Craps is a dice game where players bet on the result of rolling two dice. The simplest bet is the pass line: you win if the first roll is 7 or 11, lose if it is 2, 3 or 12, and otherwise win only if that number (the point) is rolled again before a 7. The pass line carries a house edge of 1.41%, one of the lowest on a casino floor.
The table looks busy, but a beginner needs only two bets and one idea. This guide explains the rules from New Jersey’s public casino regulations, then ranks the common bets by cost using exact probabilities we calculated ourselves from all 36 dice outcomes.
How do you play craps: what happens in a round?
A round starts with the shooter’s come-out roll and ends when the pass line bet is decided. Anyone at the table can bet with or against the shooter. The rules below follow N.J.A.C. 13:47-20.25.
The come-out roll. The first roll of a new decision has three outcomes:
- 7 or 11 (a natural): pass line wins, don’t pass loses.
- 2, 3 or 12 (craps): pass line loses. Don’t pass wins on 2 or 3. On 12, don’t pass is void and your bet is returned.
- 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10: that number becomes the point.
Once a point is set. The shooter keeps rolling. If the point repeats before a 7, pass wins and don’t pass loses. If a 7 comes first, pass loses and don’t pass wins. Then a new come-out roll begins.
That is the whole game for a pass line bettor. Everything else is a side option on top.
What are the main bets in craps?
Four bets form the core of the game, and they are the ones to learn first. Each is a bet on the same sequence of rolls, seen from a different side or at a different time.
- Pass line: bet with the shooter. Wins on a come-out 7 or 11, or when the point repeats before a 7.
- Don’t pass: bet against the shooter. Wins on a come-out 2 or 3, or on a 7 before the point. A come-out 12 is a push.
- Come: works like a pass line bet but is placed after a point is set. The next roll acts as its own come-out roll.
- Don’t come: the mirror image of come, working like a don’t pass bet.
Casinos also allow an odds bet behind a pass or don’t pass bet once a point is set. Odds are paid at the true probability, so they carry no house edge. The New Jersey page we cite does not describe odds, and the maximum multiple varies by table, so read the table’s posted limit.
What are the odds on each roll?
Every dice outcome comes from 36 combinations of two dice, and a 7 is the most common total. We counted each total from all 36 possibilities, so the figures below are exact.
| Total | Ways to roll | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| 2 or 12 | 1 | 2.78% |
| 3 or 11 | 2 | 5.56% |
| 4 or 10 | 3 | 8.33% |
| 5 or 9 | 4 | 11.11% |
| 6 or 8 | 5 | 13.89% |
| 7 | 6 | 16.67% |
A 7 comes up one roll in six, which is why a point bettor is always racing against it. With a point of 6 or 8, the point repeats before a 7 with probability 5 in 11 (45.5%). With a point of 4 or 10 it is 3 in 9 (33.3%).
How much does each craps bet cost?
The house edge of a bet is the average share of your stake you lose over time. We computed each edge exactly from the New Jersey payouts, so you can compare bets directly.
| Bet | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Don’t pass | 1 to 1 | 1.36% |
| Pass line | 1 to 1 | 1.41% |
| Come | 1 to 1 | 1.41% |
| Place 6 or 8 | 7 to 6 | 1.52% |
| Place 5 or 9 | 7 to 5 | 4.00% |
| Field (2 and 12 pay 2 to 1) | 1 to 1 | 5.56% |
| Place 4 or 10 | 9 to 5 | 6.67% |
| Hard 6 or 8 | 9 to 1 | 9.09% |
| Hard 4 or 10 | 7 to 1 | 11.11% |
| Any craps | 7 to 1 | 11.11% |
| Eleven in one roll | 15 to 1 | 11.11% |
| Two or twelve in one roll | 30 to 1 | 13.89% |
| Any seven | 4 to 1 | 16.67% |
The pattern is clear. Bets decided over several rolls on the main line cost under 1.5%. The one-roll and center-table bets cost 9% to 17%, because the casino pays less than the true odds on rare outcomes.
How is the pass line edge 1.41%?
The pass line wins in 244 of 495 equally weighted outcomes, which is 49.29%. We get that by adding the chance of a natural (8 in 36) to the chance of each point winning: 3 in 36 times 3 in 9 for points 4 and 10, 4 in 36 times 4 in 10 for 5 and 9, and 5 in 36 times 5 in 11 for 6 and 8.
That total of 0.4929 means a pass bettor wins slightly less than half the time. At even money, the expected loss is 1 minus twice 0.4929, or 1.41% of each bet. Don’t pass wins 47.9% of the time, loses 49.3% and pushes 2.8% of the time (the come-out 12). Counting the pushes as bets, that leaves a 1.36% edge. The two sides are close, and neither is a safe way to win.
What is an odds bet, and why is it different?
An odds bet is an extra wager you can add behind a pass or don’t pass bet after a point is set. It is paid at the true odds of the point beating the 7, so the odds part of your money has no house edge. Table limits cap how much odds you can take, and the limit is posted at each table.
| Point | Pass odds pay | Don’t pass odds pay | Chance point beats 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 2 to 1 | 1 to 2 | 33.3% |
| 5 or 9 | 3 to 2 | 2 to 3 | 40.0% |
| 6 or 8 | 6 to 5 | 5 to 6 | 45.5% |
The maths is simple: if the point has a one in three chance, a fair payout is 2 to 1. Odds do not lower the 1.41% edge on the line bet itself, but they lower the average edge across your total money on the table, because part of it is bet at zero edge. They also raise the amount you can lose on a single decision, which is why they are not a safer choice, just a cheaper one per dollar.
What mistakes do beginners make in craps?
The biggest mistakes are betting the center of the table and misreading the pace. The usual ones:
- Playing proposition bets. Any seven loses 16.67% of the stake on average, which is more than ten times the pass line cost.
- Placing 4 or 10 for 6.67% when the pass line costs 1.41%.
- Believing in hot or cold streaks. Dice have no memory, so each roll is independent.
- Raising bets after a loss. A bigger bet does not change the edge, it only increases the amount lost.
- Not knowing the table minimum. Check the minimum and the maximum odds before you put chips down.
Speed is a cost in itself. The faster the dice are thrown, the more bets you make, and the expected loss grows with every one.
What does craps actually cost to play?
Craps costs the house edge times the total you wager. A $10 pass line bettor who plays 100 come-out cycles puts $1,000 at risk and expects to lose about $14.10, but a single session can swing far above or below that.
Odds bets lower the average cost per dollar, but they also raise the amount you have on the table at one time. A good way to manage this is to decide how much you can lose before you sit down, and leave when it is gone. Our guide to setting a gambling budget and time limit walks through how, and the Safer play toolkit lists tools and support. If gambling is hurting you or someone close to you, visit our get help page.
Check that a game is legal and licensed where you live before you play.
What should you learn next?
Practice the pass line and don’t pass with two dice at home until the come-out rules are automatic. Then compare craps with other table games: blackjack can be 0.4% with good play, and baccarat is 1.06% on its best bet.