Understanding the Basic Rules of Craps
Craps is a dice game played at casinos where players bet on the outcomes of rolls made with two standard six-sided dice. The game centers on a single shooter who throws the dice, while other players place wagers on various results. Unlike many casino games, craps allows multiple people to win or lose on the same roll, creating a social and interactive atmosphere around the table.
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The fundamental structure of craps begins with the "come-out roll." This is the first roll of a new round, and it establishes what's called the "point." If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll, anyone who bet on "Pass" wins immediately. If the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12, anyone who bet on "Pass" loses immediately (this is called "craps"). Any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) becomes the point, and the game continues until either that number is rolled again (Pass bets win) or a 7 is rolled (Pass bets lose).
The two main betting options available to all players are "Pass" and "Don't Pass." A Pass bet means you're betting that the shooter will win—that they'll either roll 7 or 11 on the come-out roll, or they'll roll their point number before rolling a 7. A Don't Pass bet is the opposite: you're betting against the shooter. On the come-out roll, Don't Pass bets lose if 7 or 11 is rolled, and win if 2 or 3 is rolled. A roll of 12 (called "snake eyes") is a tie on Don't Pass bets.
Understanding the mathematical likelihood of each outcome helps you grasp why certain bets exist and what house advantage means. With two dice, there are 36 possible combinations (6 × 6). A 7 can be made six different ways (1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, 6-1), making it the most likely result. Other numbers have fewer combinations: a 6 can be made five ways, an 8 can be made five ways, and numbers like 2, 3, 11, or 12 can only be made one or two ways each.
Practical takeaway: Before playing, spend time watching a craps table or practicing online to observe the come-out roll and point-establishment process. This will make the flow of the game second nature, allowing you to focus on betting strategy rather than learning rules during play.
Placing Bets and Understanding Odds
Beyond Pass and Don't Pass bets, craps offers numerous additional wagering options, each with different odds and payouts. The most straightforward additional bets are "Come" and "Don't Come" bets, which work identically to Pass and Don't Pass, except they're made after the point is established. These bets can be placed on any roll after the come-out roll, allowing players to make multiple bets during a single round.
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One of the most important concepts in craps is taking or laying odds. Once a point is established, Pass bettors can take odds—adding extra money to their original bet at true odds, meaning the casino has no advantage on that portion of the bet. For example, if the point is 4, you can take odds at 2-to-1. If you bet $10 on Pass and take $20 in odds, and the shooter rolls a 4 before a 7, you win $10 on your Pass bet and $40 on your odds bet (since $20 at 2-to-1 pays $40). Don't Pass bettors can lay odds, which is similar but works in reverse. These odds bets are mathematically favorable compared to most other casino bets because they pay true odds rather than house-favorable odds.
Field bets allow you to wager that certain numbers will be rolled before others. A field bet typically covers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12. If any of these numbers is rolled, your field bet wins. However, field bets have different payouts for different numbers—typically 2 and 12 pay 2-to-1 or higher, while other numbers pay 1-to-1. The house edge on field bets ranges from about 2.8% to 5.6% depending on the casino's specific payouts.
Place bets let you bet that a specific number will be rolled before a 7. You can place bets on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. The house advantage varies by number: placing 6 or 8 has a 1.52% house edge, while placing 5 or 9 has a 4% edge, and placing 4 or 10 has a 6.67% edge. This variation occurs because some numbers are mathematically more likely than others. A $6 place bet on 6 or 8 pays $7 if it wins, while a $5 place bet on 5 or 9 pays $7.
Proposition bets in the center of the table—such as betting on specific two-dice combinations like "snake eyes" or "boxcars"—offer higher payouts but have house edges ranging from 11% to 16%. These bets are generally considered unfavorable for players seeking to minimize the casino's advantage, though the higher payouts make them attractive for some players.
Practical takeaway: Focus initially on Pass/Don't Pass bets and odds bets, as these have the lowest house edges (around 1.4% to 1.6% with odds). Once you're comfortable, explore Come/Don't Come bets and place bets on 6 and 8, which offer reasonable odds while providing more betting variety.
Developing a Winning Strategy
Craps strategy isn't about predicting random outcomes—it's about making statistically sound betting choices that minimize the casino's advantage over time. The most critical strategic principle is to focus exclusively on bets with low house edges. Statistics show that players who limit themselves to Pass/Don't Pass bets with full odds reduce the house edge to approximately 0.6% to 1.4%, compared to 2% to 16% for proposition and field bets.
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Bankroll management is essential for long-term play. Your bankroll is the total money you're willing to spend at craps, separate from money needed for living expenses. Professional and serious amateur gamblers typically recommend having a bankroll of 20 to 40 times your average bet size. For example, if you bet $10 per round, you should have $200 to $400 available for craps. This allows you to withstand losing streaks without depleting your funds before a winning streak can occur. Many experienced players further subdivide their bankroll into session amounts, perhaps playing five sessions of $50 each from a $250 bankroll.
The "3-Point Molly" or conservative strategy involves making a Pass or Don't Pass bet and then taking or laying maximum odds on the point. This approach generates the lowest possible house edge. For instance, you might bet $10 on Pass and then take $30 in odds (if allowed by the casino) when a point is established. This strategy requires patience and discipline but maximizes your mathematical chances of ending a session ahead.
Another popular approach is the "Iron Cross" strategy, where you make simultaneous bets covering multiple numbers (5, 6, and 8, plus the Field) to ensure that nearly every roll produces a winner somewhere. However, this strategy actually increases the house edge and can deplete bankrolls faster because you're making more total bets. While it feels safer psychologically because you're winning something on most rolls, the mathematics show it's less favorable than simpler betting patterns.
Hot and cold streaks are real observable phenomena at craps tables, though they don't change the mathematical odds. During a "hot" streak, the shooter continues rolling without making a 7, allowing point bets to win repeatedly. During a "cold" streak, 7s appear frequently. Experienced players adjust their bet sizes upward during hot streaks and downward during cold streaks, though the underlying probabilities remain constant. This is called "bet scaling" and helps players win more during favorable conditions and lose less during unfavorable ones.
Practical takeaway: Write down your betting plan before arriving at the casino—which b