Every walked through a casino when a craps table is in full flow? It seems like the most fun place to be, and that’s often the moment people decide they want to learn how to play craps.
Craps is a dice game that looks simple from the outside, yet the brain-scrambling craps rules often discourage players from having a go. That’s a shame, because craps is an iconic table game that has entertaining sequences of play that no other casino game can offer.
I’m going to explain the rules of craps and give you a few tips to get started, even if you don’t wrap your head around every craps bet in one go.
Craps in a nutshell
Craps is a dice game famous for its starring role in American movies – think Sharon Stone in the movie Casino – but it has never quite caught on this side of the pond.
Maybe that’s because craps terms are a bit strange, and the game has an unusual format. It’s not like roulette, where each spin of the wheel is totally separate. In craps, each throw of the dice is part of a sequence. You can join the table just before a new sequence begins, or in the middle, but some bets may not be available until a sequence has finished.
So here we go – the internet’s only ‘How to play craps for beginners’ guide that won’t melt your brain.
The craps table
Craps is a table game like roulette, where the bets are laid out on the table. But instead of a ball, craps uses dice to produce random outcomes. Here’s what a typical game of craps looks like in a casino:
As you can see, craps is played on a long oval table, giving the shooter a good alley down which they can throw the dice. The dice must hit the end wall or it won’t be a valid throw. The total score can be between 2 and 12, and some combinations have special significance.
Here’s a closer look at some of the most popular bets on a craps table:
Craps rules for beginners
The full craps rules can be overwhelming, so here are the most important rules to know when you are learning how to play craps online.
- In Craps, two 6-sided dice are thrown and players bet on the total. Craps odds range from 4 to 1, right up to 30 to 1. That’s because it is easier to roll a 7 (there a 6 possible combinations) and harder to roll a 12 (only 1 combination).
- Players can bet on specific totals, or combinations of totals. You can bet on one total like 9, or a group of different totals. For example, a Field bet covers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
- There are 2 types of craps bet: ‘one-roll’ and ‘multi-roll’. This is the most important difference between craps and other casino games. To play multi-roll bets, it’s important to learn what the craps terms Comeout and Point mean.
- Craps is played in 2 phases, Comeout and Point. These phases only apply to multi-roll bets like Pass and Don’t Pass.
The Comeout roll
This is the most important part of any craps guide. You can place one-roll craps bets any time you like. But the rest of the game revolves around the Comeout and Point. The first part of a typical sequence in craps is called the Comeout. It’s the first roll of a new round, and the purpose of the Comeout roll is to pick a new total called the Point.
If the next roll of the dice is the Comeout roll and therefore no Point total has been chosen yet, a button called a puck will be placed OFF side up. If a Point number has been chosen, the puck will show as ON, and be placed next to the Point number on the table.
On the Comeout roll, 3 things can happen:
- 7 or 11: All Pass bets win, and the next throw is a Comeout
- 2, 3 or 12: All Pass bets lose, and the next throw is a Comeout
- Any other number: A Point is established, and the next throw starts the Point phase
The Point phase
For players who have placed multi-roll bets like Pass, Come, Don’t Pass or Don’t Come, the race is now on. This is the most exciting part of craps. Let’s say the shooter threw a 9 on the Comeout roll. That is now the Point. The shooter must now keep throwing the dice until they throws the Point again, or throws a 7 to end the sequence.
On every throw after a Point has been chosen, there are 3 possible outcomes:
- Point: All Pass/Come bets win and the next roll is a Comeout
- 7: All Pass/Come bets lose, and the next roll is a Comeout
- Any other number: Roll again
One-roll bets are the easiest to craps rules to learn, but Pass/Come bets are the most fun part of craps, so it’s worth taking a bit time to see how they work. If you don’t ever experience the chase to make the Point before the deadly 7 hits, you’re missing the whole point of the game.
If you’re still unsure how the Comeout and Point work, here’s a quick craps chart which shows how the most popular craps bet, the Pass Line, works:
Craps bets and payouts
Craps odds are fairly similar to online roulette, with a wide range starting from ‘even money’ up to 30 to 1 payouts. I’ve already mentioned several of the most popular bet types, but now it’s time to actually look at each bet, see how you can win, and how much you can win.
Here’s a typical craps table, where I’ve labelled the names and meaning of each bet
- Pass Line: Bet on 7 or 11, or point number before 7
- Don’t Pass Line: Bet on 2 or 3 (push if 12), or 7 before point number
- Come: Same as Pass (but when puck is ON)
- Don’t Come: Same as Don’t Pass (but when puck is ON)
- Place win: Bet on specific number before a 7
- Place lose: Bet on 7 before a specific number
- Hardways: Bet on a pair before a 7 or same total rolled another way
- Field: Bet on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12
- Any Craps: Bet on 2, 3 or 12
- Any Seven: Bet on any 7
- Dice bets: Bet on specific dice outcome
- C-E: A split bet on 2, 3, 12 and 11
One-roll bets
You can place these at any time, and like it says on the tin, your bet is only for one throw of the Craps dice. Interestingly, as well as single numbers and combination bets which have one payout odds, there are also combination bets with variable odds depending on what number you hit. A bet to roll a specific number on both dice is sometimes called a hop bet in craps. An easy hop is a one-roll bet on a specific combination where the numbers are different – for example 6-5. A hard hop is a bet where both dice show the same number, like 2-2.
| Name | What you’re betting on | Payout odds |
| Individual numbers | Available for 2, 3, 7, 11 or 12 | Between 4 to 1 and 30 to 1 |
| Field | 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 & 12 | 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11 = 1 to 1, 2 or 12 = 2 to 1 |
| Craps | 2, 3 & 12 | 7 to 1 |
| C-E | 2, 3, 11 & 12 | 2, 3 or 12 = 3 to 1, 11 = 7 to 1 |
Although one-roll bets might be the easiest to wrap your head around, and they offer what look like the tastiest odds, they come with a huge ‘but’ attached. The house edges for most of the bets above are between 5% and a whopping 16%. Purely in terms of mathematical value, bets like Snake Eyes (a one-roll bet on a total of 2) has one of the worst odds in craps.
Multi-roll bets
Multi-roll bets can win or lose on the Comeout, or they may stay active until the Point number or a 7 is rolled. Pass/Don’t Pass and Come/Don’t Come are all paid out at 1 to 1 odds, while Place and Hardways bets depend on the number or combination you choose.
Pass Line: Played only during the Comeout phase (when the puck is OFF). You win with 7 or 11, and lose with 2, 3 or 12. After a Point is established, you win if the Point is thrown again before a 7.
Don’t Pass: This is the opposite of Pass Line, with a small difference. Here, you win on a 2 or 3, and push (money back) on a 12. You lose on a 7 or 11. After the Point is set, you win if a 7 comes first, and lose if the Point comes first.
Come: Only available during the Point phase (when the puck is ON), and identical to the Pass bet.
Don’t Come: Only available during the Point phase, and identical to the Don’t Pass bet.
Place Bets: Once you know the Point number, you can bet on any number you see on the table. You win if it comes before or after a 7. These are sometimes called buy and lay bets. Buy bets win if your number lands before a 7. Craps lay bets win if your number comes after a 7.
Hardways: Bet on a specific number (must be made up of paired dice e.g. Four-Four). You win if it appears before a 7, and lose if a 7 comes first, or an unpaired version of your chosen number (e.g. Seven-One).
These aren’t the only Craps bets and you could easily end up down a rabbit hole of numbers, variable odds and strange winning conditions. But if you master the Pass/Come options plus some single numbers, you’ll have everything you need to play craps online as good as anyone else at the table.
FAQs
Craps is a casino game where players bet on the outcome of dice rolls. A designated players rolls the dice, and players choose from a range of bets, some active for just one roll and some that may stay active for several rolls until they are settled.
The most important feature in craps is the comeout and point phase, which determine how to play multi-roll bets like Pass and Come. The comeout roll is the first roll in the sequence.
If the shooter rolls a 2, 3, 7, 11 or 12, multi-roll bets win or lose, and the next roll is another comeout. Any other number and a ‘point’ number is established, and the shooter will keep rolling until they throw the point or a 7.
Craps has a reputation as a difficult game to learn, and we won’t lie, it takes more effort than any other casino game.
You can learn how to play roulette in literally seconds, whereas craps has some unusual rules that take practice to learn.
But it’s not brain surgery, and the reward for getting your head round the unique game sequence and multi-roll bet rules is a thrilling and unforgettable casino experience.
As craps is one of the hardest casino games to learn, it is much easier to play craps online first, rather than play craps in Las Vegas or your local casino.
While you are still learning how to play dice, online craps is the ideal setting because the minimum bets will be much smaller, allowing you to learn the game much more cheaply. You can also play at your own pace, dip in and out of the game when you want and read the rules while you play.
When you play craps online, you won’t need to learn how to shoot dice either, as the software rolls the dice for you. Juts make sure to try demo versions first, or play for minimum stakes, as playing safely is the most important advice of all.
The best bet in craps from an entertainment point of view is the Pass or Come bet. As it is a multi-roll bet that is tied to a sequence of rolls, you are not only seen as playing ‘with the shooter’ but also getting good value for money. Pass and Come bets also have one of the highest craps RTPs at over 98.6%.
Craps has many different bet types, and the house edge is different for each one. The craps bets with the lowest house edge are Don’t Pass and Don’t Come at 1.36%.
There is no house edge on Free Odds or Lay Odds bets, although you need to place a Pass or Come bet before you can place an Odds bet.
The bets with the lowest craps RTP are the single-roll bets with the highest payout odds, such as Any 7 (16.67%) and 2 or 12 (13.89%).
Although they are basically the same bet type, you can only bet on Pass/Don’t Pass during the Comeout roll, and you can only place Come/Don’t Come bets once a Point has been set.
In craps, pass and come bets stay active until the Point number has been rolled, or a 7 is rolled. Then these bets are settled, and the craps sequence begins afresh. In some land-based casinos, you can place a fire bet with odds of up to 100 to 1. The objective with a fire bet in craps is to successfully roll as many as 4 different Point numbers before a 7 is rolled.
No strategy can produce a consistent profit in craps, but there are popular craps systems that some players use to increase their enjoyment of the game. The iron cross craps system is one strategy that involves betting on 5, 6, 8 and the Field. The system produces a return for any roll that isn’t a 7, though it still carries a house edge of roughly 4%.
