Thwack-thwack-thwack… the sound of the dice tumbling down the felt. In slow motion, you see the red and white cubes hit the wall, spin, and finally settle. The room erupts with emotion, some elated, some dejected! We have all seen this scene on screens; part of countless movies, videos, and TV series.
But how many have actually played the game? And how many even know what it is called? Welcome to the world of CRAPS (no, it’s NOT called dice!)
On TV and even in reality, it might look complicated, chaotic, and maybe even a little intimidating. But here’s the secret: beneath the shouts and the fancy table layout is one of the most player-friendly games in the casino, and now you can capture all that action without leaving your couch.
A Basic Guide and Rules of Craps for Beginners
Let’s break the game down into its simplest, most important parts. Forget the confusing layout for a moment and focus on the two main phases, but first, some basics:
The Basics
- Craps is played with two standard six-sided dice (so 2–12 is the range).
- One shooter (player) rolls the dice; players place bets on the outcomes (could be the shooter’s roll, sequences, etc.).
- The game proceeds in rounds, each beginning with a Come-Out Roll.
Phase 1: The Come-Out Roll
- A new round begins with the first toss of the dice, known as the ‘Come-Out Roll.’
- If the roll is 7 or 11, it is called a natural, which means the pass line bets win.
- If the roll is 2, 3, or 12, it is called craps, which means the pass line bets lose.
- If the roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, it is called a point, which means that number becomes a point and the shooter continues rolling, trying to hit that number again before rolling a 7.
Phase 2: The Point Phase
If a point is established, the game moves to phase 2; the shooter now needs to roll the Point number again before they roll a 7.
- If the Point number is rolled, the Pass Line bets are paid, and the round ends.
- If a 7 is rolled (Seven Out), the pass line bets lose, the round ends, and the dice pass to the next shooter.
- Any other number rolled is simply a ‘roll’, and the round continues till either the point or a 7 is rolled.
Basic Bets
Wait, it doesn’t end here. There are a ton of complicated bets to keep things interesting. Here are some of the more common ones you should know about:
- Pass line bet: This bet is placed before the come-out roll. Wins immediately if 7 or 11 is rolled. Loses if 2, 3, 12. If the point is set, wins if the point is rolled again before a 7.
- Don’t Pass bet: placed before (or sometimes right on) the come-out roll. You are betting against the shooter. You win on 2 or 3, push (tie) on 12, lose on 7 or 11. After the point is set, you win if 7 is rolled before the point.
- Come / Don’t Come: The bet is placed after the point is established. Similar to Pass/Don’t Pass, but for subsequent rolls. For example, a 7 or 11 wins and a 2, 3, or 12 loses. Any other number that comes must be rolled again for the Come to win. The ‘Don’t Come’ bet is against the shooter like the ‘Don’t Pass’ bet.
- Place Bets: It is placed after a point is established. In this, you pick a number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10), and you win if your number hits before a 7.
- Odds Bets: Placed after the point is established (as an extra), you can take (or lay) odds behind your original bet. There is no house advantage on odds bets. Most online casinos will let you bet double odds, which means if you placed a $1 Pass Line bet, you can add $2 more as odds. Here’s how the odds pay out:
| For Pass Line and Come bets:
4 or 10 pays 2 to 1 5 or 9 pays 3 to 2 6 or 8 pays 6 to 5 |
For Don’t Pass and Don’t Come bets (the opposite side):
4 or 10 pays 1 to 2 5 or 9 pays 2 to 3 6 or 8 pays 5 to 6 |
- Field, Big 6/8, Hard Ways, etc.: Generally used for single roll or special conditions. These are “side” or “sucker” bets with higher house edges, fun, but riskier.
Finally, Some Strategy & Tips to Play Better
Craps is all about managing risk while keeping the fun alive. You can’t control the dice, but you can control how you bet.
- Stick to low house-edge bets. Pass Line, Don’t Pass, Come, and Don’t Come all have a house edge of around 1.4%. Add Odds Bets behind them to bring that edge down even further.
- Always take full odds as they have zero house edge. So, whenever the casino allows it (2x, 3x, even 100x in Vegas), take full odds behind your Pass or Come bets. It’s a simple and smart way to stretch your money.
- Beginners do best with simple systems. Use the following bets until you get comfortable:
- Pass Line + Odds + One Come Bet
- Place 6 and 8 (they are rolled quite often and have better payouts than most numbers.)
- Don’t Pass / Don’t Come
- Decide your budget before you play, stick to consistent bet sizes, and walk away when you hit your limit.
- Craps is actually random. No amount of praying, kissing, or blowing on the dice (of course, you can’t do that online) can control the dice. Focus on smart bets, not superstitions.
So there you have it! Craps in a nutshell.
Ready to roll? Jump into a live game, try your hand, and feel that rush of a perfect roll—the virtual way!
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