Craps, a type of dice game, traces its origins to a simplified version of the Old English game hazard and was introduced to American players by Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville. Players bet money against each other or the bank on either the anticipated outcome of one roll or a series of rolls of two dice.

Craps is a popular game at many casinos. The table is generally run by four people: a boxman in charge of the chips; two base dealers who collect and pay bets; and a stickman responsible for announcing the results of each roll and collecting the dice. The person rolling the dice, also known as the shooter, is usually required to roll with one hand,making sure that the dice bounce off the wall around the table. This helps prevent cheating by making it more difficult to switch the dice or take a controlled shot at the table.

Craps players have developed their own lingo to name the rolls of the dice in the game. For example, a player is said to have rolled snake eyes when he or she gets only one pip on each die. As the lowest possible roll, this term is also used as a reference to bad luck.

There are several different types of bets in craps, including line bets, single roll bets, and multi roll bets. Bet payoff odds can vary depending upon the casino in which you are playing, although the expected value of all bets is negative. The average player will always lose money, but maximizing the size of your odds bet in relation to your line bet can reduce the house edge slightly.

The trouble with betting on craps is that there is no wagering system able to consistently beat a game of pure chance. However, this does not mean that people don't try to come up with a method for striking it rich. For example, players using the Martingale System start by betting $1 US Dollar and doubling the bet whenever they lose until they win and start over at the first amount. Theoretically, this strategy is supposed to guarantee a profit equal to the initial amount after every eventual win. Unfortunately, it fails to work because the player will either run out of money to bet after a lengthy losing streak or eventually exceed the maximum bet allowed by the casino managers.