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Craps Rules
If you would like to learn the basics about the game of craps,
please go to your Introduction to Craps page. You may
also visit our Craps Strategies page to learn
more about the game of craps. Practice for free with our
Free Craps Game.
Craps can be an intimidating game for the beginner. The
table seems to have about a hundred different kinds of bets, the players
are barking out commands in what seems to be a foreign language, and the
pace is too fast to ever ask a question. I can sympathize with the beginner
because it wasn't that long ago that this was how craps appeared to me.
If this is how you view the game I have good news. There
is one fundamental bet that almost all players make. You can easily get
by knowing just this bet your first time. As you get more experienced
you can add more bets to your repertoire. After just your first five minutes
you should feel comfortable with the flow of the game and can start acting
natural, like you've been a craps player for years.
Critical to the understanding of craps is that it is a
game of rounds. The first roll in a round is called the come out roll.
Sometimes the outcome of a round will be determined on the come out roll.
In particular a 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12 on the come out roll immediately ends
a round. If any other total is rolled (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) that number
is called the point. The dealer will place a white puck on an area of
the table to designate what the point is, in case you forget. If a point
is rolled the dice will be rolled continuously until the same point is
rolled again or a 7.
The Pass Line
The pass line is the most fundamental bet in craps, almost
every player at the table bets on it. The house edge on the pass line
is only 1.41%, which is not bad compared to most other bets on the table
and other games in the casino.
The pass line is an even money bet. You start by placing
your bet on the pass line area on the table on a come out roll. If the
come out roll is a 7 or 11 you win. If the come out roll is a 2, 3, or
12 you lose. If any point is rolled on the come out roll if the point
is rolled again before a 7 you win. If a 7 comes before the point you
lose. Never place a pass line bet after the come out roll. This is allowed
but is highly illadvised because the odds of winning on the come out roll
are much greater than those of losing.
That is all there is to it. Once you understand the pass
line bet you are ready to play craps. You may want to practice on the
kitchen table a few times before playing for real money.
Taking the Odds
Have you ever wanted a bet with no house edge? Craps offers just such
a bet, as long as you bet on the pass line first. Once a point has been
thrown you may bet up to some multiple, usually 2 times, your pass line
bet on the 'odds.' The odds are simply an additional wager that the point
will be rolled before a 7. Because the probability of the point being
rolled first is less than 50% you win more than you bet if it happens.
Specifically if the point is a 6 or 8 the odds pay 6:5, if the point is
a 5 or 9 the odds pay 3:2, and if the point is a 4 or 10 the odds pay
2:1.
The multiple you may bet on the odds is usually twice
the pass line bet for points of 4,5,9, and 10, and two and a half times
the pass line bet on the 6 and 8. The reason you may bet more on a point
of 6 or 8 is so that you can place a $5 odds bet on top of a $2 pass line
bet. A $4 odds bet on a 6 or 8 would win $4.80 and nobody likes to deal
with small change at the craps table. A $5 odds bet on the 6 or 8 wins
an even $6.
The table below shows the house edge when you combine
the pass line and odds:
Combined house edge on the
pass line and taking odds |
| 1X odds |
0.848% |
| 2X odds |
0.606% |
| Full double odds |
0.572% |
| 3X odds |
0.471% |
| 3-4-5X odds |
0.374% |
| 5X odds |
0.326% |
| 10X odds |
0.184% |
| 20X odds |
0.099% |
| 100X odds |
0.021% |
"Full double odds" means the player can take
2.5 times odds on a point of 6 or 8, and 2 times on all other points.
"3-4-5 times odds" means the player can take 3X odds on the
4 and 10, 4X on the 5 and 9, and 5X on the 6 and 8. Assuming the player
takes the maximum allowable odds the payoff on any odds bet will conveniently
always be 6X the pass or come bet.
Don't Pass
The don't pass is almost the opposite of the pass line bet. If the come
out roll is a 2 or 3 then you win, a 7 or 11 you lose. A 12 is a push.
Otherwise the dice are rolled over and over until either the point or
a 7 is rolled. If the 7 comes before the point you win.
A person betting on the don't pass is called a "wrong"
bettor and is usually winning when everone else is losing, and vise versa.
You definately want to keep a low profile if you take this bet, nobody
is going to want to see you boasting about winning if everyone else just
lost.
The house edge on the don't pass bet is 1.364%.
Laying the Odds
This is the opposite of taking odds, in other words betting that a 7 will
be rolled before the point.
If the point is a 4 or 10 the don't odds pay 1:2.
If the point is a 5 or 9 the don't odds pay 2:3.
if the point is a 6 or 8 the don't odds pay 5:6.
The amount you may win by laying odds is the product of
your don't pass bet and the multiple of odds allowed per the table rules.
If the table allows five times odds then you can win five times your don't
pass bet by laying odds. Note that the multiple applies to how much you
can win, not how much you can bet. For example if you bet $2 on the don't
pass and the table allows full double odds then you can bet $8 to win
$4 on a point of 4 or 10, $6 to win $4 on a point of 5 or 9, and $6 to
win $5 on a point of 6 or 8.
The following table shows the combined house edge on both
the don't pass bet and laying odds:
Combined house edge on
don't pass and laying odds |
| 1X odds |
0.682% |
| 2X odds |
0.455% |
| Full double odds |
0.431% |
| 3X odds |
0.341% |
| 3-4-5X odds |
0.273% |
| 5X odds |
0.227% |
| 10X odds |
0.124% |
| 20X odds |
0.065% |
| 100X odds |
0.014% |
Come
Have you ever become bored waiting for a point to be thrown and didn't
want to waste your money on the sucker bets to guarantee a money flow
on every throw? If so then try the come bet. It is like the pass line
bet but may be made at any time. Like the pass line bet you may also put
money on the odds if a point is thrown on the first roll after the come
bet is placed and has a house edge of 1.41%.
There is a nuance to the come bet the player should know
about. If a point is thrown and there are still active come bets on the
table waiting for a different point then special rules apply for the following
come out roll. The come out roll will still apply to active come bets
but it will not apply to their respective odds bets, unless it is requested
to leave the odds "on." In the event a come bet is resolved
on a come out roll then the odds bet will be returned.
A good strategy for the player who likes constant action
is to have a new bet on either the pass line or come on every throw, and
to always take the maximum allowable odds.
Don't Come
The don't come bet is like the don't pass bet, but is made on a non-come
out roll.
The Place Number Bets
In craps the 4,5,6,8,9, and 10 are known as the "place numbers."
For the player who must have money on some or all of them immediately
they may make certain bets to cover any place number(s) they desire. These
bets work just like the odds but pay worse odds, with the exception of
the "hard way" bets which are described below. Like odds bets
on top of come bets, place number bets are turned off on a come out roll.
There is a high price for impatience in craps in the form
of a higher house edge. To further exploit the impatient or ignorant player
there can be two or three different bets on the exact same thing, and
they will all pay different odds. You might think players would only bet
on the option with the best odds but you would be quite wrong, it is routine
to see players throwing their money away on the higher house edge versions
of the same bet. For example the place bet on 6, the buy bet on 6, and
the big 6 all are betting that a 6 will be rolled before a 7 but pay 7:6,
24:21, and 1:1 respectively, for house edges of 1.52%, 4.76%, and 9.09%.
Specific descriptions of the various bets are below.
* Big 6: A bet that a 6 will be rolled before a 7. Pays
even money. house edge of 9.09%. Note that this is exactly the same as
a place bet on 6, only the place bet pays 7:6 and has a house edge of
only 1.52%. Only a fool or someone ignorant of the game would bet on the
Big 6.
* Big 8: The same as the Big 6 only that an 8 will be
rolled before a 7.
* Buy bets This is essentially the same as the place
bet, only with a different payoff. The player may "buy" any
of the points (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10), which means to bet that the number
will be rolled before a 7. When making a buy bet you must pay a 5% commission
and your bet will pay fair odds if it wins. Fair odds are 2:1 on the 4
and 10, 3:2 on the 5 and 9, and 6:5 on the 6 and 8. A buy bet should be
an increment of $20 so that the 5% commission can be an even dollar amount.
Another way to look at it is that the buy bet pays 39:21 on the 4 and
10, 29:21 on the 5 and 9, and 23:21 on the 6 and 8. If the bet is not
divisible by $20 the commission will be rounded up or down to the nearest
dollar. The house edge on all buy bets is 4.76%. The house edge on the
5, 6, 8, and 9 place bets are all lower than the buy bet, thus the buy
bet on these numbers should be avoided.
Note 1: If the commission is rounded down the player
can cut down the house edge by betting just under $40 for a commission
of $1. A buy bet of $39 on the 4 or 10 has a house edge of 2.5%. A buy
bet of $38 on the 5 or 9 has a house edge of 2.56%. A buy bet of $35 on
the 6 or 8 has a house edge of 2.78% which is still not as good as the
place bet.
Note 2: Some Las Vegas casinos, the Golden Nugget to
name just one, charge the commission on the buy bet on 4 and 10 only if
it wins. This lowers the house edge to 1.67%.
* Hard ways: There are four different hard way bets.
For example a hard 4 bet is betting that a pair of twos will be rolled
before a 7 or any other way to roll a total of 4. This is called "the
hard way" because it is harder to roll two twos than a one and a
three. Likewise you can bet on a hard 6,8, or 10, each of which is a bet
that the hard way of rolling the given number will occur before a 7 or
any "easy" way.
The casino pays 7:1 on a hard 4 or 10 with a house edge
of 11.11%.
The casino pays 9:1 on a hard 6 or 8 with a house edge of 9.09%.
* Lay bets The lay bet is the opposite of the buy bet
. The lay bets may be placed on the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. The bet itself
is that a 7 will be rolled before the number you choose. Because the 7
is the most likely number to be rolled you will wager more than you can
win. The player must pay a 5% commission on the possible winnings and
the fair odds are paid on the bet itself. Fair odds are 1:2 on the 4 and
10, 2:3 on the 5 and 9, and 5:6 on the 4 and 8. Another way to look at
it is that lay bet pays 19:41 on the 4 and 10, 19:31 on the 5 and 9, and
19:25 on the 6 and 8. Bets on the 4 and 10 should be in increments of
$40, bets on the 5 and 9 should be in crements of $30, and bets on the
6 and 8 in crements of $24, so that the 5% commission will be divisible
by $1. If the commission is not divisible by $1 it will be rounded up,
thus increasing the dealer's edge. For example if you want to bet on the
10 the least bet should be $40 (not including the $1 commission) and if
a 7 is rolled before a 10 you will win $20. The house edge on the 4 and
10 is 2.44%, on the 5 and 9 it is 3.23%, and on the 6 and 8 it is 4.00%.
Note: If the commission is rounded down the player can
cut down the house edge by betting so that the winnings will be just under
$40. A lay bet of $78 on the 4 or 10 has a house edge of 1.27%. A lay
bet of $57 on the 5 or 9 has a house edge of 1.72%. A lay bet of $42 on
the 6 or 8 has a house edge of 2.33%. All of these are better than the
place bets to lose.
* Place bet: This is very similar to laying odds. You
may bet on a 4,5,6,8,9, or 10. If the number you bet on is rolled before
a 7 then you win according to payoff schedule below. Unlike laying odds
you don't need to have a pass line bet, you don't have to bet on the point,
but there is a house edge. I personally often make a place bet on the
6 and 8, which have the lowest house edge.
A place bet on 4 or 10 pays 9:5 with a house edge of
6.67%.
A place bet on 5 or 9 pays 7:5 with a house edge of 4.00%.
A place bet on 6 or 8 pays 7:6 with a house edge of only 1.52%.
When a place bets wins the dealer will return your winnings
but leave the original bet on the table, essentially establishing a new
place bet. You may request that the original bet be returned of course.
In fact you may take back an active place bet at any time or you may "turn
them off" temporarily.
The table below is a summary of the various place number
bets for quick comparison. Cells that are in red indicate that there is
an identical bet that pays better odds.
| Bet |
Description |
Pays |
House Edge |
| Big 6 |
6 before 7 |
1:1 |
9.09% |
| Big 8 |
8 before 7 |
1:1 |
9.09% |
| Buy (4) |
4 before 7 |
39:21 |
4.76% |
| Buy (5) |
5 before 7 |
29:21 |
4.76% |
| Buy (6) |
6 before 7 |
23:21 |
4.76% |
| Buy (8) |
8 before 7 |
23:21 |
4.76% |
| Buy (9) |
9 before 7 |
29:21 |
4.76% |
| Buy (10) |
10 before 7 |
39:21 |
4.76% |
| Hard 4 |
Hard 4 before 7 or easy 4 |
7:1 |
11.11% |
| Hard 6 |
Hard 6 before 7 or easy 6 |
9:1 |
9.09% |
| Hard 8 |
Hard 8 before 7 or easy 8 |
9:1 |
9.09% |
| Hard 10 |
Hard 10 before 7 or easy 10 |
7:1 |
11.11% |
| Lay (4) |
7 before 4 |
19:41 |
2.44% |
| Lay (5) |
7 before 5 |
19:31 |
3.23% |
| Lay (6) |
7 before 6 |
19:25 |
4.00% |
| Lay (8) |
7 before 8 |
19:25 |
4.00% |
| Lay (9) |
7 before 9 |
19:31 |
3.23% |
| Lay (10) |
7 before 10 |
19:41 |
2.44% |
| Place (4) |
4 before 7 |
9:5 |
6.67% |
| Place (5) |
5 before 7 |
7:5 |
4.00% |
| Place (6) |
6 before 7 |
7:6 |
1.52% |
| Place (8) |
8 before 7 |
7:6 |
1.52% |
| Place (9) |
9 before 7 |
7:5 |
4.00% |
| Place (10) |
10 before 7 |
9:5 |
6.67% |
Put Bets
A put bet is a combination of making a pass line or come bet after a point
is established and betting on the odds. It is in general a bad idea to
make a line bet after a point is established, however by taking the odds
the combined house edge can be lower than a corresponding place or buy
bet. The following table displays the combined house edge according to
the point and the multiple of odds taken.
| Odds Multiple |
Point of 4,10 |
Point of 5,9 |
Point of 6,8 |
| 0 |
33.33% |
20.00% |
9.09% |
| 1 |
16.67% |
10.00% |
4.55% |
| 2 |
11.11% |
6.67% |
3.03% |
| 3 |
8.33% |
5.00% |
2.27% |
| 4 |
6.67% |
4.00% |
1.82% |
| 5 |
5.56% |
3.33% |
1.52% |
| 6 |
4.76% |
2.86% |
1.30% |
| 10 |
3.03% |
1.82% |
0.83% |
| 20 |
1.59% |
0.95% |
0.43% |
| 100 |
0.33% |
0.20% |
0.09% |
If the point is a 4 or 10 the house edge on the put bet
with six times odds is the same as a corresponding buy bet. If the point
is a 5 or 9 the house edge on the put bet with four times odds is the
same as a corresponding place bet. If the point is a 6 or 8 the house
edge on the put bet with five odds is the same as a corresponding place
bet. In other words you have to back up the put with with 4 to 6 times
odds for the house edge to be equal to the best option between a corresponding
place or buy bet.
It should be noted that put bets are not allowed in some
casinos.
The Proposition Bets
Proposition bets either win or lose on the next throw. In general these
have the highest house edge of all the craps bets and for the player with
any sense are to be avoided completely. Specific descriptions of the various
bets are below.
* Craps 2: A bet that a 2 will be thrown on the next
roll. Pays 30:1. house edge 13.89%.
* Craps 3: A bet that a 3 will be thrown on the next
roll. Pays 15:1. house edge 11.11%.
* 7: A bet that a 7 will be thrown on the next roll.
Pays 4:1. house edge 16.67%.
* 11: A bet that an 11 will be thrown on the next roll.
Pays 15:1. house edge 11.11%.
* Craps 12: A bet that a 12 will be thrown on the next
roll. Pays 30:1. house edge 13.89%.
* Any craps: A bet that the next roll will be a 2, 3,
or 12. Pays 7:1. house edge 11.11%.
* Field bet: This is a one time bet that the next roll
will be a 2,3,4,9,10,11, or 12. The 3,4,9,10, and 11 pay even money and
the 2 and 12 pay 2:1. In some casinos, largely confined to downtown Las
Vegas, the 12 will pay 3:1. Some casinos pay on 5 instead of the 9. If
the 12 pays 2:1 the house edge is 5.56%, if the 12 pays 3:1 the house
edge is 2.78%. On the surface this seems like a great bet because 7 numbers
win and only 4 lose. However the 4 that lose are much more likely to be
rolled.
* Hop Bets: These are among the worst bets on the craps
table. There is no specific place on the table for these but the dealers
will broker your bet if you ask. At any time you may bet on what the next
roll will be, exactly. For example you can bet that the next roll will
be a 5 and 3. If you take two different numbers as in the 5 and 3 example
the payoff is 15:1 with a house edge of 11.11%. If you take two of the
same number, for example 5 and 5, the payoff is 30:1 with a house edge
of 13.89%. Note that there are already proposition bets for 1 and 1, 1
and 2, 5 and 6, and 6 and 6.
* Horn Bet: This is a combination of the proposition
bets on the 2, 3, 11, and 12. The player is betting that the next roll
will be any one of these numbers. The bet pays 27:4 on the 2 and 12 and
3:1 on the 3 and 11. Bets must be made in increments of $4. The house
edge is 12.5%.
The table below is a summary of the proposition bets for
quick comparison.
| Bet |
Description |
Pays |
House Edge |
| 2 |
2 on next roll |
30:1 |
13.89% |
| 3 |
3 on next roll |
15:1 |
11.11% |
| 7 |
7 on next roll |
4:1 |
16.67% |
| 11 |
11 on next roll |
15:1 |
11.11% |
| 12 |
12 on next roll |
30:1 |
13.89% |
| Any craps |
2, 3, or 12 on next roll |
7:1 |
11.11% |
| Field (loose) |
2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 on next roll. |
see above |
2.78% |
| Field (tight) |
2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 on next roll. |
see above |
5.56% |
| Hop (two numbers) |
Any specific two numbers on next roll |
15:1 |
11.11% |
| Hop (one number) |
Any specific pair of numbers on next roll |
30:1 |
13.89% |
| Horn |
2, 3, 11, or 12 on next roll |
see above |
12.50% |
Miscellaneous Advice
* Most bets can be removed, added to, or deducted from
at any time. Exceptions would be the pass and come bets, and you can not
exceed the maximum bet on the odds. With the place number and proposition
bets the dealers will often pay winnings only and let the original bet
ride, unless otherwise requested.
* The players take turns throwing the dice. In general
the same person will throw until they seven out. The player may pass the
dice if they want to.
* Know the rules and what to do before you arrive at
the table, especially a busy one. Try not to rely on the dealers for answering
questions.
* Craps has a language all its own. It is beyond the
scope of this page to define all the terminology but you can pick it up
as you go. For example "Two way yo" is craps slang for a bet
on 11 in which half is for the player and half is a bet for the dealers.
* When you throw the dice they are supposed to rebound
off the other side of the table. A throw that doesn't make it that far
looks wimpy and the dealer may make you roll over. However overthrowing
the dice off the table will make you look klutzy and slow down the game
while there is a search for the missing dice and the dealer examines them
to make sure nobody switched them with loaded dice. Dealers prefer a high
lob as opposed to a low roll down the table. They don't like it when the
dice knock down stacks of chips.
* Don't put drinks on the table. There is a little shelf
under the chips for glasses and bottles.
* Don't sit or lean on anything. Except for some sit
down tables I have seen in Laughlin players must stand.
* Don't listen to the advice of the other players. Most
craps players are fools who waste their money on the sucker bets. Unless
you tip, the dealers usually also give bad advice.
* As in all games you should tip the dealers, especially
if they are being especially helpful.When you tip don't make a bet for
the dealers on a sucker bet as most players do. Personally I will toss
them a tip and say "for the table." The dealers will appreciate
that you're not wasting their tip on a bet with a high house edge.
* Blend in with, but do not interact with, the other
players. The players at the craps table tend to be a tough and superstitious
crowd who prefer to be left alone. Do not rebuke anybody for making sucker
bets. Do not do anything that can be interpreted as being unlucky, like
saying a number that would cause the table to lose. I know this sounds
irrational but don't forget that gambling should be for fun so don't take
from anyone else's experience.
* If you are playing for the first time don't announce
this if you are male. Male virgins to the game are said to be unlucky,
and the opposite for females. This is evidently because virginity is despised
in men and valued in women.
Crapsless Craps
In my ten commandments of gambling I advise that you avoid gimmicks and
this is an illustrated example. Some casinos in Mississippi proudly boast
of "crapless craps." In this game the player can not lose a
pass bet on the come out roll. If any number other than a 7 is rolled
on the come out roll it becomes the point. What you are giving up is the
sure winner of 11 on the come out roll. To the mathematically challenged
it may seem a good deal, that you are only giving up 1 sure winner for
3 sure losers. The catch is that the probability of hitting a point of
2 or 12 is only 1/7, and the probability of hitting a point of 3 or 11
is only 1/4. So the player is not gaining much on the 2, 3, and 12 since
they will likely lose anyway, but is giving up a sure winner on 11 for
only a 1/4 chance of winning. Overall the house edge on the pass bet in
crapless craps is 373/6930 =~ 5.382%.
Crapless craps does offer free odds of 6:1 on the 2 and
12, and 3:1 on the 3 and 11. The following table shows the combined house
edge by combining the pass line and the odds:
Combined house edge on
pass and buying odds
in crapless craps |
| 1X odds |
2.936% |
| 2X odds |
2.018% |
| 3X odds |
1.538% |
| 5X odds |
1.042% |
You can also make place bets on the 2, 3, 11, and 12.
The 2 and 12 pay 11:2 with a house edge of 7.143%. The 3 and 11 pay 11:4
with a house edge of 6.250%. There is no don't pass bet in this game.
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