A base dealer operates one side of a traditional craps layout. The dealer receives player instructions, converts them into visible chip positions, tracks who owns each stack, collects losing wagers, pays winners, handles presses and take-downs, and keeps that side ready before the dice move again.
For most players, the base dealer is the main point of contact. The stickperson calls the dice and often handles center action; the base dealer handles the player’s continuing relationship with the layout.
One side of the table is a live ledger
A dealer-controlled chip stack carries several pieces of information at once:
- the player who owns it;
- the wager type;
- the amount;
- the number or point attached to it;
- whether it is working;
- whether odds are included;
- what must happen on the next relevant roll.
There may be no screen beside the dealer showing all of that. Chip position, color, spacing, buttons, verbal repeats, and consistent procedure form the record.
This is why “the dealer knows what I mean” is not enough. If the instruction cannot be translated into a specific visible wager before the dice are released, the table has a dispute waiting to happen.
The base dealer’s roll cycle
1. Finish the prior settlement
Before accepting a new change, the dealer should complete collections, payouts, returned change, and outstanding presses from the last roll. Mixing old and new transactions makes ownership harder to reconstruct.
2. Confirm the table state
The dealer needs to know whether the puck is ON or OFF, the current point, and which wagers are working. A place bet that is off on the come-out is not settled the same way as one the player has called working.
3. Hear and repeat the instruction
Useful calls specify amount and destination:
- “$18 place 6.”
- “$10 odds behind my 5.”
- “Press my 8 to $30.”
- “Take down my 4 and 10.”
- “My come odds are working.”
A repeat such as “eighteen six” or “eight goes to thirty” confirms that the dealer and player mean the same thing.
4. Place chips in the ownership position
Dealer-controlled boxes use positional memory. Chips for two players on the same number cannot be merged merely because the amounts match. The arrangement must show which stack belongs to which player position.
5. Clear hands before the throw
Late instructions should not be half-built while the dice are in motion. A clean boundary protects against accidental interference and against a wager being changed after the outcome becomes partly known.
6. Collect, pay, and reset
After a valid result is called, the base dealer follows the house settlement order, generally removing losing action before adding payouts to winning stacks. The dealer then completes presses, take-downs, and change, verifies the new layout state, and signals readiness for the next throw.
The complete crew cycle is covered in craps dealer procedure. This page stays focused on the base dealer’s side-specific work.
Self-service and dealer-controlled bets
A beginner’s first practical question is often: “Do I put the chips down, or do I give the instruction?”
| Common wager | Typical handling on a traditional layout |
|---|---|
| Pass Line / Don’t Pass | Player places chips in the marked area |
| Field | Player places chips in the marked area |
| Come / Don’t Come | Player places the initial wager; dealer moves it after a point is established |
| Place, Buy, or Lay | Base dealer positions the wager for the player |
| Odds behind Pass/Don’t Pass | Player may place in the designated position, with dealer guidance |
| Come-number odds | Base dealer commonly positions and tracks them |
| Center propositions | Usually booked through the stickperson or house procedure |
Procedures differ. Follow the dealer’s instruction instead of reaching across the layout to correct a stack yourself.
The self-service bets and dealer-controlled bets pages separate these categories in more detail.
Worked payout and press
A player has $18 placed on 6. The next valid roll is 6. A standard place-6 payout is 7 to 6:
$18 × 7/6 = $21 win
The player says, “Press my 6 to $30.”
The dealer can complete the instruction as follows:
- leave the original $18 in position;
- use $12 of the $21 win to increase the wager to $30;
- return the remaining $9 to the player;
- repeat that the 6 is now $30.
The visible final state matters. The dealer should not leave a loose $12 beside the original stack where it could be mistaken for a second player’s wager or unreturned change.
If the player merely says “press it,” the dealer may need clarification. A one-unit press, full press, and press to a named total are not the same instruction.
Why payout units matter
Craps payouts often require wager amounts that divide cleanly by the posted ratio. Place 6 and 8 pay 7 to 6, so multiples of $6 produce whole-chip payouts. Place 5 and 9 commonly pay 7 to 5, favoring multiples of $5. Place 4 and 10 commonly pay 9 to 5, also favoring multiples of $5.
A base dealer should recognize an awkward amount before it produces confusion. The dealer may explain the proper unit or return excess chips according to house procedure rather than silently booking a wager that cannot be paid cleanly.
The player can verify a payout with:
Winning amount = wager × posted payout ratio
This checks the win, not the returned original stake. “7 to 6” means an $18 wager wins $21 and the $18 remains or is also returned depending on whether the bet stays up.
Communication errors that cause real disputes
Unclear ownership
Two players toss chips toward the same dealer and both call for the 8. If the dealer does not separate and position them immediately, the next 8 can create an ownership argument.
Unclear working status
A player says “everything works” while the dealer is paying another position. If the call is not acknowledged before the come-out roll, the player and crew may disagree about whether a place bet was active.
Ambiguous press language
“Same bet,” “press one,” and “let it ride” can mean different things across players and properties. Final totals are clearer than slang.
Dice released too soon
When the dice leave while change or a come-bet move is unfinished, the dealer must protect the live wager and complete a prior transaction at the same time. Good crews avoid creating that conflict.
The control framework behind the job
Massachusetts gaming rules describe dealers as the employees who operate table games, the stickperson as the craps dealer controlling the dice, and the boxperson as the first-level supervisor directly participating in and supervising the game. The same jurisdiction’s Craps and Mini-Craps rules require decided wagers to be settled before the dice are passed for the next throw.
Nevada’s table-games minimum internal control standards provide another view of why visible transactions, call-bet evidence, fills, credits, supervision, and table accountability matter. Exact staffing and procedures vary, but a base dealer’s work sits inside that control environment.
What players can do to make the interaction cleaner
- Give one instruction at a time.
- State both the amount and number.
- Wait for the dealer to acknowledge the wager.
- Keep hands away while payouts are being cut.
- Ask before placing chips in a dealer-controlled area.
- Raise a concern before the next roll, while the layout can still be reconstructed.
- Do not assume the dealer can remove a contract bet after it has become active.
A strong base dealer is not simply fast with chips. The dealer makes every action legible: who owns it, what it is, how much it is, whether it is working, and how the last roll changed it. Speed follows clarity, not the other way around.