How To Play Craps
How To Play Craps
How to play craps is not hard. After just a couple of goes, you should be playing like a pro. Yet for some reason, the game of craps has the stereotype of being a difficult and complicated game. This, however, is far from the truth. The game is very easy to learn and a blast to play. A craps player simply bets on whether the dice roll will result in a win or a loss. That’s it!
Craps Rules
Playing craps takes two dice and the poker chips are to place bets with.
The Shooter and the Come Out Roll
The player who is rolling the dice is referred to as the shooter. The “come out” roll is a player’s first roll.
Craps Pass Line Bets
The Pass Line is an even money bet. When a player bets on the “pass line,” he/she is betting that the shooter will be successful. Results for “pass line” “come out” rolls are as follows:
| “Come Out” Roll ( First Roll ) |
Result |
| 7 or 11 (“Natural”) | Player Wins |
| 2, 3, or 12 (“Craps”) | Player Loses |
| 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 (“Point”) |
Player wins: if the shooter rolls the “point” number again before a 7. Player loses: if a 7 rolls before the “point” number. |
Example: If a shooter’s come out roll is an 8, that will become the “point.” The shooter then continues to roll until he/she rolls a 7 or an 8. In this case an 8 would be a win, while a 7 is a loss. Rolling a seven is called a “seven-out.” All other rolls are irrelevant to the “pass line” bet. Once “point” or a seven has been rolled, the next roll is a new “come out” roll.
Craps Don’t Pass Line Bets
The Don’t Pass line is an even money bet. When a player makes a “Don’t Pass Line” bet, he/she is betting that the shooter WON’T be successful. “Don’t Pass Line” bets are the exact opposite of “Pass Line” bets with one exception; a “come out” roll of twelve is a tie or a “push.” “Don’t Pass Line” betting results are as follows:
| “Come Out” Roll ( First Roll ) | Result |
| 7 or 11 (“Natural”) | Player Loses |
| 2 or 3 (“Craps”) | Player Wins |
| 12 (“Push”) | Tie |
If a shooter rolls a 7 before making “point,” the player wins. In the event that the shooter makes “point,” the player loses.
Example: Once again using the example that a shooter’s “Come Out” roll yielded an 8, the shooter continues to roll until he/she gets a 7 or an 8. In this case, a roll of 7 wins and a roll of 8 loses. All other rolls are irrelevant to the “Don’t Pass Line” bet. Once “point” or a 7 has been rolled, the next roll is a new “come out” roll.
Eight Bets After the Come Out Roll
If the shooter is winning, the dice are not passed on. The dice are passed on if the shooter “sevens out” or decides not to continue rolling. In online craps, the player loses if there is a seven out and can end the game at any time, providing there are no bets on the table.
Only “pass line” and “don’t pass line” bets are made on the shooter’s “come out” roll. All other bets are after the “come out” once a “point” is established. These additional bets are independent of the “pass line” and “don’t pass line” bets.
1. The Come Bet
The “come” bet can be made any time after a shooter’s “come out,” when there is a “point” to be made. A player wins the “come” bet if the first roll (after “come out”) is a 7 or 11 and loses on craps (a 2, 3, or 12). Any other number that rolls becomes a “come point.” A player wins if the “come point” rolls again before a 7.
2. The Don’t Come Bet
The relationship between the “come” bet and the “don’t come” bet is exactly the same as the relationship between the “pass” and “don’t pass” line bets. The “don’t come” bet is the opposite of the “come” bet. It loses on a 7 or 11 and wins on a 2 or 3. Any other number is a “come point” and the “don’t come” betting player loses if it rolls again before a 7. A 12 is a “push.”
3. Odds Bet
A player can accompany all other bets placed with an “odds” bet. Once there’s an establishment of “point”, the “odds” bet is popular because it pays in “true odds” on the bets a player’s made. “True odds” are based on the odds of your “come” number rolling before a seven, and are paid out accordingly. As players can see on the “True Odds Chart” below, the chance that a 7 is going to come up is twice that of a 4. If you place an odds bet on the 4 the payout will be 2:1, its true odds.
Determining True Craps Odds
The following how to play craps chart shows the number of ways a 7 can roll as opposed to the number of ways any other combination of points can roll.
An odds bet on the “pass line” and the “come” is called “taking odds.” “Taking odds” payouts are as follows:
| Points | True Odds |
| 4 and 10 | 2 – 1 |
| 5 and 9 | 3 – 2 |
| 6 and 8 | 6 – 5 |
An odds bet on the “don’t pass line” and the “don’t come” has the name of “laying odds.” “Laying odds” payouts are as follows:
| Points | True Odds |
| 4 and 10 | 1 – 2 |
| 5 and 9 | 2 – 3 |
| 6 and 8 | 5 – 6 |
Odds bets share the same odds as the “come” bet, the only difference is that the player chooses which number to bet on, as opposed to the dice providing the number as is the case with the “come” bet.
4. Place Bet
A “place bet” is betting a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 will roll before a 7. This bet is similar to an “odds bet” being that the player chooses the number, but the odds are different. The payouts are as follows:
| Points | True Odds |
| 4 and 10 | 9 – 5 |
| 5 and 9 | 7 – 5 |
| 6 and 8 | 7 – 6 |
When placing bets on 4, 5, 9, and 10, bets should be made in multiples of 5. When placing bets on 6 and 8, multiples of 6 should be used. This is because payouts are rounded down to the nearest dollar. To make a place bet, click on the line below the desired number square(where odds bets would go).
5. Laying Bet
“Laying bet” is when a player bets that a 7 will roll before a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. This pays out true odds, but a 5% “vig” is deducted when sums are rounded down to the nearest dollar.
6. Buy Bet
“Buying Bet” is when a player bets that a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 will roll before a 7. It is the opposite of “laying bet,” and also has the 5% “vig” deducted.
7. Big 6 and Big 8
Betting an 8 or 6 will roll before a 7. The area for this bet is in the lower corner of the table near the pass line. This bet is the same as a 6 or 8 place bet, except the player only gets a payout of even money.
8. Craps Field Bet
This is a bet only valid for one roll. The player is betting that the next roll will be a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. If a 2 or 12 rolls it means the player earns 2:1 on his/her bet. All other numbers pay even money.
How To Play Craps: Proposition Bets
In addition to the 8 bets described above, a player can place proposition bets which are on the right side of an internet craps table.
Craps Hard Ways
Hard ways are when dice rolls in doubles, i.e. 2 twos. Only 4, 6, 8, and 10 doubles are considered hard ways. The 2 and 12 aren’t hard ways because only the combinations 1+1 and 6+6 can produce them.
Hard ways bets are as follows:
| Hard Bets | Only Wins | Payout |
| Hard 4 | Before 7 or soft 4(1+3, 3+1) |
7 – 1
|
| Hard 6 | Before the 7 or soft 6(1+5, 5+1, 2+4, 4+2) |
9 – 1
|
| Hard 8 | Before the 7 or soft 8( 2+6, 6+2, 5+3, 3+5) |
9 – 1
|
| Hard 10 | Before the 7 or soft 10(4+6, 6+4) |
7 – 1
|
Craps One Roll Bets
| One Roll Bets | Description | Payout |
| Any Seven | Betting the shooter will throw a seven on the next roll | 4 – 1 |
| Two | Betting the shooter will throw a two on the next roll | 30 – 1 |
| Twelve | Betting the shooter will throw a 12 on the next roll | 30 – 1 |
| Horn Bet | This is a one-roll bet that the shooter will throw a 2, 3, 11, or 12 on the next roll | 15 – 5 (3 or 11), 30 – 4 (2 or 12) |
| Three | This is a one-roll bet that the shooter will throw a 3 on the next roll | 15:1 |
| Eleven | This is a one-roll bet that the shooter will throw an 11 on the next roll | 15:1 |
| Any Craps | This is a one-roll bet that the shooter will throw a 2, 3, or 12 on the next roll | 7:1 |
As you can see, the hardest part of how to play craps is probably learning the phrases and words. These technical terms (or, let’s face it, jargon) will come to you the more you play. You can read more about the Craps Odds Bet (the only bet with a zero house edge). Have a look through our best casino jackpot reviews to find the best sites to play your craps. Also check out our guides to win the jackpot. Come back to this how to play craps guide whenever you need a refresher or a knowledge boost.
