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Quick answer: Craps is a dice game where everyone bets on the outcome of the shooter’s rolls. The core bet is the Pass Line: on the first roll, 7 or 11 wins and 2, 3 or 12 loses; any other number becomes the “point”, and you win if it’s rolled again before a 7. The Pass Line has a house edge of 1.41%, and backing it with the odds bet, which has no house edge at all, makes craps one of the best-value games in the casino. Most of the other bets on the layout cost far more.
| Craps at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Dice | Two dice, 36 possible combinations |
| Most common roll | 7 (6 ways out of 36, or 1 in 6) |
| Best basic bets | Pass / Come 1.41%, Don’t Pass / Don’t Come 1.36% |
| Best add-on | Odds bet: 0% house edge |
| Bets to avoid | Proposition and hardway bets, about 9–17% house edge |
How a round of craps works
- The come-out roll. The shooter rolls two dice. On a Pass Line bet, 7 or 11 wins straight away (a “natural”) and 2, 3 or 12 loses (“craps”).
- A point is set. Any other total (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) becomes the point, and the dealer marks it with a puck.
- Rolling for the point. The shooter keeps rolling. If the point comes up before a 7, Pass Line bets win. If a 7 comes first (“seven-out”), they lose and the dice pass to the next shooter.
- Repeat. After a point is won or a seven-out, the next roll is a new come-out roll.
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The dice maths behind every bet
Every craps payout comes from how many ways each total can be rolled with two dice:
| Total | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ways (out of 36) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Seven is the most likely total, which is why it’s the number that ends rounds. When you know there are 6 ways to roll a 7 but only 3 ways to roll a 4, the odds bet payouts below make sense.
The main bets
Pass Line and Come
Pass Line is the bet described above, paying even money. A Come bet works the same way but is placed after the point is set: the next roll acts as its own come-out roll. Both have a house edge of 1.41%.
Don’t Pass and Don’t Come
These bet against the shooter. On the come-out roll, 2 or 3 wins, 7 or 11 loses, and 12 is usually a push (“bar 12”; some casinos bar the 2 instead). Once a point is set, you win if a 7 arrives before the point. The house edge is 1.36%, slightly lower than the Pass Line, though some players dislike betting against the table.
The odds bet: the best bet in the casino
Once a point is set, you can back your Pass or Come bet with an extra “odds” bet. It’s paid at true odds, so the casino has no edge on it at all:
| Point | Ways to roll it vs 7 | Odds bet pays |
|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 3 vs 6 | 2:1 |
| 5 or 9 | 4 vs 6 | 3:2 |
| 6 or 8 | 5 vs 6 | 6:5 |
Tables limit how much odds you can take, often written as a multiple of your line bet: 3-4-5x is common, and some casinos offer 5x, 10x or even 100x. The more odds you take, the lower the combined house edge on your money:
| Pass Line plus… | Combined house edge |
|---|---|
| No odds | 1.41% |
| 1x odds | About 0.85% |
| 3-4-5x odds | About 0.37% |
| 5x odds | About 0.33% |
| 10x odds | About 0.18% |
Don’t players can lay odds too, paid at the reverse ratios (for example 1:2 against a 4 or 10).
Place bets
A place bet lets you back a single point number without waiting for the come-out roll. They are paid slightly below true odds, so the 6 and 8 are the only good ones:
| Place bet | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| 6 or 8 | 7:6 | 1.52% |
| 5 or 9 | 7:5 | 4.00% |
| 4 or 10 | 9:5 | 6.67% |
Bets that cost you more
The centre of the craps layout is full of bets with big payouts and big house edges. They’re fun occasionally, but they drain a bankroll quickly:
| Bet | What wins | Typical payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field (2 and 12 pay 2:1) | Next roll is 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 | 1:1, 2:1 on 2/12 | 5.56% |
| Field (one of 2/12 pays 3:1) | As above | 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1 | 2.78% |
| Big 6 / Big 8 | 6 (or 8) before a 7 | 1:1 | 9.09% |
| Hard 6 / Hard 8 | 3+3 (or 4+4) before a 7 or the “easy” way | 9:1 | 9.09% |
| Hard 4 / Hard 10 | 2+2 (or 5+5) before a 7 or the easy way | 7:1 | 11.11% |
| Any Craps | Next roll is 2, 3 or 12 | 7:1 | 11.11% |
| Yo (11) or 3 | Next roll is that number | 15:1 | 11.11% |
| 2 or 12 | Next roll is that number | 30:1 | 13.89% |
| Any 7 | Next roll is 7 | 4:1 | 16.67% |
Notice that Big 6 and Big 8 pay even money while a place bet on the same number pays 7:6. There’s no reason to choose Big 6 or 8 over placing the number. Payouts on the proposition bets vary between casinos, and a lower payout means a higher house edge, so check the layout.
Simple craps strategy
- Bet the Pass Line (or Don’t Pass) and take as much odds as your budget allows.
- If you want more action, add Come bets with odds, or place the 6 and 8.
- Treat proposition and hardway bets as entertainment, not strategy.
- No betting system changes the dice. Progressions only change how fast you win or lose; decide your budget before the first roll.
Where craps came from
Craps descends from Hazard, an old English dice game; the name is linked to “crabs”, Hazard’s term for its losing low throws. The modern casino version took shape in the early 1900s, when John H. Winn introduced the banked layout with the Don’t Pass bet, letting players bet with or against the dice.
Playing craps online
Online you’ll find RNG craps tables and, since Evolution launched it in 2020, live dealer craps streamed from a studio. Availability depends on your country and the casino. Our top-rated casino, 1win (9.9/10), has a large live casino; search its lobby for craps to see what’s offered where you are, and use the promo code Ultragambler if you sign up. Online gambling isn’t legal everywhere, so check your local laws first, and set a budget before you play.
If you like dice games, see our Sic Bo guide, and compare house edges across games in our low house edge games list. Card players should read our blackjack rules guide.
Craps FAQ
What is the best bet in craps?
The odds bet, which has no house edge. You can only make it on top of a Pass, Don’t Pass, Come or Don’t Come bet, and those carry house edges of 1.36–1.41%.
What happens on a seven-out?
When a 7 is rolled after a point has been set, Pass Line and Come bets with points lose, Don’t bets win, and the dice move to the next shooter.
Why is 12 a push on Don’t Pass?
Without it, Don’t Pass would have a player edge. Barring the 12 (or the 2 at some casinos) turns it back into a 1.36% house edge.
What are the odds of rolling a 7?
6 in 36, or 1 in 6 (about 16.7%). It’s the most common total with two dice.
Is craps hard to learn?
The layout looks complicated, but you only need the Pass Line and the odds bet to play well. Everything else is optional.
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