How to Play Craps

Craps looks complex from the outside, but its two core phases follow a clear, repeating pattern. Once you understand the come-out roll and what happens when a point is established, the full range of bets and table behavior starts to make sense. This guide covers everything: how a round works step by step, every major bet type, the table layout, and the specific knowledge beginners need before their first real-money session. 

Craps is a dice game in which players bet on the outcome of a roll, or a series of rolls, of two six-sided dice. One player at a time takes the role of the shooter and rolls the dice. All other players at the table can also place bets on the same outcomes. The game has two phases: the come-out roll, which either ends the round immediately or sets a point number, and the point phase, in which the shooter rolls until the round resolves. 

Understanding the table layout before your first session reduces confusion significantly. The craps table is symmetrical, with the same betting areas mirrored on each side for players standing opposite each other. 

The puck is an ON/OFF disc the dealer moves to track the current game state. When the puck shows OFF, no point has been set and the next roll is a come-out. When it shows ON and sits on a number, that number is the current point. 

New players need only know the Pass Line and Come area to start. Everything else can be learned gradually. 

The following sequence describes one complete round of craps, from the first bet to the final roll. This is the core pattern every round follows, regardless of which additional bets are in play. 

1. Place your bet. Before the come-out roll, all players must place at least a Pass Line or Don't Pass bet to participate as the shooter. Other players at the table can bet freely. The dealer puck shows OFF. 
2. The come-out roll. The shooter rolls both dice. Three outcomes are possible: a Natural (7 or 11), which wins the Pass Line immediately; Craps (2, 3, or 12), which loses the Pass Line immediately; or a Point number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10), which means the game continues. If a point is established, the dealer moves the puck to ON and places it on that number. 
3. Additional bets open. Once the point is set, players can add Come bets, Odds bets, and Place bets. These are covered in the bet types section below. 
4. The point phase. The shooter keeps rolling. If the point number comes up again before a 7, the Pass Line wins and the round ends. If a 7 is rolled before the point (known as sevening out), the Pass Line loses and the dice pass to the next shooter. The puck returns to OFF and a new round begins. 

The come-out roll is the first roll of every new round. The puck sits on OFF before this roll, confirming no point is currently active. The three possible outcomes work as follows: 

The '12 is a push' rule for Don't Pass is one of the most misunderstood mechanics in craps. It is the source of the Don't Pass house edge: without this rule, Don't Pass would have a mathematical advantage over the house. The push ensures a small edge remains for the casino. 

Each bet in craps has its own placement timing, payout, and house edge. The most important bets for new players are covered below.

Pass Line Bet 

The Pass Line is the most common bet in craps and the logical starting point for new players. Place it before the come-out roll. It wins on a Natural (7 or 11), loses on Craps (2, 3, or 12), and wins if the point is rolled again before a 7 in the point phase. House edge: approx. 1.41%. 

Don't Pass Bet 

The Don't Pass bet is the opposite of the Pass Line. It loses on a Natural, wins on a 2 or 3, and pushes on 12 on the come-out roll. In the point phase, it wins if a 7 is rolled before the point. House edge: approx. 1.36%, slightly lower than the Pass Line. 

Come Bet 

A Come bet can be placed after the point is established. It works exactly like a new Pass Line bet from that moment: the next roll becomes its personal come-out. If 7 or 11 rolls, the Come bet wins immediately. If 2, 3, or 12 rolls, it loses. Any other number becomes the Come bet's own point, which the dealer moves to the corresponding number box. 

Don't Come Bet 

The Don't Come bet mirrors the Don't Pass and is placed after the point is set. It wins on 2 or 3 on the next roll, loses on 7 or 11, and pushes on 12. Once a number is established as the Don't Come point, it wins if 7 is rolled before that number. 

Odds Bet 

The Odds bet is the single most important concept for new craps players to understand. It is the only bet in craps, and one of the only bets in any casino game, that carries zero house edge. It must be placed alongside an existing Pass Line, Don't Pass, Come, or Don't Come bet. 

Taking Odds (behind a Pass Line or Come bet) pays at true mathematical odds: 2:1 on a point of 4 or 10, 3:2 on a point of 5 or 9, and 6:5 on a point of 6 or 8. 

Laying Odds (behind a Don't Pass or Don't Come bet) pays the inverse: 1:2 on 4 or 10, 2:3 on 5 or 9, and 5:6 on 6 or 8. 

Most tables allow odds of 3-4-5x the Pass Line bet. At maximum 3-4-5x Odds, the combined house edge on a Pass Line + Odds bet drops to approx. 0.37%. This is why experienced players consistently prioritise taking maximum Odds. 

Place Bets 

Place bets let you bet directly on a specific number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) rolling before a 7, without waiting for that number to become a Come point. They can be placed at any time after the point is established and can be taken down at any time. 

The 6 and 8 are the most favourable Place bets, paying 7:6 with a house edge of approx. 1.52%. Place bets on 6 and 8 must be placed in multiples of $6 to receive the correct 7:6 payout. Place bets on 4 and 10 carry a house edge of approx. 6.67%. 

Field Bet 

The Field bet is a single-roll bet that wins if the next roll is a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. It loses on 5, 6, 7, or 8. The payout on 2 or 12 varies by table (typically 2:1, sometimes 3:1 on 12). House edge ranges from approx. 2.78% (if 12 pays 3:1) to approx. 5.56% (if 12 pays 2:1). 

Proposition Bets 

Proposition bets are single-roll wagers on specific outcomes: Any Seven (next roll is a 7), Any Craps (next roll is 2, 3, or 12), Snake Eyes (a 2), Boxcars (a 12), or the Horn (covers 2, 3, 11, and 12 simultaneously). They offer higher payouts than core bets but carry house edges ranging from approx. 11% to over 16%.

For players joining a live or land-based craps table for the first time, the following conventions apply. Online craps handles all dealer functions automatically, so most of these apply only to live and physical tables. 

• Join during a come-out roll (puck shows OFF). This is the standard entry point for new players. Exchange cash for chips with the dealer before the roll. 
• Place your own bets in the areas within reach (Pass Line, Come, Field). Tell the dealer clearly when you need help placing bets in dealer-managed areas such as Proposition bets. 
• Announce bets clearly: for example, '$12 Place 6' or 'Odds on the Come'. Dealers handle chip placement for many bets, so verbal confirmation matters. 
• Keep hands away from the table surface when the dice are in the air. This is standard etiquette at any live craps table. 
• If you are the shooter, handle the dice with one hand only and keep them visible above the table level. 

The following points reflect what the bet data shows. House edge figures and probabilities are stated factually; the decision about which bets to use is yours. 

• The Pass Line has a house edge of approx. 1.41%. It is the lowest-edge primary bet that resolves across the full round. 
• Adding an Odds bet once the point is established costs nothing in house edge. The Odds bet pays at true mathematical odds. 
• The 6 and 8 are each rollable in five different dice combinations, making them the most frequently occurring point numbers. The Place 6 and Place 8 bets carry a house edge of approx. 1.52%. 
• Proposition bets carry house edges of approx. 11% to 16.67%. This is significantly higher than the Pass Line. Understanding the trade-off before placing them is the relevant consideration. 
• Free craps is available with no deposit or registration required. Practising the come-out roll and point phase at no cost is the most efficient way to internalise the sequence before a real-money session.

The glossary below covers the terms you will encounter most often when reading craps rules, betting guides, and strategy content.

The following questions cover the specific concepts new players most often need clarified.