Craps basics: the dice and the table
Craps is a table game in which a player’s roll determines which wagers win or lose. The table layout organizes betting areas and gives the crew room to manage the dice and wagers. Learning the basic terminology makes it easier to follow who rolls, how a total is formed, and how the casino settles results. The basics begin with the dice, the people around the table, and the way players compete against the house.
The goal and the two dice
The goal in craps is to make a wager on the result of rolls made with two six-sided dice. Each die can land on any face from one through six, and the face values are added to produce a total from two through twelve. The dice do not make every total equally often: some totals can be formed by more combinations, so they occur more frequently across repeated rolls.
There are 36 possible combinations when the two dice are considered, including distinct results such as a one on the first die and a six on the second, and the reverse. A total of seven has six combinations, or 16.67% of all combinations. Totals of six and eight each have five combinations, or 13.89%. Totals of five and nine each have four combinations, or 11.11%; totals of four and ten each have three, or 8.33%; and totals of three and eleven each have two, or 5.56%. The least frequent totals are two and twelve, each possible in one combination, or 2.78%.
These counts explain why a total’s frequency differs from the number of faces shown on either die: the total depends on the pair. For example, seven can be made with several different pairs, while two requires both dice to show one. The total determines the result of a wager according to the rules applying at that stage of the game, so recognizing the sum is the first step in following play.
The crew and the shooter
A standard table crew has a stickman, a boxman, and two dealers. Each has a distinct job in keeping the game moving and tracking wagers; the shooter is a player, not a member of the crew.
- The stickman stands along the table’s long side, handles the stick used to move the dice, calls the results, and returns the dice to the shooter.
- The boxman sits at the center of the table, oversees the game’s action, and keeps watch over the chips and wagers handled by the crew.
- One dealer works on one side of the table, placing and collecting wagers in that area and paying winning bets according to the result.
- The other dealer works on the opposite side, managing wagers there and helping keep bets and payouts organized as the dice move around the table.
The shooter is the player who rolls the dice. A player may volunteer to shoot, and the turn moves among players as the game continues. Before throwing, the shooter must place a wager on either the pass line or the don’t pass line; the shooter cannot roll without making one of these required bets.
The shooter must send both dice so they hit the far wall of the table. This gives the roll a clear, valid landing area rather than allowing the dice to stop short. Players can follow the crew’s calls and the dice’s final resting places to understand which result has been recorded.
Betting against the casino, not other players
Craps players wager against the casino, also called the house, rather than against one another. When a bet wins, the house pays it; another player’s loss does not fund the payout. After a seven-out, the dice pass to the next player clockwise, who takes over as shooter.
A beginner only needs to learn one bet to take part. The don’t pass line has a lower house edge, 1.36%, than the pass line, 1.41%, so learning either option is enough to begin following the action and placing a permitted wager.
A round of craps: come-out roll and point
A round of craps moves through two phases: the come-out roll and, when established, the point phase. The first total determines whether pass line and don’t pass bets win, lose, or remain unresolved. A total of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 starts the point phase rather than settling those line bets. The dealer marks that phase with the puck turned to ON, giving the table a visible reference for the point. Knowing which phase is active makes each roll easier to interpret.
The come-out roll
The come-out roll is the first roll of a round, taken before any point has been established. Its total settles some line bets immediately; other totals either push the don’t pass bet or begin the point phase. The results below apply to pass line and don’t pass bets on this first roll.
Establishing the point
When the come-out total is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the point. For example, a come-out total of 8 establishes 8 as the point; a total of 5 establishes 5. The point is the specific total that must appear again for the pass line bet to win, so it is not interchangeable with another number in the same range.
After the point is established, the dealer turns the puck to ON and places it by the point number on the Craps table layout. The ON side signals that the table is in the point phase, rather than waiting for a come-out result. This marker lets players and the crew identify which number currently controls the line bets.
The shooter continues rolling, but only the point number and 7 settle pass and don’t pass bets during this phase. If the point appears again first, the pass line wins and the don’t pass loses. If 7 appears first, the pass line loses and the don’t pass wins. Other totals do not resolve these line bets, and the puck remains ON while the round continues. This distinction keeps the point phase simple to follow: compare each roll with the marked point and with 7.
Seven-out and the new shooter
A seven-out occurs when a 7 appears after the point has been established but before the point number repeats. The pass line loses, the don’t pass wins, and the round ends. The shooter has not made a point by rolling a 7 in this phase; the decisive condition is that 7 arrived before the marked point.
After a seven-out, the next round begins with a new come-out roll, and a new shooter takes the dice. The line-bet sequence has a fixed pass-line win frequency: the pass line wins 244 times in 495 rounds, or 49.29%. That figure describes the frequency of pass-line wins across rounds, not a guarantee about the outcome of any particular shooter’s rolls.
The first bets to learn
The first wagers to learn are the pass line and don’t pass, followed by odds and the related come bets. Each has a defined role depending on whether a wager is made on the come-out roll or after a point exists. The standard line bets pay even money, while their come-out results differ. Odds add a separate wager with payouts tied to the point number. Learning these choices in sequence makes it easier to compare Craps bets and follow a table’s action.
Pass line and don’t pass
The pass line and don’t pass are opposing wagers with different results on the come-out roll. A pass line bet wins if the roll is 7 or 11 and loses on 2, 3, or 12. A don’t pass bet wins on 2 or 3, loses on 7 or 11, and pushes on 12 under the bar 12 rule. Both pay 1:1 when they win.
After a point has been established, the pass line wins if that point is rolled again before a 7; it loses if 7 appears first. The don’t pass reverses that sequence: it wins if 7 appears before the point and loses if the point is rolled first. The comparison below covers the main results and standard house edges.
| Criterion | Pass line | Don’t pass |
|---|---|---|
| Come-out wins | 7 or 11 | 2 or 3 |
| Come-out losses | 2, 3, or 12 | 7 or 11 |
| Come-out push | None | 12, under the bar 12 rule |
| After a point | Wins on the point before 7 | Wins on 7 before the point |
| Win payout | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| House edge | 1.41% | 1.36% |
The table shows why the two wagers are not simply the same bet with opposite names: their come-out outcomes and treatment of 12 differ. The listed house edges apply to the respective line bets; they are separate from any odds wager added later.
For a first comparison, follow each wager through both stages: check its listed come-out result, then note whether the point or a 7 decides the bet. The don’t pass house edge is 1.36%, compared with 1.41% for pass line, but the choice also determines which outcomes make the bet win or lose. These are fixed rules, not a prediction about the next roll.
The odds bet
An odds bet is an additional wager made behind a pass line or don’t pass bet after a point exists. It does not replace the original line bet: the line wager remains in action, while the odds portion is settled according to whether the point or 7 occurs first. The specific odds payout depends on the point number, because the possible dice combinations differ by number.
For a pass line odds bet, the point must repeat before a 7 for the wager to win. The payout is true odds: 2:1 on a point of 4 or 10, 3:2 on 5 or 9, and 6:5 on 6 or 8. These ratios describe the amount won relative to the odds stake; the original line bet is settled separately. A don’t pass odds bet is placed on the other side of the same decision, with the payout determined by the point number and the bet winning when 7 arrives before the point.
The odds bet itself has a 0% house edge because its payout matches the probability of the event it covers. That does not remove the house edge on the underlying pass line or don’t pass bet. Keeping the two wagers distinct on the layout helps make clear which stake receives the line-bet result and which receives the true-odds payout.
Casinos set a maximum amount for odds, commonly described as a multiple of the line bet. One example is a 3-4-5x limit: up to 3x the line bet on 4 or 10, 4x on 5 or 9, and 5x on 6 or 8. The limit controls the size of the additional wager, not its payout ratio. Check the table’s posted odds limit before placing a stake, since the permitted multiple is set by the casino.
When comparing the options, separate three details: the point number, the true-odds payout attached to it, and the table’s maximum odds amount. For example, a 6 or 8 uses a 6:5 payout under the stated 3-4-5x example, with the odds stake capped at five times the line bet. The line wager and odds wager remain separate parts of the same betting position.
Come and don’t come
A come bet functions like a pass line bet placed after a point already exists; a don’t come bet functions like don’t pass. Each begins with its own come-out-style decision, then its result is tied to a number established for that wager. Learn them after the basic line bets so the similar names do not blur their timing.
- Learn pass line and don’t pass first, including their different come-out results and the don’t pass push on 12.
- Practice identifying the point and following the line bet until it is decided before adding another wager.
- Learn odds next, keeping the additional stake separate from the line bet and matching its payout to the point.
- Add come and don’t come last, tracking each new wager on its own rather than confusing it with the original line bet.
This order builds from the two basic line choices to their additional odds wager, then to bets that repeat those patterns after a point exists.
Common questions about craps
These answers clarify a few common points about learning and understanding craps.
Is craps hard to learn?
The basic Craps rules are straightforward to learn: a beginner can focus on how a round begins, how the come-out roll establishes a point, and how the pass line relates to the round’s outcome. Those steps provide a workable foundation before learning less familiar wagers or table procedures. Knowing the sequence also makes it easier to follow what the shooter and crew are doing without trying to memorize every option at once.
What is the best bet in craps?
The lowest house-edge options are the odds bet at 0% on the odds portion, don’t pass at 1.36%, and pass line at 1.41%. The odds bet can only be made alongside a line bet, and that underlying wager retains its own house edge. Don’t pass has a slightly lower edge than pass line, while the odds portion itself carries no house edge; these figures describe mathematical expectations, not guaranteed results for an individual session.
How many dice are used in craps?
Craps uses two dice, rolled together. The pair can produce 36 possible combinations, representing every possible pairing of the dice faces. A roll is commonly described by the combined total, but the individual combination is also part of the roll’s result. This is the basic reason the game’s outcomes are tracked as combinations rather than as a single die result.
Can you learn craps without risking money?
Yes, you can learn craps without risking money by studying a craps table layout and using a free practice game. Practice can help you recognize where wagers are placed and follow how a round unfolds, but a free game does not change the odds in real games. Players must be of legal gambling age: 21 at most US commercial casinos and 18 at some tribal casinos, so check local law. Gambling is risky and can result in financial loss.