You have to admit that there is something about that six-sided cube with dots that number from one to six that we know as dice. One glance at a single or pair of dice and you immediately know that they can control so many different games of chance. Maybe that is why we are attracted to gambling at games that involve dice. They look so simple and easy to use. However, we tend to use dice in several complicated and complex ways. This includes online casino games. In this article, we will take a look at several of the most common online casino dice games you can play right away.
Hazard
This game pre-dates Craps, since at least the 14th century in England. Experts suggest that this game goes even further back in history than that as it happens to have Arabic origins. Part of that comes from the fact that the word “hazard” comes from the Arabic word for die (al-zahr). Hazard requires two dice and any number of players. The player with the dice is called a shooter, or caster, and the game begins after the shooter throws the dice to establish what the main point will be in the specific game. The point must be between 5 and 9 and it can often take more than one throw to get the point. Once the main is set, players wager on if the shooter will win or not with the next throw. The shooter has to throw in or “nick” to win. Once a player wins or loses, the dice move to the next player.
Craps
Craps is very likely the most popular online casino dice game. It is as popular in land-based casinos around the globe. It got its name from a roll of 1-1 or 1-2 in Hazard, which is called crabs. Plus, the rules and much of the gameplay of Craps come from Hazard. Craps involve a shooter who throws the dice, the establishment of a point, and bets on whether the shooter wins (Pass Line) or Don’t Pass bets. Learn more here about dice casino games.
Simplified Craps
Like most online casino games, there are several variations of craps. Simplified Craps is just as the name implies, it is a simpler version of the game that is perfect for beginners. In this variation, a player wins when they throw the dice and score 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, or 12. The player loses with throws totaling 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. That is how simple this variation of craps is to play.
Chuck A Luck
This dice game originates from Australia and requires three dice. The dice are placed in a spinning cage causing them to tumble. Players wager on a number and how many of the three dice will show that number once they stop spinning. The simplicity of this game has made it a popular choice for beginners and the payout odds are worth considering. For example, a single up returns 1:1 but a three-of-a-kind winning bet pays up to 30:1.
Sic Bo
This is a very popular Asian dice game where three dice are played on a table. The game name is Chinese for “dice pair” and has several variations. The betting surface of the Sic Bo table is much the same as a Craps table and Sic Bo is closely related to Chuck A Luck, which is considered a variation of Sic Bo. Sic Bo has many different bets with Small or Big being the most popular choices. To win the Small bet, the sum of the three dice has to be between 4 and 10. A Big bet is for totals of between 11 and 17.
Banka Francesca
There are dice games, and there are rapid dice games. This is one of the fast ones. Although this particular dice game may not be very well known yet in the US, it is very popular in Portuguese casinos. The game requires three dice and has three different bets. A player can bet Big (the sum of the three dice totaling 14, 15, or 16), Small (the sum of the three dice totaling 5, 6, or 7), or Aces (the sum of the dice totals 3, all three dice showing a one). The dealer rapidly rolls the dice over and over until one of the betting results shows. Payouts are interesting with Big or Small bets returning 1:1 and Aces paying out at 60:1.
Klondike
This dice game dates back to the pioneering days of America and uses five six-sided dice, resembling poker dice. The idea of the game is for a player to roll a better hand or dice combination than the banker. The banker rolls first to establish the benchmark players must bet to win. Rolling the same score as the banker is considered a loss. The 1 on the dice is considered the highest-ranking number as it is the equal of an Ace. The rest of the numbers, ranking from highest to lowest, are 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2. Klondike is considered by many as a simplified variation of Craps. That is because the goal of Craps is to score a win which is when a player rolls a better combination than the banker.
Final Thoughts
Dice games have been around for a very long time. They are far from complicated although there are a few that are so fast, it isn’t always easy to catch how they are played right away. Then some dice games are simplified versions of other well-known dice games. The simple versions are typically to introduce beginners into the fascinating world of dice games. The great thing about dice games is that they are easy to find and play online. These six-sided cubes are much easier to track than a deck of 52 cards and don’t have as many combinations. Plus, anyone can play a dice game. You just throw the dice and the total that results is the score you either win or lose with. It couldn’t be any easier.
