Craps is a game best learned by watching, but this should provide a few practical details based on my own limited experience at the tables (where I’m sure I’ve lost more than I’ve won).

All of the suggestions and scenarios here will be based on a table with a $5 minimum bet, where I’ll typically start with a $200 bankroll. There are definitely other ways to play craps, but I’ll stick mainly to my own rudimentary strategies for the purposes of this guide.

Laying Your Money Down

When I approach the table, I always check to see if the point is ON or OFF. This is determined by the large black and white puck that appears on the table. If the puck says ON, I’ll just watch and wait until the shooter either hits the point or 7s out, at which point the puck will be changed to OFF, and I’ll lay down my money to exchange for chips. I think it’s polite to wait until the point is Off to make the dealers change my cash into chips, because they’re typically not doing as much in those moments. Some casinos won’t even let prospective players lay down their money until the point is Off.

Note: Most casinos will not allow you to give cash directly to the dealers. You must first lay it down on the table, at which point the dealers will make the exchange.

Phase One: Come Out

When the point is Off, the game is in Phase One, commonly known as the Come Out phase.

There is only one required bet in craps. It occurs in Phase One, and it’s only required if you’re shooting the dice. In this scenario, in order to be able to actually roll the dice, you must lay at least the minimum table bet on either PASS or NO PASS. This bet must remain on the table once it is made and represents the “starter bet” for each player. Most of the players who aren’t shooting will also make a Pass or No Pass bet, but it is only required if you want to shoot the dice.

Regardless of whether or not I’m shooting, I always bet the aPass line in Phase One. This means I’ll win with a roll of 7 or 11 and lose with rolls of 2, 3 or 12. Most people bet the Pass line in craps, and I’m of the opinion that anyone who regularly bets the No Pass line is probably an asshole.

The Pass line pays even money (1:1) with a win. Bet $5, win $5.

(Since you might be wondering, betting the No Pass line is just the opposite of the Pass line. That is, wins on 2, 3, or 12 and losses on 7 and 11.)

If the shooter rolls 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 during Phase One, there are no immediate winners or losers on the Pass or No Pass lines. Instead, that number becomes the Point, and the game enters Phase Two.

Phase Two: Points

After the Point is established, the dealer will lay the aforementioned puck in the ON position on the Point. For example, let’s say the Point is 8, so the dealer would lay the puck on the 8.

During Phase Two, you can do any number of different things:

Do Nothing
You can simply choose to leave everything as it is and hope the shooter rolls the Point again before they roll a 7. In our example where the Point is 8, if you only maintain your initial Pass bet in Phase Two, you win (1:1) if the shooter rolls an 8 again before rolling a 7.

Odds Bet
The Odds bet is like a secondary bet you can make behind the Pass line. This bet has the same goals as the Pass line bet (win if the shooter rolls the Point) but pays out a little more in order to entice players to make the Odds bet. The Odds bet payouts are as follows:

If the Point is 4 or 10, the Odds bet pays 2:1 (bet $5, win $10)
If the Point is 5 or 9, the Odds bet pays 3:2 (bet $6, win $9)*
If the Point is 6 or 8, the Odds bet pays 6:5 (bet $5, win $6)

*If the Point is 5 or 9, the Odds bet must be an even number due to the 3:2 odds. Attentive dealers will remind you if you happen to make a $5 Odds bet in this situation, rather than $6 or $10.

I almost always make an Odds bet in Phase Two that’s double whatever I put on the Pass line, due to the higher payout (so if I put $5 on the Pass line, I usually do a $10 Odds bet as well). It’s one of the best bets in the casino from a probability/reward standpoint.

Place Numbers
After the Point is established, you can make separate bets on some of the other numbers on the table. To do this, lay down the number of chips you want to bet and tell the dealer what to do with them (i.e. “place the 6 and 9”). You’ll win if the shooter rolls any of the numbers you’ve bet here, and you only lose if the shooter rolls a 7. You can make or remove Place bets at any point during Phase Two.

Like the Odds bet, these Place bets pay out different amounts based on the probabilities:

Place bets on 4 or 10 pay 9:5 (bet $5, win $9)
Place bets on 5 or 9 pay 7:5 (bet $5, win $7)
Place bets on 6 or 8 pay 7:6 (bet $6, win $7)*

*Players must bet multiples of $6 for Place bets on 6 or 8 due to the 7:6 odds. Dealers will always remind you of this if you don’t bet enough. The other Place bets (4, 5, 9, 10) are all $5 minimums.

I usually make Place bets on 6 and 8, unless one of those is the Point, in which case I just move one number over. So if the Point is 6, I’d make Place bets on 5 and 8. If the Point is 8, I’d make Place bets on 6 and 9.

Some people automatically make all of the available Place bets right away (which costs a minimum of $26 or $27, depending on the Point). Sometimes I’ll build my way up to that if a shooter is going for awhile, and it’s not a terrible way to bet on a $5 table, but it’s also a good way to lose a bunch of money quickly, especially if you don’t have a large bankroll to work with.

If your Place bet hits, the dealers will ask if you want to keep the “same bet” (which means you’ll just take your winnings) or if you want to “press” (which means you’ll add your winnings to the original Place bet). I almost always just take my Place bet winnings and save them for later, but some people like to press.

Field Bets
There is a box on the table marked FIELD. This is a one-roll catch-all bet for a bunch of numbers (2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12). If you bet in the Field and any of those numbers hit on the next roll, you win even money. If 2 or 12 hit, you win 2:1. If a number that’s not included in the Field hits, you lose. You must bet at least the table minimum in the Field.

I don’t do this one too often because one-roll bets make me nervous, but I could see the utility of doing it if the Point was 4, 9 or 10 to theoretically increase the potential win. In that case, you’d win money for the Point, the Odds and the Field bet all in one roll if the right number hits.

Hard Ways
In the middle of the table, there are a bunch of other bets that players can make. The most common ones I do are the Hard Way bets. These bets win if a 4, 6, 8 or 10 is rolled with the dice both showing the same number (i.e. 2+2, 3+3, 4+4, 5+5), and pay a fairly substantial amount:

Hard 4 and Hard 10 pay 7:1
Hard 6 and Hard 8 pay 9:1

Hard Way bets lose when an “easy” version of the number is rolled. For example if you had a bet on Hard 8 and an 8 is rolled as 5+3, the Hard Way bet loses.

You can bet as little as $1 on each Hard Way, which is why I almost always bet it if the Point is an even number (so then I’d win money for the Point, the Odds and the Hard Way if the right number hits the right way).

I’ll often include an extra $1 on the Hard Way for the dealers. For example, if the Point is 8, I would bet $1 on Hard 8 for myself and another $1 for the dealers. Dealer bets can be used in place of tipping (they keep the money if they win) and in general I think is a nice thing to do.

To make a Hard Way bet, all you have to do is call out your bet and toss your chips to the stickperson in the middle of the table. I’ll discuss this more in the Chip Management section below.

Miscellaneous One-Roll Bets
There are a few other bets that I make from time to time that are worth mentioning, if only for their considerable payouts and $1 minimums. These are all one-roll bets, which means if the number doesn’t hit in the roll following your bet, you lose.

Betting on 2 (“Aces”) wins 30:1
Betting on 12 (“boxcars”) wins 30:1
Betting on 2 and 12 together (“high/low”) wins 15:1
Betting on 3 (“ace/deuce”) wins 15:1
Betting on 11 (“yo”) wins 15:1

Functionally, these work the same as a Hard Way bet, where you just call your bet out and toss the chips to the stickperson in the middle.

Of these bets, I usually do a few “high/low” with $1 or $2 since it’s got the possibility of 15:1 on two different numbers. I understand that the odds there are the same as betting on 3 or 11, but I still usually just do the high/low. I’ll also often do a secondary bet on the same number for the dealers, in the same way I would for a Hard Way bet.

There are a few other bets that I haven’t mentioned here (Come, C&E, World) because I never do them, and then there are a few other betting tidbits that I left out (Buy bets, Put bets, etc.) because I don’t quite understand how they work.

Overall in Phase Two I usually try to have three numbers working for me (the Point/Odds bets and then two Place bets) along with the occasional Hard Way or miscellaneous one-roll bet.

Make the Point/Seven Out
During Phase Two, if the shooter rolls the Point before rolling a 7, all Pass line and Odds bets win, the game returns to Phase One and the shooter continues their roll. In this scenario, any Place bets would remain on the table (unless you want to remove them).

If, however, the shooter rolls a 7 at any time during Phase Two, you lose all of your bets on the table (with a few exceptions that aren’t relevant to the information in this guide), the dice are passed to the next person and the game returns to Phase One.

A Word About Shooting

If you’re at a craps table for enough time, you’ll be given the opportunity to shoot the dice yourself. When your turn arrives, and assuming you make a Pass or No Pass bet, you’ll be presented with five dice, from which you can choose two.

You may only use one hand to shoot the dice, and the dice must remain over the table at all times. In addition, most casinos require that at least one of the dice hits the far wall of the table during the roll in order for the roll to count. (This last part is a bit of a looser rule, and most casinos will let one roll that doesn’t hit the far wall go, but in general you should aim for the far wall when shooting the dice.)

Some people have certain routines they have when they shoot — ways they move the dice before they roll, certain numbers that they have up on the dice when they roll, etc. — but in general the rule is to not take too much time to shoot after you’re presented the dice.

When I’m up to shoot, I use only my left hand, I set up the dice so both are showing 6s with the serial number of the dice lined up a certain way (for no reason in particular) and then I gently toss the dice across the table, trying not to knock over anyone’s chips.

If one or both of the dice happen to leave the table during a roll, the roll doesn’t count. You can request to have the same dice back (by saying “same dice”), and usually casinos will be fine with that, otherwise you’ll automatically presented with different dice to roll. This is a casino’s way of preventing any irregularities with the dice.

Chip Management

A few other things to note about your chips:

– Craps is by far the most vocal of the table games, and you’ll need to verbalize most of the bets you make when you lay your chips on the table. For Place bets, you’ll just tell the dealer handling your side of the table where to lay your bets (i.e. “Place the 6 and 8” as you lay $12 on the table). For Hard Way or miscellaneous one-roll bets, you’ll shout out your bet (i.e. “Hard 8” or “$2 high/low”) and then toss your chips to the stickperson in the middle of the table, who will arrange your bets on the table. Throwing chips to the stickperson is one of the hardest parts of craps.

– Sometimes if you want to make a bet but the shooter is about to roll, you can just say the bet you want and drop your chips on the table. The Dealer on your side of the table will verbally confirm your bet before the roll is complete, then make the appropriate moves with the chips afterward. This is not ideal, and you should always try to make your bets before the dice go back to the shooter, but verbally confirmed bets are valid even if the chips haven’t been laid down in the right spot (as long as they’re on the table).

– Most bets can be removed or turned off at any time during the game. If you lay an Odds bet but you decide you no longer want it in play, you can just pick it up. If a Place bet hits and you want to take it down, you can ask the dealer to turn the bet off or give you your chips back. The only bet discussed in this guide that cannot be removed once it is played is the Pass line bet, but I usually just keep everything on the table once I lay it down.

– If you’re making multiple bets, you can just lay all of the chips on the table in a single stack and tell the dealer your bets. They’ll split up the chips into the appropriate areas and give you any change if needed. For example, if you only have $5 chips, but you want to make two $6 Place bets on 6 and 8, you could lay one stack of $15 on the table, say “place the 6 and 8” and the dealer will arrange everything and give you $3 back.

– Sometimes it’s easier for dealers to give you fewer chips in larger denominations when you win, and in those cases they’ll ask you to trade them so the math works out. For example, if you win $9, the dealer might ask you to give them a $1 chip and then they’ll give you two $5 chips in return, rather than having to give you a $5 chip and four $1 chips.

– Tipping the dealers is always a good thing to do, especially if you’re winning. To keep it simple, you can just lay chips on the table and say “for the team,” and they’ll be moved to the tip area for the dealers. Another acceptable way of tipping is to make bets on behalf of the dealers, as mentioned before. When you make a Hard Way bet, for example, you can toss $2 to the stickperson and say “two-way Hard 8,” at which point the stickperson will lay down $1 for you and $1 for the dealers on Hard 8.

– If you need to break up your chips (i.e. get five $1 chips in exchange for a $5 chip), lay your chips on the table and say “check change.” The dealers will know what to do.

– When you’re ready to walk away from the table, lay all of your chips on the table and say “color up.” The dealers will consolidate your chips into larger denominations for easier transport.

Table Etiquette

In decades past, most people dressed up when they went to a casino, so there remain some craps traditions rooted in a mix of formality, common sense and superstition that players are expected to follow to at least a loose degree. Most casinos today won’t kick you out if you violate these mores, but you will look like a dummy.

– Keep your hands away from the table once the shooter has the dice, and especially when the dice are being rolled. One time I tried to make a last-second bet right as the dice were shot and one of them hit my hand. Thankfully it did not result in a 7 or I might have gotten my ass kicked (or at least encouraged to find a different game for the evening).

– Don’t say the word “seven” aloud at the table during Phase Two, and in general try not to say it at all.

– If a shooter is particularly hot (i.e. winning a lot without sevening out), I like to basically follow any bets that shooter makes. If they’re on their fifth or sixth roll and lays some money on a Hard Way or makes a Place bet, I’ll often bet that same thing as well. As I’ve mentioned here already, craps is one of the most communal games in the casino, so I like to follow a hot shooter’s bets to further express my confidence in the shooter and maybe give them a little juice. In a similar vein, if a shooter rolls something that results in me winning big, I’ll offer them a high-five and some encouraging words. None of this is required, but it definitely contributes to the spirit of the game.

– Unless you’re totally busted or working with particularly unpleasant casino employees, make sure to throw the dealers a few chips before leaving the table. This is true even if you’ve previously put down bets for the dealers on Hard Ways or one-roll bets. Dealers don’t usually make much more than minimum wage, so it’s always nice to show your gratitude for their work if you’re winning (or even if not).

TL;DR

Bet the Pass line during Phase One. Lay the Odds and have two other Place numbers working for you during Phase Two. Tip the dealers if you’re winning or lay Hard Way/one-roll bets for them if you’re not. Don’t take too long to shoot the dice, and keep your hands away from the table when someone else is shooting. If you get lost, the dealers will know what to do with your chips if you put them on the table and say what you want, and they’ll answer any questions if you have them.