Dice games · Free tool
How to Play Craps: The Rules, the Bets Worth Making and a Free Craps Game
Quick answer
Craps is played in rounds. On the first roll (the come-out), a pass line bet wins on 7 or 11 and loses on 2, 3 or 12. Any other total becomes the point; you then win if the point is rolled again before a 7. The pass line wins 49.29% of the time, a 1.41% house edge, and adding the odds bet lowers the overall edge further.
| Come-out roll | 7 or 11 wins, 2, 3 or 12 loses, anything else sets the point |
|---|---|
| Pass line wins | 244 of 495 games (49.29%) |
| House edge | Pass 1.41%, don't pass 1.36%, odds bet 0% |
| Pass + 3-4-5x odds | 0.37% of the total amount bet |
| Most common total | 7: 6 of 36 combinations (16.67%) |
| Rolls per pass line decision | about 3.38 on average |
Craps looks complicated because the table is covered in bets. The game itself is simple: one player, the shooter, rolls two dice, and almost everything comes down to whether a 7 shows up at the right time or the wrong time. This guide explains how to play craps in plain steps. You can then practise on our free craps table, which rolls with a fair digital pair of dice.
Free craps table
OFF
–
Put chips on the Pass Line, then Roll.
Balance 1,000
Craps simulator
Plays the pass line and don't pass over and over with fair dice, and compares the results with the exact odds.
How to play craps, step by step
1. The come-out roll
A round starts with the come-out roll. The puck on the table says OFF. Bet on the pass line and watch the dice:
| Come-out total | Pass line | Don't pass |
|---|---|---|
| 7 or 11 ("natural") | Wins | Loses |
| 2, 3 ("craps") | Loses | Wins |
| 12 ("craps") | Loses | Pushes (bar 12) |
| 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 | That number becomes the point | Same |
2. The point
If the come-out sets a point, the puck turns ON and sits on that number. The shooter keeps rolling until one of two things happens:
- The point comes up again: pass line wins, don't pass loses, and a new come-out begins.
- A 7 comes up ("seven out"): pass line loses, don't pass wins, and the dice pass to the next shooter.
Every other total is ignored by the line bets, though it may settle other bets on the table.
3. Add the odds bet
Once a point is set, you can put extra chips behind your pass line bet. This is the odds bet, and it pays true odds, so the house has no edge on it at all:
| Point | Chance of making it before a 7 | Odds bet pays | Typical maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 3 in 9 (33.3%) | 2 to 1 | 3× your line bet |
| 5 or 9 | 4 in 10 (40%) | 3 to 2 | 4× |
| 6 or 8 | 5 in 11 (45.5%) | 6 to 5 | 5× |
Our table allows these "3-4-5x" limits, which are common in US casinos.
Why the pass line wins 49.29% of the time
Two dice make 36 equally likely combinations. Seven has six of them, more than any other total:
| Total | Combinations | Chance per roll |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 2.78% |
| 3 | 2 | 5.56% |
| 4 | 3 | 8.33% |
| 5 | 4 | 11.11% |
| 6 | 5 | 13.89% |
| 7 | 6 | 16.67% |
| 8 | 5 | 13.89% |
| 9 | 4 | 11.11% |
| 10 | 3 | 8.33% |
| 11 | 2 | 5.56% |
| 12 | 1 | 2.78% |
On the come-out, the pass line wins straight away 8 times in 36 (7 or 11) and loses 4 times in 36 (2, 3, 12). Otherwise a point is set, and the chance of making it before a 7 is the point's combinations divided by those plus the 7's six. Adding everything up gives exactly 244 wins in 495 games:
P(pass wins) = 8/36 + Σ P(point) × ways(point) ÷ (ways(point) + 6) = 244/495 ≈ 49.29%Example: a point of 6 is set 5/36 of the time and made 5 times in 11, contributing 5/36 × 5/11 ≈ 6.31%.
That puts the pass line's house edge at 1.41%. Don't pass is the mirror image, apart from the 12 pushing, which leaves it at 1.36%. Our craps odds guide has the full working for every bet.
The other bets on our table
| Bet | How it works | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass line | Explained above | 1:1 | 1.41% |
| Don't pass | Opposite of pass; 12 on the come-out pushes | 1:1 | 1.36% |
| Odds (behind pass) | Point before 7 | True odds | 0% |
| Pass + full 3-4-5x odds | Combined | – | 0.37% of total bet |
| Place 6 or 8 | That number before a 7; off on the come-out | 7:6 | 1.52% |
| Field | One roll: 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 wins | 1:1, 2 pays 2:1, 12 pays 3:1 | 2.78% |
We calculated the place, field and combined-odds figures exactly from the dice combinations. Among bets you'll find on most tables, the hardways and one-roll proposition bets in the middle cost far more: "any 7" at 4:1 has a 16.67% edge, and hard 6 at 9:1 has 9.09%.
Craps strategy for beginners
- Stick to the pass line (or don't pass) plus odds. It's the cheapest way to play.
- Take odds instead of raising your line bet. Moving money from the line to the odds lowers the average edge on what you bet.
- Use place 6 and 8 if you want more action. At 1.52%, they're the next best common bets.
- Avoid the centre of the table. Proposition bets pay big but carry edges of 9% to 17%.
- No system beats the edge. Betting progressions and "dice setting" don't change the 36 combinations.
A round of craps lasts about 3.38 rolls on average, by our calculation. Your bankroll goes further than the edge alone suggests, but table games are fast, and a busy table makes a lot of rolls per hour.
Craps etiquette
- Put chips on the table and let the dealer place bets you can't reach. Don't hand chips directly to a dealer.
- When you're the shooter, use one hand and hit the far wall with both dice.
- Keep your hands out of the way while the dice are in the air.
- Saying "seven" at the table is considered bad luck by many players. It doesn't change the odds, but it's polite to avoid it.
Bubble craps and online craps
Bubble craps machines shake the dice inside a clear dome and settle bets electronically. Online craps uses a random number generator in place of real dice, as our table does. The rules are the same, but payouts and odds limits can differ, so check the help screen. A field bet that pays only 2:1 on 12, for example, doubles the field's house edge to 5.56%.
More dice and casino games
- Craps odds: every bet's probability and house edge
- Dice games you can play at home
- Free blackjack and free baccarat
Back to the dice games hub.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play craps for beginners?
Put a bet on the pass line before the come-out roll. If the shooter rolls 7 or 11 you win, and 2, 3 or 12 loses. Any other number becomes the point. The shooter keeps rolling: if the point comes up again before a 7, you win; if a 7 comes first, you lose. That one bet is all you need to play.
What is the best bet in craps?
The odds bet behind the pass or don't pass line. It pays true odds, so it has no house edge at all. You can only make it after a point is set and only as an add-on to a line bet, so the best real-world combination is pass line plus as much odds as you're comfortable with.
Why is 7 so important in craps?
Seven is the most likely total with two dice: 6 of the 36 combinations make it, 16.67% of rolls. It wins on the come-out roll but ends the round once a point is set ('seven out'), so most of the game revolves around it.
What is bubble craps?
Bubble craps is an electronic craps machine where the dice tumble inside a clear dome and the results are read automatically. The rules and most payouts match table craps, but some machines change payouts or the odds allowed, so check the paytable before playing.
Is the field bet a good bet?
It's better than most proposition bets but worse than the pass line. Where 2 pays double and 12 pays triple, the field has a 2.78% house edge, about twice the pass line's. Where both 2 and 12 pay double, it rises to 5.56%.
Can I play craps online for free?
Yes. Our craps table above runs in your browser with play chips. It covers the pass line, don't pass, odds, field and place 6 and 8, and the simulator plays up to a million pass line games to show the real win rate.
Sources
- Craps Basics — Wizard of Odds. Pass 1.41%; don't pass 1.36%; odds 0%; place 6/8 1.52% per bet resolved; place 5/9 4.00%; place 4/10 6.67%; any seven 16.67%