How to Play Craps - The Basics

Craps is a casino game that revolves around the rolling of two dice.  Typically each table can include up to sixteen player with one player, known as the shooter, rolling at a time.  After each round of craps the dice rotate and the next player at the table becomes the shooter.  All players at the table bet on the dice being rolled by the shooter, and most bets are placed for the shooter (betting right), or against the shooter (betting wrong).  This set-up with over a dozen players betting together on the same dice creates a sense of comradery between the players.

The Come Out Roll

To start the game, most players choose to make a bet (within the table limits) on either the "Pass line" or the "Don't Pass Line" (the only two "line bets").  Then the shooter rolls the dice for the first time, in what is called the "Come Out Roll".  If the total shown on the dice is either a 2, a 3, or a 12 (known as rolling craps) the round is officially over.  If this happens after you make a bet on the pass line, then you lose your bet. However if you made a bet on the don’t pass line you would win.  If instead the come out roll results in either a 7 or an 11, this is called a "natural" and the players who placed pass line bets win their bets, but the players who placed bets on the don't pass line lose their bets.

The Point

If the come out roll results in a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 then that number is designated as the "point".  Once the point is established the shooter will continue to roll until the dice show either the point or a seven (known as 'sevening out').  If the shooter rolls the point all the players who placed bets on the pass line win, and those players who placed bets on the don't pass line lose.  If the shooter rolls a seven before rolling the point, then the pass line bettors lose and the don't pass line bettors win. When the shooter either rolls the point or sevens out the round is over.  The shooter passes the dice clockwise, and the receiving player becomes the shooter for the next round.So far it's pretty simple right?

Betting plays a major roll in craps, and it is the focus of most craps strategies.  Craps players can make several kinds of bets like those mentioned above that focus on rolling the point or sevening out.  However players can bet on nearly anything. There are bets made on a specific number being rolled before the round ends (or even on the very next roll), as well as additional "odds bets" that can be added to your original pass/don't pass line bets.

If you do not want to place a bet on either the pass line, or the don’t pass line you do not have to wait for a new round to start.  Bets such as come/don’t come bets, lay bets, field bets, and proposition bets can be placed at any point during the game and each have their own rules.  To learn more about the types of bets available, be sure to check out our page about craps bets.