PLEASE READ TEXT
​BEFORE WATCHING VIDEO

Say goodbye to Craps mat 2.0 with Hop Bets and say hello to the new Craps Mat 3.0 featuring the Universal - Host controlled play-for-fun side bets!! 

​Latest Update 5/12/2026
​New Design Overview
Computer images

What’s New in the Upgrade:

• Integrated Universal side-bet options
• More room has been created on each end for the dice to land by removing the DON’T PASS sections.
• THE DARK SIDE. I address this issue at the bottom of the page.
• Added pyramid betting spaces on HARDWAYS
• Added pyramid spaces to the bottom of the HORN for party games, allowing simple payouts of 8:1 and 3½:1.
• Easier-to-read COME area (still tastefully faded)​​
• Cleaner layout with Hop Bets removed

Introducing the Universal Side Bet Tracker.
Built directly into the top of the mat, this new feature gives the host a simple way to track multi-roll, play-for-fun side action—without slowing the game down or overcomplicating the layout.
While specific side bets or pay tables aren’t printed directly on the mat, this flexible design allows you to practice and visualize different styles of play without locking the layout into any one bet. This area is designed as a true play-for-fun zone—players can use it however they like.

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FINAL COMPUTER RENDERINGS

POSSIBLE SOLID BLACK?

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Side Bet Disclaimer
Many casino side bets are licensed, proprietary, or otherwise protected intellectual property when used in regulated casino environments.

The Craps Mat Home Party Game is designed exclusively for play-for-fun home use and does not define, implement, or provide official side bet images, rules, odds, pay tables, or instructions for any proprietary wager.

Any references on this page are included solely to illustrate flexibility and player familiarity within a casual home-game setting.
No official payouts, rules, or licensed betting structures are provided or implied.
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All gameplay options and experiences are entirely determined by the host and players.

The Universal Side Bets...

​​To track rolls during gameplay, the numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 can be marked using acrylic disks.

Ten yellow disks will be included with the new mats. After each roll, simply place or move a disk on top of the corresponding number to record that result. Over time, this creates a clear visual history of rolled numbers.
For example below, the 2-4-9-11 rolled.

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The Roll Tracker & Map Betting Spaces

​The new Party Zone is designed as a flexible, play-for-fun universal tracking zone that supports a range of flexible player-designed tracking options inspired by familiar dice outcomes.​ The area at the top of the mat, along with the pyramid chip spaces below it, is intended for play-for-fun betting and tracking.

It is deliberately left open-ended so players can adapt it to different side-bet styles without being locked into one specific game, rule set, or payout structure.

Tracker & Player Positioning
The pyramid chip map is divided into three sections (Zones)

​The Craps Mat works best when play follows a clockwise rotation, with the dealer always starting at Player 1 and moving clockwise around the layout to Player 8. From the dealer’s position, this progression is always left to right.

Small printed numbers are included as a dealer reference, helping quickly identify player positions.

• Players 1–4 are always on the dealer’s left
  
• Players 5–8 are always on the dealer’s right
  

These subtle markers speed up bet placement without distracting from gameplay.

Examples:

​This example represents a multi-roll, progress-tracking style side bet, rather than a single-roll outcome bet.​ Player 1 is risking $5 each option, player 6 is risking $25 each option.

This example, player 3 risking $5 and player 7 risking $25 on a one roll side bet option. If the host wants two different one roll only side bets in action, then you would use two separate zones. 

Where The Rules And Odds Come From
Because this is a play-for-fun home game, the exact rules and payouts are always determined by the host and players.

For those who want to explore different side-bet ideas from an educational standpoint, resources like ...
Wizard of Odds website - Craps side bets explainer. 
​​​
That resource provides easy-to-understand breakdowns of many different craps side bets and variations, helping you decide what works best for your group. Any option on that page can be used during gameplay, as determined by the host. Another option is to ask any AI program about popular craps side-bets using the roll tracker. Design your own side bet, options are unlimited. That area is designed as a flexible play-for-fun zone—players can use it however they like.  (See video below)​
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A common approach is:

• The host (or dealer) selects the side-bet concept
• The dealer places play-for-fun bets in the pyramid spaces
• The Roll Tracker area is used to mark rolls, progress, or completed conditions
• Payouts and odds are written by the host on index cards and kept near the table* (example shown below)

This keeps the mat clean and allows the game to evolve from one gathering to the next.

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* Host Side-Bet Game Index cards
The Craps Mat Home Play-For-Fun Party Game will come with index card stock bundle. Below is an example reference for a generic unlicensed bets. (True odds.) The back side of the card can have Casino Odds reference if desired.

This next example is using the center zone for a one roll only "Hardways Hop" bet - TRUE ODDS

You can make up your own side bet. Like this one below - "Doubles" 

Below is what your cards will look like. I have been advised not to pre-print these cards. Only the game host can do this.

What This Update Is — And Isn’t
​This update is:
A new layout designed to expand play-for-fun flexibility
A response to players who wanted more side-bet options
A simple way to track multi-roll action during the game
This update is not:
A rulebook
A set of required instructions
A definition of official bets or payouts
A locked-in way to play

Universal Side bet Video

I replaced the traditional DONT PASS with the term players actually use when talking about the bet — The Dark Side.
This change is meant to grab the attention of beginners and make the option feel more approachable—even a little fun. It sparks curiosity right away… “What on earth is that?”

If I can encourage just a few players to step over to the Dark Side, it helps balance the game, keeps chips in circulation in banked games, and improves the overall experience—without changing any rules or payouts.

Let’s be honest… beginners are often intimidated by “DON’T PASS BAR 12.”

“Don’t” feels negative. Confusing.

“The Dark Side” creates curiosity, identity, and a little fun.

That’s a hook—not just a label.

At the end of the day, this is about chip inventory and game balance.
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And if it happens to catch the eye of someone searching for a home party game… even better.
I ask people to think outside the box when it comes to party games--
so I should be doing the same.

Thank you for viewing this presentation.
Scott Cameron
CrapsMat,com



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