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How to Play Craps

Roll the dice on a practice table that explains every roll — the come-out, the point, the seven-out — then tap any bet to see what it pays, how often it wins and what it costs. Every figure is worked out from the 36 ways two dice can land.

1.41%House edge on the pass line

0%On the odds bet behind it

16.67%On Any 7, the worst common bet

OFF

45SIX8NINE10

Come-out roll. A pass-line bet wins on 7 or 11 and loses on 2, 3 or 12; anything else sets the point.

0–0Pass line, won–lost

0–0Don't pass, won–lost

0Rolls

49.3%Pass line wins in the long run

Come-out roll

7 or 11 wins for pass, 2, 3 or 12 loses. Any of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 becomes the point.

18+For learning the game. No money is involved; every roll is random.

How to play craps in four steps

The come-out roll

Bet the pass line (with the shooter) or don’t pass (against). On the first roll, 7 or 11 wins for pass; 2, 3 or 12 — craps — loses. Don’t pass is the reverse, except 12 is a push.

The point

Any other total — 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 — becomes the point, and the puck flips to ON. From now on only two totals matter to the line bets: the point and 7.

Make it or seven out

If the point rolls again before a 7, pass wins. If a 7 comes first — the seven-out — pass loses, don’t pass wins, and the dice pass to the next shooter for a new come-out.

Then add odds — the only bet with no house edge

Once a point is set you can back your line bet with an odds bet, paid at the true odds: 2 to 1 on 4 or 10, 3 to 2 on 5 or 9, 6 to 5 on 6 or 8. Come and don't come bets work like the line bets but start on any roll, and place bets back a single number to roll before a 7. Everything else — the field, hardways and one-roll bets — is optional and costs more.

Craps odds, payouts and house edge

Every common bet, worked out exactly. The house edge is per bet resolved; per roll spreads it over the rolls a bet stays on the table.

Bet	Pays	Chance it wins	House edge	Per roll
Line bets
Pass line	1 to 1	49.29%	1.41%	0.419%
Don't pass	1 to 1	47.93%2.78% push	1.36%1.40% without pushes	0.404%
Come	1 to 1	49.29%	1.41%	0.419%
Don't come	1 to 1	47.93%2.78% push	1.36%1.40% without pushes	0.404%
Odds
Odds on 4 or 10	2 to 1	33.33%	0.00%	0.000%
Odds on 5 or 9	3 to 2	40.00%	-0.00%	-0.000%
Odds on 6 or 8	6 to 5	45.45%	0.00%	0.000%
Place bets
Place 6 or 8	7 to 6	45.45%	1.52%	0.463%
Place 5 or 9	7 to 5	40.00%	4.00%	1.111%
Place 4 or 10	9 to 5	33.33%	6.67%	1.667%
Field and Big 6/8
Field (2 and 12 pay double)	1 to 1, 2 to 1 on 2 and 12	44.44%	5.56%	5.556%
Field (12 pays triple)	1 to 1, 2 to 1 on 2, 3 to 1 on 12	44.44%	2.78%	2.778%
Big 6 or Big 8	1 to 1	45.45%	9.09%	2.778%
Hardways
Hard 6 or hard 8	9 to 1	9.09%	9.09%	2.778%
Hard 4 or hard 10	7 to 1	11.11%	11.11%	2.778%
One-roll bets
Any 7	4 to 1	16.67%	16.67%	16.667%
Any craps	7 to 1	11.11%	11.11%	11.111%
11 (yo) or 3	15 to 1	5.56%	11.11%	11.111%
2 (snake eyes) or 12	30 to 1	2.78%	13.89%	13.889%
Horn (2, 3, 11, 12)	30 to 1 / 15 to 1, less the other three units	16.67%	12.50%	12.500%

Payouts are the common ones; some tables pay differently on the field and the proposition bets, so check the rules. Buy and lay bets are left out because casinos charge their 5% commission in different ways.

Dice odds: why 7 rules the game

Two dice land 36 ways. Seven has the most combinations, which is why it both wins the come-out and ends the round.

1/362

2/363

3/364

4/365

5/366

6/367

5/368

4/369

3/3610

2/3611

1/3612

A point of 6 or 8 is made before a 7 45.5% of the time, 5 or 9 40.0%, and 4 or 10 33.3%. The pass line wins 49.29% of the time overall and takes 3.4 rolls on average to settle.

Craps strategy: the bets that cost least

Pass line with odds

House edge on everything staked, as the odds you take grow. The odds bet is free; the line bet carries all the edge.

Odds taken	Average stake per line unit	House edge on the total
No odds	1.00	1.414%
1x	1.67	0.848%
2x	2.33	0.606%
3-4-5x	3.78	0.374%
5x	4.33	0.326%
10x	7.67	0.184%
100x	67.67	0.021%

What it can do

Keep the cost low: bet the pass or don't pass line, back it with odds, and if you want more action use come bets or place the 6 and 8 (1.52%). Check how the table pays the field before betting it.

What it can't do

Beat the dice. No betting pattern changes the house edge on a bet, and the flashy centre bets — Any 7, hardways, horn — cost 9.09% to 16.67% of every bet.

Questions

How do you play craps?

Every round starts with a come-out roll. On the pass line, 7 or 11 wins and 2, 3 or 12 loses; any other total — 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 — becomes the point. The shooter then rolls until the point comes again (pass wins) or a 7 appears (the "seven out": pass loses). Then a new come-out begins.

What is the best bet in craps?

The pass or don't pass line with as much odds as the table allows. The line bets have house edges of 1.41% and 1.36%, and the odds bet behind them pays the true odds, so it has no house edge at all: with 3-4-5x odds, the edge on everything you stake falls to 0.374%.

What are the odds of rolling a 7?

6 in 36, or 1 in 6: 1+6, 2+5, 3+4, 4+3, 5+2 and 6+1. It is the most common total. 6 and 8 come next with 5 ways each; 2 and 12 are the rarest, with 1 way each.

Should I bet pass or don’t pass?

Don't pass is marginally cheaper (1.36% against 1.41%), because a 12 on the come-out is a push for it instead of a win. Most players bet with the shooter on the pass line; the difference is tiny either way.

Is the field bet a good bet?

It is a one-roll bet that wins on 7 of the 11 totals but only 16 of the 36 rolls, so it loses more often than it wins. With 2 and 12 paying double the house edge is 5.56%; tables that pay triple on 12 cut it to 2.78%.

Which craps bets should I avoid?

The one-roll proposition bets in the middle of the table: Any 7 carries a 16.67% house edge, and the hardways and horn bets 9–12.5%. Big 6 and Big 8 pay even money for a bet that the Place 6 and 8 pay 7 to 6 on, so the same bet costs 9.09% instead of 1.52%.

How much odds should I take?

As much as you are comfortable losing on a round: the odds bet itself costs nothing, but it raises your stake. Pass line alone: 1.41% of the line bet. With 1x odds the edge on the total staked is 0.848%, with 2x 0.606% and with 10x 0.184%.

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