Transforming Ordinary Dice Rollers into Pro-Level Callers- ABCs on Craps Lingo

Picture this- you are sitting at the craps table, and someone called Ozzie and Harriet, but you don’t see a couple playing the game. Someone mentioned “Two stars from Mars”, and you don’t seem to be getting what, on Earth, has that got to do with dice rolling?

Before you even realize it, you have that awkward feeling as if you are lost at the table before the dice are even rolled. It’s the feeling all new craps players have if they sit at the table unprepared.

And we don’t mean in of strategy and rules.

Are you familiar with the most common craps calls and jargon?

If the answer is no, you have found yourself at the perfect place, as we shall equip you with some essential phrases. In case the answer is positive, it’s a perfect location as well because chances are you will learn some funny calls you haven’t heard before.

Stay tuned for more craps lingo and useful expressions!

Funny Lingo, But Serious Strategies 

Before we get down to listing all the expressions, let’s make one thing clear. When starting as a craps player, the first thing to do is get to know how the game works. It’s very important to be sure that you understand the laws behind the game and learn which are the best bets for beginners.

Even though the list of bets is a lengthy one…

…it most certainly doesn’t mean all of them should be used regularly. To put it simply, it all boils down to several bets which are the only ones worth implementing. Those which don’t belong to this list are called sucker bets, and there are multiple justified reasons for that.

One of them is because they have a poor house edge, which elevates between 9.09% to 16.67%. More than enough to steer clear.

So, you SHOULD be knowledgeable about their existence…

…as well as all the funny slang describing them, but when it comes to action, stick to those which provide a good house edge. The history has shown they are the only ones that work.

Which Are the Most Common Crew and Player Calls? 

The list we have prepared for you goes through the most common crew calls and also encomes player calls and chatter. However, we have omitted some which cross the limits of politeness- because we don’t want our players to learn rude expressions.

Depending on the numbers rolled, here’s what one can hear during craps game:

• Roll of Two is best known as snake-eyes, but it is also referred to as rat’s eyes, aces, eyeballs, eleven in a shoe store, aces in both places, two bad boys from Illinois, etc.
• Roll of Three is called acey-deucey, two-one son of a gun, small ace deuce, can’t produce; the winner on the dark side, and more.
• Roll of Four– two-twos, ballerina special, little Joe or little Joe from Kokomo, two spots and two dots, ace trey the easy way, etc.
• Roll of Five is also after five the field is alive, fiver fiver, racetrack diver, we got the fever, little Phoebe and so on.
• Roll of Six can be double threes, pair-o-treys, waiter’s roll, and more.
• Roll of Seven– seven out, line away; grab the money, five two, you’re all through; six ace, end of the race (or you lost the race), front line winner, back line skinner; six one, you’re all done; seven’s a bruiser, the front line’s a loser, Skinny McKinney, big red, up pops the Devil, three-four, now we’re poor (or we’ve lost the war) and many more.
• Roll of Eight is known as double-fours, a square pair like mom and dad, Ozzie and Harriet, the windows, etc.
• Roll of Nine is also center field, the center of the garden, Nina from Pasadena, Nina, forty-five, and so on.
• Roll of Ten can be double fives, pair of sunflowers/ roses, fifty-five to stay alive, two stars from Mars, sixty-four out of the door, the big one on the end, and more.
• Roll of Eleven is called see a Yo’, bet a Yo! Yo leven, etc. (The main reason for putting ‘Yo,’ before or after ‘Eleven,’ is because it sounds like, ‘Seven’. It’s the only way to avoid confusion among the crew or players.)
• Roll of Twelve– craps, midnight, all the spots and all the dots, double saw on a boxcar, all the spots we got, etc.

As you can see…

…majority of them is a result of physical resemblance and funny associations players have when observing the dots on dice. Or the cards, like in craps variant from California. Some took it to the next level by forming short and silly rhymes. Our list here gave you English lingo only, but each language contains many special variants.

The continuous action and joyful chatter among crew and players are what differs this game to many others from brick and mortar venues. That’s the reason why it is seen as fundamentally social, connecting all people sitting at the table in a unique way.

What Else Do Punters Say During the Game? 

Although these advanced expressions are mostly used by regular punters, even those who are just getting started should learn them gradually and implement when the moment comes.

Wanna hear them? Keep reading!

When a player says “(Dollar Amount) Inside”, that means to Place the 5,6,8 and 9 with the amount of money tossed in as equally as possible, while “(Dollar Amount) Across”, that means to place all of the numbers except the Point as equally as possible with the money thrown in.

Here’s more

• Cover all the Hard Ways refers to making equal bets on all Hard Ways
• Crap Check means to make an Any Crap bet
• Six-Two (or any combination) is the signal that the player is making a Hop Bet
• Hop the Hard Ways indicates that the punter is making a one-roll bet covering all the hard numbers
• Crew Money, For the Crew, Lock it Up– any of these means the player is tipping
• (Name of a Bet) for the Crew implies that the punter is making a toke/tip bet, which means the bet is for the crew

More Interesting Craps-Related to Memorize 

One of the dealers at the table, in charge of supervising the other dealers, is called Boxman and he/she usually sits down instead of standing. Boxman is opposite the stickman, whose duty is to push the dice to the shooter and call the rolls. And finally, the shooter is the punter rolling the dice.

But, why is someone called the Wrong bettor? Who is George? How about Eye in the Sky?

All these words and phrases are also part of the craps jargon which can be heard at the table, so let’s find out their meaning.

When a player is known as a good tipper…

…he/she’s called George. The Wrong Bettor is the expression for a player betting against the shooter, while the Right Bettor is the one betting on the line (like the majority of punters do). Eye in the Sky refers to the surveillance department or the cameras in the ceiling to watch the participants and dealers.

Dice are also known as bones, and Boys/ The Boys is a jargon name for the dealers (even in situations where crew consists of female - awkward, isn’t it?).

The table when no one is making their point…

…is known as Cold Dice/Table, while the one where players are winning or rolling a lot of numbers is called Hot Dice/Table. Inside Numbers refers to placing bets on the numbers 5-6 -8-9, while the Outside Numbers are bets on the 4-10 –5-9.

When one places a bet that the next roll will be 2, 3, or 12, it’s called Any Craps, while Any Sevens refers to any combo which creates number seven. In case one wants to make a field bet, he/she can refer to it as a garden.

A player betting one roll wager for himself AND the dealer…

…is 2-Way Craps, while the one made in units of 3 with one unit on 2, one unit on 3, and one unit on 12 is known as 3-Way Craps. A seven or 11 thrown on the come out roll for a winning bet is called Natural.

Adding the winnings from a bet to the original stake and wagering it all is known as Parlay A Bet, while Cheque Change is breaking down a chip into smaller denomination chips. Color In is what one says when cashing out smaller valued chips for larger valued chips when leaving the craps table.

Final Thoughts 

As you can see, the craps fans worldwide have been more than creative, providing an extensive vocabulary of formal, informal, and funny game-related expressions. There are so many of them, the vast number is specific for a certain language and new ones are continuously generated, enlarging the list unstoppably.

Once again…

…having great knowledge of lingo is one thing, but deciding which strategy to implement is another. Just because something sounds funny it doesn’t mean you should opt for these bets. Always choose smart moves, learn which bets are the best ones when playing craps, and never push luck just because you want to use a silly expression you have just learned.

To conclude the text in a humorous manner, and make sure you’ve grasped it well, tell us:

What is the craps dealer’s favorite dessert? –Dice pudding!

Have fun and play responsibly!

Frequently Asked Questions