How the game works
In Craps, the players are the “engine” of the game. One player, called the shooter, physically throws the dice to determine the outcome for the entire table. Because the shooter handles the house’s equipment, there are strict procedural rules enforced by the boxman and stickman to ensure game integrity and prevent cheating.
The basic rules
- Selection: The stickman will offer you a choice of five dice. You must pick exactly two and return the others.
- One Hand Only: You must handle the dice with only one hand. Switching hands or taking the dice past the edge of the table will result in the dealer calling for a “die inspection.”
- The Back Wall: You must throw the dice hard enough so that both dice hit the opposite back wall of the table.
- Visibility: Keep the dice in plain sight of the dealers and the “eye in the sky” at all times. Do not shake them in a closed fist.
- No Interference: Once the dice are in the air, players must keep their hands out of the “tub” (the table area).
A typical hand/round
You are the shooter. The stickman pushes the dice to you. You pick two, set them to the 3-V pattern (for luck), and take a deep breath. You toss them toward the far end of the table. One die hits the wall and bounces back; the other die hits a player’s stack of chips and stops. The stickman shouts “No Roll!” because both dice did not hit the back wall. He retrieves the dice, inspects them for tampering, and returns them to you to try again. This time, you throw them higher; both hit the wall and land as a 4 and a 3. “Seven winner, line away!”
What’s different at different tables
Most Craps tables use standard 19mm cellulose acetate dice. The main variation you’ll see is how strictly the “Back Wall” rule is enforced. In a high-limit room, the boxman might give you a warning if only one die hits the wall. On a busy main floor, the stickman might call “No Roll” immediately. Additionally, some casinos now use “Tub” tables (mini-craps) where only one dealer is present and the throw distance is much shorter.
Where to go next
Now that you know how to handle the dice, learn where to put your money in Craps Bets Explained, or understand the physics debunked in Craps Dice Control Myth.
In Detail
Craps dice rules can feel bossy until you understand the reason: the casino is protecting the randomness, not trying to ruin your style.
This page is about one-hand throwing, back-wall contact, dice inspection, and no-roll procedure. 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. The fairness assumption is $P(a,b)=1/36$ for every ordered pair from 1 to 6. Procedures are built to protect that assumption. 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: When a die leaves the table or misses the wall, staff are controlling game integrity, not picking on the shooter. 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 argue with dice procedure. Ask politely, adjust, and keep the game moving. 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.