How to Play Craps

Learn how to play Craps fast and easy. We offer a step-by-step guide for beginners but also the game rules, odds, and payouts.

Beyond the basics, this page offers insight into Craps terminology, a guide to Craps strategy, and bets with the highest and lowest house edge.

Basics of Craps

These are the essential elements of the game. They include the table and its complete layout, including bet types, dice, stick, and puck.

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  Table Layout

  The table is the playing field. This is where players throw their die, and place all wagers.

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  Dice

  The die are the key element of Craps. Traditionally, players take turns throwing the die. They luck of the dice determines the fate of each game round.

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  Stick

  The Stick is used for moving around and collecting the dice thrown on the table. The Stick is irrelevant for online play.

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  Puck

  The Puck in Craps has two sides. Each of the sides indicates the current state of the game. One is black and the other white. Black means the Come out roll hasn’t been made yet, and white means the Come out roll has been made.

How to Play Craps Online?

We guide you in how a round of Craps is played out every step of the process.

1

The Pass Line bet

The game starts with the Pass line bet. You must bet on Pass (dice will roll 7 or 11) or Don’t Pass (dice will roll 2, 3, or 12).

2

Wagers are pooled

The table’s base dealers will take your and other players’ bets to the table.

3

The Come-Out roll

The game round begins. The designated shooter rolls the dice to reveal what is known as the Come-Out roll.

4

The dice lands

If dice rolls 7 or 11, Pass bets win, or if a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled, Don’t Pass bets win. Any other number becomes the Point.

5

Point bets become available

When a Point number is set, you can bet on either one of the Point numbers or a 7. Whichever hits first declares the winner.

6

Shooter keeps rolling

The Shooter will continue to roll until a 7 or a Point number lands from the dice.

7

Shooter switch or stay

When the Shooter lands a point, they keep the Shooter role. If the Shooter rolls a 7, the next player in line (clockwise) becomes the Shooter.

Complete Guide to Craps

This complete guide to Craps walks you through everything you need to know as a beginner. Learn rules, payouts, odds, etiquette, and more. Once you go through our guide, you’ll be ready to start playing immediately.

Complete guide to Craps

• Objective
• Table layout
• The table crew
• Bet types

Objective

Craps is a casino dice game of chance. It’s played with two dice on a large and unique Craps table, hosting over a dozen betting options. Players must use chips to wager real money.

Your goal is to predict the dice roll outcome correctly.

In Craps, every player takes a turn in throwing the dice. Whoever throws the dice is known as the shooter.

Every round starts the same. Players must make bets on the first dice roll of the round. This first roll is known as the “Come Out roll.”

If the Come-Out roll amounts to a 7 or 11, this is known as a “Natural,” and the round ends. The same applies if the Come-Out roll lands on a 2, 3, or 12. This is called “Craps,” and it ends the round.

If the Come-Out roll amounts to a 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10, the round continues with additional rolls. Whichever number was rolled becomes the “Point.”

A puck is placed on the point number to help players navigate the table, and the shooter rolls the dice once more. The rolls continue until the shooter rolls the Point number or a 7.

Table Layout

The table layout is a confusing part of learning how to play craps. But you must know the ins and outs of the Craps table, even as a complete beginner.

The table is split into multiple sections, each hosting different bet fields. Every bet you make will require knowledge of that section of the table. Rest assured, we’ll walk you through them all.

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  Pass & Don’t Pass lines

  This section contains all Pass Line bets. If you believe the shooter’s dice will amount to 7 or 11, place a bet on the Pass Line. If you think the dice will amount to 2, 3, or 12, place your chips on the Don’t Pass Bar.

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  Come & Don’t Come Bar

  These boxes offer similar wagers to the Pass and Don’t Pass lines. Come & Don’t Come bets can only be placed after Pass line bets have been made. If you think the Shooter will throw a dice value of 7 or 11, the Come box should be your bet. If you feel the Shooter will throw a dice value of 2 or 3, place chips on the Don’t Come box.

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  Center Section

  The Center section is where all Proposition wagers go. A single dice roll resolves all proposition bets. These bets have a high house edge and high payout.

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  The Field

  In The Field section, you make a bet if the dice will roll on a 2 or 12 with extra payouts if right. The standard numbers to wager on are 3, 4, 9, 10, or 11. The outcome for this bet is based on a single dice roll rather than multiple.

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  Big 6 and Big 8

  The Big 6 and Big 8 field represent one of the most used Craps bets. By placing your wagers in this box, you bet that the Shooter will roll a 6 or an 8 before a 7.

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  The Place

  The Place is like the Centre section. You can make a Place bet at any point, combined with other bets. You can wager on a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 dice roll outcome in this box before a 7 is rolled. You can do the opposite and wager on a so-called “Place To Lose” bet – by betting that a 7 will be rolled before any of the “Place” numbers.

Mastering the table layout will be crucial in understanding how to play craps for beginners. The table layouts can be different in some casinos, even online.

In land-based casinos, two Craps table layouts are sometimes combined to accommodate more players on the table. Moreover, some Craps variants limit specific bets or remove them altogether.

Who Runs The Craps Table?

When playing Craps, you’ll run into terms like the “Box person,” “Shooter,” and “Stickman.” These table operators are not essential to online Craps rules as they are offline, except for some Craps variants available at live dealer casinos.

We explain what these roles mean and their purpose.

The Box person

The Box person oversees the chips on the table. They monitor the base dealers to prevent mistakes and exchange chips for cash.

The Stickman

The Stickman operates with a long wooden hook. He moves the dice around the table and announces each dice roll’s outcome.

The Shooter

The Shooter is whoever is rolling the dice. Traditionally, players take turns rolling the dice in a clockwise manner. You have the option of passing Shooting duty.

The shooter is the only player role, whereas the casino always decides the Box Person, Stickman, and base dealers. Therefore, the Shooter role is the only one you should know for gameplay purposes.

The Stickman and Box person is irrelevant online. The Craps bets are governed by RNG (Random Number Generators). Live Craps games still use dice and emulate the real-world environment to a large extent.

Bet Types

In Craps, the Pass line and Come bar are your bread and butter. Every experienced player places wagers on these bets considering their low house edge. The difference between a beginner and an advanced player is the latter knows to combine multiple bets simultaneously to maximize odds.

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  Pass & Don’t Pass Bets

  This is the bet made on the first roll of the dice, also known as “come-out roll”. With the Pass Line, you win if 7 or 11 roll, and lose on 2, 3, or 12 roll (known as “craps”). The Don’t Pass Line bet is the opposite. You win on a 2 or 3 (12 is a tie and lose on a 7 or 11 roll.

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  Come & Don’t Come Bets

  Available after a Point number is established. With Come bets, you win if you land a 7 or 11, and lose on a 2,3, or 12. A Don’t Come bet is the opposite, you’re betting on a 2 or 3 roll (12 is a tie) before a 7 or 11 roll.

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  The Field Bets

  A single roll bet. With the Field bet, you win if you throw a 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11. You receive a double payout on a 2, and triple if a 12 is rolled. You lose if on a 5, 6, 7, or 8 roll.

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  Odds Bet

  Once a point is made on the first roll on a succeeding roll, you may take the odds and win if the point or come points are made before a 7. “Don’t pass” or “don’t come” bets are in reverse: you must lay the odds to win.

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  Place Bets

  Odds bets are connected to general Craps terms: laying the odds and taking the odds. Placing an Odds bet on the Don’t Come bar means you are laying the odds. Placing an Odds bet on the Pass line means you are taking the odds.

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  Buy Bets

  Similar to a place bet, a buy bet is made on the shooter landing a specific Point number before landing a 7. If you win the casino takes 5% of the winnings as commission, others will take before the buy bet wins. As a result, the house edge on this bet changes.

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  Big 6 or 8

  Another bet that can be placed at any point in the game. With the Big Six or Big Eight bet you win if a 6 or 8 is thrown before a 7.

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  Hardway Bets

  This bet refers to the number that is rolled the hard way when both dice show the same number. For example, to land a ‘Hard 8’ both dice must land on 4. To win a hardway bet, the number must land before the shooter rolls a 7.

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  Proposition bets

  These bets are found in the center of the craps table and are one-roll bets. You are betting that on the next roll of the dice, any of these numbers will land: Any Craps (2, 3 or 12), Aces (2) or Twelve (12), Ace-Deuce (3) or Eleven (11) and Seven (7).

Craps Odds, House Edge and Payouts

Here’s an overview of the odds, house edge, and payouts. They will give you an idea of the best bets, but keep in mind that you can combine bets in Craps. As such, the raw data can be misleading.

Odds & House Edge

Here’s a full house odds and house edge chart for each bet type.

It’s easy to see why the Pass/Don’t Pass and Come/Don’t Come bets are universally accepted as the best. Their house edge is by far the lowest. Compared to similar table games, the house edge of these Craps bets is lower than any bet in Roulette and close to all Blackjack variants.

When it comes to Craps rules, finding an official rulebook is challenging. The game is complex, meaning the bets define the rules of Craps themselves.

Payouts

Look at these Craps payout charts to determine the rolls with the lowest and highest house edge and payout ratios for each bet type.

These bets shouldn’t be looked at individually. In Craps, many bets can be combined, and rounds often take several rolls to resolve. This changes the game dynamic and house edge as the game goes on.

For most bets, the payouts are not proportional to the house edge. For example, a wager on “Any 7” roll nets a 4:1 payout, yet the house edge is 11,1%. Things change when you combine bets to minimize the house edge and “protect” your main bets.

When you learn how to play craps as an intermediate or expert, you’ll find that many Craps strategies advise you to combine multiple bets simultaneously.

How to Play Craps and Win?

There is no universal strategy you can follow while learning how to play Craps. These principles will ensure you don’t lose your bankroll until you figure out the Craps rules and bets.

Useful Terms

Look at basic Craps terminology you’ll meet when playing online or offline.

The slang we outlined above is rarely met in online play but is common knowledge for land casino players. Craps has many more terms, most of which are extinct.

Etiquette

Craps etiquette used to mean more. Over time, many unwritten rules have been written off players’ minds. Still, Craps table etiquette does exist, and you should know it before sitting down at a table – especially a “live” one at a land casino.

Ready To Play Craps?

Craps can be challenging but learning how to play is easy if you do it step by step.

Make sure to master the odds and payouts, then stick to simple bets with a low house edge. The Pass line bet is your best friend. Once the Come-Out roll declares the point, proceed with “Come” and “Don’t Come” bets.

Once you develop some knowledge, try your hand with some money management strategies, though no strategy will reduce the house edge. Get started now, follow our step-by-step guide, and feel free to practice in demo mode.

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