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How to Play Craps: Rules, Bets and Odds

Craps rules from the come-out roll to the point, with the four starter bets, odds-bet maths and the house edge of every common bet on the layout.

By the Gambling Hero editorial team · October 25, 2026 Industry

To play craps, a shooter rolls two dice. On the come-out roll, a Pass Line bet wins on 7 or 11 and loses on 2, 3 or 12. Any other total becomes the point, which must repeat before a 7.

In short

Craps is played on the total of two dice. The come-out roll either settles the Pass Line bet at once (7 or 11 wins; 2, 3 or 12 loses) or sets a point. The shooter then rolls until the point repeats (Pass wins) or a 7 appears (Pass loses). The Pass Line has a 1.41% house edge; the odds bet behind it has none. Centre-table bets carry 9% to 17%.

How does a round of craps work?

A round of craps has two phases. The come-out roll settles the Pass Line bet at once on 2, 3, 7, 11 or 12. Any other total becomes the point, and the shooter rolls until the point or a 7 appears.

  1. Come-out roll. 7 or 11 (a natural) wins for the Pass Line; 2, 3 or 12 (craps) loses.
  2. Point. 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 becomes the point.
  3. Point phase. The point before a 7 wins; a 7 first loses (“seven out”). The next roll starts a new round.

All craps maths starts from 36 equally likely dice outcomes:

Total Ways to roll Probability
2 or 12 1 each 2.78% each
3 or 11 2 each 5.56% each
4 or 10 3 each 8.33% each
5 or 9 4 each 11.11% each
6 or 8 5 each 13.89% each
7 6 16.67%

Seven is the most common total, so every point is harder to make than to miss: a 6 repeats before a 7 in 5 of 11 cases (45.5%), a 4 in only 3 of 9 (33.3%).

Which craps bets should a beginner learn first?

The craps bets a beginner should learn first are Pass Line, Don’t Pass, Come and Don’t Come. These four bets carry house edges of 1.36% to 1.41% (Wizard of Odds) and accept a zero-edge odds bet behind them.

  • Pass Line (1.41%). Wins on a come-out 7 or 11 and when the point is made.
  • Don’t Pass (1.36%). The reverse: wins on a come-out 2 or 3 and on a 7 before the point. A come-out 12 is a push (a 2 in Reno and Lake Tahoe).
  • Come and Don’t Come. The same bets, placed after a point is set; the next roll acts as their come-out.

The Pass Line edge can be checked by hand. Naturals plus made points give a win probability of 244 ÷ 495 = 49.29%. The edge is 50.71% − 49.29% = 1.41%.

The 3-bet starter method keeps the house edge low:

  1. Bet the Pass Line (or Don’t Pass) on the come-out.
  2. When a point is set, add the maximum odds bet you can afford.
  3. Optionally, add one Come bet with odds. Skip everything in the centre of the table.

How does the craps odds bet work?

The craps odds bet is an extra bet behind a Pass or Come bet after a point is set. It pays the true odds of the point being made, which makes it the only common casino bet with no house edge.

True odds are 2 to 1 on 4 or 10, 3 to 2 on 5 or 9 and 6 to 5 on 6 or 8. Worked example. A player bets $10 on the Pass Line and the point is 6. The player adds $50 in odds (5x). If a 6 arrives before a 7, the Pass bet pays $10 and the odds bet pays $60 (6 to 5 on $50): $70 profit. If a 7 arrives first, both bets lose: $60.

Wizard of Odds names “3-4-5x odds” (3x on 4 or 10, 4x on 5 or 9, 5x on 6 or 8) as a typical limit. Our editorial team calculated the combined edge on the total staked:

Odds allowed Combined house edge
No odds 1.41%
1x 0.85%
2x 0.61%
3-4-5x 0.37%
10x 0.18%

Method: the expected loss stays 7 ÷ 495 of the Pass bet. With 3-4-5x odds, the average odds bet is (6 × 3 + 8 × 4 + 10 × 5) ÷ 36 = 2.78 units, so the combined edge is 1.41% ÷ 3.78 = 0.37%.

Which craps bets have the highest house edge?

The craps bets with the highest house edge are the one-roll proposition bets in the centre of the table. Any Seven carries 16.67%, the 2 or 12 at 30 to 1 carries 13.89%, and Any Craps carries 11.11%.

Bet Payout House edge
Place 6 or 8 7 to 6 1.52%
Field (3 to 1 on 12) 1 to 1; 2 to 1 on 2; 3 to 1 on 12 2.78%
Place 4 or 10 9 to 5 6.67%
Big 6 or Big 8 1 to 1 9.09%
Hard 6 or 8 9 to 1 9.09%
Hard 4 or 10 7 to 1 11.11%
Any Craps (2, 3, 12) 7 to 1 11.11%
2 or 12 30 to 1 13.89%
Any Seven 4 to 1 16.67%

Payouts and edges: Wizard of Odds, checked by our own calculation. Any Seven wins 6 times in 36 at 4 to 1: (6 × $4 − 30 × $1) ÷ 36 = −$0.1667 per $1.

Editor’s insight

Big 6 and Place 6 cover exactly the same outcome: a 6 before a 7. Big 6 pays 1 to 1 for a 9.09% edge. Place 6 pays 7 to 6 for 1.52%. The only difference is the payout printed on the layout, and it makes the Big 6 six times as expensive. The same check applies online: compare each bet’s payout with the true odds before you click.

How is online craps different from craps in a casino?

Online craps uses the same rules and the same 36 dice outcomes as craps in a casino. RNG craps uses a random number generator for the dice, and live craps streams real dice from a studio. The house edge depends only on the payouts.

  • RNG craps. A random number generator decides each roll. More rolls fit into an hour, so the hourly cost rises.
  • Live craps. Evolution announced “the world’s first ever online Live Craps game”, with an “Easy Mode” for new players. Live dealer games are explained on our live casino page.

The Pass Line edge (1.41%) is about half of single-zero roulette (2.70%); see How to Play Roulette: Rules, Bets and Payouts.

Important

In the United States, real-money online craps is legal only in states that license online casino games. Check your state on our US legal overview first. Dice have no memory: a run of sevens does not change the next roll (see the gambler’s fallacy). Use the tools on our responsible gambling page if you need them.

Our take

Craps looks complicated because the layout shows dozens of bets. In our view, a beginner needs exactly two of them: the Pass Line and the odds bet behind it. With 3-4-5x odds, that pair carries a 0.37% edge, lower than almost anything else in a casino. Centre-table bets cost 9% to 17% of each bet on average. Rounds move quickly, so we would fix a budget before starting. How craps compares with other games is covered in Which Casino Games Have the Best Odds?

Key takeaways

  • The come-out roll wins on 7 or 11 (8 of 36 outcomes) and loses on 2, 3 or 12 (4 of 36).
  • The Pass Line has a 1.41% house edge; Don’t Pass has 1.36%.
  • The odds bet pays true odds (2:1, 3:2, 6:5) and has a 0% house edge.
  • Pass Line with 3-4-5x odds has a combined edge of 0.37%.
  • Any Seven (16.67%) and the 2 or 12 (13.89%) are among the costliest bets.

FAQ

What is the easiest way to play craps?

Bet the Pass Line on the come-out roll and add odds when a point is set. With 3-4-5x odds, the combined edge is 0.37%.

What number is rolled most in craps?

Seven: 6 ways out of 36, or 16.67%.

Is Don’t Pass better than Pass?

Slightly. Don’t Pass has a house edge of 1.36% against 1.41% for Pass, because a come-out 12 is a push rather than a win.

Why does the odds bet have no house edge?

It pays the true odds of the point being made, so the payout exactly matches the risk.

Sources

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