A quick glance at the craps table may bring the impression of a complex game. With many types of bets a player can make and terminology that is unique to the game, it can seem quite intimidating at first for the beginner. The good news is that the basic rules for how the game works are relatively easy to understand once you get the hang of it. To start off, I will describe what happens during a round of craps from beginning to end from the perspective of the shooter. The shooter is the player at the craps table that is throwing the dice. Yes, you too will have an opportunity to throw the dice! Later on, I will go through every bet on the table and finally discuss strategy. With that all said, let’s begin!
You can tell when a new round of craps is about to start when you see the little puck on the table turned over to the “off” position. At this moment, the upcoming roll of the dice has a name. It’s called the “come-out roll.” If this is the shooter’s first time rolling the dice, he or she will be presented with 5 dice and will need to choose 2 of them to use for the duration of that player’s turn as shooter. After all bets are made, the shooter throws the dice. They must be thrown in the direction towards the end of the table on the opposite half to where the shooter is standing. The dice must hit the backboard containing the diamond pyramid bumper before coming to a rest.
If the result of the come-out roll is a 7 or 11, the shooter immediately wins and will get to start another come-out roll. If the result is a 2, 3, or 12, then the shooter immediately loses, but will still keep the dice and throw another come-out roll. If the result of the dice is anything else: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, then that result becomes the point number for this round of craps. The dealer will turn over the puck so that it is in the “on” position and place it on or above the number that the shooter rolled.
At this point, the shooter’s goal now is to roll that point number again before rolling a 7. If any other number is rolled, it has no effect and nothing happens. He or she keeps rolling the dice until one of those two numbers are rolled. Players are allowed to make any of the various bets on the table in between each roll of the dice, whether or not they have anything to do with the shooter’s goal of rolling the point before a 7. If the shooter succeeds and rolls the point number, the round is over and the shooter wins. The puck is turned back over to the “off” position and the shooter keeps the dice for the next come-out roll. However, if a 7 is rolled first, the round is over and the shooter loses. The puck is turned back over to the “off” position and the dice pass on to the next player, who becomes the new shooter for the next come-out roll.
So what I just described was how a game of craps works from the perspective of the shooter. Now let’s go over the bets you can make on the table. The first one is the most important one you should know about. That is the Pass Line bet, also called the “front line.” What the heck does that even mean? Well it is quite simple, let me tell you. When you bet on the Pass Line, you are betting that the shooter will win. That’s it. Everything I told you about the game up until this point also applies to players who bet money on the Pass. If the shooter wins, the Pass Line bettors win and get paid at even money. If the shooter loses, the Pass Line bettors lose. Keep in mind, once a point is established, you are not allowed to remove your Pass Line bet. It must stay there until it wins or loses.
Right above the Pass Line is the Don’t Pass. It is pretty much exactly what you think it is. A player betting the Don’t Pass, also called the “back line,” is betting that the shooter will lose. Don’t Pass bets win when the Pass Line bets lose, and vice versa. The one exception is on the come-out roll. Don’t Pass bets win on a come-out roll of 2 and 3. If a 12 is rolled, it is a push. It is even pointed out as such on the table: “Bar 12.” Don’t Pass bets also pay even money when they win.
After the point is established, a player can choose to increase their Pass or Don’t Pass bets in the form of an odds bet. You can take the odds on a Pass Line bet by placing your chips behind your original bet. All craps tables have a maximum limit on how much you can bet behind, either double your original bet, triple, 5X, or even higher. Why would you want to do this? What is the benefit of taking the odds? Well unlike your Pass Line bet, which pays even money when you win, your odds bet will pay the true odds when it wins. Let me give you an example.
Say you have bet $10 on the Pass Line and the point is 10. Most casinos allow players to take odds of up to triple their Pass Line bet when the point number is 10. That would be $30. Let’s go ahead and place the chips. If the shooter is successful and rolls the point number before a 7, then you will win even money on your original Pass Line bet and you will get paid the true odds of rolling that 10 on your odds bet. With a pair of dice, there are 6 ways to roll a 7 but only 3 ways to roll a 10. The odds are 2 to 1 against you winning, but you won anyway, so you get paid at 2 to 1: $60 in additional winnings for that $30 odds bet!
How much you get paid for your odds bet depends on what the point number is when your Pass Line bet wins. If the point is 4 or 10, the payoff is 2 to 1. If the point is 5 or 9, the payoff is 3 to 2. If the point is 6 or 8, then the payoff is 6 to 5.
Because you are getting paid the true odds, the house has no advantage on this bet, so it is recommended that you always take odds on your Pass Line bet.
Now the odds on a Don’t Pass bet work a bit differently. Because a 7 is more likely to be rolled than any other single number, you will be laying the odds instead of taking them. Using the previous example with the point number of 10, you win when a 7 is rolled. A 7 is twice as likely to be rolled compared to a 10, so you must lay $60 to win $30. As with the Pass Line, odds on Don’t Pass bets also have no house advantage.
Come bets are similar to Pass Line bets, except that you are only allowed to make them once a point is established. Just like the Pass Line, it wins immediately on a 7 or 11 and loses on a 2, 3, or 12. If any other number is rolled, it becomes the point number for that come bet and the dealer will move your bet over to that number. It is like playing a new game within a game. Just like with the Pass Line, you can take free odds on your come bet. You cannot make this bet on your own though, you will need to have the dealer make it for you. Just place your chips in the Come area and tell the dealer you want to take odds on your Come bet. You win when that number is rolled again before a 7.
Don’t Come bets are similar to Don’t Pass bets. They win immediately on a roll of 2 or 3, push on 12, and lose on 7 or 11. If any other number is rolled, your bet is moved behind that number on the table. You win that bet if a 7 is rolled first before that number is rolled again. As with the Don’t Pass, you can lay free odds on your Don’t Come bet.
Now let’s look at the the bets you can make directly on the box numbers. These bets can be made at any time between rolls, except before a come-out roll. To make a bet, place your chips in the Come area and tell the dealer which number you want to put them on. You win your bet if that number is rolled and you lose your bet if a 7 is rolled. Nothing happens if any other number is rolled. You can remove your bet at any time before it resolves. There are two types of bets you can make on the box numbers: Place Bets and Buy Bets. The difference is that Buy Bets require you to pay a 5% commission to the house to make the bet, which will pay at the true odds if it wins. Place Bets don’t require a commission, but wins are paid below the true odds. A Place Bet win on 6 or 8 is paid at 7 to 6, a win on 5 or 9 is paid at 7 to 5, and a win on 4 or 10 is paid at 9 to 5. It is recommended that Place Bets on the 6 or 8 be made in multiples of $6 to account for the 7 to 6 payoff.
Lay Bets are the opposite of Buy Bets. These bets are placed behind the number and win when a 7 is rolled. They lose if the number bet against is rolled. As with Buy Bets, a 5% commission is charged, based on the potential win amount. Wins are paid at true odds.
Big 6 and Big 8 work the same as Place Bets on the 6 or 8 except that they can be made at any time and that they only pay at even money. Avoid these bets!
The Field bet is a simple bet that any of the numbers shown will be rolled next. If a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 is rolled, you win. If a 5, 6, 7, or 8 is rolled, you lose. Payoff is even money except on the 2 or 12 which pay double. On some tables, 12 pays triple.
Now let’s take a look at the bets on the center of the table. All of these bets must be placed for you by the stickman. The stickman is the casino employee who possesses the dice in between rolls. Simply toss your chips over to the stickman while saying where you want them on. First we have the Hardways. These bets win on a roll that matches what you see on the felt. For example, a Hard 6 is a 6 shown as double 3s. Hardway bets lose on a 7 or when the number bet on is rolled the “easy way.” For example, if you bet on Hard 6 and the next roll is 4 and 2, that is known as an Easy 6 and your bet is lost. Any other number rolled does nothing. You can remove your bet at any time before it resolves.
With the exception of the Hardways, all other center bets are resolved on the next roll. A bet on 2, 3, 11, or 12 wins if that exact number shows up on the next dice roll, otherwise it loses. A bet on Any Craps wins if the next roll is a 2, 3, or 12. A bet on Any Seven wins if the next roll is a 7.
There are other bets players can make that are not shown on this table felt, such as the horn bet, world bet, and hop bets.
STRATEGY
With all of the main bets out of the way, let’s discuss strategy. Craps is a pure game of chance so there is no skill other than which bets to place that would give you the lowest house advantage. The bets with the lowest house edge are the Don’t Pass and Don’t Come backed up with odds, followed closely by the Pass Line and Come backed up with odds. The more odds you can take or lay, the lower the total house edge on the combined bet. Next are the Place Bets on the 6 and 8. I recommend only making these bets when playing Craps as they all have a house edge of under 2%. Every other bet will have a higher house edge, in many cases much higher!
Thank you for reading this quick tutorial on Craps! I recommend that you check out my multi-part series where I describe each bet in more detail and go through some practice rounds making each bet. Best of luck on your next casino trip.
Go make it happen!