Craps is one of the
most difficult and
intimidating casino
games. It's not
anything like Blackjack
or Texas Hold em. The
casino covers all player
bets at a table and its
payout. Players take
turns rolling player
rolling the dice is called
the "shooter." The
game is played in
rounds, with the first
roll of a new round
called the "come-out
roll."
most difficult and
intimidating casino
games. It's not
anything like Blackjack
or Texas Hold em. The
casino covers all player
bets at a table and its
payout. Players take
turns rolling player
rolling the dice is called
the "shooter." The
game is played in
rounds, with the first
roll of a new round
called the "come-out
roll."
Craps Rules Blackjack Rules Keno Rules Let it Ride Rules Pai Gow Rules Roulette Rules
If a 7 or 11 is rolled on the come out roll the Pass Line bet wins even money. Opposite to that, if a 2 or 3 is
rolled the Pass Line bet loses and the Don't Pass Line wins even money. If a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled on the
come-out roll, this number becomes what is called the "point." If a point is again. If the shooter rolls the point
again, the shooter wins his pass line bet, the round ends and the game (this is called a "seven-out"), the
shooter loses his pass line bet, the round ends, and the dice pass to the next player to the left, who becomes
the new shooter.
Players can make any of a large number of bets. Most of these are betting on the way the round will end (point
comes or a seven out). Other betting can include betting on a specific total being rolled, or a specific total being
rolled before a 7. In a casino players will make bets with chips on a specially made craps table.
A casino craps table is run by four casino employees: a boxman who guards the chips, supervises the dealers
and handles coloring out players; two base dealers who stand to either side of the boxman and collect and pay
bets; and a stickman who stands directly across the table from the boxman and announces the results of each
roll and then collects the dice with an elongated wooden stick. He is also in charge of managing the bets made
on the center of the table (hardways, yo, horn, etc).
A new shooter, who must bet the table minimum on either the "pass" line or the "don't pass" line to play, is
presented five dice by the stickman and picks two.
The dealers will usually insist that the shooter roll with one hand and that the dice bounce off the wall
surrounding the table. These requirements are meant to prevent cheating attempts by players switching the dice
or making a "controlled shot." If a die leaves the table, the shooter will usually be asked to select another die
from the remaining three but can request using the same die if it passes the boxman's inspection. regulation dice.
Types of wagers
Standard layout for craps (without Big 6/8)
Player bets
Fire Bet: Before the shooter begins, some casinos will allow a bet known as a fire bet to be placed. A fire bet is a
bet for between 1-5 dollars (the Rio in Las Vegas allows up to $10) in the hopes that the next shooter will have
a hot streak of setting and getting many points of different values. As different individual points are made by the
shooter, they will be marked on the craps layout with a fire symbol. The first three points will not pay out on the
fire bet, but the fourth, fifth and sixth will pay out at increasing odds. The fourth point pays at 25-1 (a maximum
of $125 for a $5 bet), the fifth point pays at 250-1 (a maximum of $1,250 for a $5 bet) and the 6th point pays at
1,000-1 (a maximum of $5,000 for a $5 bet). Note that the points must all be different numbers for them to count
towards the fire bet. A shooter who successfully hits a point of 10 twice will only garner credit for the first one on
the fire bet.
Line bets
The shooter is required to make either a Pass Line bet or a Don't Pass bet if he wants to shoot. Line bets are
based around points.
Pass line: The fundamental bet in craps is the pass line bet, also called the win line in some countries. A pass line
bet is won if the come-out roll is a 7 or 11. If the come-out roll is 2, 3 or 12, the bet loses. If instead the come-out
roll establishes a point, and that point is rolled again, the bet wins. If a point is established and a 7 is rolled
before the point is re-rolled, the bet loses.
Don't pass: The opposite of the pass line bet is the don't pass bet. The don't pass bet is opposite in that it loses
if the come-out roll is 7 or 11 and wins if the come-out roll is 2 or 3. A 12 will draw (this depends on the casino);
either way a player cannot lose if 12 is rolled. A draw (the word "BAR," printed on the Craps layout, means
"Standoff") on 12 is done to ensure the casino maintains a house edge regardless of whether players are
betting pass or don't pass. If a point is established and that point is rolled again, the don't pass bet loses. If a 7
is rolled instead of the point being re-rolled, the don't pass bet wins. There are two very slightly different ways to
calculate the odds and house edge of this bet.[3] The table below gives the numbers considering that the game
ends in a push when a 12 is rolled, rather than being undetermined. Betting on don't pass is often called "playing
the dark side," and it is considered by some players to be in poor taste, or even taboo, because it goes directly
against conventional play.
Pass odds: If a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is thrown on the come-out roll (i.e., if a point is set), most casinos allow pass
line bettors to take odds by placing from one to five times (and at some casinos, up to 100 times) the pass line
bet behind the pass line. This additional bet wins if the point is rolled again before a 7 is rolled (the point is
made) and pays at the true odds of 2-to-1 if 4 or 10 is the point, 3-to-2 if 5 or 9 is the point, and 6-to-5 if 6 or 8
is the point.
Some casinos offer "3-4-5X Odds," where the maximum allowed odds bet depends on the point (three times if
the point is 4 or 10, four times on 5 or 9, and five times on 6 or 8). This rule simplifies the calculation of winnings:
a maximum pass odds bet on a 3-4-5X table will always be paid at six times the pass line bet regardless of the
point.
Don't pass odds: If a player is playing don't pass instead of pass, they may also lay odds by placing chips behind
the don't pass line. If a 7 comes instead of the point coming, the odds pay at true odds of 1-to-2 if 4 or 10 is the
point, 2-to-3 if 5 or 9 is the point, 5-to-6 if 6 or 8 is the point. For most players the perceived disadvantage of
putting up the long side of the bet makes the don't pass odds less desirable, however putting up the long side
reduces variance.
Casino Craps Casino Craps Rules How to play Blackjack Spanish 21 Rules Texas Hold em Rules
Come bet: The rules for the come wagers in this casino game are the same as for the pass line except that they
can only be made after the come-out roll. If the roll the come bet is made on is a 7 or 11 it wins, if it is a 2, 3 or
12 it loses, just like a pass bet. If instead the roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 then the come bet will be moved by the base
dealer onto a box representing that number. If the number is rolled again before a seven, the bet wins. If the
seven comes before the number (the come-bet), the bet loses. Odds can also be placed on a come-bet just like a
normal pass point; in this case the dealer (not the player) places the odds bet on top of the bet in the box,
because of limited space, slightly offset to signify that it is an odds bet and not part of the original come bet.
Because of the come bet, if the shooter makes their point, a player can find themselves in the situation where
they have a come bet (possibly with odds on it) and the next roll is a come-out roll. In this situation odds bets on
the come wagers are presumed to be not working for the come-out roll. That means that if the shooter rolls a 7
on the come-out roll, any players with active come bets waiting for a come-point lose their initial wager but will
have their odds money returned to them. If the come-point is rolled the odds do not win but the come bet does
and the odds are returned. The player can tell the dealer that they want their odds working, such that if the
shooter rolls a number that matches the come point, the odds bet will win along with the come bet, and if a
seven is rolled both lose.
Don't come: There is also a don't come box which is the opposite of a come bet in that the player is betting that
craps will come on the next roll instead of 7 or 11, or that if a come point is made, that value won't be rolled
again before a 7. It pays just as don't pass and also has odds in the same way.
Single Roll bets have a result in a single shooter roll. They include:
2 (snake eyes, or Aces): Wins if shooter rolls a 2.
3 (ace-deuce): Wins if the shooter rolls a 3.
Yo: Wins if the shooter rolls 11.
12 (boxcars, or midnight): Wins if shooter rolls a 12.
2 or 12 (hi-lo): Wins if shooter rolls a 2 or 12. The stickman places this bet on the line dividing the 2 and 12 bets.
Craps: Wins if the shooter rolls 2, 3 or 12.
C & E: A combined bet, a player is betting half their bet on craps and the other half on yo (11). One of the two
bets will always lose, the other may win.
Any seven: Wins if the shooter rolls a 7. This bet is also nicknamed Big Red, since the 7 on its betting space on
the layout is usually large and red.
Field: This bet is a wager that one of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 will appear on the next roll of the dice.
This bet typically pays more 2:1 or 3:1 if 2 or 12 is rolled, and 1:1 if 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11 is rolled. Unlike the other
proposition bets which are handled by the dealers or stickman, the field bet is placed directly by the player.
The Horn: This is a bet that involves betting on 1 unit each for 2, 3, 11 and 12 at the same time for the next roll.
The bet is actually four separate bets, and pays off depending on which number is actually rolled, minus three
units for the other three losing bets. Many players, in order to eliminate the confusion of tossing four chips to the
center of the table or having change made while bets are being placed, will make a five-unit Horn High bet, which
is a four-way bet with the extra unit going to one specific number. For example, if you toss a $5 chip into the
center and say "horn high yo," you are placing four $1 bets on each of the horn numbers and the extra dollar will
go on the yo (11).
Whirl or World: bet is a five-unit bet that is a combination of a horn and any-seven bet, with the idea that if a
seven is rolled the bet is a push, because the money won on the seven is lost on the horn portions of the bet.
These are bets that may not be settled on the first roll and may need any number of subsequent rolls before an
outcome is determined.
Hard way: You may bet that the shooter will throw a specific hard way (either 4, 6, 8 or 10), before he throws a
seven or the corresponding easy way. A hard way is when both dice show identical values, also known as
"doubles," so 2 2 is hard way 4.
Easy way: Opposite of hard way is a bet that the shooter will throw a specific easy way (either 4, 6, 8 or 10),
before he throws a seven. An easy way is a value that does not have two dice identical, so 3 1 is easy way 4.
Big 6 and Big 8: These wagers are usually avoided by experienced craps players since they pay even money
while a player can bet on the same proposition (that the number will be rolled before a 7) by making place/buy
bets on the 6 or the 8, which pay more money. Some casinos do not even offer the Big 6 & 8. The bets are
located in the corners behind the pass line, and bets may be placed directly by players.
Craps Rules Three Card Poker Rules Craps Odds Four Card Poker Rules Keno Rules
Place and buy: Players can buy or place certain individual numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) by placing their wager in the
come area and telling the dealer, "place the 6" or "buy the 8". Both place and buy bets are bets that the number
bet on will be rolled before a 7 is rolled. Place bets are paid at odds worse than the true odds, while buy bets
are paid at true odds, but a 5% commission is charged. Traditionally, the buy bet commission is paid no matter
what, but in recent years a number of casinos have changed their policy to charge the commission only when the
buy bet wins. Most casinos usually charge only $1 for a $25 green-chip bet (4% commission), or $2 for $50 (two
green chips), reducing the house advantage a bit more. Where commission is charged only on wins, the
commission is sometimes deducted from the winning payoff--a winning $25 buy bet on the 10 would pay $49, for
instance. The house edges stated in the table assume the commission is charged on all bets. They are reduced
by at least a factor of two if commission is charged on winning bets only.
Lay: A lay bet is the opposite of a buy/place bet, where a player bets on a 7 to roll before the number that is laid.
The lay bets pay true odds, but a 5% commission is charged. In some casinos the commission is only charged if
the bet wins. Like the buy bet the commission is adjusted to suit the betting unit such that fraction of a dollar
payouts are not needed.
Most multi-roll bets are similar to the Come bet above in that the round may be won by the shooter making point
before the outcome of the bet is decided. As with the Come bet, these bets are considered "not working" until
the next point is established, unless the player calls the bet as "working." Casino rules vary on this; some of
these bets may not be callable, while others may be considered "working" during the come-out.
If a 7 or 11 is rolled on the come out roll the Pass Line bet wins even money. Opposite to that, if a 2 or 3 is
rolled the Pass Line bet loses and the Don't Pass Line wins even money. If a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled on the
come-out roll, this number becomes what is called the "point." If a point is again. If the shooter rolls the point
again, the shooter wins his pass line bet, the round ends and the game (this is called a "seven-out"), the
shooter loses his pass line bet, the round ends, and the dice pass to the next player to the left, who becomes
the new shooter.
Players can make any of a large number of bets. Most of these are betting on the way the round will end (point
comes or a seven out). Other betting can include betting on a specific total being rolled, or a specific total being
rolled before a 7. In a casino players will make bets with chips on a specially made craps table.
A casino craps table is run by four casino employees: a boxman who guards the chips, supervises the dealers
and handles coloring out players; two base dealers who stand to either side of the boxman and collect and pay
bets; and a stickman who stands directly across the table from the boxman and announces the results of each
roll and then collects the dice with an elongated wooden stick. He is also in charge of managing the bets made
on the center of the table (hardways, yo, horn, etc).
A new shooter, who must bet the table minimum on either the "pass" line or the "don't pass" line to play, is
presented five dice by the stickman and picks two.
The dealers will usually insist that the shooter roll with one hand and that the dice bounce off the wall
surrounding the table. These requirements are meant to prevent cheating attempts by players switching the dice
or making a "controlled shot." If a die leaves the table, the shooter will usually be asked to select another die
from the remaining three but can request using the same die if it passes the boxman's inspection. regulation dice.
Types of wagers
Standard layout for craps (without Big 6/8)
Player bets
Fire Bet: Before the shooter begins, some casinos will allow a bet known as a fire bet to be placed. A fire bet is a
bet for between 1-5 dollars (the Rio in Las Vegas allows up to $10) in the hopes that the next shooter will have
a hot streak of setting and getting many points of different values. As different individual points are made by the
shooter, they will be marked on the craps layout with a fire symbol. The first three points will not pay out on the
fire bet, but the fourth, fifth and sixth will pay out at increasing odds. The fourth point pays at 25-1 (a maximum
of $125 for a $5 bet), the fifth point pays at 250-1 (a maximum of $1,250 for a $5 bet) and the 6th point pays at
1,000-1 (a maximum of $5,000 for a $5 bet). Note that the points must all be different numbers for them to count
towards the fire bet. A shooter who successfully hits a point of 10 twice will only garner credit for the first one on
the fire bet.
Line bets
The shooter is required to make either a Pass Line bet or a Don't Pass bet if he wants to shoot. Line bets are
based around points.
Pass line: The fundamental bet in craps is the pass line bet, also called the win line in some countries. A pass line
bet is won if the come-out roll is a 7 or 11. If the come-out roll is 2, 3 or 12, the bet loses. If instead the come-out
roll establishes a point, and that point is rolled again, the bet wins. If a point is established and a 7 is rolled
before the point is re-rolled, the bet loses.
Don't pass: The opposite of the pass line bet is the don't pass bet. The don't pass bet is opposite in that it loses
if the come-out roll is 7 or 11 and wins if the come-out roll is 2 or 3. A 12 will draw (this depends on the casino);
either way a player cannot lose if 12 is rolled. A draw (the word "BAR," printed on the Craps layout, means
"Standoff") on 12 is done to ensure the casino maintains a house edge regardless of whether players are
betting pass or don't pass. If a point is established and that point is rolled again, the don't pass bet loses. If a 7
is rolled instead of the point being re-rolled, the don't pass bet wins. There are two very slightly different ways to
calculate the odds and house edge of this bet.[3] The table below gives the numbers considering that the game
ends in a push when a 12 is rolled, rather than being undetermined. Betting on don't pass is often called "playing
the dark side," and it is considered by some players to be in poor taste, or even taboo, because it goes directly
against conventional play.
Pass odds: If a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is thrown on the come-out roll (i.e., if a point is set), most casinos allow pass
line bettors to take odds by placing from one to five times (and at some casinos, up to 100 times) the pass line
bet behind the pass line. This additional bet wins if the point is rolled again before a 7 is rolled (the point is
made) and pays at the true odds of 2-to-1 if 4 or 10 is the point, 3-to-2 if 5 or 9 is the point, and 6-to-5 if 6 or 8
is the point.
Some casinos offer "3-4-5X Odds," where the maximum allowed odds bet depends on the point (three times if
the point is 4 or 10, four times on 5 or 9, and five times on 6 or 8). This rule simplifies the calculation of winnings:
a maximum pass odds bet on a 3-4-5X table will always be paid at six times the pass line bet regardless of the
point.
Don't pass odds: If a player is playing don't pass instead of pass, they may also lay odds by placing chips behind
the don't pass line. If a 7 comes instead of the point coming, the odds pay at true odds of 1-to-2 if 4 or 10 is the
point, 2-to-3 if 5 or 9 is the point, 5-to-6 if 6 or 8 is the point. For most players the perceived disadvantage of
putting up the long side of the bet makes the don't pass odds less desirable, however putting up the long side
reduces variance.
Casino Craps Casino Craps Rules How to play Blackjack Spanish 21 Rules Texas Hold em Rules
Come bet: The rules for the come wagers in this casino game are the same as for the pass line except that they
can only be made after the come-out roll. If the roll the come bet is made on is a 7 or 11 it wins, if it is a 2, 3 or
12 it loses, just like a pass bet. If instead the roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 then the come bet will be moved by the base
dealer onto a box representing that number. If the number is rolled again before a seven, the bet wins. If the
seven comes before the number (the come-bet), the bet loses. Odds can also be placed on a come-bet just like a
normal pass point; in this case the dealer (not the player) places the odds bet on top of the bet in the box,
because of limited space, slightly offset to signify that it is an odds bet and not part of the original come bet.
Because of the come bet, if the shooter makes their point, a player can find themselves in the situation where
they have a come bet (possibly with odds on it) and the next roll is a come-out roll. In this situation odds bets on
the come wagers are presumed to be not working for the come-out roll. That means that if the shooter rolls a 7
on the come-out roll, any players with active come bets waiting for a come-point lose their initial wager but will
have their odds money returned to them. If the come-point is rolled the odds do not win but the come bet does
and the odds are returned. The player can tell the dealer that they want their odds working, such that if the
shooter rolls a number that matches the come point, the odds bet will win along with the come bet, and if a
seven is rolled both lose.
Don't come: There is also a don't come box which is the opposite of a come bet in that the player is betting that
craps will come on the next roll instead of 7 or 11, or that if a come point is made, that value won't be rolled
again before a 7. It pays just as don't pass and also has odds in the same way.
Single Roll bets have a result in a single shooter roll. They include:
2 (snake eyes, or Aces): Wins if shooter rolls a 2.
3 (ace-deuce): Wins if the shooter rolls a 3.
Yo: Wins if the shooter rolls 11.
12 (boxcars, or midnight): Wins if shooter rolls a 12.
2 or 12 (hi-lo): Wins if shooter rolls a 2 or 12. The stickman places this bet on the line dividing the 2 and 12 bets.
Craps: Wins if the shooter rolls 2, 3 or 12.
C & E: A combined bet, a player is betting half their bet on craps and the other half on yo (11). One of the two
bets will always lose, the other may win.
Any seven: Wins if the shooter rolls a 7. This bet is also nicknamed Big Red, since the 7 on its betting space on
the layout is usually large and red.
Field: This bet is a wager that one of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 will appear on the next roll of the dice.
This bet typically pays more 2:1 or 3:1 if 2 or 12 is rolled, and 1:1 if 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11 is rolled. Unlike the other
proposition bets which are handled by the dealers or stickman, the field bet is placed directly by the player.
The Horn: This is a bet that involves betting on 1 unit each for 2, 3, 11 and 12 at the same time for the next roll.
The bet is actually four separate bets, and pays off depending on which number is actually rolled, minus three
units for the other three losing bets. Many players, in order to eliminate the confusion of tossing four chips to the
center of the table or having change made while bets are being placed, will make a five-unit Horn High bet, which
is a four-way bet with the extra unit going to one specific number. For example, if you toss a $5 chip into the
center and say "horn high yo," you are placing four $1 bets on each of the horn numbers and the extra dollar will
go on the yo (11).
Whirl or World: bet is a five-unit bet that is a combination of a horn and any-seven bet, with the idea that if a
seven is rolled the bet is a push, because the money won on the seven is lost on the horn portions of the bet.
These are bets that may not be settled on the first roll and may need any number of subsequent rolls before an
outcome is determined.
Hard way: You may bet that the shooter will throw a specific hard way (either 4, 6, 8 or 10), before he throws a
seven or the corresponding easy way. A hard way is when both dice show identical values, also known as
"doubles," so 2 2 is hard way 4.
Easy way: Opposite of hard way is a bet that the shooter will throw a specific easy way (either 4, 6, 8 or 10),
before he throws a seven. An easy way is a value that does not have two dice identical, so 3 1 is easy way 4.
Big 6 and Big 8: These wagers are usually avoided by experienced craps players since they pay even money
while a player can bet on the same proposition (that the number will be rolled before a 7) by making place/buy
bets on the 6 or the 8, which pay more money. Some casinos do not even offer the Big 6 & 8. The bets are
located in the corners behind the pass line, and bets may be placed directly by players.
Craps Rules Three Card Poker Rules Craps Odds Four Card Poker Rules Keno Rules
Place and buy: Players can buy or place certain individual numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) by placing their wager in the
come area and telling the dealer, "place the 6" or "buy the 8". Both place and buy bets are bets that the number
bet on will be rolled before a 7 is rolled. Place bets are paid at odds worse than the true odds, while buy bets
are paid at true odds, but a 5% commission is charged. Traditionally, the buy bet commission is paid no matter
what, but in recent years a number of casinos have changed their policy to charge the commission only when the
buy bet wins. Most casinos usually charge only $1 for a $25 green-chip bet (4% commission), or $2 for $50 (two
green chips), reducing the house advantage a bit more. Where commission is charged only on wins, the
commission is sometimes deducted from the winning payoff--a winning $25 buy bet on the 10 would pay $49, for
instance. The house edges stated in the table assume the commission is charged on all bets. They are reduced
by at least a factor of two if commission is charged on winning bets only.
Lay: A lay bet is the opposite of a buy/place bet, where a player bets on a 7 to roll before the number that is laid.
The lay bets pay true odds, but a 5% commission is charged. In some casinos the commission is only charged if
the bet wins. Like the buy bet the commission is adjusted to suit the betting unit such that fraction of a dollar
payouts are not needed.
Most multi-roll bets are similar to the Come bet above in that the round may be won by the shooter making point
before the outcome of the bet is decided. As with the Come bet, these bets are considered "not working" until
the next point is established, unless the player calls the bet as "working." Casino rules vary on this; some of
these bets may not be callable, while others may be considered "working" during the come-out.
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