Craps

General Rules

Craps is composed of rounds in which two dice are rolled to decide the results of bets. "Come out" is the name of the first roll. The come out roll will resolve bets if a 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12 total is rolled since such rolls will stop the round at once. The "point" is established and the round will continue if a total of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled. On top of the number that is established as the point, you will see a white puck. The dice will continue to be rolled until the point is rolled again or a 7 is rolled. You will find below the explanations of the various bets.

The Pass Line

Wagering on the pass line is the simplest and most basic of all the craps wagers. The pass line pays even money. Place your bet on the "Pass Line" area. You can roll the dice after you have placed this wager. The bet wins if a 7 or 11 comes up. The bet loses if a 2, 3 or 12 comes up. The player's bets last until either the point is made (the bet wins) or a 7 is rolled (the bet loses.)

Taking Odds

There is no house edge on an "odds" bet in Craps. You can take odds on your pass line wager any time after the come-out roll. You place the bet behind your original pass line bet. The sign to the left of the table shows the amount of odds you can take. You will win your odds bet and pass line bet if the point is made before a seven is rolled. The odds line bet will pay out at 6-5 if the point is six or eight, 3-2 if the point is five or nine, and 2-1 if the point is four or ten.

The odds multiples permitted are explained below:

  • 1X - odds bet equal to your pass line bet
  • 2X - odds bet of double your pass line bet
  • Full Double Odds - 2.5 times odds on six or eight and double on all other numbers
  • 3X - odds wager of triple your pass line bet
  • 3-4-5X - 3 times odds on 4 and 10, 4 times odds on 5 and 9, 5 times odds on 6 and 8
  • 5X - odds bet of 5 times your pass line bet
  • 10X - odds bet of 10 times your pass line bet
  • 20X - odds bet of 20 times your pass line bet
  • 100X - odds bet of 100 times your pass line bet

Don't Pass

Think of this as the opposite of the pass line bet. You will win even money if a two or three is rolled. You will lose if a 7 or 11 is rolled. The bet is a push if a 12 is rolled. After the point is established, you win if a seven is rolled before the point is made.

Laying Odds

When you are laying odds on the Don't Pass bet, you are wagering on a 7 being rolled before the point. The Laying Odds bet payout is as follows - if the point is:

  • 4 or 10, payout is 1-2
  • 5 or 9, payout is 2-3
  • 6 or 8, payout is 5-6
The odds multiplier is in effect to set the limits of the amount of odds the player can lay.

Come Bets

To place a come bet, place your chips on the area marked "Come." After the next roll, the bet will move up to the number rolled. You will win the come wager if that number is made before a seven is rolled. You will win the come bet at even money, just like the Pass Line, if a seven or eleven is rolled on the first roll of the come bet. If a two, three, or twelve is rolled on the first roll of the come bet, the bet loses. And also, just like the Pass Line, you may take odds on your come bet after the first roll by placing your bet behind the come bet after it has been moved to the number.)

A unique circumstance exists with the come wager: if there are still active come wagers when point is made then special rules apply to the come out roll. The come out roll is still active to the come wagers but does not apply to the respective odds wagers. If the come wager is resolved on a come out roll, then the odds wagers are returned.

Don't Come Wager

The don't come wager is like the don't pass wager, but it is made on a non-come out roll.

Place Bets

The "place" numbers in craps are 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. The place bet lets you cover all or some of the place numbers at once, without waiting for the come out roll or the come wagers. During the come out roll, place bets wagers are turned "off".

Big 6/8 - You are betting that a 6 and/or an 8 will be rolled before a 7. This pays even money.

Buy Bets - Buy Bets are the same as Place Bets, except there are different pay outs. You may buy any of the place numbers by betting that number will be rolled before a 7 is rolled. All the buy bets pay 1-1 minus a 5% house commission.

Hard Ways - The four different hard ways bets are 4, 6, 8 and 10. A hard way is arriving at one of the even points with a pair. For, example, two 4s would equal a hard 8. The house pays as follows:

  • Hard 4 or 10 pays 7-1
  • Hard 6 or 8 pays 9-1
Lay Bets - Lay bets are the opposite of buy bets. You lay odds that a 7 will be rolled before any of the points. You must pay a 5% commission on the fair odds. Fair odds are as follows:

  • 4 and/or 10 pays 1-2
  • 5 and/or 9 pays 2-3
  • 6 and/or 8 pays 5-6
Place Bet - You may wager on any of the points. If the number you wagered on is rolled before a 7, then you will win according to the following chart:

  • 4 and/or 10 pays 9-5
  • 5 and/or 9 pays 7-5
  • 6 and/or 8 pays 7-6

Proposition Bets

Proposition bets are placed just on the next roll.

Craps 2 - A bet that a 2 will be thrown on the next roll will pay out at 30-1.

Craps 3 - bet that a 3 will be thrown on the next roll will pay out at 15-1.

7 - A bet that a 7 will be thrown on the next roll will pay out at 4-1.

11 - A bet that an 11 will be thrown on the next roll will pay out at 15-1.

Craps 12 - A bet that a 12 will be thrown on the next roll will pay out at 30-1.

Any Craps - A bet that a 2, 3 or 12 will be thrown on the next roll will pay out at 7-1..

Field Bet - A bet that a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11 will be thrown on the next roll; the 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11 will pay even money and the 1 and 12 will pay out at 2-1.