Walking up to the craps table for the first time is intimidating. It’s the loudest game on the floor, covered in confusing markings, and surrounded by players shouting numbers and slang you don't understand. But here’s the secret: craps is actually one of the best games in the house once you ignore the noise and focus on the math. If you stick to the core bets, you’re looking at a house edge under 1.5%, which beats most slots and even some blackjack tables.
The game moves fast, though. A typical craps table sees about 100 rolls per hour. If you don't know the basic flow, you can burn through your bankroll in minutes. This breakdown strips away the side bets and complex strategies that just drain your wallet, focusing on exactly what you need to know to hold your own at the tables in Vegas, Atlantic City, or your local tribal casino.
Craps is played in rounds, and every round has two distinct phases. You need to understand this separation because the rules—and the best betting strategies—change completely depending on which phase is active.
The first phase is the Come-Out Roll. This is where the shooter (the person throwing the dice) establishes the point. Before the dice are thrown, the dealer flips a black and white button to the 'OFF' side. On this initial roll, only three things matter:
7 or 11: This is an instant win for Pass Line bettors. If you bet on the Pass Line, you get paid even money immediately, and the shooter starts a new Come-Out roll.
2, 3, or 12: These are 'craps.' Pass Line bets lose. Don’t worry—this doesn't happen often, but it’s an instant bust for that specific round.
4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10: The dealer marks one of these numbers with a white puck (flipping it to 'ON'). This number becomes 'the Point.' Now the game changes entirely.
Once a point is established, the goal shifts. The shooter keeps rolling until they either hit that Point number again (a win for Pass Line bettors) or roll a 7 (a loss). This is the crux of the game: in the second phase, rolling a 7 is bad for the Pass Line. Understanding this flip is the biggest hurdle for new players.
If you want to know how to play craps without getting confused, memorize two bets: the Pass Line and the Odds bet. That’s it. You don't need anything else to have a solid session.
The Pass Line Bet is your ante. You place this before the Come-Out roll. It pays even money. The house edge here is tiny—just 1.41%. Compare that to American Roulette at 5.26%, and you see why table minimums for craps can be higher than other games; the casino knows they aren't making much on smart players.
Then there is the Odds Bet (often called Taking the Odds). This is arguably the best wager in the entire casino. Once a point is established, you place chips behind your Pass Line bet. This is a separate wager that pays out at true odds—meaning the house has 0% edge on it.
Payouts on Odds bets vary based on the difficulty of hitting the point:
Most casinos allow you to bet multiples of your original Pass Line bet on the Odds. A standard table might allow '3x-4x-5x' odds. This means you can bet up to 3x your Pass bet on points of 4 or 10, 4x on 5 or 9, and 5x on 6 or 8. Always maximize your Odds bet if your bankroll allows it because it dilutes the overall house edge against you.
While most players bet with the shooter on the Pass Line, you have another option: the Don't Pass bet. This is often called playing the 'Dark Side,' and some superstitious players might give you a hard time for it, but mathematically, it’s actually slightly better.
When you bet Don't Pass, you are betting that the shooter will fail. You win on a Come-Out roll of 2 or 3 (12 is a push). Once a point is set, you want the shooter to roll a 7 before they roll their point. The house edge on Don't Pass is roughly 1.36%, which is a hair lower than the Pass Line.
You can also 'Lay the Odds' on a Don't Pass bet, which works inversely to Taking Odds. You have to bet more to win less, but the advantage is that you have the statistical upper hand after the point is set. If you prefer cold math over the communal cheer of a hot table, the Dark Side is the most logical way to play.
Once you get bored with the Pass Line, you can branch out. Place Bets allow you to bet on specific numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) to hit before a 7. These bets are always active and can be placed or taken down at any time between rolls.
The best Place bets are on 6 and 8, which carry a house edge of 1.52%. Betting on 5 or 9 pushes the edge to 4.00%, and betting on 4 or 10 gives the house a massive 6.67% advantage. If you want to bet numbers, stick to 6 and 8.
Come Bets are essentially Pass Line bets made after the point is established. Let's say the point is 8. You put money in the Come box. The next roll acts as a Come-Out roll for that specific bet. If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, your Come bet wins. If they roll a 2, 3, or 12, it loses. If they roll a number—say, a 4—that number becomes the point for your Come bet. You now have two points working: the table's main point (8) and your personal point (4).
Come bets are smart because they allow you to have multiple numbers working for you at once, all with the low Pass Line house edge.
In the center of the table, controlled by the stickman, lies the Proposition Box. This is where the casino makes its money back on smart players. These are one-roll bets with alluring payouts but terrible odds.
Take the 'Any 7' bet. It pays 4:1, which sounds decent until you realize the true odds are 5:1. The house edge is a staggering 16.67%. Betting on 'Hardways' (doubles like 4-4 or 6-6) carries edges between 9% and 11%. The 'Field' bet looks attractive because you win on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12, but you lose on the most common numbers: 5, 6, 7, and 8.
Unless you are strictly playing for fun and don't mind losing quickly, stay away from the center of the table.
Knowing the rules is half the battle; knowing how to act prevents awkward encounters with the dealers. When you buy in, wait for the dice to be in the middle of the table. Place your cash on the felt—never hand it directly to the dealer. They will push chips back to you.
When you are the shooter, you must hit the back wall with the dice. This is a non-negotiable rule designed to ensure a random bounce. If you don't hit the wall, the roll might be declared invalid ('No Roll').
Also, keep your hands visible. When the dice are out, keep your hands away from the table surface so the stickman or boxman can see everything. Reaching over the table while the dice are flying is a quick way to get a reprimand.
If you aren't ready to hit the live felt, plenty of online options exist. The rules are the same, but the pace is often faster. Here are a few reputable options for US players:
| Casino | Offer | Payment Methods | Min Deposit |
|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM | 100% up to $1,000 + $25 Free | PayPal, Venmo, Visa, Mastercard | $10 |
| DraftKings Casino | Play $5, Get $50 in Casino Credits | PayPal, ACH, Visa, Play+ | $5 |
| Caesars Palace Online | 100% up to $2,500 + 2,500 Rewards Points | PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, ACH | $10 |
| FanDuel Casino | Play $1, Get $100 in Casino Bonus | PayPal, Venmo, Visa, Mastercard | $10 |
Online craps allows you to learn the betting interface without an audience, and many sites offer 'Craps First Person' or live dealer versions that bridge the gap between digital and physical play.
It depends on the casino and time of day. In major hubs like Las Vegas, you can find $5 or $10 minimums during off-peak hours, but busy weekend nights often see minimums jump to $15 or $25. Online casinos generally offer much lower minimums, often starting at $1, which is great for learning the flow.
No. You can bet on the Pass Line, Don't Pass, or other options without ever touching the dice. If the stickman pushes the dice to you and you don't want to roll, simply say 'pass' or wave them off to the next player. Being the shooter is optional.
The dealer will usually call 'No Roll.' The shooter must use the same dice for the next roll unless one is damaged or lost. If a die flies off the table, the floor supervisor inspects it before play resumes to ensure it wasn't swapped for a loaded die.
You can remove Place bets and Don't Come bets at any time, but you cannot take down a Pass Line bet after the point is established—the house needs that money working to maintain its edge. You can, however, remove or reduce your Odds bet behind the Pass Line whenever you want.
It’s all about probability. On the first roll, there are more ways to roll a 7 (six combinations) than any other number, making it a likely winner. However, once a point is established, the shooter must roll that specific number again. Since 7 is the most common outcome, rolling it before hitting the point ends the round and clears the table, which is why it becomes the 'losing' number in the second phase.