Craps is the loudest game in a casino, and the most intimidating to a beginner. A crowd around the table, a dozen betting options, and a shooter throwing dice can make it look like a game for experts only. In reality, craps has one of the lowest house edges in the casino, if you stick to the simplest bets. The Pass Line bet carries an edge of just 1.41 per cent, and the Odds bet that goes with it carries no house edge at all. That makes craps a better bet than roulette, slots, or most side bets, provided you ignore the exotic options on the table.

The Pass Line is the bet to learn first. You place it before the come-out roll, which is the first roll of a new round. If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, you win even money. If they roll a 2, 3 or 12, you lose. If they roll any other number — 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 — that number becomes the point, and the shooter keeps rolling until they roll the point again, which wins, or roll a 7, which loses. That is the whole game. The Pass Line wins 49.3 per cent of the time, which is why it is the fairest bet on the table. Start with the Pass Line only, and ignore everything else until you are comfortable.

Once a point is established, you can place an Odds bet behind your Pass Line bet, and this is the best bet in any casino. The Odds bet pays at true odds, with no house edge, because it is a bet that the point will be rolled before a 7. The payout depends on the point: a point of 4 or 10 pays 2 to 1, a point of 5 or 9 pays 3 to 2, and a point of 6 or 8 pays 6 to 5. Most casinos limit the Odds bet to a multiple of your Pass Line bet, often 3x, 5x or 10x, but even a 1x Odds bet improves your overall edge. Always take the maximum Odds bet your bankroll allows, because it is the only bet in the casino with no edge against you.

The bets to avoid are the ones in the middle of the table, which pay big odds but carry a big edge. A bet on any 7 pays 4 to 1 with a house edge of over 16 per cent. A bet on a hardway, where you bet that a pair will be rolled before a 7 or an easy way, carries an edge of around 9 to 11 per cent. Proposition bets on a specific number on the next roll, such as 2 or 12, pay 30 to 1 but carry an edge of over 13 per cent. These bets are fun for a small flutter, but they are the reason craps has a reputation as a game that eats bankrolls. Stick to the Pass Line and the Odds bet, and you are playing a fair game.

Playing craps with Bitcoin is similar to playing with cash, with a few practical differences. Online craps is usually a fast RNG game, which lets you play at your own pace without the pressure of a live table. Live dealer craps is slower and more social, but it is also easier to follow, because the dealer calls the bets and the pace gives you time to think. Check the table limits and the maximum Odds bet before you play, because a low limit can restrict how much Odds you can take. Practice in demo mode first, learn the Pass Line and the Odds bet, and set a session budget with a loss limit. Only bet money you can afford to lose.

Craps is not complicated once you ignore the exotic bets. Back the Pass Line, take the maximum Odds bet, and skip the middle of the table. Do that, and you are playing one of the fairest games in a Bitcoin casino, with a house edge that is lower than almost any other game you will find.