By 
If you’ve ever walked through a casino, you’ve probably seen a craps table, but have you ever wondered what a craps table really is? What does it include, what are its components?
The largest and most obvious part of the table is the bed. Casino craps tables are generally available in 8-foot, 10-foot, or 12-foot lengths. Along the top edge of the bed is a continuous padded rail that players can lean against. Standing at a craps table for long periods of time can become tiring for the player, so the padded rail allows players to rest or change body positions to relieve stress. After all, the casino doesn’t want players to leave simply because their feet and knees hurt. Obviously, the casino wants players at the table for as long as possible.
Adjacent to the padded rail is the wooden Chip Rack, which is typically two shelves deep with dividers every 12 to 16 inches. Dividers separate the chip rack into individual sections for players.
Along the outer perimeter is a small shelf called the Drink Rail. As the name suggests, this is where players place their drinks. Cups and beverage bottles are not allowed on the padded rail due to the risk of spillage in the design. Spills not only create a huge mess in the layout (which the casino has to pay to clean up), but they also slow down the game, leading to profit for the casino. Cigarette ashtrays are also placed on the Drink Rail.
Inside the bed is the layout of the table with all the numbers and squares in which the players’ chips are placed. The felt can be any color depending on the casino’s specifications. Common colors are green, blue, and sometimes red. Special designs and patterns can be incorporated into the design to match the theme of the casino. The area at the outer edge of the design is called the apron.
The rubber material lines the inside wall of the bed and is called Rail Rubber. Under the rail rubber at each inside end of the table is a 6 to 8 inch wide piece of pyramid rubber. This is the part of the table with all the little pyramids or spikes that are specially designed to deflect dice at random. Casinos have a rule that a player must “hit the back wall” when rolling the dice. This rule ensures that the dice hit the rubber of the pyramid, thus preventing anyone from controlling the outcome of a dice roll. Regardless of what you hear, read, or see at a live craps table, no one (NO ONE!) can consistently control the outcome of a roll of the dice when the die hits the rubber on the pyramid. They just can’t. (Read my other articles on the silly notion of “dice control” or “dice adjustment.”)
On the inside side of the bed, facing the dealers and boxman, is a mirror about 8 inches wide that runs the length of the table. The mirror allows the dealers and boxman to see the palm side of the player’s throwing hand. The boxman can easily see if a player is cheating by “palming” the dice, trying to get a lopsided pair into play.
Cut into the design of the table in front of the boxman is a money slot for the money drop box. The money slot is about 3/8 inch wide and about 3 inches long, which is just the right size to push bills down into the mailbox. The boxman uses a paddle to push the money through the slot into the money box that is attached to the bottom of the bed. (That’s where the term “boxman” comes from.)
The stickman controls a small bowl that rests on the table against the wall directly in front of the stickman. This Dice Bowl (or Dice Boat) simply contains the extra dice that are not in play. When a new game starts, the stickman throws the unused dice on the table and uses his stick (or whip) to push them all (usually 6 or 8) to the next shooter. The shooter then selects two that he thinks are lucky, and then the stickman removes the remaining dice and places them in the bowl. The bowl is usually made of clear acrylic or wood.
Pucks and Buttons are also considered part of a craps table. The ON/OFF disk (white for the ON side, black for the OFF side) is simply used to indicate if a new game is in progress. If a new game is about to start, the disc is placed on the OFF side. If a game is in progress, the puck is flipped onto its ON side and placed in the appropriate number box on the layout to indicate the “point” for the current game. Small buttons about the size of a quarter are used to indicate whether a player’s bets are on or off, or whether a certain type of bet is “buy” or “lay.” Each button has a word engraved on it, either OFF, ON, BUY or LAY. The buttons help the dealer, boxman, and eye in the sky keep track of player bets.
Now you know all the components of a craps table! The more you know, the safer you will be when you approach a table. The safer you are, the less likely it is that dealers will lead you down the wrong path by prompting you to place bets with high house edges.