How to Throw Dice in Craps (5 Tips)

When it’s your turn to assume the role of the shooter and roll the dice in craps, you should know the essential rules and methods to minimize the chance of crapping out. Additionally, it’s important to remember the house rules for the game to ensure you have an enjoyable time.

Focusing on the latter first, when playing craps in a land-based casino, the main rule to keep in mind is that the dice must hit the back wall of the craps table. If you throw the dice and they don’t hit the wall, the croupier could rule your throw a no-roll, or you will have to forfeit your throw to the next person at the table.

Besides this crucial rule, most casinos will have a few additional craps rules on throwing dice. For instance, the most common craps rules state that you shouldn’t use two hands when shooting, avoid taking the dice off the table, or throw lob rolls that go too high in the air. Naturally, many of these dice-throwing rules make it more challenging to have great control over your rolls.

If you’re playing craps online, you don’t have to account for any of these rules. This is because online craps games use RNG software to determine the outcomes of the roll. All you have to do when playing craps online is press the play button, and a random dice combination will be produced.

Five Best Tips for Throwing Dice In Craps

Knowing the main gameplay rules, you can focus on implementing different tips that will help you become better at rolling the dice. Having a proper craps dice-rolling technique can enable you to have better control and increase the odds of the dice producing the numbers you intend.

Of course, this is highly complex and requires a lot of practice. But, if you master these dice-rolling tips and tricks, you can become a more successful craps shooter. Here are the five tips for throwing dice in craps:

Set The Dice

One of the most popular dice-throwing techniques in craps among experienced players is properly setting the dice before the throw. You can find many different sets that, in theory, minimize or maximize the chance of landing a specific value.

When setting the dice, a crucial element is controlling the throw. A consistent throwing technique ensures the dice leave your hand the same way with every throw. This consistency through practice will result in more precise dice throws over time.

The most popular set is the so-called “Hardway Set”. As the name gives it away, this setting technique involves placing a hardway combination (two matching numbers) on the dice. This way, the top, front, back, and bottom faces will all be hardway combinations. According to craps experts, the Hardway Set is the best dice-setting technique for minimizing the chance of hitting a seven.

Apart from this dice-setting strategy, sets like the 2V, 3V, Crossed Sixes, or All 7 Set are all worth practicing depending on which numbers you want to hit or avoid hitting.

Aim Away From The Corners

Having to throw the dice off the table's back wall already makes it challenging to control the outcome of your throw. But hitting the corner of the table will result in even more unpredictable and harder-to-control throws.

If you look at the corners of a craps table, you can notice that they are curved. This means it’s almost impossible to hit the corner wall at the exact degree as you would at the center part of the back wall. Hitting the corner often results in the dice tumbling, sometimes hitting the wall more than once.

This is an unnecessary variable that you should avoid adding to the mix. With that in mind, always steer clear of the corners and aim for the middle section of the back wall. This will maximize the probability of consistent results.

Pick Your Preferred Grip Style

Just like in many sports like bowling, darts, or pool, choosing the right grip can make a world of difference. Avoid throwing the dice by placing them in your palm, as they most often portray it in movies and shows. This prevents you from having good control of the dice when throwing them.

In craps, there are several main techniques used by prolific players. The most popular is pinching the dice, which involves placing them between your four fingers and your thumb. This makes for more consistent throws, as you don’t use the palm of your hand at all.

Many players also opt for the two-finger grip, a technique that dictates using your middle and index fingers on one side and your thumb on the other. Another similar variation is the diagonal grip, which involves throwing the dice with your middle finger and thumb. You can find many other techniques online, so explore the options and practice to ensure you pick the best one.

Always Shoot From The Same Spot

When practicing your dice-throwing techniques, it’s important to always try to shoot from the same spot. The position from which you’re shooting will demand a different level of force. To eliminate this variable, it’s best to always stick to the same spot, as you can practice consistently throwing the dice with an identical amount of force.

Of course, you likely won’t be able to find the exact same spot at the craps table, especially on a crowded night. In that case, you should stand close to the croupier position. In that position, the distance you’ll have to throw the dice is the shortest. In other words, you can throw the dice more softly and have more control over the outcome of the roll.

Practice Your Shooting Angle

Lastly, if you really want to minimize the effect of the bounce when throwing the dice, you should ideally always throw them at a 45-degree angle. The logic is that throwing them at this specific angle maximizes the overall surface of the dice that hits the wall.

If you always managed to throw the dice exactly at 45 degrees, they would hit the table solidly and return without any significant bounce. The force of your throw would be dispersed more evenly on the dice’s flat surface, and the chance of landing your desired combination would be higher.