The only game that rivals roulette in terms of popularity is craps, despite the fact that it is considerably more difficult and has a rather steep learning curve.

The good news is that basic rules are easy to pick up and the more they play, the more effective crapsplayers get at improving their profit margin. Craps is played with two dices and the key characters involved are the shooters selected among the players, the stickmen and of course the dealers who oversees the gaming process. The player who assumes the role of shooter will get to choose between two types of bets, which are commonly referred to as Pass Line or the Don't Pass Line.

Procedure requires the player to roll the dices with a single hand and they are supposed to hit the walls on the opposite end of the table for the bet to be valid. As many as 20 players can sit down at the craps table, so action is very intense and everyone contributes, not only the shooter.

All the players at the table rotate and assume the role of shooter, although they have the prerogative of opting out while continuing to bet. It all begins with the shooter making at least one Come Out roll and continues to make such rolls, until he eventually hits 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. If the Come Out roll is 2, 3 or 12 the round and players involved lose the Pass line bets, while if the dice roll seven or 11, the Pass line bets are deemed winners.

If one of the previous numbers are rolled, they become point numbers and the second phase begins, with winning Pass Line bets depending on the shooter to roll the same number. If a seven comes out, the round ends and the pass line loses. When a new shooter comes at the table, he is supposed to make his Point, otherwise he is given back the dices and a new Come Out roll begins.

It is also possible for the dices to be presented to the player to his left and the game will proceed in a clockwise fashion, moving around the craps table 1 seat at a time. As for the table itself, it is divided into three major areas with the side ones mirroring each other. 7 or 11 will trigger the wind of Pass bets while 2, 3, or 12 results in the loss of the same bets, and almost the exact opposite happens for Don't bets. The difference consists in the fact that they win if the come out roll is 2 or 3 and if the shooter throws a 12 the round is tight and the stakes returned.

Those who are waiting to sit down at a craps table, should check out the dealer's button, because "on" signifies the fact that the game has reached the Point round, while "off" indicates the Come Out round.