How to play Craps:

In Las Vegas casinos, it is invariably the craps players who make the most noise. They would often cheer, shout, and laugh boisterously, as if they were at a major party or celebration. This comes as no surprise, as craps is indeed one of the most exciting and entertaining games you can play in a casino. 

At first glance, craps looks daunting. There are numerous bets that you can make, and some of the terminology sounds rather complicated. This is probably why the popularity of craps has waned over recent years. But the effort it takes to learn the game is worth it, considering all the excitement you can have once you understand the basic concepts.  

The Dice

The game of craps revolves around rolling a pair of dice. The person who rolls the dice is referred to as the shooter. The shooter is always one of the players, and each player is given a chance to be the shooter if they stay at a table long enough. 

Since the game uses two dice, a shooter can roll any number between 2 and 12. Statistically, certain numbers are more likely to come up than others. For example, there are 6 different ways to roll a 7, giving it a roughly 16.6% chance of coming up on any given roll. On the other hand, there is only one way to roll a 2 or a 12, and the chance of rolling either is less than 3%.  

The following chart gives you an idea of which numbers occur most frequently. There are 36 possible outcomes for each roll.

Since 7 is the most frequently rolled number, much of the game revolves around rolling this number. 

The Layout

Following is a typical craps table layout:

The layout above is actually only half of a full craps layout.  If you play craps at a live casino, the left portion of the layout is duplicated on the right, allowing more players to gather around the table and place bets.

The Rules

The shooter rolls the dice to begin play. This initial roll is called the come-out roll, and a shooter must continue making come-out rolls until something other than a 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12 shows up. When this happens, the number rolled is called the point. So, if a shooter rolls a 2, 7, and then an 8, the 8 becomes the point. 

Next, the shooter continues to roll the dice until the point repeats itself, or until a 7 is rolled. When either of these things happen, that particular round of play ends, and the shooter makes a new come-out roll.

The game is tracked using a plastic puck. The puck is black on one side, and white on the other.  If the puck is turned black side up, it simply means that the shooter is making a come-out roll.  After the shooter makes a point, the puck is flipped over, with the white side up, and placed in a box that corresponds to the point.

Basic Betting - Pass Line and Don't Pass    

Prior to the come-out roll, players can make one of two bets, by placing chips on either the pass line or the don't pass bar. You are not required to make this bet, but almost everybody does. By far, the more popular bet to make is the pass line bet. However, both pass line and don't pass bets give you about the same odds. 

The pass line bettor is betting with the dice, and is often called the right bettor. The don't pass bettor is betting against the dice, and is called the wrong bettor. The difference between the two bets is described below.

The Pass Line Bet

When you bet on the pass line, one of the following will occur:

• The next roll will be a 7 or 11, in which case you immediately win even money (1:1).

• The next roll will be a 2, 3, or 12, in which case you lose. 

• Any other number becomes the point. If the shooter repeats the point on a subsequent roll, you win and receive even money. If a seven shows up before the point repeats itself, you lose the bet. 

The Don't Pass Bet

When you bet on the don't pass bar, one of the following will occur:

• The next roll will be a 2 or 3, in which case you immediately win even money.

• The next roll will be a 7 or 11, in which case you lose.

• If the shooter rolls a 12, you push, neither winning nor losing

• Any other number becomes the point. The don't pass bet wins even money if the shooter rolls a seven before repeating the point. The bet loses if the point repeats itself first.

Basically, the pass and don't pass bets are opposites of each other. 

Odds Bets

Once the shooter makes a point, you can place another bet called an odds bet, or free odds bet. An odds bet is an additional bet that compliments your pass or don't pass wager. Odds bets are the best bets you can make in a casino because the house will pay you true odds. This means the house has absolutely no edge on these bets. 

In a real casino, you would make a pass line odds bet by placing chips behind your original pass line bet. If you are a don't pass bettor, you can make a don't pass odds bet by placing chips on top but a little to the side of your original bet.

The odds bet will pay off if you win your original bet. So if your original bet was a pass line bet, and you make an additional odds bet, both bets win if the shooter repeats the point. If your original bet was a don't pass bet, and you bet odds, both bets win when a seven comes up before the point.

While your original pass or don't pass bets only pay you even money when you win, the odds bet will pay whatever the true odds are for the bet you are making. For example, if you are a pass line bettor, and the point is 4, you will receive a 2:1 payment on your odds bet. The amount you win depends on what the point is, and how difficult it is to repeat that point.

Generally, right bettors can bet up to twice their original bet on a pass line odds bet.  For wrong bettors, the amount you can bet on the odds bets depends on the value of the point. By all means, you should bet the maximum possible on odds bets because they are the most favorable bets you can possibly make in a casino.

The following chart will give you an idea of what the odds bets pay:

Now you know the basic bets that you can make in craps. But there are plenty of other bets you can make. 

Come/Don't Come Bets

These bets are very similar to the pass/don't pass bets, except for the time at which they are made. As you may recall, pass/don't pass bets are made BEFORE the come-out roll. Come and don't come bets are placed AFTER a come-out roll (i.e. after the shooter makes a point). That is the only real difference. In just about all other respects, a come bet is like a pass line bet, and a don't come bet is like a don't pass bet.

Come Bets

To make a come bet, you place chips in the large box labeled come, after the shooter has made a point. One of the following will occur:

• The next roll will be a 7 or 11, in which case you win even money.

• The next roll will be 2, 3, or 12, in which case you lose.

• Any other number will become the point for your come bet. Your chips are then moved into the numbered box that corresponds to your point. You win the bet if the point repeats before a seven. If a seven shows up first, you lose the bet.

Don't Come Bets

The don't come box is a lot smaller than the come box, reflecting the fact that the don't come bet is a lot less popular. You can make a don't come bet after the shooter makes a point, by placing chips in the small don't come box. One of the following will occur:

• The next roll will be a 2 or 3, in which case you win even money.

• The next roll will be a 7 or 11, in which case you lose.

• If a 12 comes up, you push, neither winning nor losing.

• Any other number becomes the point for your don't come bet, and your chips are placed in the box above the number of your point. If a seven occurs before the point repeats, you win even money. Otherwise, you lose the bet.

Betting Odds on Come/Don't Come Bets

You may place odds bets on your come and don't come bets, and doing so is definitely to your advantage. Odds bets on come/don't come wagers work the same way as odds bets made on pass/don't pass wagers. You receive true odds if you win.   

There is, however, one small difference. For a come wager, free odds are off, or not working during the come-out roll. So, if you have an odds bet on a come wager with 5 as the point, and the shooter shoots a come out roll of 5, you would only be paid on your original come bet, but not on your additional odds bet. On the other hand, if the shooter rolls a 7 on a come-out roll while you have a bet on a come wager with odds, you would lose only your come bet, and the odds bet will be returned to you.

Odds bets made on don't come wagers are always working, even during the come-out roll. If you have an odds bet on a don't come wager, and the shooter rolls a 7 on the come-out, you win both the don't come bet and the odds bet. 

Place Bets

Place bets are very straightforward. They are simple bets made on one of the following numbers: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. You can make these bets by placing chips in the small box underneath these numbers on the layout. You are allowed to make place bets at any time, and you win if the shooter rolls your number before a seven. 

Place bets have the following payoffs:

Buy Bets

A buy bet is the same as a place bet in all respects except for the payoff. You pay a 5% commission on a buy bet upfront, but in return, the house pays you true odds if you win. This means you get the following payoffs:

Lay Bets

A lay bet is a bet made on a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. It is a bet against the dice, which means you win if a seven comes up before the number you selected. The house pays you true odds if you win a lay bet, however, you must pay a 5% commission when you first make the bet. The payoffs are as follows:

Field Bets

To make a field bet, place chips in the box below, which is located between the come bar and the pass line.

The next roll of the dice will determine the outcome of the bet. If the shooter rolls a 2 or 12, you typically get paid 2 to 1. If a 3, 4, 9, 10, or 11 comes up, you get paid even money. If any other number shows up, you lose the bet.

The Big Six or Big Eight

Place chips in the box marked big 6 or big 8, and you will win even money if the number you select comes up before a 7.  

Proposition Bets

There are several different proposition bets you can make:

Seven - You win this bet if a seven comes up on the next roll. It pays 4 to 1.
Hardways - These are bets that a certain number, either a 4, 6, 8, or 10, will come up in the exact way they are shown on the layout (i.e. 2/2, 3/3, 4/4, or 5/5). If these numbers come up any other way, the hardway bet loses. In other words, the number you choose must be rolled the hard way before the easy way. An example of a hard way would be rolling a 6 with a 3 and a 3. An example of an easy way would be rolling a 6 with a 1 and a 5, or a 2 and a 4. The payoffs on hardway bets depend on the number you select. In general, the payoffs are very high, but don't be fooled. The odds are very much against you on hardway bets.
2, 3, 11, and 12 - There are separate boxes that show dice adding up to each of these numbers. Place chips in the box for the number you want to bet on. These bets pay off at various odds if the number you choose comes up on the next roll of the dice.
Any craps - A craps is either a 2, 3, or 12. So, by placing chips in the any craps box, you win if one of these numbers comes up on the next roll. This bet pays 7 to 1.

Final Tips and Remarks

Bear in mind that there may be slight variations in payouts depending on where you play. 

By far, the best way to play craps is to stick to the pass/don't pass and come/don't come bets. You should definitely make odds bets to follow up on both types of wagers. 

Place bets made on 6 or 8 also give you relatively favorable odds. 

Most other bets tend to give the house a big advantage, so it's best to avoid them altogether.

In the end, you should play however you like, and make the bets you feel most comfortable with. Craps is a fast, exciting game, and you will no doubt spend many great hours playing it. Good Luck!