Craps Guide: How to play craps made easy

What is craps? Craps is a dice game and one of the oldest casino games in the history of gambling. It is among the most beloved casino games to this day and can be enjoyed both cross-platform and in live-dealer mode.

During a game of craps, players make wagers on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. They can wager money against each other (aka street craps) or a bank (aka casino craps/table craps or just craps).

Now that you are familiar with what the craps game entails, we can move forward by giving you a brief overview of this article, in order to offer you a trouble-free gambling experience. Here’s what you’ll learn:
 

• Craps - The Basics
• How to Play Craps for Beginners
• Popular Craps Bets Types
• Craps House Edge

Craps - The Basics

The Craps Table

Before getting into the mechanics of the game and the casino craps rules, let’s get familiar with what a craps table looks like. Down below, you can feast your eyes on a typical craps table layout:



Now that you have examined the craps table layout carefully and you have a good grasp of what the craps “gear” looks like, let’s go deeper into the matter. So what are the rules of craps?

Craps is played on a specially-designed fabric surface that displays a betting layout where players place bets using chips instead of cash. 

In general, a craps table can accommodate up to sixteen bettors, with eight players placed on each side. 
The layout itself is made up of three sections: two identical side sections at each end of the table, belonging to the dealers, which can be divided into two areas - the self-service area and the dealer’s area; and the center section of the layout. 

• In the self-service area, you are allowed to place Pass Line/Don’t Pass bets, Come/Don’t Come bets, Field, Big 6 and Big 8 bets.
• In the dealer’s area, there are six square “point” boxes, containing the craps numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. After a point is established, the dealer places a puck on that certain number to make it obvious it is the point. The table has “off” and “on” stages. When the table is “off”, no Pass Line and Don’t Pass bets are accepted. Once the shooter rolls a point, Pass/Don’t Pass bets can be placed.
• The center section of the table is where the chips for Proposition and Hardway bets are placed. 

The Online Craps Table

Now let’s have a quick word about the online version of the craps game, as well. But first, let’s see an example of what an online craps table looks like, in order to get accustomed to the online setting of the game. Down below, you can see a snippet of an online craps game from BetSoft:
 

The craps table rules are the same regardless of whether you are playing craps in a land-based casino or online. However, between the two versions of the game, online craps is easier to play. Why? First of all, there’s no allocated shooter, as technically you are the shooter every time you play.

The dice are rolled automatically when you press the designed button for this, and you place the bets by clicking on the proper place for the betting layout.
 

How to Play Craps for Beginners

We are now at the most interesting part of the guide, as it is time to learn how to play craps for dummies, in a quick and easy way. 

What are the basic rules of craps? Down below, we have prepared an explainer on how the craps game is played, in order to help you become a craps expert in no time.

How do you play craps? A game of craps is played in the following manner:

First off, craps starts with a come-out roll. This is the first term you should learn if you want to become a craps player. What does this mean? The come-out roll is the first roll of the dice or the first one after the previous betting round has finished. The player who throws the dice is called the 'shooter'. 

The 'shooter' takes two dice and throws them on the craps table/press the 'roll' button (in online craps). Once the number rolled is on the table/appears on your screen, there are three possible outcomes:
 

• Natural

This is the best outcome you can get and it means that the result of your roll is a 7 or an 11. When this happens, you win and get to roll the dice again. 

• Craps

This one is not so good and it means that the result of your roll is a 2 (aka the Snake Eyes), 3, or 12. When this happens, you lose, but that doesn’t mean the round is over and you get to roll again.

• Point

Rolling a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is called a “point”. In a live casino, a dealer would mark the rolled number on the table. In online craps, a small button appears once the point is rolled. It’s white and says 'on'.

The shooter keeps rolling while players bet on the outcome of each until they roll either a 7 or the point value that has been set up. After following a roll of either 7 or the point value, the round is over and a new come-out roll is required.

It is customary for the shooter to pass the dice to another player if a round ends with a 7. However, if the round ends with the point value being rolled, the shooter continues to play as a shooter.

In a nutshell, this is the basic rules for craps. What makes the game more complex and dynamic are the different types of craps bets that can be placed, which will be discussed in the section down below.

Popular Craps Bet Types

There are various ways to bet on each roll of the dice, so to narrow things down, we have put together a list of the most popular craps bet types. Here are the bet types in a craps game you really need to know about, each one with their own basic craps rules: 
 

Pass or Don’t Pass Bets

• The Pass Line Bet means if a 7 or 11 is rolled out, you win and the round is over. If a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled out, you lose and the round is over. If any other craps numbers are rolled out, the number that comes up is known as the “point” and the round goes on. Every time the point comes up again, you win even money. If a 7 is rolled out, the round is over, and you lose. If any other number comes up, the round continues without losing or winning.
• The Don’t Pass Line Bet means that if a 2 or 3 is rolled out you win, and you lose if a 7 or 11 comes up. If 12 is rolled out, then it’s a tie, which means you neither win nor lose, but the round is over. Any other number that comes up determines the point. On rolls that follow, you win even money.

Come or Don’t Come Bets

• The Come Bet can only be made after the point has been established. It’s an even-money bet with the same craps game rules as a Pass Line bet: if the come-bet point rolls out again before 7 does, you win. 
• The Don’t Come Bet can only be made after a point has been established. It’s an even-money bet with the same rules as a Don’t Pass Line bet: if the shooter rolls a 2 or 3, you win. If a 7 or 11 is rolled out, you’re not so lucky. 

Propositions Bets

Proposition bets involve a single toss of the dice and have higher payouts than other betting options. They also have a higher house edge, which is the reason why this type of bet should be avoided by players. However, if you are not afraid to risk a little bit in order to win big, this bet is just as good.

Down below, we have listed the main propositions bets you should be aware of, alongside their payouts:

• Any 7: A roll of 7 pays 4 to 1

• Any 11: A roll of 11 pays 15 to 1

• Any Craps: A roll of 2, 3 or 12 pays 7 to 1

• Ace Deuce: A roll of 3 pays 15 to 1

• Aces: A roll of 2 pays 10 to 1

• Boxcar: A roll of 12 pays 30 to 1 

Craps House Edge

Craps has a house edge higher than most casino games. If you’re lucky, you will have no house edge on the odds bets and only 1.41% on the Pass Line. If you’re not that lucky, you will have house edges over 10% on bets such as Proposition 2 and 12.

The house edge in craps can manifest in 3 ways:

• Per bet made: when pushes are being counted;
• Per bet resolved: when pushes are not being counted; 
• Per roll: the house advantage per a single bet resolved divided by the average number of rolls. 

By now you must have already learned a thing or two about how the craps game does its magic, so we suggest applying your newly acquired knowledge in free play mode, by exploring our Casino Craps Games. 

However, if you are ready to go for real money and start winning big, you can check out our dynamic Casino Bonuses for Craps.