Roulette DojoBest casinos
EN

How to play craps

Craps is a dice game where everyone bets on the same rolls. The basic bet is the Pass Line: on the first roll, 7 or 11 wins and 2, 3 or 12 loses; any other total becomes the point, and you win if it comes again before a 7. Everything else on the table is optional. Here it is roll by roll, with a free table to play along.

On this page
  1. Craps in one minute
  2. Try it on the table
  3. A round of craps, roll by roll
  4. The odds bet: the best bet in the casino
  5. The craps table, zone by zone
  6. How often each total comes
  7. Craps words you will hear
  8. At a real craps table
  9. What costs beginners the most
  10. How to play craps: questions

Craps in one minute

  1. One player, the shooter, throws two dice. Everyone at the table bets on the result, the shooter included.
  2. The first roll of a round is the come-out. Bet the Pass Line before it.
  3. A come-out 7 or 11 (a natural) wins the Pass Line; 2, 3 or 12 (craps) loses it. Either way, the next roll is a new come-out.
  4. Any other total, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, becomes the point. The dealer marks it with the ON puck.
  5. The shooter rolls until the point comes again, which wins the Pass Line, or a 7 comes first: that is the seven out, the Pass Line loses and the dice go to the next shooter.

Try it on the table

Play this table for real money300% up to €1,500 + 10% cashbackWithdrawals within a few hours(Partner link · 18+)Play this table for real money150% up to €750 + 50 free spinsWithdrawals within a few hours(Partner link · 18+)
Balance
5,000
On the table
0
Last roll paid
0

Last rolls

    Off

    Hardways

    Put a chip on the Pass Line, then roll.

    Totals rolled

    02
    03
    04
    05
    06
    07
    08
    09
    010
    011
    012

    Keyboard: Space or Enter rolls the dice.

    Play craps for real money

    A round of craps, roll by roll

    You bet 10 on the Pass Line. Here is how one shooter’s turn can go.

    1. Come-out, 6. The point is 6 and the puck turns ON. You add 50 in odds behind your line bet (up to 5 times on 6 and 8 at this table).
    2. 9. Neither 6 nor 7: nothing happens to your bets. The shooter rolls again.
    3. 3. 3 is craps only on the come-out. Now it changes nothing for the Pass Line (a Field bet would win).
    4. 6, point made. The Pass Line pays 10 (1 to 1) and the odds pay 60 (6 to 5). The puck goes OFF; same shooter, new come-out.
    5. Come-out, 7. A natural: the Pass Line wins 10 at once.
    6. Come-out, 5. The new point is 5.
    7. 7, seven out. The Pass Line and its odds lose, and the dice pass to the next shooter.

    The odds bet: the best bet in the casino

    Once a point is set, you can put extra chips behind your Pass Line: the odds. They win when the point comes before a 7 and pay the true odds, so they carry no house edge at all.

    Tables cap the odds as a multiple of your line bet. “3-4-5x”, the limit at this table, means up to 3 times on 4 and 10, 4 times on 5 and 9 and 5 times on 6 and 8. With full odds, a Pass Line player gives up 0.37% of all the money bet, against 1.41% on the line alone.

    PointWays to roll itMade before a 7Odds pay
    4 or 10333.3%2 to 1
    5 or 9440.0%3 to 2
    6 or 8545.5%6 to 5
    A 7 can be rolled 6 ways out of 36, which is why every point is harder to make than to miss.

    The craps table, zone by zone

    • Pass Line: the long strip around the table, the main bet, paying 1 to 1.
    • Don’t Pass Bar: the opposite bet. On the come-out it wins on 2 or 3, loses on 7 or 11, and 12 is a push. After that it wins if the 7 comes before the point.
    • Come and Don’t Come: the same as Pass and Don’t Pass, but made after the point is set; the next roll acts as their own come-out.
    • Place numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10): bet that one number comes before a 7, without waiting for a come-out.
    • Field: a one-roll bet on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12; 2 and 12 pay more.
    • The centre: the hardways (a total rolled as a pair, like 3 and 3 for hard 6) and one-roll bets such as Any Seven or Any Craps. They pay the most and cost the most, from 9% to almost 17%.

    How often each total comes

    Two dice land 36 ways, and 7 is the most common total, with 6 of them. On the come-out the Pass Line wins 8 times in 36 (22.2%), loses 4 times (11.1%) and sets a point the other 24 times (66.7%). All told, it wins 49.29% of its bets.

    TotalWaysProbability
    2 or 1212.78%
    3 or 1125.56%
    4 or 1038.33%
    5 or 9411.11%
    6 or 8513.89%
    7616.67%

    Craps words you will hear

    • Come-out: the first roll of a round, before any point is set.
    • Point: the total the shooter must roll again before a 7.
    • Natural: 7 or 11 on the come-out. Craps: 2, 3 or 12 on the come-out.
    • Seven out: a 7 after the point is set. The shooter’s turn is over.
    • Puck: the ON and OFF disc that marks the point.
    • Hard way: 4, 6, 8 or 10 rolled as a pair. Easy: the same total rolled any other way.
    • Yo: 11. Snake eyes: 2. Boxcars: 12.
    • Right and wrong bettors: players on Pass and Come, against players on Don’t Pass and Don’t Come.

    At a real craps table

    • Throw with one hand, and make both dice bounce off the far wall.
    • Put chips down between rolls, never while the dice are in the air.
    • Place bets and centre bets go through the dealers: put the chips on the table and name the bet.
    • Do not say “seven” at the table: players take it as bad luck.
    • You never have to shoot: you can pass the dice to the next player.

    What costs beginners the most

    • Skipping the odds: they are the only bet in the casino with no house edge.
    • The centre of the table: Any Seven costs 16.67% and the hardways 9% to 11%.
    • Placing the 4 and 10 at 6.67% when Place 6 and 8 cost 1.52%.
    • Believing a hot shooter will keep going: every roll is independent, and a 7 comes one time in six whatever happened before.

    How to play craps: questions

    What is the easiest way to play craps?

    Bet the Pass Line on the come-out, add odds once the point is set, and let the shooter roll. It is the simplest bet and one of the cheapest: 0.37% with 3-4-5x odds.

    Does the shooter have an advantage?

    No. The shooter bets like everyone else, and the dice do not know who threw them.

    Why do 7 and 11 win on the come-out?

    It is the rule of the Pass Line. A 7 comes 6 ways in 36 and 11 comes 2 ways, so a natural comes 22.2% of the time, against 11.1% for craps.

    What is the difference between Pass and Don’t Pass?

    They are opposites: Pass wins on the point, Don’t Pass on the 7. A 12 on the come-out is a push for Don’t Pass, which keeps its house edge at 1.36%, against 1.41% for Pass.

    Keep playing