Craps becomes manageable when you remember five anchors: 7 is the most common total, Pass Line starts the basic game, odds bets pay true odds, center-table proposition bets are usually expensive, and total action matters more than table excitement. This quick reference is a practical table-side map, not a winning system.
Quick Facts
- Two dice have 36 possible combinations.
- 7 appears 6 ways, more than any other total.
- Pass Line and Come pay even money and carry about 1.41% house edge.
- Don’t Pass and Don’t Come are slightly lower at about 1.36%.
- Odds bets have 0% house edge but require a base bet.
- Place 6 and 8 are solid but not free, at about 1.52%.
- Avoid Any Seven, horn bets, and most proposition bets until you understand their price.
Plain Talk
This is the fast sheet you want before touching chips.
Craps has a main road and many side streets. The main road is the come-out roll, point, and seven-out cycle. The side streets are extra bets: Come, Don’t Come, odds, place bets, field, hardways, horn, hops, and other propositions.
If you are new, stay on the main road first.
For a full lesson, use the craps guide. For exact probabilities, use craps odds. For a larger chart, use craps odds chart.
The Wizard of Odds craps basics gives standard bet explanations, the UNLV Center for Gaming Research lists common bet edges, and the Massachusetts craps rules provide formal rule and payout language.
How It Works
Table Flow Cheat Sheet
| Stage | What happens | Pass Line result |
|---|---|---|
| Come-out roll | New shooter or new round begins | 7/11 win; 2/3/12 lose; point numbers set point |
| Point is on | Puck marks 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 | Point before 7 wins; 7 before point loses |
| Seven-out | Shooter rolls 7 after point is on | Pass Line loses; shooter changes |
| New come-out | Dice move to next shooter or same shooter after point made | Cycle restarts |
Dice Totals Cheat Sheet
| Total | Combinations | Player meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | Rare; craps on come-out |
| 3 | 2 | Craps on come-out |
| 4 | 3 | Point number; hardway possible |
| 5 | 4 | Point number |
| 6 | 5 | Strong place number |
| 7 | 6 | Most common total |
| 8 | 5 | Strong place number |
| 9 | 4 | Point number |
| 10 | 3 | Point number; hardway possible |
| 11 | 2 | Natural on come-out; yo proposition |
| 12 | 1 | Rare; craps on come-out; boxcars |
Beginner Bet Reference
| Bet | Beginner note | Common house edge |
|---|---|---|
| Pass Line | Main right-way bet | About 1.41% |
| Don’t Pass | Slightly better math, less social | About 1.36% |
| Come | Like a Pass Line bet after point is on | About 1.41% |
| Don’t Come | Like Don’t Pass after point is on | About 1.36% |
| Odds | Fair payout after a base bet | 0.00% |
| Place 6/8 | Simple number bet | About 1.52% |
| Field | One-roll bet; rules matter | Often 2.78% or 5.56% |
| Any Seven | Expensive one-roll bet | About 16.67% |
Craps Table Example
You want the simplest low-confusion session at a $10 table.
One clean plan:
| Step | Action | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buy in with cash on the felt | $200 |
| 2 | Bet Pass Line | $10 |
| 3 | If point is set, take single odds | $10 |
| 4 | Optional: place 6 or 8 only after you understand the point | $12 |
| 5 | Skip center-table calls | $0 |
If the point is 8 and you have $10 Pass plus $10 odds, you risk $20 on that point cycle. If you also place the 6 for $12, you now have $32 exposed to a seven-out.
That is not automatically wrong. It is just more action. More action means more variance and more expected loss on the non-odds portions.
From the Casino Side:
The table crew thinks in positions, payouts, and timing. They do not see your chips as a “strategy.” They see contracts that must be paid, moved, marked, pressed, turned off, or taken down correctly.
Fast players are not necessarily good players. Clear players are easier to deal to. A beginner who makes one Pass Line bet, waits for the point, and asks for odds before the dice move is cleaner than a loud player throwing late chips into hardways and arguing after the roll.
From surveillance, clean chip placement matters. From the floor, game pace matters. From the boxman, payout accuracy and dispute prevention matter.
Common Mistakes
- Treating this quick reference as a system.
- Betting too many numbers because the chart makes them look manageable.
- Forgetting that odds bets do not remove house edge from the base bet.
- Confusing hard 6 with any total of 6.
- Playing the Field without checking whether 12 pays double or triple.
- Saying late verbal bets while the dice are already moving.
- Pressing wins automatically without knowing your total exposure.
Hard Truth
A cheat sheet can keep you from looking lost. It cannot make a negative-expectation game positive. The best quick reference in craps is still bankroll discipline.
FAQ
What should I memorize first?
Memorize the come-out roll, point cycle, and seven-out. Those three ideas explain most of the game.
What is the easiest craps bet?
The Pass Line is the easiest main bet. Place 6 and 8 are also simple after you understand seven-out risk.
What bets should beginners avoid?
Avoid horn bets, Any Seven, hops, hardways, and most proposition bets until you know the payout and house edge.
Is Don’t Pass better than Pass Line?
Mathematically, slightly. Socially, some players dislike it because it wins when the shooter fails.
Are odds bets always worth it?
They are mathematically fair, but not always bankroll-smart. Take odds only at a size you can afford to lose.
How much should I buy in for?
A practical buy-in is often at least 10 to 20 base units if you want breathing room. At a $15 table, $150 is thin and $300 is more realistic.
What is the best single number to place?
Place 6 and Place 8 are the strongest common place bets because they hit more often and have a lower edge than placing 4, 5, 9, or 10.
Deeper Insight
Quick references are useful because craps overloads the eyes. The layout shows player-controlled areas, dealer-controlled areas, number boxes, proposition zones, and line areas all at once. That design makes the game feel richer than it is.
Underneath, every bet asks the same questions:
- What rolls win?
- What rolls lose?
- What does it pay?
- Is the payout fair compared with the probability?
- How many rolls might it take to resolve?
- Can I remove or reduce it?
- How much total money is exposed to the next 7?
The last question is the one players ignore. A $10 Pass Line bet with $10 odds feels modest. Add $24 across the 6 and 8, a $5 hard 6, and a $5 Field bet, and the layout now carries several different contracts. One seven-out may do more damage than the player expected.
Use the expected loss calculator for cost and the variance simulator for swing. The table itself will not slow down to protect you.
Formula / Calculation
Expected Loss = Total Amount Wagered × House Edge
P(event) = favorable dice combinations / 36
Example:
- $10 Pass Line at about 1.41% house edge
- $12 Place 6 at about 1.52% house edge
- $5 Any Seven at about 16.67% house edge
Approximate theoretical cost on resolved action:
- Pass Line: $10 × 0.0141 = $0.141
- Place 6: $12 × 0.0152 = $0.1824
- Any Seven: $5 × 0.1667 = $0.8335
Formula Explanation in Plain English
Small bets are not equal just because the chips look small. A $5 Any Seven can have more theoretical cost than a larger low-edge bet because the payout is much worse relative to the true chance.
Related Reading
For the full learning path, start with the craps guide, then read how to play craps and craps table layout. For numbers, use craps odds, craps odds chart, and craps house edge. If a low edge makes you feel too safe, read why low house edge does not mean safe and test your bet mix with the craps odds calculator.