Craps has a reputation as the loudest table in any casino, yet the craps rules themselves are short and the maths behind them is very predictable. Two dice are thrown, the total decides which bets win or lose, and a round ends either when the shooter repeats a target number or when a 7 lands. Once you understand that rhythm, the crowded layout stops looking intimidating and starts to look like a menu of bets with clearly different prices.
Below, each part of the game is explained in the order you meet it at a real or online table: the objective, the dice probabilities, the come-out roll, the main bets, the side and proposition wagers, and finally how payouts and house edge compare. If you are new to table games in general, our beginner’s guide covers bankroll basics and table etiquette before you start.
Craps rules: the objective of the game
The objective of craps is to predict correctly what the next roll, or series of rolls, of two six-sided dice will produce. Unlike card games, you are not trying to build a hand or beat a dealer’s total. Every player at the table bets on the same throw, made by one player called the shooter, and the bets you choose decide what counts as a win for you.
Most bets fall into two groups. Line bets, such as the pass line, follow the full cycle of a round and can take several rolls to resolve. Single-roll bets, such as Any Seven, are settled by the very next throw. Knowing which group a bet belongs to is the first step towards understanding how to play craps without losing track of your chips.
The shooter role rotates around the table at land-based venues. Online, the software or the live studio handles the throw, so you only need to focus on placing chips and following the result.
Dice totals and their probabilities
Two dice create 36 equally likely combinations, and 7 is the most frequent total because six of those combinations produce it. Every rule and payout in craps grows out of this distribution, so it is worth learning before you place a single chip.
The totals 6 and 8 can each be made five ways, 5 and 9 four ways, 4 and 10 three ways, and 3 and 11 two ways, while 2 and 12 have only one combination each. The table shows how often each total appears on a single roll and the true odds against it.
| Total | Ways to roll | Probability per roll | True odds against |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 2.78% | 35:1 |
| 3 | 2 | 5.56% | 17:1 |
| 4 | 3 | 8.33% | 11:1 |
| 5 | 4 | 11.11% | 8:1 |
| 6 | 5 | 13.89% | 31:5 |
| 7 | 6 | 16.67% | 5:1 |
| 8 | 5 | 13.89% | 31:5 |
| 9 | 4 | 11.11% | 8:1 |
| 10 | 3 | 8.33% | 11:1 |
| 11 | 2 | 5.56% | 17:1 |
| 12 | 1 | 2.78% | 35:1 |
The middle of the chart explains the whole game. Because 7 is the most likely roll, it is the number that ends rounds and decides most multi-roll bets. The rarer the total, the higher the payout a bet on it offers, but casinos pay slightly less than the true odds on everything except one wager, which is covered further down.
How to play craps: one round step by step
A round of craps starts with the come-out roll and finishes when the shooter either makes the point or rolls a 7. The sequence below follows a single round from the moment you join a table.
1. Fund your balance and pick a table
Before you bet, make sure your casino account has funds. Use a payment method you trust, and check our overview of deposits and withdrawals if you want to compare processing times. Each table shows a minimum and maximum stake, and these limits vary between casinos and between tables in the same lobby.
2. Place a line bet before the come-out roll
Put your chips on the pass line if you are betting with the shooter, or on don’t pass if you are betting against them. Set a budget before you begin and stick to it, because the dice move quickly and rounds can stack up fast.
3. Watch the come-out roll
The come-out roll is the first throw of a new round. Its result can settle line bets immediately or set a point, as explained in the next section.
4. Follow the point
If a point is set, a marker called the puck flips to ON and sits on that number. The shooter keeps rolling until the point appears again or a 7 lands. Other totals in between do not affect the pass line, although they can settle other bets on the layout.
5. Add odds or extra bets
While the point is live, you can back your line bet with an odds bet, or add come, place and proposition bets. This is where your decisions matter, because each option carries a very different house edge.
6. Collect payouts and start again
When the point repeats, pass line bets win and the same shooter starts a new come-out roll. When a 7 appears first, the shooter has sevened out: pass bets lose, don’t pass bets win, and the dice move to the next player.
The come-out roll and the point
The come-out roll wins the pass line on 7 or 11, loses it on 2, 3 or 12, and otherwise sets the point.
A 7 or 11 on the come-out is called a natural. A 2, 3 or 12 is called craps, which is where the game gets its name. When the shooter throws 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, that number becomes the point and the round moves into its second phase. From then on, only two totals matter for the pass line: the point, which wins, and 7, which loses.
This creates a reversal worth remembering. On the come-out roll, 7 is your friend if you bet the pass line. After the point is set, 7 becomes the number that ends your bet. Many beginners lose track of this shift, so keep an eye on the puck: OFF means a come-out roll is next, ON means a point is in play.
Pass line and don’t pass bets
The pass line bet wins when the shooter makes the point before rolling a 7, and it pays even money at 1:1.
It is the most popular wager at any craps table because it is simple and carries a low house edge of 1.41%. You place it before the come-out roll, and it cannot be taken down once a point is established, since at that stage the maths has moved in your favour.
Don’t pass is the mirror image. On the come-out roll it wins on 2 or 3, loses on 7 or 11, and is a push on 12 at most tables, a rule often printed on the felt as “bar 12”. After a point is set, don’t pass wins if a 7 arrives before the point. Its house edge is slightly lower at 1.36%, but you are betting against the shooter, which some players at land-based tables consider bad form. Online, nobody minds.
Come and don’t come bets
Come and don’t come bets work exactly like pass and don’t pass, but you place them after the point is already set.
The next roll acts as a personal come-out roll for that bet. A come bet wins immediately on 7 or 11, loses on 2, 3 or 12, and any other total becomes its own come point, which the dealer moves to the matching box. The bet then wins if that number repeats before a 7. Don’t come follows the don’t pass logic, including the push on 12.
House edges match the line bets: 1.41% for come and 1.36% for don’t come. These bets let you have several numbers working at once without taking on the higher cost of most other wagers on the layout.
The odds bet: craps odds with no house edge
The odds bet pays true odds, so it carries no house edge at all, which makes it the best value bet on the craps table.
You can only place it behind an existing pass, don’t pass, come or don’t come bet once a point is set. Taking odds behind a pass or come bet 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 the reverse: 1:2 on 4 or 10, 2:3 on 5 or 9, and 5:6 on 6 or 8.
Each table sets a maximum, often expressed as a multiple of your line bet. The more of your total stake sits in odds rather than in the line bet, the lower the overall edge on your money. That is why experienced players keep the line bet modest and add odds once the point is known.
Place, buy and lay bets
Place bets let you pick a specific point number to roll before a 7, without waiting for a come-out roll.
Typical payouts are 7:6 on 6 or 8, 7:5 on 5 or 9, and 9:5 on 4 or 10. Place 6 and place 8 are the strongest of the group with a 1.52% house edge, while place 5 or 9 rises to 4.00% and place 4 or 10 to 6.67%. You can usually switch place bets off or take them down between rolls.
Buy bets pay true odds on a chosen number, but the casino charges a commission, usually 5%, either when you place the bet or only when it wins. Lay bets are the opposite: you bet that a 7 will appear before your chosen number, again at true odds minus a commission. The point at which commission is charged differs between casinos, so read the table information before using either bet.
Field, hardways and proposition bets
Field, hardway and proposition bets are side wagers with large payouts and a much higher house edge than line bets.
Think of them as the craps equivalent of side bets in card games: they add excitement but cost more over time. The most common ones are listed here.
- Field bet. A one-roll bet on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12. Most totals pay 1:1, while 2 and 12 pay 2:1 or 3:1 depending on the table. It loses on 5, 6, 7 or 8.
- Big 6 and Big 8. You bet that 6 or 8 will roll before a 7, at even money. The same outcome pays 7:6 as a place bet, so Big 6 and Big 8 are poor value.
- Hardways. You bet that 4, 6, 8 or 10 will roll as a pair, for example 2-2 for hard 4, before a 7 or the “easy” version of that total. Hard 6 and hard 8 usually pay 9:1, while hard 4 and hard 10 usually pay 7:1.
- Any Seven. A one-roll bet that the next throw totals 7, usually paying 4:1.
- Any Craps. A one-roll bet on 2, 3 or 12, usually paying 7:1.
- Yo and Ace-Deuce. One-roll bets on 11 or on 3, each usually paying 15:1.
- Aces and Boxcars. One-roll bets on 2, also called snake eyes, or on 12, usually paying 30:1.
- Horn bet. A single stake split equally across 2, 3, 11 and 12, where only the winning part is paid.
- C and E. A split bet on Any Craps and 11, settled on the next roll.
Proposition bets sit in the centre of the layout and are handled by the stickman at land-based tables. Online they are a click away, which makes them easy to overuse.
Craps payouts and house edge by bet
Craps payouts range from even money on line bets to 30:1 on single-number rolls, and the house edge rises steeply as the payout grows.
The figures below assume standard payouts. Individual tables can vary, especially on the field and proposition bets, so check the paytable on screen before you play.
| Bet | Typical payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Pass line or come | 1:1 | 1.41% |
| Don’t pass or don’t come | 1:1 | 1.36% |
| Odds (take or lay) | 6:5 to 2:1 | 0.00% |
| Place 6 or 8 | 7:6 | 1.52% |
| Place 5 or 9 | 7:5 | 4.00% |
| Place 4 or 10 | 9:5 | 6.67% |
| Field (12 pays 3:1) | 1:1 | 2.78% |
| Field (12 pays 2:1) | 1:1 | 5.56% |
| Big 6 or Big 8 | 1:1 | 9.09% |
| Hard 6 or hard 8 | 9:1 | 9.09% |
| Hard 4 or hard 10 | 7:1 | 11.11% |
| Any Craps | 7:1 | 11.11% |
| Yo or Ace-Deuce | 15:1 | 11.11% |
| Aces or Boxcars | 30:1 | 13.89% |
| Any Seven | 4:1 | 16.67% |
Payouts are quoted “to one”, which means your stake comes back on top of the winnings. A £6 place bet on 8 that wins at 7:6 returns £7 in profit plus the original £6. A worked example shows how odds change the picture: bet £10 on the pass line, the point is 4, and you add £20 in odds. If the 4 repeats before a 7, the line bet pays £10 and the odds pay £40, a total profit of £50 on £30 at risk.
It also helps to compare these numbers with other table games before you choose where to play. Blackjack in good casinos generally runs a house edge of between 0.5% and 1%, so the pass line on its own costs a little more, while backing it with odds brings your overall edge down into a similar range. You can compare baccarat and the rest of our casino games in the same way.
Craps table terms you will hear
The key craps terms are shooter, natural, craps, point, seven out and puck, plus a few dealer roles.
- Shooter: the player throwing the dice for the current round.
- Natural: a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll.
- Craps: a 2, 3 or 12 on the come-out roll.
- Point: the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 set on the come-out roll.
- Seven out: a 7 rolled after the point is set, which ends the round.
- Puck: the ON or OFF marker showing whether a point is live.
- Stickman: the dealer who moves the dice and runs proposition bets.
- Boxman: the supervisor who watches the chips and settles disputes.
- Right bettor and wrong bettor: a player betting with or against the shooter.
- Easy way: a point total rolled without a pair, such as 5-1 for 6.
For a wider list of gambling terms, see our casino glossary.
Playing online craps in the UK
Online craps in the UK runs on RNG software or live dealer tables, and both formats follow the same core rules.
RNG craps lets you play at your own pace, often with lower minimum stakes, and the result of each roll comes from tested random number generator software. Live craps puts a real dealer and real dice on camera, keeps a fixed betting window between rolls and adds the atmosphere of a land-based table. Some live versions simplify the layout or remove certain proposition bets, so check the help screen before betting.
Whichever format you choose, play only at operators licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. Our page on casino licensing explains what that licence covers, and UK-licensed sites must complete account verification of your age and identity before you can gamble. If you are comparing operators, our checklist on how to choose a casino is a good starting point, and the best payout casinos page highlights sites that return more to players overall.
Which craps bets should beginners start with?
Beginners should start with the pass line bet, add odds once the point is set, and avoid proposition bets.
That plan keeps most of your stake in the two bets with the lowest edge on the table. Some players add one or two come bets to have more numbers working, again backed with odds. If you want a single extra bet, place 6 or place 8 is the cheapest option at 1.52%.
Remember that no betting pattern changes the maths. Dice have no memory, a hot streak does not make the next roll more likely to win, and progressions that raise stakes after a loss only increase how much you can lose in a short session. Set a budget, decide in advance when to stop, and treat craps as entertainment rather than income. For more on reading games and managing your play, browse our guides.
Common mistakes new craps players make
The most common mistake is spreading chips across high-edge proposition bets because their payouts look generous.
Other frequent errors include forgetting that a 7 switches from winner to loser once the point is set, skipping the odds bet even though it is the best value on the layout, and choosing Big 6 or Big 8 instead of the better-paying place bet on the same number. Players moving over from card games sometimes expect their decisions to influence the outcome of a hand; in craps, the only decision that matters is which bets you choose and how much you stake on each. Finally, check the field payout on 12 and the commission rules on buy and lay bets, since these small table differences change the house edge you face over a session.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play craps?
You play craps by betting on the roll of two dice: place a pass line bet, watch the come-out roll, then follow the point. A 7 or 11 wins at once and a 2, 3 or 12 loses. Any other total becomes the point, and the shooter rolls until it repeats, which wins, or a 7 lands, which loses. Once the point is set, you can back your line bet with odds.
What is the easiest way to learn how to play craps?
The easiest way to learn how to play craps is with a single pass line bet at a low-stakes RNG table. RNG games let you play at your own pace, so you can watch the come-out roll, see how a point is set and follow the puck without pressure. Once that feels natural, add odds behind your line bet, then try come bets. Choose a UK-licensed casino and set a budget first.
What are the basic craps rules?
Craps rules centre on the number 7, which wins the pass line on the come-out roll but loses it once a point is set. A 2, 3 or 12 loses on the come-out, and any other total becomes the point. The pass line then wins only if the point repeats before a 7. If the 7 comes first, the round ends with a seven out and the dice pass to the next player.
Which craps bet has the lowest house edge?
The odds bet has the lowest house edge in craps, at 0%, because it pays true odds on the point. You can only place it behind an existing pass, don’t pass, come or don’t come bet. Among the main wagers, don’t pass at 1.36% and the pass line at 1.41% come next, while one-roll proposition bets climb above 11%.
Is craps a game of skill?
No, craps is a game of chance because every roll of two dice is independent and no technique changes the probabilities. Skill shows only in bet selection: sticking to pass, come and odds bets keeps the house edge low, while frequent proposition bets raise it sharply. Dice have no memory, so no betting pattern can change the odds of the next roll.
What does seven out mean in craps?
Seven out means the shooter rolled a 7 after a point was set, before repeating the point number. The round ends at once: pass line bets lose, don’t pass bets win, and the dice move to the next shooter. A 7 on the come-out roll is different, because it counts as a winning natural for the pass line.
Can you bet against the shooter in craps?
Yes, you can bet against the shooter with don’t pass and don’t come bets, a style often called playing the dark side. These bets win when a 7 arrives before the point and carry a slightly lower house edge of 1.36%. On the come-out roll they lose on 7 or 11, win on 2 or 3, and push on 12 at most tables.
How much does a hardway bet pay in craps?
A hard 6 or hard 8 usually pays 9:1, while a hard 4 or hard 10 usually pays 7:1. The bet wins only when the number rolls as a pair, such as 3-3 for hard 6, before a 7 or the easy version of that total. House edges of 9.09% and 11.11% make hardways an occasional extra rather than a core bet.