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A Brief Introductory Lesson in the Lingo of Craps – Part I




Author: Neha Agrawal


Most gambling games, be they online or off, poker, slots, or sports bets have a broad range of linguistic terms that accompany them. In poker for instance, there is hold, fold or blinds. Sports betting use sports terminology such as goal, offside, ace, and love, etc. Slots of course uses pay lines, progressive jackpot and scatters. So why should Craps be any different?

Some of the terminology in use when playing Craps might at first be daunting, as with any other gambling game; but with this quick guide, you’ll pick up the lingo in no time at all. Here is a brief run-down of some of the more popular terms in Craps in alphabetical order.

Aces mean that a player is going to place a bet that the next roll will be a two. When a player is wondering what the action is, he or she is enquiring as to how busy the Craps table is, or possibly what wagers are currently on the table. The apron is the outer layer of the table, also known as the felt.

If a player is at risk, they are currently engaged in a Craps bet. You might come across a ballerina special while playing Craps; it basically stands for two 2s. A big six is a bet that a six will be rolled before a seven, and similarly a big eight is that an eight will be rolled before a seven. Most people will not need to be told this, but if they hear of the bones, the speaker is often referring to the dice that are used to play Craps.

Other terminology used in Craps can include charting a table, which basically means that one is keeping track of all the outcomes of the dice on either a sheet of paper or in their head. A roll may be considered to be cocked dice, when it lands against a wall; and the table may be said to be a cold table when the shooter can’t make up their points.

The Craps drop box is the metal container under the table that houses the money from player buy-ins, and the eye in the sky is the name for the surveillance cameras above the tables. The fifty yard line is also a term used in Craps, and it is used to refer to the mid-way point of the table.

There is much more terminology used in Craps, and we will continue to take a little look at some of that in the very next article.