The Basics of Craps
Craps is the most exciting game in the casino — and one of the best odds. Here's everything you need to know.
🎲 What is Craps?
Craps is a dice game where players bet on the outcome of one or more rolls. One player (the "shooter") rolls two dice. Everyone at the table bets on what those dice will show.
🏠 The House Edge
Unlike most casino games, craps has bets with very low house edges — as low as 0% on odds bets! The key is knowing which bets to make and which to avoid.
🔢 The Numbers
With two dice, you can roll 2 through 12. But some numbers are more likely than others:
⚠️ The 7 is the most common number — 6 out of 36 combinations. Everything in craps revolves around this fact.
🧠 Quick Check
Which number can be rolled the most ways?
The Come-Out Roll
Every craps game starts with a come-out roll. It determines whether a "point" is set or bets are immediately resolved.
🔄 After the Point is Set
Once a point is established (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10), the shooter keeps rolling until one of two things happens:
- Point rolls again — Pass Line wins! New come-out.
- 7 rolls first — "Seven out!" Pass Line loses. New shooter.
📍 The Puck
Watch the puck on the craps table. When it says OFF (black), it's the come-out phase. When it shows a number (white), that's the current point.
The Pass Line Bet
The Pass Line is the foundation of craps. It's the most popular bet, and with good reason — it has a house edge of only 1.41%.
✅ PASS LINE — How It Works
Pays: 1:1 (even money) — House Edge: 1.41%
📖 Example Hand
🧠 Quick Check
You have a Pass Line bet. Point is 8. Shooter rolls 4. What happens?
Free Odds — The Casino's Secret
The Odds bet is the ONLY bet in any casino with zero house edge. It's paid at true mathematical odds. Casinos barely advertise it, but savvy players always take it.
🎯 Pass Odds — True Odds Payouts
📐 How to Take Odds
After a point is set, place your Odds bet directly behind your Pass Line bet (in the "PASS ODDS" zone). Most casinos allow 2x, 3x, or even 10x odds. Always max them out!
With 3-4-5x odds (standard at many casinos), the combined house edge of Pass Line + Odds drops to just 0.37%. That's better than most table games!
Place Bets
Place bets let you bet on specific numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) to roll before 7, without waiting for a come-out roll. Start with 6 and 8 — the best place bets.
Place 6 and 8 bets need to be in multiples of $6 to get the correct 7:6 payout. Bet $6, $12, $18, etc.
Come Bets
A Come bet is like a private Pass Line bet you can make at any time during the point phase. Same rules, same odds — great for getting multiple numbers working.
🔄 Come Bet Flow
After a point is established, place a Come bet. The very next roll becomes your personal come-out roll:
- Roll 7 or 11 → Come bet wins immediately
- Roll 2, 3, or 12 → Come bet loses
- Any other number → That becomes your Come bet "point"
⚠️ The Catch
If a 7 rolls during the point phase, your Come bet wins (if it hasn't found a point yet), but all established Come bets that have found a point will lose — just like Place bets.
Dark Side Bets
Don't Pass and Don't Come are the "wrong way" bets — betting against the shooter. Mathematically slightly better than Pass Line, but you'll be rooting alone.
🌑 Don't Pass
Opposite of Pass Line. Wins on 2 or 3, loses on 7 or 11. Pushes (ties) on 12 — this is the "Bar 12" you see on the table. After a point, wins if 7 comes before the point.
House Edge: 1.36% — slightly better than Pass Line!
💡 Laying Odds on Don't Pass
Just like taking odds on the Pass, you can "lay" odds on Don't Pass. Since you're the favorite to win, you bet more to win less. For example on point 4: lay $20 to win $10 (2:1 true odds reversed).
At a real casino table, betting "Don't" means rooting against everyone else at the table. Most players are Pass Line bettors and celebrate when the shooter hits numbers — not when they seven out. Be gracious!
Hardways
Hardways are bets that a specific double will be rolled before a 7 or the "easy" version of that number. Fun, but beware the house edge.
Hardways are sucker bets by the numbers. That said, a small hardway bet adds excitement. If you must play them, keep hardway bets to a minimum of your total bankroll.
Proposition Bets
One-roll bets in the center of the table. Flashy payouts, enormous house edges. Know them, but play them sparingly if at all.
"Any 7" is the worst bet on the table at 16.67% house edge. When the stickman shouts "Any seven!", just smile and pass. These are tourist traps.
Strategy & Bankroll
You now know all the bets. Here's how to put it together into a winning strategy that makes your money last and your time at the table fun.
🎓 The Bottom Line
Craps is a game of chance. No system beats the math. But by focusing on Pass Line, Odds, and Place 6/8, you can play for hours with a modest bankroll while enjoying the best social game in the casino.
🎲 PUT IT INTO PRACTICE →