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Craps in One Paragraph
Two dice are thrown by a player called the shooter. Before the throw, other players bet on the outcome. The most important bet — the one you should start with — is the Pass Line. It wins on 7 or 11, loses on 2, 3, or 12, and continues for more rolls if anything else comes up. That's it. Everything else on the table is a variation of this core.
Craps has the lowest house edge of any dice game in the casino. The Pass Line is 1.41%. Add the Free Odds bet and the combined edge drops to 0.37%. No other mainstream casino game gets that low.
Phase One
The Come-Out Roll — How Every Round Starts
Every craps round begins with a Come-Out Roll. This is the shooter's first roll of a new round. The puck on the table shows OFF (black side up) to signal a Come-Out is happening. Three things can happen:
Phase Two
The Point Phase — Shoot Until It's Done
Once a Point is established (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10), the shooter keeps rolling. Now there are only two outcomes that matter for the Pass Line:
- Roll the Point again before a 7 → Pass Line wins. A new Come-Out Roll begins.
- Roll a 7 before the Point → Pass Line loses. This is called a Seven Out. The dice pass to the next shooter. A new Come-Out begins.
All other numbers rolled during the Point Phase are irrelevant to the Pass Line — they just extend the round. The shooter can roll 4, 11, 3, 9, etc. and nothing changes until either the Point or a 7 appears.
The Best Bet in Craps
Pass Line + Free Odds — The Core Strategy
The Pass Line combined with the Free Odds bet is the most efficient position in any casino. Here's how it works together:
| Point Number | Free Odds Payout | Why | Example: $30 Odds Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 2:1 | 3 ways to roll 7 vs 3 ways to roll 4 or 10 — true odds 2:1 | Wins $60 |
| 5 or 9 | 3:2 | 6 ways to roll 7 vs 4 ways to roll 5 or 9 — true odds 3:2 | Wins $45 |
| 6 or 8 | 6:5 | 6 ways to roll 7 vs 5 ways to roll 6 or 8 — true odds 6:5 | Wins $36 |
The Dark Side
Don't Pass — Betting Against the Shooter
The Don't Pass line is the mirror of the Pass Line. On the Come-Out Roll: 7 or 11 loses, 2 or 3 wins, and 12 pushes (your bet is returned — this is the "Bar 12" rule that gives the casino its small edge). In the Point Phase: you win if a 7 appears before the Point, and lose if the Point repeats.
Don't Pass has a marginally lower house edge (1.36% vs 1.41%) and can similarly take Lay Odds behind it (also 0% edge, paying inverse true odds). Mathematically it is a superior bet by a tiny margin.
Complete Bet Reference
Every Craps Bet — Ranked by Value
Craps has more bet types than almost any other casino game. Here they are sorted from best to worst value. The colour coding tells you at a glance what to do.
The Math
Dice Combinations — Why 7 Rules the Table
Two six-sided dice produce 36 possible combinations. The 7 has 6 combinations — more than any other number. This is the foundation of every craps rule: the 7 is placed as the barrier because it is the most likely single outcome.
Now look at the Point Phase from this angle. If the Point is 6, there are 5 ways to roll a 6 and 6 ways to roll a 7. The shooter is slightly more likely to Seven Out than to hit the Point — which is why the Free Odds on Point 6 pay 6:5 (true odds). Points of 4 and 10 are the hardest to make (only 3 ways each vs 6 ways to roll 7), so they pay 2:1.
| Point | Ways to Win | Ways to Lose (7) | Probability of Making Point | Free Odds Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 3 | 6 | 33.3% | 2:1 |
| 5 or 9 | 4 | 6 | 40.0% | 3:2 |
| 6 or 8 | 5 | 6 | 45.5% | 6:5 |
Playing a Round
How to Play Craps — Your First Round, Step by Step
Quick Reference
Craps Terms Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Shooter | The player currently rolling the dice. Rotates around the table after a Seven Out. |
| Come-Out Roll | The first roll of a new round. Wins on 7/11, loses on 2/3/12, sets Point on any other number. |
| Natural | Rolling 7 or 11 on the Come-Out Roll. Pass Line wins immediately. |
| Craps (the roll) | Rolling 2, 3, or 12 on the Come-Out Roll. Pass Line loses immediately. |
| Point | The number established on the Come-Out Roll (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10). The shooter must repeat it before a 7 to win. |
| Seven Out | Rolling a 7 during the Point Phase before the Point repeats. Pass Line loses; dice pass to the next shooter. |
| Pass Line | The main even-money bet placed before the Come-Out Roll. House edge 1.41%. |
| Don't Pass | Opposite of Pass Line. Bets against the shooter. House edge 1.36%. Bar 12 = push on 12 during Come-Out. |
| Free Odds | Supplementary bet placed behind the Pass Line after a Point is set. 0% house edge — pays true mathematical odds. |
| Come Bet | Identical to Pass Line but placed after a Point is set. Establishes its own mini-point on the next roll. |
| Place Bet | Bet that a specific number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) rolls before a 7. Can be placed at any time. |
| Hardway | Bet that a number is rolled as a matching pair (e.g. Hard 8 = 4+4) before a 7 or an "easy" version. |
| Proposition Bets | One-roll bets in the center of the table. High payouts, very high house edge (9–17%). Avoid. |
| Puck (ON/OFF) | A round marker showing whether a Point has been established. OFF = Come-Out phase. ON = Point Phase, showing the Point number. |
| Stickman | The dealer who controls the center table bets and passes dice to the shooter using a long stick. |
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