Craps Glossary and Terminology 

Ace/Deuce

A one-roll bet where the player predicts that the next roll will include a one and two dice.

Action

Refers to the activity on a craps table or the number of bets placed at the table.

Any Craps

A one roll bet where the player predicts that the subsequent roll will include a two, three or a twelve.

Any Seven

A bet that the subsequent roll will yield a seven.

Apron

The outer part of the layout on a craps table.

At Risk

This term refers to an active player in a craps game, or someone with a live wager on the craps table.

B

Backline

Another name for the Don’t Pass Line.

Ballerina Special

In craps, a Ballerina Special is a roll of double two’s.

Bank Craps

Refers to the casino version of a craps game.

Barber Pole

The method of stacking casino chips of different denominations in a craps game. The right method of stacking chips it to place the highest denomination at the bottom.

Big Six

An even money bet that a player will roll a six before a seven is rolled.

Big Eight

In craps, a Big Eight is an even money bet that a player will roll an eight before a seven is rolled.

Big Red

The act of betting on any seven in craps.

Bones

Another term for the dice used in craps.

Bowl

A wooden, metallic, or plastic container that holds all the dice in a craps game. It is often placed near the stickman.

Boxcars

This is a bet on a sum total of twelve or two sixes in a game of craps.

Boxman

A Boxman is a casino employee responsible for the house bank at the craps table. The employee often sits opposite the stickman, and between the dealer at a craps game.

Boys or The Boys

Another name for craps dealers.

Broke Money

This refers to the money given to broke players for transportation in a casino.

Buffalo

In a game of craps, a Buffalo is a bet on any seven or each of the Hardways.

Buffalo Yo

In a game of craps, a Buffalo Yo is a bet on an eleven and each of the Hardways.

Bump

An extra 20-minute break is given to craps dealers when there’s less action at the craps table.

Buy Bet

A Buy bet occurs when a player offers the casino a five percent commission to get the correct odds on a place bet. Note that this action reduces the house advantage by two percent, from 6.67 to 4%. Furthermore, some casinos allow players to keep the commission if it is a losing bet, while others will take the commission regardless of a loss or win.

C

C and E Bet

A proposition bet in which a player places a bet on any craps and eleven in a craps game.

Charting a Table

The act of tracking the outcome on a craps table.

Capped Dice

A loaded or crooked craps dice.

Change Only

A Change Only requires players to convert money into gambling chips before placing a bet in a craps game.

Cocked Dice

This refers to a die or dice that did not land flat on the craps table. Most time, cocked dice land on the chips, money, or wall. Furthermore, the stickman is responsible for counting or not counting cocked dice.

Cold Table

A craps table where none of the dice shooters are making their points.

Come Bet

A bet made after the come-out roll.

Come Out Roll

In a game of craps, a Come Out Roll is the first roll of a dice in a betting round.

Comp

Complimentary services are offered to players for playing games at a casino. A Comp may include offers, such as a free meal, a discounted hotel room, or a show.

Covered

A partnership between a craps player and the dealer to ensure the proper positioning of multiple bets.

Crap

The number two, three, and twelve in craps.

Craps

A casino game played with dice.

Crap Out

Rolling a two, three, or twelve on the come-out roll.

Crapless Craps

In Crapless Craps, the casino regards the numbers two, three, eleven, and twelve as points. Furthermore, Crapless Craps is a variant of craps only played at the Stratosphere in Las Vegas.

D

Dead

A craps table with no active players.

Dealer

A casino employee that controls and monitors all bets played on a craps table.

Dice are in the Middle

The placement of a craps dice in front of the Boxman above the proposition bet. Furthermore, this signifies the start of a betting round.

Don’t Come Bet

In craps, this is a don’t pass bet made after the come out roll.

Don’t Pass Bet

A bet placed immediately after the come out roll. It is based on the premise that it will win if any other number is rolled as long as the player sevens out before they hit their point.

Double Odds

An odds bet twice the amount wagered in a come or original pass bet.

Down Behind

A phrase used by dealer for information about a lost wager.

Down the Middle

Also referred to as straight out or middle bet, a Down the Middle is the number six position allocated to players sitting at the end or center of a craps table.

Down with Odds

In a craps game, a dealer announces and performs a Down with Odds by moving a player’s come bet on to a specific number after paying off the same player’s place bets.

Downtown Odds

Similar to Craps odds offered in downtown Las Vegas Casinos, a Downtown Odd refers to pay-off or better odds placed on a proposition bet. It also refers to a better odd on a place bet on 6,8, and field.

Duker or Duke

The sudden inflow of cash in a craps game. A boxman and dealer will get ready for heavy action during a duke or duker. Furthermore, high-spending players are responsible for triggering a duke.

E

Eyeballs

A term for rolling a pair of aces.

F

Field Bet

A wager that the next rollout will result in a two, three, four, nine, ten, eleven, or twelve. In some land-based casinos, field bets resulting in two or twelve usually pay twice the original bet. In contrast, some casinos may pay triple the original betting amount if the field bet results in either a two or twelve.

Fifty Yard Line

The middle of a craps table.

Fill

The refilling of house bank in a land-based casino. Casinos assign guards while the dealer and boxman count the new amount.

Flat Bet

A player’s original or contract bet. In addition, a flat bet refers to the act to wagering the same bet amounts repeatedly in a craps game.

Free Odds

Another name for an odds bet.

G

Garden

A Garden refers to the field on a craps table.

George

A player that consistently tips the dealers from their bets.

H

Hand-In

A Hand-in is a tip given to dealers in a craps game. Players may give tips to dealers during or after a good roll

Hawking the Dice

This refers to dealers watching the movement of dice across a dice table.

Hi-Lo

One roll bet on both twelve and two in a craps game.

Hi-Lo-Yo

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

Hit a Brick

Often stated by a stickman when a die hits the stack and does not roll down the length of the craps table.

Hook

A player positions four and five on a craps table. Players sitting in the hook position are situated near the corner of a craps table.

Hop Bet

A bet predicting that the next roll will result in a specific combination.

Horn Bet

A bet that the next roll of dice will give a two, three, eleven, or twelve.

Hot Table

This refers to a craps table where players are winning passline, and place bets.

House Bank

This is a stack of chips placed in front of a boxman at a craps table.

I

Insurance Bet

Also referred to as a hedge bet, an insurance bet is placed to pay off another bet if it loses.

J

Jam Up

Reduced action at a craps table.

Juice

Commission fee on wagers in a craps game.

K

Key

A method for calculating payouts on complex bets.

Knot

A wad of cash usually rolled up in a rubber band.

L

Lammer

Plastic marker for tracking the total amount of cash in a drop.

Late Bet

A craps bet placed while the dice are rolling. The boxman is responsible for approving the validity of a late bet.

Lay Odds

This refers to an odds bet placed after a dont’pass bet and the establishment of a point.

Lights Out

This is often state by a stickman to remind dealers to shift the marker puck to the black side, which is the off position.

Line Bet

In a craps game, a line bet is a bet on the “pass line” or “don’t pass line.”

Little Joe

Another name for rolling a total of four.

Lock It Up

A term for returning all gambling chips into the right stacks or house banks.

Lump

A dealer unable to efficiently handle the heavy action on a craps table.

M

Marker Puck

This is a plastic disk for signifying the point number on the craps table. If the puck’s side showinf the inscription “off” is face-up, then all free odds bets have no action in the subsequent roll.

Midnight

A wager in craps that the next roll is a twelve .

Monster Roll

A hot roll that either lasts for more then 20 minutes or makes a lot of money for all active players on a craps table.

Mop

Dealer slang for the stick used by a stickman to move dice.

N

No Bet

This is a term often used by a dealer or boxman that a late bet will not count.

No Roll

This is often used by a craps dealer or boxman to signify that the dice roll is not successful.

O

Odds

Also referred to as a free odds bet, this type of bet is made after a shooter’s point has been established.

Odds Bet

This is an additional bet often placed behind a don’t pass, come, or don’t pass come bet with no house edge. Furthermore, it is paid at true odds. You can double or triple your original wager in

Odds Off

These are non-functional free odds bets and are usually turned off during the come-out roll.

Off

The act of placing a marker puck on an inactive player’s bet.

Off and On

This describes how a dealer payout winning come bets on numbers where players have already made a bet.

On

Active bets when the dice rolls again. In addition, it refers to marker pucks placed on active or at-risk players’ bets.

One on the Rail

Craps dealers use the term “One on the Rail” to tell a boxman that a rolled-off die has returned to the rail.

One Roll Bet

This is a bet that predicts the the next roll of a dice, and which is subsequently inactive in the game. This means you have to place a new bet if you want to be active in the game.

Outside

Refers to the numbers four, five, nine, and ten in a craps game.

Outside Dealer

In a land-based casino, this is the stickman standing outside the pit.

Ozzie and Harriet

A term commonly used for two squares or a hard eight in a craps game.

O

Parlay

The act of using your winnings to bet in the next round.

Pass

This is similar to a pass-line bet. A Pass bet wins when there’s an established point before a player rolls a seven. Furthermore, this bet is popular since it carries a 1.41 percent house advantage.

Past Posting

An illegal move in craps in which a player places a bet after the dice have stopped rolling. In addition, it is the act of betting on the “don’t line” after an established point.

Paying Behind

A term often used by dealers when paying the winnings of a don’t bet.

Pit

The location of craps tables in a land-based casino.

Place Bet

A wager on the prediction that players will roll a certain number before a seven in a craps game.

Player Position

The sitting area of craps players in a land-based casino. There are usually eight sitting positions on either end of a craps table. Furthermore, a player position refers to the position of a player’s bets on a craps table.

Power Press

A betting strategy to maximize parlays in place bets in a craps game.

Press Your Bet

In a craps game, players can press a bet by wagering or doubling their last win on a new bet.

Pressure

This is a call often used by craps players to inform dealers about doubling their bets on a particular wager.

Protection

This refers to the duty of casino employees in ensuring a problem-free craps game. For example, it is the responsibility of a boxman to monitor the payoffs at the end of a craps table and to confirm the result of a rolled dice. Also, a stickman calls out the result of a rolled dice as well as handles proposition bets. The craps dealer monitors all games played on their end of the table.

Proposition Bet

This includes all the one-roll bets in the middle of a craps table. In addition, a proposition bet is a one-roll bet on horn numbers, such as two, three, seven, eleven, and twelve.

R

Rack

A raised platform around the edge of a craps table. Craps players often place their gambling chips on the rack.

Rail

The region around a craps table. You will find a rack around the player’s side of a craps table.

Right Bettor

This is a term for a player who placed a bet on the pass line instead of “the don’t pass line.”

Rip And Tear

An extreme method of getting tips from craps players in a land-based casino. Rip and tears are mostly prohibited in casinos.

Rounded

The process of approximating a payoff to the nearest even dollar.

S

Save the Odds

After a player rolls a seven, a stickman uses the term “Save the Odds” to remind craps dealers to return odds on come bets back to players with odds positioned on come bets.

Self Service

This refers to the Field Bets, Big Six, and Big Eight played directly by players without the input of craps dealers.

Service

This is the work partnership between a craps dealer and boxman in pushing the payouts to the winners. Furthermore, a service also refers to a boxman and craps dealer working together to set up different betting patterns correctly.

Seven Out

In a craps game, a Seven Out occurs when a craps shooter rolls a seven after the establishment of a point. The dice goes to the next craps shooter after a Seven Out.

Shooter

A player rolling the dice at a craps table. Furthermore, craps shooters must place a line bet before rolling a dice.

Single Odds

This is the amount of cash used in placing a pass or come bet. Note that some land-based casinos offer more than single odds.

Skinny

Also referred to as a Big Read, Skinny is a term for a bet on any seven.

Sleeper Bet

A sleeper bet is a bet abandoned by a player at the craps table.

Snake Eyes

A term for rolling a total of two in a craps game.

Still Up

Craps dealers use this term to remind players of an active wager, or if the players prefer to wager the same amount.

Square Pair

A pair of four or a hard eight in craps.

Stacks

A term for casino chips in different denominations.

Stickman

A casino employee who is responsible for placing and paying out proposition bets. The stickman is also responsible for calling the result of a dice roll and returning the dice to the shooter.

Stroker

This is a term used by dealers to describe a difficult-to-handle craps player in a craps game.

Stiff

A craps dealer's lingo for a player that does not tip after a payout.

T

Table Odds

In a craps game, a Table Odd is the different amount a player can wager on free odds bets, as opposed to the pass line bet.

Taking Odds

The act of placing an odds bet in a craps game.

Three-Way Craps

A horn bet that lacks an eleven bet. In craps, players use the term, "Three-Way Craps", when a bet is split into three parts - one on twelve, one on three, and one on two.

Three-Way Seven

The act of making a bet on any seven in craps.

Tidy the Bowl

A statement telling the stickman to arrange dice scattered in a bowl into a neat row.

True Odds

The correct odds you will get from rolling any number.

Tub

A small-size craps table that is often used in small casinos.

Turn-About

Craps stickman will use this term when players pass the dice to the next shooter on the opposite end of the craps table.

Two Way Eleven

A situation when players bet on an eleven for themselves and the dealers.

Two Way Parlay

This occurs when a craps player places a parlay bet for themselves and craps dealers.

V

Vig

These are house commissions on a particular bet.

W

Wall

A wall situated at the end of a craps table. Craps shooters must hit the wall when rolling a dice.

Whack

The act of making a craps player lose in a craps game.

Whip

Another name for the stickman's stick.

Working Bets

These are bets that are in action.

Whirl

A five-in-one wager that the next dice roll will result in ay two, three, seven, eleven or twelve.

Wrong Bettor

Someone who wagers on "Don't come and don't pass" bets.

Y

Yo-Yo-leven

A word commonly used for rolling eleven.