Craps

How to Play Craps

Craps is a very sociable game since it’s played with a lot of players at the same table. However, not everyone will be playing the same way. There will always be one person, known as the Shooter, rolling the dice. Everyone else will be betting on the outcome of the shooter’s roll. There are several different bets to place, and there’s a specific order they need to be in. But before we get into explaining the bets, let’s have a look at how the dice have to be rolled.

Rules of Craps – the Shooter

Players are assigned to turns at the shooter position according to where they’re sitting around the craps table. The player who is the designated shooter starts off by choosing two dice.

The two dice have to be thrown the full length of the table. According to the craps rules, this must be done using only one hand, and both of the dice must be thrown simultaneously. When playing online, this is just a video while the outcome is RNG-generated. Once the shooter throws the dice, and the throw is approved by the dealer, this part of the game is over.

Come Out Roll

Once it’s been decided which player will be the shooter, the other players can place their bets as well. The first thing a bet should be placed for is the Come Out roll, which is the dice throw that starts the game round. The bet will be either:

• Pass Line: the shooter rolls a 7 or 11
• Don’t Pass Line: wins on 2 or 3; a 12 pushes

If the shooter rolls a Natural, which is either a 7 or an 11, the players betting on Pass Line will win. If the shooter rolls a 2 or a 3, the players betting on Don’t Pass Line will win. If the shooter rolls a 12, the players betting on Don’t Pass Line will achieve a push, which means their bets will be returned to them.

Establishing a Point

Any result other than the Pass Line or Don’t Pass Line numbers on the Come Out roll will establish a Point. Now the shooter will have to get this same result again for the players betting on Pass Line to win. It’s the value of the point itself that matters and not the exact combination of the dice that make up the point.

However, if the shooter rolls a 7 before they roll the second point, this is called a Seven Out. The players who placed a bet on Don’t Pass Line will win. The shooter continues to roll the dice until they get either the point or a 7. Once this is achieved, the game round is over.

Other Bets

Pass and Don’t Pass are the two major bets players make when they play craps for real money, but there are also other possibilities.

• Come and Don't Come are bets you can place after the Point has been established.
• You can also bet on the shooter rolling a specific number.
• You can bet on a result of the dice throw, and bet on a specific combination of numbers. 

How to Win at Craps

This guide assumes standard craps with a 12 pushing on Don’t Pass. Pass wins about 49.29% of bets. Don’t Pass wins about 47.93%, with a further 2.78% pushing. Come and Don’t Come follow the corresponding line-bet rules. These are not 50/50 bets, and doubling after losses does not remove their house edge or ensure recovery.

Craps Odds

After a point is established, taking odds behind Pass or Come pays 2:1 on 4 or 10, 3:2 on 5 or 9, and 6:5 on 6 or 8. Laying odds behind Don’t Pass or Don’t Come pays 1:2, 2:3 and 5:6 respectively. The probability depends on the point: zero house edge on the odds portion comes from these matching payouts, not a universal 50% chance or 1:1 payout. The original line bet still has a house edge. See the rules and odds analysis.

Playing Craps Online

Craps is a very physical game since there needs to be a shooter who’s actually rolling the dice. And, no matter how advanced live casinos get, it’s simply impossible to toss a pair of dice through a screen. If you want to play a more genuine craps game online, a digital machine is your best bet. There won’t be anyone rolling the dice for you since these are fully digital dice where the result is determined by a random number generator. You can learn more about playing craps online in our in-depth guide.

There is, however, a new craps game available to be played at live casinos. The game provider Evolution has launched a game based on craps, where you get to bet and play as if you’re at a real land-based casino. You can, of course, not physically be the shooter, but other than that you’ll get a genuine feel for the game.