What is craps?

Craps is a dice game where players bet on the outcomes of a pair of dice being rolled. The casino game is played with a table, the layout of which shows the bet types available. Players wager against the bank (casino) on outcomes like Pass or Don’t Pass.

1. 1

   Find a suitable craps table

   We’ve got plenty of recommendations for top casinos with online craps games to try once you know how to bet on craps. Just join up with one or our trusted casinos, claim your bonus, and load a table.
2. 2

   Place your bets

   We go into more detail on possible bets below, but you’ll likely be kicking things off here with a Pass line/Don’t Pass bet, along with any other bets you want to make.
3. 3

   Roll the dice

   Once you’ve placed your bets, you’re ready for your first roll of the dice. This is called the come out roll, and it can either determine a point or win/lose your bet (more on that below).
4. 4

   Keep shooting

   In rounds that haven’t been won or lost on the come out roll, your initial roll is followed up with additional opportunities to bet until you roll that point number again, or a 7.

As you can see above, understanding craps basics hinges on having some knowledge of which numbers win/lose on the come out bet, and how a round ends based on 7 or the point being rolled first. We’ll get into this in some more detail below.

1. 1
   Stick to bets with a low house edge - Bets like Pass Line/Come and Don’t Pass/Don’t Come have the lowest house edge on the craps table, offering you the best chance of winning a round.
2. 2
   Consider (but don’t rely on) using betting systems - Using a proven craps betting strategy (e.g. the 3 Point Molly, used to protect pass line bets) can help to further lower house edge, although it doesn’t guarantee victory.
3. 3
   Avoid prop bets - Proposition bets, e.g. wagers on Snake Eyes, Hardways, Any 7 etc., offer large payouts and can be really exciting…but they often have poor odds and a high house edge.
4. 4
   Place the 6 and/or 8 - With a house edge of 1.52% per bet resolved, Place bets on 6 and 8 have the same feel as riskier prop bets but they offer surprisingly good odds for players.
5. 5
   Only bet what you can afford to lose - Good advice for any casino game that holds true here too. It can be easy to get caught up in, say, hunting for the best mathematical craps strategy, but excessive betting should always be avoided.

1. 1
   Place your bet(s) and throw your come out roll
2. 2
   The round ends if a 7, 11, 2, 3, or 12 is thrown, otherwise a point is established
3. 3
   If the point is established, you can make additional bets (of certain types)
4. 4
   You’ll continue throwing the dice until you either roll a 7 or hit the point again
5. 5
   When the round is over, you’ll start the process again with another come out roll

Pass Line bet

With a Pass line bet, players will win with a come out roll of 7 or 11 and lose if 2, 3, or 12 is rolled. If any other number is rolled – 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 – you need to roll that number again before 7 to win.

Don’t Pass

Here, players will win if the come out roll is 2 or 3 and lose if it’s 7 or 11. In this case, however, 12 is a push. If a point is established, 7 must be rolled before that number appears again to win.

Come bet

Come bets are placed once a point of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 has been established.

The Come bet is similar to the Pass line bet, in that it wins on 7 or 11 and loses on 2, 3, or 12 on the roll that immediately follows the bet. If any other number is rolled, that becomes your point and your bet moves to that number. Hit it again before 7 and you’ll win, but you’ll lose if 7 comes first.

Don't Come bet

Like Don’t Pass is to Pass, this bet is (for the most part) the inverse of the Come bet. You’ll lose on 7 or 11 and win on 2 or 3 on the roll that immediately follows the bet. But, once again, 12 is a push. Any other number becomes your point, and you’re betting that 7 will be rolled before your point.

You can also remove or decrease a Don’t Come bet after a point is established.

Odds bets

Odds bets, which can be considered a type of side bet once the point has been established, pay if the point is rolled before a 7. They’re an extremely appealing wager, with no house edge, but you can only wager a certain amount compared with your Pass bet; this figure, e.g. 3x or 10x odds, varies from table to table and describes how much you can wager on Odds.

Proposition bets

A proposition or prop bet is a side wager on a game that has nothing to do with the overall outcome. In craps, this includes bets like Snake Eyes (a 1 on each die), any 7, or a Hard 8 (a 4 on each die). Many, but not all, of them are one-roll bets and are accompanied by a high house edge.

Place bets

A place is a wager that a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 will be rolled before a 7. The house edge, and your associated odds of winning, vary depending on the number you bet on. A Place to Lose bet is the opposite of a Place bet, wagering that 7 will be rolled before the number you’re betting against.

Buy bets

These are similar to Odds or Place bets, wagering on a number appearing before a 7 is rolled. They pay fair odds, but you need to pay a commission (vig) to make the bet. Because of the added complexity that can add in a brick and mortar venue, many players opt to stick with Place bets.

Lay bets

Lay bets are similar to Place bets (and Buy bets), except you’re wagering that a 7 will be rolled before the number you lay. These also require the payment of a commission, or vig.

Field bets

With this single-roll bet, you’re wagering that the shooter will roll 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. Results of 2 and 12 may pay double, or even triple, depending on the casino you’re using. 5, 6, 7, and 8 all lose.

Big 6 and Big 8

These bets, which are not one-roll bets, are bets on any combination totaling 6 or 8 will appear before a 7 is rolled. They may be eye-catching, being big and bright red, but there are better ways to bet on the numbers 6 and 8 than these bets…which have a prohibitive house edge of around 9%.