Casino dice games have been a big hit for many people from all around the world. The standard six-sided cube-shaped dice originated in China sometime around 600 B.C. The original use of dice was fortune-telling, but later they were used for multiple games, such as chance. While the most widely known casino game involving dice is Craps, there are still many other dice games that you can play at some land-based casinos and online.
In this article, we’ll list some of the various casino dice games and discuss each one so that you can get a better understanding of them. The games we’ll be focusing on, aside from Craps, are Hazard, Chuck-A-Luck, Klondike, Banka Francesca, and Sic Bo. For beginners, these games can look intimidating; therefore, many new players may simply walk past them. The reason is that these games are often fast-paced, offer hundreds of different betting types, and involve players using unfamiliar terminology. It’s completely normal to feel this way before learning how the games work.
Craps
Craps is a popular casino dice game, and arguably the most popular. The game’s origins remain unclear, but it likely developed over time. Some believe it evolved from the English game Hazard, like a French game called Crabes.
One of the first individuals to introduce the game in New Orleans, Louisiana, was Bernard Philippe sometime in the 18th century. Since there were issues with the version he introduced, another one was later developed in the early 1900s by John Winn, which more closely resembles the version played today. Before it received its modern name, it was called “Crapaud,” a French word meaning “toad”, referring to how players crouched over the ground while playing.
The game involves a pair of dice, where players bet on the outcome of rolls or a series of rolls. Players may bet on different outcomes, and multiple players can win at the same time depending on the results. Craps is known for offering a wide range of betting options and is often associated with relatively favorable odds compared to some other casino games.
Over time, many variations of the game have been introduced and may still be found in some casinos. These include:
- High Point Craps
- New York Craps
- Die Rich Craps
- Scarney Craps
- Simplified Craps
- Crapless Craps
Hazard
Hazard is a dice game that has been played in England for centuries, dating back to the 14th century. Some sources suggest it may go back even further to the 12th or 13th century, with possible Arabic influences.
It wasn’t until the 17th and 18th centuries that the game became more widely known, spreading to other regions such as France and the U.S. The modern game of Craps is based on Hazard, even though the terminology differs. While Hazard is less common today, it can still be found in some Western casinos.
Other Casino Dice Games
- Chuck-A-Luck
Chuck-A-Luck is a casino dice game that some believe originated in Australia. The dice are rolled inside a chuck cage shaped like an hourglass. Players place bets on numbers ranging from 1 to 6. This game is like Crown and Anchor, which was played by the British military during World War I. The only difference is that the dice were marked with symbols rather than numbers.
- Klondike
Klondike is a casino dice game that uses five dice and was once played in smaller casinos in early American frontier regions.
- Banka Francesca
Banka Francesca is a dice game with three dice played on a table. It is mostly found in Portuguese casinos and has a relatively high house edge compared to other games.
- Sic Bo
Sic Bo is a popular dice game found in Asia and is played with three dice on a table where players place bets on different outcomes. The name in Chinese translates roughly to “dice pair.” The game became more widely available in casinos in the U.S. and Europe around the 1980s.
Now that you know about the different kinds of casino dice games, it’s a good idea to learn more about them before playing. It’s important to understand the rules and gameplay. You can also practice some of these games casually before playing in a casino setting.
If you’re interested in trying other casino-style games, you can explore a variety of options within Fortune’s Ultimate Slots, including Video Slots, Classic Slots, Blackjack, Roulette, and Video Poker, all available in a free-to-play format.