How to Play Craps
Craps is a fast-moving game where players bet on the outcome of one dice roll or a series of rolls. As in most casino games, chance decides the result; no particular skill or strategy is needed to win.
Craps is often noted for its low 1.41% house edge, a figure presented as giving players a better chance of finishing ahead. It does not guarantee a winning session.
The Rules
At a land-based casino, craps is played against the house, with up to 12 to 16 people able to take part at once. The table has a wide felt layout surrounded by high rails, allowing players to bounce the dice while keeping them in bounds. Online games generally recreate the look and layout, using virtual dice instead of physical ones.
A round begins when the shooter places a wager above the table minimum on either the Pass Line or Don’t Pass Line. The shooter throws two standard six-sided dice, numbered one through six. The total number of spots facing up is the roll. Craps is usually played over a sequence of rolls, not a single throw.
The opening throw is called the “come-out roll.” A total of 2, 3 or 12 is called “craps”; if it appears on the come-out roll, the game ends. The game also ends if the first roll is 7 or 11. Each round has two phases—the come-out and the point—and a payout may follow one roll or, in some cases, several rolls.
Game Play
The opening throw, or come-out roll, is simple to follow and has one of three possible outcomes:
- A total of 2, 3 or 12 is “crapping out” and loses. The shooter and other players can bet on this outcome, but it ends the shooter’s turn.
- A total of 7 or 11 wins, and the player can keep shooting.
- Any other total sets a point. The shooter keeps rolling until the point comes up again or a 7 appears. Repeating the point wins; rolling a 7 first loses.
Get familiar with the available wagers before you play. Bets can be placed at any time, but the start of a new shooter’s turn is generally considered the best moment to bet. Common craps wagers include:
Pass Line Bet
The Pass Line is the standard craps wager. On the first roll, 7 or 11 wins, while 2, 3 or 12 loses. If the roll establishes a point of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, that number must come up again before a 7 for the wager to win. A 7 before the point loses.
Don’t Pass Line
This wager works in reverse to the Pass Line: you bet against the shooter, hoping for a 2, 3 or 12 on the come-out roll so the shooter “craps out.” If the roll establishes a point, you want a 7 before that point.
Come Bet
A Come bet follows the same basic rules as a Pass Line bet, but you can place it only after a point has been established. Put your chips in the table’s Come area. The next dice roll then serves as the come-out roll for that bet.
Don’t Come Bet
A Don’t Come bet is the reverse of a Come bet. After the point is established, 2 or 3 wins, while 7 or 11 loses. A 12 is a tie. For any other roll, the bet wins if a 7 appears before that number on a later throw.
Odds Bet
Once the shooter establishes a point on the come-out roll, anyone with a Pass Line bet may “take the odds.” This is often described as the best craps wager because it has no built-in house advantage. An odds bet is an additional wager, generally limited to the original bet, that the point will repeat before a 7.
Field Bets
A field bet is settled on one dice roll. You win if the total is 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12, and lose on 5, 6, 7 or 8. Payouts vary: a 2 pays double (2:1), a 12 pays 3:1, and each other winning total pays even money (1:1).
Proposition Bets
You can place proposition bets at any time. Except for hardways, these are wagers on a single roll. They include:
- Craps: A roll of 2, 3 or 12 wins, paying 8:1.
- Seven: A roll of 7 wins, paying 5:1.
- Eleven: A roll of 11 wins, paying 16:1.
- Horn Bet: A roll of 2, 3, 11 or 12 wins; the payout depends on the number rolled.
- Ace Deuce: A roll of 3 wins, paying 16:1.
- Boxcars or Aces: A roll of 2 or 12 wins, paying 30:1.
Getting Started
Only a few major online casino software providers have released popular craps games, including Microgaming, NetEnt and Playtech.
Players are drawn to online craps for several reasons. Minimum bets are often much lower than at online casinos, and games may be available around the clock. Many free online craps games are also available for practice before you risk real money. Once you know the rules, craps can be exciting, though practice does not eliminate the risk of losing.
