How to Play Craps: Basic Rules, Terms, and Odds Explained

Written by

Ryan Faucher

Dec 10, 2025

6 min read

As a kid, you might have enjoyed using dice to play games like Risk, Monopoly, or Candy Land. If you are all grown up and still fancy games that require the use of dice, you might be interested in playing a real cash casino game like craps.

If you look at a craps table, it might seem to be a complicated table gambling option. Perhaps, but most retail/online casino games are complicated until you learn how to play correctly. With that in mind, we would like to offer you this basic guide on how to play craps.

Craps Overview and Rules

As is the case with any casino game, a firm understanding of the rules for craps is crucial for success. You’ll see the following areas:

Pass Line (Come), Don’t Pass line (Don’t Come), middle Come, middle Don’t Pass Bar, the field + Big 6 and Big 8, place bets on specific numbers (4/5/6/8/9/10), and various proposition bets located in the middle (hard ways, any 7, any craps, and 2/3/11/12). The space behind the Pass line/Come area is used for “taking odds” on the come-out number.

The Game-playing Process

The game begins with players placing their bets wherever they want. There will be betting limits, usually higher in a retail casino than in an online casino.

After initial come-out bets have been placed, the “shooter” will roll the dice, the first roll of a cycle. In a retail casino, the shooter rolls until they “crap out” (dice lands 2, 3, or 12) with the dice, after which play moves to the next shooter on the left. Players can choose to pass the dice and not shoot. In an online craps game, you, as the online player, are presumably always the shooter. You would shoot by pressing the “Roll” dice button.

The Objective of Craps

The objective of the game depends on the sequential roll of the dice in a shooter’s cycle. If it’s the first roll of a shooter’s cycle (the come-out roll), a 7/11 is a Come bet winner, a 2/3/12 is a Come bet loser, and everything else (4/5/6/8/9/10) establishes “the point.” Conversely, a 7/11 on the come-out roll is a Don’t Pass loser, a 2/3/12 is a Don’t Pass winner, and a new come-out roll is initiated.

Over the next few rolls after the come-out roll and point is established, the 7 becomes the “craps” number, which will end the cycle if it hits before the point is rolled again. Any other number rolled could result in winning payouts for players who placed bets on such spots.

Essentially, it’s a race for the shooter to hit the point again before they hit a 7. If they hit the point, Come bets win, plus the any odds bets that were placed behind win. Also, if the point comes before 7, Don’t Pass bets will become losing bets. All other placed bets keep paying until the craps hit.

The Odds and Casino’s Advantage

What makes craps the most complicated table game is the vast number of paying spots that are available on a standard table. You need to understand the odds and the casino’s advantage associated with every spot on the table. Here’s the standard odds/casino’s advantage table:

Note: You can get truer odds on certain numbers if you pay an additional commission fee. This effectively lowers the casino’s advantage on particular numbers.

It’s worth mentioning that the casino’s advantage is statistically written in stone. There is no craps-playing system on earth that will change that reality. Keeping that in mind, you should place the types of bets that fit well within the range of risk that you are willing to accept. Also, money management systems that tend to work well with blackjack and roulette are of little use on craps.

Key of Craps Terms

To stress the importance of understanding how to play craps, we want to further define key terms associated with the game. Here’s a key of terms:

• The Shooter – Person rolling the dice (always the player with online craps)
• Come-out Roll – First roll in a shooter’s cycle
• Pass/Come Bet – Betting on 7, 11, or the point before a 7 is hit
• Don’t Pass/Don’t Come Bet – Betting on 2,3, or 12, or hitting a 7 before the point is made.
• The Point – The number rolled if the initial roll of a cycle is not a 2/3/7/11/12
• Place Bets – Bets placed on specific numbers
• Buy Bets – Paying extra commission on a specific number for slightly better odds.
• Lay Bets – Betting on 7 before a specific point is rolled
• Hard Ways – double/twin dice to create a 4/6/8/10
• Craps – any 2/3/12 or a 7 after a point is establised
• Snake Eyes – 2
• Yo – 11
• Box Cars – 12
• Pit Boss – Manages the game
• Stick man – controls the dice
• Dealers – make payouts and collect losses

Note: Unlike other online casino games, you will not encounter different craps variations. However, you can get extra value by selecting an online casino that offers good bonus promos that will boost your bankroll.

Craps Tips

Let’s close things out with a few tips you can consider when playing retail/live or online craps.

1. Only play “sucker bets” if you have already won big money. Any wager that carries a house’s advantage over 9% would be considered a sucker bet.
2. Start with basic pass/don’t pass bets and a couple of place bet numbers to gain experience before you start trying to get creative.
3. Online craps is a fast-paced option. Be ready to make your wagers early. In some online games, place bets on numbers will be returned in total when hit, requiring you to re-establish the base bet if you still want it on that number.
4. If you bet place bets on the 4 or 10, we advise paying the extra commission (buy bet) to get true 2 to 1 odds. This would also apply to taking behind the pass line odds.
5. Gamble responsibly. Casino gambling is a great source of adult entertainment if handled responsibly. That means you should never go to the craps table with more money than you can comfortably afford to lose. We would recommend limiting your gambling bankroll to the discretionary money you have remaining after paying bills and putting some in your savings account.

Final thought: Equipped with the aforementioned information, you should be ready to step up to the craps table and give the dice a few good rolls. Good Luck!