How the game works
The craps layout can be divided into three zones: the Line bets (where you start), the Point numbers (where you settle in), and the Proposition bets (where you go broke). Successful players treat the table like a menu where 90% of the items are overpriced. You only want the “loss leaders” like the Pass Line and Odds.
The basic rules
- Pass/Don’t Pass: The foundation. You bet with or against the dice on the come-out roll.
- Come/Don’t Come: The same as Pass/Don’t Pass, but played during an active point.
- Place Bets: “Buying” a specific number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10). You win if it hits before a 7.
- The Field: A one-roll bet that you win if the next roll is 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12.
- Proposition Bets: One-roll bets in the center (Hardways, Horn, Craps) that pay high but have a brutal house advantage.
A typical hand/round
You place $10 on the Pass Line. The come-out roll is 8. The dealer moves a puck to “ON” above the 8. You are now “on a point.” You place $50 behind your line bet (Odds). You also place $12 on the 6 (Place bet). The shooter rolls a 6. The dealer pays you $14. The shooter rolls a 10. Nothing happens. The shooter rolls an 8. You win $10 on your Pass Line and $60 on your Odds. The dealer clears the bets, flips the puck to “OFF,” and the cycle begins again.
What’s different at different tables
The biggest difference is the availability of “Odds” multipliers. A “10x Odds” table allows you to bet 10 times your line bet with no house edge, which is superior to a standard “3x-4x-5x” table. You will also see “Crapless Craps” tables. These tables make the 2, 3, 11, and 12 “points” instead of winners/losers on the come-out. While it sounds fun, it actually quadruples the house edge on the Pass Line. Avoid these.
Where to go next
Check the Craps Odds Chart for a detailed list of every payout, or learn about the “Free Odds” in Craps Odds Bet.
In Detail
Craps bets are like a buffet where the salad, steak, candy, and mystery soup all sit on the same table. The trick is knowing what you are actually eating.
This page is about the full family of craps bets and what each one is trying to do. On the surface, that may sound like one small corner of craps, but in a real casino it touches the three things that decide whether a player survives the table: the written rule, the payout, and the way the bet feels when chips are already in action. Craps is dangerous for beginners because a bet can feel smart, social, or lucky while still being badly priced.
The math that matters: Two dice create 36 equally likely ordered combinations. The shape of the game comes from that grid: 7 has 6 combinations, 6 and 8 have 5 each, 5 and 9 have 4 each, 4 and 10 have 3 each, 3 and 11 have 2 each, and 2 and 12 have only 1 each. For any $1 bet, a quick price check is $EV=P(\text{win})\times\text{profit}-P(\text{loss})\times1$. Big payouts can still be bad when the hit rate is tiny. Expected value is the grown-up way to price a bet: $EV=\sum(P_i\times W_i)-\sum(P_j\times L_j)$. If the payout is smaller than the true probability deserves, the difference is the house edge.
What it means on the felt: The felt puts cheap bets and expensive bets close together. The player has to separate action from value. A player who understands this subject does not need to act like a robot. You can still enjoy the noise, the shooter, the stick calls, and the little rush when the dice leave the hand. The point is to know when you are paying for entertainment and when you are making a lower-cost decision.
Casino-floor truth: Craps is built to move. The table crew wants clear bets, fast decisions, and clean payouts. The layout also nudges attention toward action. The safest-looking move is not always the cheapest move, and the loudest bet is almost never the best one. Good craps play is not about predicting the next roll. It is about refusing to overpay for it.
The mistake to avoid: Do not memorize every bet first. Learn the cheap bets and dangerous bets first. Also, never judge this topic by one lucky hit or one ugly loss. Short sessions are noisy. The math only shows its face over repeated decisions, which is exactly why casinos are patient and players are usually not.