Craps Rules

 
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How to Play Craps

Anyone who has ever been to a land-based casino has probably seen a group of raucous, yelling people gathered around a table having a great time.  The game is played by betting on the outcome of the roll of a pair of dice.  Craps may look very intimidating to a first-time player, but our guide will give you a great introduction to the rules, and basic strategy to get you started.

Rules of Craps

Before we get into all the different bets available to the player, it is important to understand how the game is played.  Players make wagers on the expected roll of the dice, which is rolled by a shooter.  The shooter’s first roll is known as the come-out roll – each new game of craps begins with the come out roll.  The shooter is required to place a bet on either a Pass Line bet, or a Don’t Pass bet, before throwing the come out roll.
The Come-out Roll is what determines if the same shooter will continue to be the dice-thrower, or if the responsibility will pass to someone else.  There are three possible scenarios for the come-out roll:

  • Roll of 7 or 11 – The shooter automatically wins the roll.  Any Pass Line bets are won.
  • Roll of 2, 3, or 12 – The shooter automatically fails the roll.  Any Don’t Pass Line bets are won.
  • Roll of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, – When the shooter throws one of these numbers, that number is now the “point”.  The shooter will now continue to roll the dice until they roll the point number. This is known as “making the point”. If however, a 7 is thrown before the shooter makes the point, the shooter loses along with any Pass Line Bets. This is known as “sevening out”. If the shooter throws a 7 before making the point, any Don’t Pass Line Bets are won. If the shooter makes the point, then any Pass Line Bets are won.
  • Probability of Dice Rolls

As far as how the game is played, that is all there is to know – being familiar with all the different kinds of bets is key to developing a strategy that works for you.  Craps players are generally a more superstitious group, hoping to predict what the next throw will bring. Because of this, you can find a wide variety of playing styles employed by veteran craps players. We will review all the possible bets available to you in online craps to aid you in formulating your own strategy – one that will minimize the house edge and give you best chance of earning a profit. Although it may seem overwhelming, it is important to familiarize yourself with these rules in order to know which bets to avoid.

  • Pass Line bet - The fundamental bet in Craps, the Pass Line bet is met when the shooter throws a 7 or 11 in the come-out roll, or when the point is met before sevening out.
  • Don’t Pass Line bet – The opposite of the Pass Line bet, this bet is met when the shooter throws a 2,3, or 12 in the come-out roll, or when the shooter throws a 7 before making the point.
  • Come Bet – Similar to a Pass Line bet, a Come bet is made only after a point has been established. A Come Bet is essentially like making a “second” Pass Line bet while the original Pass Line bet is still in progress. and is won if the shooter throws a 7 or 11, or lost if the shooter throws a 2, 3, or 12.  If the shooter does not throw one of those numbers, the new number becomes the “come point”.  The bet remains in effect until either that number is thrown winning the come bet, or until a 7 is thrown, losing the come bet. Essentially, the Come Bet is like making a seconf Pass Line Bet, only it is made after a point has been established from the come out roll.
  • Don’t Come Bet – The opposite of the Come Bet, this bet is only made once the point has been established, but is won if the shooter throws a 2 or 3 and lost if the shooter throws a 7 or 11 (12 results in a push).  If the shooter does not throw one of those numbers, the bet then that number becomes the “come point”.  The bet remains in effect until either that number is thrown losing the don’t come bet, or until a 7 is thrown, winning the don’t come bet.
  • Odds on Pass Line Bet – Once a point has been established, you may make a bet that the shooter will hit this point before sevening out.  Different point numbers give different odds – generally the more difficult it is to hit the point number, the better the payout.
  • Odds on Don’t Pass Line Bet – The opposite of the Odds on Pass Line Bet, once a point has been established you make a bet that the shooter will roll a seven before rolling the point again.
  • Buy Bets and Place Win Bets – Very similar to Odds on Pass Line bets, you make a bet on any point number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11), with the main difference being the bet doesn’t need to be the current point.  In order to win the bet, the shooter must roll your number before rolling a 7.  These bets are not recommended as they are very similar to the Odds on Pass Line bet, but have a higher house edge
  • Lay Bets and Place Lose Bets – Very similar to Odds on Don’t Pass Line bets, you make a bet on any point number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11), with the main difference being the bet doesn’t need to be the current point.  In order to win the bet, the shooter must roll a 7 before the you bet on is rolled..  These bets are not recommended as they are very similar to the Odds on Don’t Pass Line bet, but have a higher house edge
  • Big 6/Big 8 Bet – The player bets that either a 6 or 8 will be rolled before a 7.  The bet stays in effect until either the number or a 7 is rolled first.  This is the same bet as a Place Win 6/8 – the only difference is that this bets pays even money instead of 6:5, making this a poor pet.
  • Field Bet – This bet is a wager that the shooter will roll one of the following numbers on the next roll of the dice – 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12.  If a 5, 6, 7, or 8 is rolled, you lose the bet.  Payoffs for winning are 1:1, but for a roll of 2 or 12, the payoff is 2:1.
  • Single Roll Bets – As the name implies, these are bets that are valid for a single roll – if the shooter throws the number you bet on, you win.  If any other number is rolled, you lose the bet. These bets rely heavily on luck, as the carry a huge house edge – upwards of 16.67%.

If you were able to read through all of the above rules and understand everything, then you should give yourself a pat on the back.  Don’t be discouraged if some rules were unclear as you will find in our Craps strategy guide that the majority of the above bets should generally not be played as they give the house a greater advantage.  In online casino craps you should be focusing on the bets that give you the best payout rates while keeping the house edge to a minimum.  Below you will find a table outlining the payout rates and the house edge percentage for each bet available in Craps.

Bet
Payout
True Odds
House Edge
Pass Line/Come
1:1 251:244 1.41%
Don’t Pass Line/Don’t Come
1:1 976:949 1.40%
Odds on Pass
Odds on Come
6 or 8
5 or 9
4 or 10
6:5
3:2
2:1
Same odds as Payout 0.00%
Odds on Don’t Pass
Odds on Don’t Come
6 or 8
5 or 9
4 or 10
5:6
2:3
1:2
Same odds as Payout 0.00%
Buy Bets
6 or 8
5 or 9
4 or 10
6:5
3:2
2:1
Same odds as Payout +5% Commission 4.76%
Place Win Bets
6 or 8
5 or 9
4 or 10
7:6
7:5
9:5
6:5
3:2
2:1
1.52%
4.00%
6.67%
Lay Bets
6 or 8
5 or 9
4 or 10
5:6
2:3
1:2
Same odds as Payout +5% Commission 4.00%
3.23%
2.44%
Place Lose Bets
6 or 8
5 or 9
4 or 10
4:5
5:8
5:1
5:6
6:9
1:2
1.80%
2.50%
3.00%
Big 6/Big 8
1:1 6:5 9.00%
Field Bets
3,4,9,10 or 11
2 or 12
1:1
2:1
5:4 5.56%
Single Rolls
Hardway 6 or 8
Hardway 4 or 10
Any 7
Any Craps
2 or 12
3 or 11
9:1
7:1
4:1
7:1
30:1
15:1
10:1
8:1
5:1
8:1
35:1
17:1
9.09%
11.11%
16.67%
11.11%
13.89%
11.11%

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