One of the most unique casino games you’ll ever play is Craps.
On the surface it seems simple: throw some dice, win some money, everyone cheers. But when you get down to the meat and potatoes of the game it’s like its own country with its own slang and lingo.
If you really want to take that next step in the wild world of Craps, you’ll want to know many of the terms that are used regularly.
You’ll get dizzy if we dished out every single word in the Craps glossary. What we’re gonna give you is some of the cooler terms that Craps pros like to use.
Snake Eyes
Snake Eyes is when you roll a two with the two dice. The only way that’s possible is a one is rolled on each dice; making it pretty rare. If you roll snake eyes on your first roll and you bet on the “Pass Line”, it’s a loss.
The Shooter
The player at the table that’s rolling the dice. You better hope, for your wallets’ sake, that if you’re not the Shooter the guy that is knows how to roll some consistent numbers.
Come Out Roll
The first roll in a round when establishing the point or rolling craps or a natural.
Point
A number established by the come out roll which is not craps or a natural (ex: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10).
Natural
No, not the Robert Redford flick. It’s when the Shooter throws a 7 or 11 on the come out roll.
Any Craps
Any Craps is when you bet the next roll will be snake eyes, 3, or 12.
Big Red
A bet that the next roll will be a 7.
The Bones
“The Bones” are just a much cooler way to say the dice. Many believe the expression is used because back in the day Romans used pig knuckles as dice. So if you want to sound cool make sure you ask your fellow Craps players if you can “roll the bones” for a while when you pull up to the table.
Box Numbers
The numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 marked inside “boxes” on the table.
Buffalo
A bet on each Hard Way and Any Seven. You’ll need to check out a craps table summary to fully understand how this bet works. The gist of it is that you’re betting on all the hard boxes (Hard 4, Hard 6, Hard 8, Hard 10) on the table but hedging your bet by also betting that the next roll will be seven.
“Cold Table”
The Shooter isn’t making his points or naturals. Basically whoever’s handling the dice (or, throwing the bones) aren’t making consistent rolls. You might want to grab the dice from this guy and take over as shooter.
HI/LO Bet
A bet on the 12 and 2 the highest and lowest bets in the game.
Stickman
That guy that grabs your dice (and your chips if you lose) with a big curved stick.
“Long and Strong”
Stickman says it when he wants the dice thrown hard enough to hit the back wall.
Midnight
Betting 12, and only 12, will roll next.