How a round works
The first roll is the come-out roll. A 7 or 11 wins for the pass line; a 2, 3 or 12 loses. Any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) becomes the point.
The shooter then rolls until the point comes again, which wins for the pass line, or a 7 appears, which loses. Then a new come-out roll starts.
A craps round has two phases. The come-out phase has one purpose: to find out whether a point is set. The point phase has a different purpose: to find out whether the point or a 7 arrives first. Each phase has its own bets, so a beginner should always know which phase the table is in.
The shooter is the player who rolls the two dice. The pass line bet wins with the shooter, and the don't pass bet wins against the shooter. Every player at the table can bet either way, and the shooter does not need to bet on the shooter's own roll. The dice have no memory, so a streak of one number does not change the next roll.
The bets, from cheapest to most expensive
| Bet | How it wins | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Odds (behind pass or come) | Point before 7, paid at true odds | 0% |
| Don't pass / don't come | Against the shooter | 1.36% |
| Pass line / come | With the shooter | 1.41% |
| Place 6 or 8 | 6 or 8 before 7 | 1.52% |
| Field | 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 next roll | 2.78% to 5.56% |
| Any seven | 7 next roll | 16.67% |
Put most of your stake on the odds bet once a point is set, since it has no house edge. Online tables often allow odds of several times the pass line bet.
The house edge is the average share of each stake the casino keeps over many rolls. The pass line has a house edge of 1.41%. The don't pass line has a house edge of 1.36%, which is slightly lower. The two edges are close, so choose the side you find easier to follow. The edge does not predict a single session, which can end well above or below the average.
The odds bet works differently from the others in the table. The odds bet is not a separate game. It backs a pass or come bet that already has a point. The odds bet pays true odds, which is why its house edge is 0%. A beginner who makes the pass line bet and then takes full odds keeps the bets that cost least in reach.
Live and digital craps at new casinos
RNG craps rolls instantly and often has a demo. Live craps streams a real dice roll and is slower, which costs less per hour at the same stake. Both use the same rules and payouts.
RNG craps uses a random number generator to produce each roll. RNG craps lets you play many rounds in a short time, so the house edge applies to more rolls per hour. That speed makes a session budget more important, not less.
Live craps uses a real table and a presenter or dealer on a video stream. Live craps suits players who want the feel of a table at a slower pace. Check the table limits and the maximum odds multiple in the game info panel before you place a bet, since they differ between tables and casinos.
Common beginner mistakes
- Betting on every roll and on proposition bets.
- Chasing losses with bigger stakes.
- Using Martingale: doubling after each loss quickly hits the table limit.
- Playing without a session budget.
- Playing tired or after drinking.
Craps often counts little or nothing toward bonus wagering. Check the terms first; our bonus page explains how to read them.
Chasing losses is the most costly mistake on the list. A bigger stake after a loss does not change the odds of the next roll. It only raises the size of the next loss. Stop at the budget you set before the session began.
The Martingale system fails for a structural reason. Every table has a maximum bet, and a run of losses reaches that cap faster than most players expect. Once the cap blocks the next doubled stake, the system cannot recover the earlier losses.
Practise for free
Free RNG craps lets you learn the layout and the flow of a round without risk. Move to real money at the minimum stake once the pass line and odds bets feel routine. More table game tips are in our table games guide.
Use demo play with a clear aim. Learn to name the phase of the round, to place a pass line bet, and to add an odds bet after a point is set. Skip the proposition bets while you practise, since they teach little about how the game works.
Demo results do not predict real-money results. A demo session has no cost, so your choices there can be looser than they would be with your own money. Players who want to compare other options for newcomers can see the best new casino games for beginners to find games with simpler rules.