Craps Guide: How to Play the Dice Game

Craps is a dice game where players bet on the outcome of a roll or series of rolls. The game begins with a 'come-out' roll. If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, Pass bets win. A 2, 3, or 12 means Pass bets lose. Any other number establishes the 'point.'

The Pass Line is the most fundamental bet in craps with a house edge of just 1.41%. You win on a come-out roll of 7 or 11 and lose on 2, 3, or 12. Once a point is established, you win if the point is rolled again before a 7.

The odds bet is the best bet in any casino—it pays true odds with zero house edge. After a point is established, you can place an odds bet behind your Pass Line bet. The size of the odds bet you can place depends on the casino, typically 3x to 100x.

Proposition bets in the center of the table carry high house edges of 5-16%. Hardway bets, Big 6/Big 8, and any craps bets should all be avoided. Stick to Pass/Don't Pass, Come/Don't Come, and odds bets for the best mathematical chances.