HOW TO PLAY CRAPS

What is craps?

Craps is a casino dice game played with two six-sided dice. One player at a time - called the shooter - rolls the dice. Everyone at the table can bet on what the shooter will roll. Bets can be placed on the next single roll, on a sequence of rolls, or on whether the shooter will hit certain numbers before others.

The game traces back roughly two centuries to a French dice game called hazard, which evolved into modern craps in 19th-century New Orleans. It became a fixture of American casinos in the 20th century and remains one of the most exciting games on a casino floor because of the noise, the camaraderie, and the sheer number of ways to bet on a single roll.

Craps has a reputation for being intimidating, mostly because the table looks complex and the language is full of slang. The truth is, the core game is simple. You can play craps competently after learning a single bet (the pass line). Everything else is variations on betting strategy.

Crapsee exists to make learning craps easier. You can play in your browser for free, with no real money, and try every bet on a real craps layout without the pressure of a casino floor.

The craps table layout

A craps table is long and rectangular with curved ends. Two mirrored sets of betting areas sit on either side of the table center, so players standing on either side see the same layout in front of them. The center section holds the proposition bets, controlled by the stickman.

Here is a simplified text representation of one half of a standard craps layout:

+-------------------------------------------------------+
|  DON'T COME              4  5  6  8  9 10  (PLACE)    |
|                         BUY    HARD WAYS   LAY        |
|  COME                                                 |
|                                                       |
|  FIELD: 2  3  4  9 10 11 12                           |
|                                                       |
|  PASS LINE   ----------------------------    BIG 6/8  |
|  DON'T PASS BAR  12                                   |
+-------------------------------------------------------+

The most important areas to know as a beginner:

• Pass line - the curved area along the bottom edge. This is where 90% of beginners place their first bet.
• Don't pass bar - just inside the pass line, the "wrong way" version of the same bet.
• Come and Don't Come - mirror versions of pass and don't pass that you place after a point has been set.
• Place numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) - bets that a specific number will roll before a 7.
• Field - a one-roll bet on a set of numbers (2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12).
• Center proposition area - one-roll bets like any seven, hardways, and the horn. Higher payouts but high house edges.

How a round of craps works

A craps round has two phases: the come-out roll and (sometimes) the point round. Here is what happens, step by step, in a single round:

1. The come-out roll

Before the round starts, the puck on the table is set to "OFF". The shooter places a pass line bet (and so do most other players). The shooter rolls two dice. The result determines what happens next:

• 7 or 11: Pass line wins immediately at 1 to 1. The same shooter rolls again with a new come-out.
• 2, 3, or 12: Pass line loses immediately. This is called "craps". The same shooter rolls again with a new come-out. (Don't pass wins on 2 and 3, ties on 12 - more on that below.)
• 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10: A point is set. The dealer flips the puck to "ON" and places it on the point number. The round moves to phase two.

2. The point round

Once a point is set, the shooter keeps rolling. The shooter is now trying to roll the point number again before rolling a 7. There is no time limit. Some shooters roll for 30 seconds, others roll for 20 minutes.

Three things can happen on each subsequent roll:

• The shooter rolls the point: Pass line wins at 1 to 1. 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. The shooter loses the dice. The dealer collects all losing bets, the puck flips back to "OFF", and the dice rotate to the next player.
• The shooter rolls anything else: Nothing happens to the pass line. The shooter just rolls again. (However, single-roll bets like the field and proposition bets are resolved on every roll, win or lose.)

3. Bet resolution

When a round ends (either by hitting the point or sevening out), the dealers move around the table collecting losing bets and paying winners. Pass line and don't pass pay 1 to 1. Place bets pay at posted odds (more on those below). The puck flips to "OFF" and the next come-out begins.

4. The dice pass to the next shooter

If the shooter sevens out, the dice rotate clockwise to the next player who wants to shoot. You can always decline the dice and pass them on - you don't have to be the shooter to bet on craps.

The four basic bets

Craps has dozens of possible bets, but you only need to learn four to play competently. Master these and you have everything you need.

Pass line

The pass line is the bet you should place on almost every come-out roll. It is the standard, the most popular, and one of the lowest-house-edge bets on the entire table.

• How to bet: Place a chip on the pass line area before the come-out roll.
• Win: Come-out is 7 or 11, OR a point is set and the shooter rolls the point before rolling a 7.
• Lose: Come-out is 2, 3, or 12, OR a point is set and the shooter rolls a 7 before the point.
• Payout: 1 to 1 (even money).
• House edge: 1.41%.

Don't pass

Don't pass is the mirror image of pass line. You are betting against the shooter. It is sometimes called "wrong way" betting because you win when most of the table loses, which can feel awkward in a casino. It has a slightly lower house edge than pass line.

• How to bet: Place a chip on the "don't pass bar" area before the come-out roll.
• Win: Come-out is 2 or 3, OR a point is set and the shooter rolls a 7 before the point.
• Lose: Come-out is 7 or 11, OR a point is set and the shooter rolls the point.
• Push (tie): Come-out is 12 (the "bar 12" rule). Your bet is returned with no win or loss.
• Payout: 1 to 1.
• House edge: 1.36%.

Come

The come bet works exactly like the pass line, except you can place it after a point has been set. The next roll becomes your personal "come-out roll", and whatever number rolls (other than 7 or 11) becomes your personal point.

This is how players who want extra action layer multiple bets. You can have a pass line bet on the table point AND a come bet on a different number, and both are working at the same time.

• House edge: 1.41% (same as pass line).

Don't come

The mirror of the come bet, just like don't pass mirrors pass. House edge is 1.36%.

Place bets

Place bets let you wager that a specific number will roll before a 7. You can place a bet on any of the box numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) at any time, and the dealer will move your chips to the correct spot for you.

The catch: place bets pay at different odds depending on the number. The 6 and 8 pay the best odds, the 4 and 10 pay the worst.

If you only ever place 6 and 8, you have learned the most efficient non-line strategy in the game.

Field and proposition bets

These are the high-payout, high-house-edge bets in the center of the table. They are exciting because they pay quickly, but they cost you more in the long run than the line bets above.

Field

A one-roll bet that the next roll will be 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. Pays 1 to 1 on most numbers, double (2 to 1) on 2 or 12 (some tables triple-pay one of them). House edge is 5.56% on most layouts. Easy to understand, popular with beginners, but mathematically not your friend over time.

Hardways

A "hardway" is rolling a 4, 6, 8, or 10 with both dice showing the same number (e.g., a hard 8 is two 4s). You bet that the hardway will roll before a 7 OR before that number rolls "easy" (any other combination summing to 4, 6, 8, or 10). Payouts range from 7 to 1 (hard 4 and 10) to 9 to 1 (hard 6 and 8). House edges range from 9% to 11%.

Any seven (Big Red)

One-roll bet that the next roll will be a 7. Pays 4 to 1. Sounds great until you realize the true odds are 5 to 1, giving the house a 16.67% edge - the worst single bet on the entire table. Avoid.

Yo (eleven)

One-roll bet on 11. Pays 15 to 1. House edge is about 11.11%.

Any craps

One-roll bet on 2, 3, or 12. Pays 7 to 1. House edge is about 11.11%.

Etiquette and table positions

Live craps tables are crowded, fast-moving, and run by a small team of casino employees. Knowing who does what helps you avoid stepping on toes.

• Stickman: Stands in the middle of one long side of the table. Holds a long curved stick to push dice to and from the shooter. Calls out the result of every roll. Manages the proposition bets in the center.
• Boxman: Sits at the center of the table opposite the stickman. Supervises the entire game, watches for cheating, settles disputes, and confirms payouts.
• Dealers (two): Stand on either side of the boxman. Handle bets, move chips, pay winners, collect losers. Each dealer manages one half of the table.
• Players: Stand around the rail. Up to about 16 at a busy table.

Basic etiquette to avoid being "that player":

• Don't touch your chips after a roll begins. Wait until the dealer has finished paying out before adjusting your bets.
• Don't say "seven" out loud. Some players believe it jinxes the table. The number you don't say is replaced with code words like "big red".
• Toss the dice cleanly. When you shoot, throw the dice so they hit the back wall of the table. Slow rollers and "dice slides" are frowned upon.
• Tip the dealers. A "two-way" bet (one for you, one for the dealers) is a common way to share a winning streak.
• Use chips, not cash. Cash on the table is converted to chips by the dealer. Bets are always made in chips.

Crapsee is a simulator, so none of these apply to playing online. But if you ever sit at a real craps table, knowing the etiquette will save you embarrassment.

Common craps terminology

Craps has more slang than almost any other casino game. Here are the terms you will hear most often.

• Boxcars: A roll of 12 (two sixes).
• Come-out roll: The first roll of a new round.
• Craps: A roll of 2, 3, or 12.
• Crap out: Rolling 2, 3, or 12 on the come-out.
• Hardway: Rolling 4, 6, 8, or 10 as doubles.
• Hot table: A table where the shooter is on a long roll without sevening out.
• Natural: A 7 or 11 on the come-out roll.
• Off: A bet (or the puck) is not currently working on this roll.
• On: A bet is currently working.
• Point: The number a shooter must roll again before rolling a 7.
• Puck: The disc that marks whether a point is on or off, and which number it is.
• Seven out: Rolling a 7 during the point round, ending the shooter's turn.
• Snake eyes: A roll of 2 (two ones).
• Stickman: The dealer who handles the dice with a stick.
• Yo: A roll of 11 (slang to avoid confusion with "seven").

How to practice craps for free

Reading about craps gets you maybe 30% of the way to actually playing it. The rest comes from watching the dice, placing bets, and seeing how rounds resolve. The fastest way to get there is a free craps simulator.

Crapsee is built for exactly this. It is a free, browser-based craps table with cryptographically secure dice rolls, no signup, no credit card, and no real money. Every bet you have read about on this page is on the layout. You can:

• Practice the pass line bet over hundreds of rounds without spending a penny
• Try place bets on 6 and 8 to see how the payouts feel
• Experiment with don't pass to learn the wrong-way side of the game
• Try the high-house-edge proposition bets to see WHY they cost you over time
• Build a sense of pace before ever sitting at a real table

Open the free craps table

Frequently asked questions