the Don't Pass Line lose. The shooter keeps
rolling, but a point has still not been established on that roll.
If a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 is rolled, the point is established and the shooter con-
tinues rolling with the goal of hitting that same number again. The roll is no
longer called the Come Out.
If you bet on the Pass Line, you're betting that the point will be rolled before
a 7 (which, statistically, is the number that comes up most often). The shooter
continues rolling the dice until either the point or 7 comes up. If the point comes
up, Pass bettors win and Don't Pass bettors lose. But if a 7 comes up first, Don't
Pass bettors win, Pass bettors lose, and the shooter is done rolling the dice. The
shooter's turn can generally go on for a number of rolls, or it can end with two,
if the shooter first establishes a point and then immediately rolls a 7. Those are
the basics of craps. Outside of Pass/Don't Pass there are many varied bets, which
add to the excitement of the game. The person standing next to you could be rely-
ing on a completely different number to come up than anyone at the table. I'll go
through a few of the more basic bets.
