CRAPS RULES

The come-out roll

Every craps round begins with a come-out roll. The dealer flips the marker puck to the "OFF" position to signal that a new round is starting. Before the shooter rolls, every player at the table has a chance to place bets - most commonly a pass line or don't pass bet.

The shooter (chosen from the players at the table, rotating clockwise) picks up two dice from the stickman's bowl and throws them so they hit the back wall at the opposite end of the table.

The result of the come-out roll determines what happens next:

• Dice total 7 or 11 (a "natural"): Pass line wins at 1 to 1. Don't pass loses. Any other bet type is resolved according to its own rules. A new come-out roll begins with the same shooter.
• Dice total 2, 3, or 12 ("craps"): Pass line loses. Don't pass wins on 2 and 3, and pushes on 12 (or 2, depending on table rules - see "bar 12" below). A new come-out roll begins with the same shooter.
• Dice total 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 (a "point"): That number becomes the point. The dealer flips the puck to "ON" and places it on the matching point number. The round advances to the point phase. The shooter continues rolling.

The come-out roll is always the first roll of a round. If the shooter is shooting for the first time, or if the previous round just ended with a win or a loss that settled the line bets, the next roll is a come-out.

The point round

Once a point has been set, the shooter enters the point round. The shooter keeps rolling until one of two things happens:

• The shooter rolls the point number again: Pass line bets win at 1 to 1. Don't pass loses. The round ends. The puck flips back to "OFF" and the same shooter starts a new come-out roll.
• The shooter rolls a 7 ("seven out"): Pass line loses. Don't pass wins. The round ends. The shooter loses the dice. The dice are passed clockwise to the next player who wants to shoot, and that player begins a new round with a new come-out roll.

Any other roll during the point round - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 that is not the point and not a 7 - is a "neutral" roll. Pass line and don't pass are unaffected. The shooter simply rolls again.

However, other bet types (place bets, come bets, field bets, proposition bets) may win or lose on neutral rolls. Each bet has its own resolution rules.

Shooter rules

The shooter is the player currently rolling the dice. Every player at the table gets a turn to shoot, with the dice rotating clockwise after each seven-out.

• You must place a line bet to shoot. Before the come-out roll, the shooter is required to place a pass line bet OR a don't pass bet. You cannot shoot without one. Most shooters choose pass line.
• You can decline the dice. When it is your turn to shoot, you can pass. The stickman offers the dice to the next player.
• Use one hand. The shooter must pick up and throw the dice with one hand only. Switching hands mid-roll is not allowed.
• Keep the dice over the table. The shooter cannot lower the dice below the table edge or pass them to another hand. Doing so voids the roll and the dice are returned to the stickman for inspection.
• The dice must hit the back wall. A throw that does not reach the far end of the table is usually called a "short roll" and may be re-thrown. This rule prevents the shooter from placing the dice in a specific position rather than rolling them.

Bet timing rules

Craps has strict rules about when bets can be placed, removed, or modified. Getting this wrong is the fastest way to embarrass yourself at a live table.

• Pass line and don't pass: Can only be placed before a come-out roll. Once a point has been set, the line is "closed" and new pass/don't pass bets cannot be added.
• Come and don't come: Can only be placed AFTER a point has been set. They act like a personal come-out roll for each come bet.
• Place bets: Can be placed, increased, decreased, or removed at any time between rolls, as long as the dice are not in motion.
• Odds bet: Can be added to an existing pass line, don't pass, come, or don't come bet at any time before the bet is resolved. The odds bet can also be taken down at any time.
• Field and proposition bets: Single-roll bets. Must be placed before the shooter rolls. Resolved immediately on the next roll.

The universal rule: once the dice are in motion, the table is closed. You cannot place, remove, or modify any bet until the dealer has finished paying out and called the table open again.

Dice protocol

The dice themselves are subject to their own rules that exist to prevent cheating:

• Hit the back wall: Every roll must reach the far wall of the table. Most casinos allow one "short roll" warning before enforcing a re-throw.
• Both dice must land flat: If one die lands on top of chips, on the rail, or on an uneven surface ("cocked die"), the stickman calls the roll based on what the die "would have shown" or declares it a no-roll.
• Dice off the table: If one or both dice fly off the table, they are retrieved and inspected for damage. They may be returned or replaced. Some superstitious players believe dice leaving the table causes the next roll to be a 7 - this is just superstition, but you will hear it at every table.
• One-hand throw: The shooter must pick up both dice with one hand and throw them with the same hand.
• No touching the dice mid-roll: Once the stickman has released the dice to the shooter, no one else can touch them until after the roll has been called.

The "bar 12" rule

On most craps tables, the come-out roll of 12 is a "push" (tie) for don't pass bettors instead of a win. Your don't pass bet is returned to you with no win or loss. This rule gives the house a small edge on don't pass - without it, don't pass would have a negative expected value for the casino.

Some casinos (especially in Nevada) "bar the 2" instead of the 12. The math is identical - the house gives up the win on one combination out of two that would otherwise favor don't pass. Check the posted table rules to know which number is barred.

House rule variations

The rules above are universal. A few rules vary by casino, and you should check each table before playing:

• Maximum odds offered: Most tables offer 2x, 3-4-5x, or 10x odds on pass line bets. Higher is better for the player. "3-4-5x" means you can take 3x odds on a 4 or 10 point, 4x on a 5 or 9, and 5x on a 6 or 8.
• Don't come bar number: Same as don't pass - barred on 12 or 2 depending on table.
• Field bet double/triple numbers: Most tables pay double (2 to 1) on a 2 or 12. Some pay triple (3 to 1) on ONE of them (usually the 12). Check the posted field payouts.
• Big 6 and Big 8: Some tables have "Big 6" and "Big 8" boxes in the corners that pay 1 to 1. These are the same bet as place 6 and place 8 but with worse payouts - always place the 6 or 8 instead.
• Vig on buy bets: Buy bets pay true odds but charge a 5% commission ("vig"). Some casinos collect the vig only on winning buy bets; others collect it when the bet is placed. The first is better for the player.

Resolution order

When multiple bets are on the table at the same time, they are resolved in a specific order after each roll:

1. Single-roll proposition bets (any seven, any craps, horn, hardways resolved this roll, field).
2. Line bets affected by this roll (pass line wins on the point, loses on 7; come bets, etc.).
3. Place bets affected by this roll (a place 6 bet wins when 6 is rolled, loses on a 7).
4. The dealer settles all winners and losers before calling the table open for new bets.

This matters because fast rolls can produce multiple bet resolutions in one roll. A 7 during a point round resolves every on-the-table bet that cares about sevens at once: pass line loses, don't pass wins, every place bet loses, every hardway loses, every come bet on a number loses, and any "any seven" proposition wins.

Frequently asked questions