How to Play Craps: Rules, Bets and the Table Explained

Craps is a dice game played around a long, sunken table where players bet on the outcome of a roll of two dice. It looks chaotic the first time you see it, but the core game is simple: one player rolls, and everyone can bet on whether certain numbers appear before others. This guide explains the table, how a round works, and every main bet in plain language, including which bets carry the lowest built-in advantage for the house so you can see where your money goes.

What is craps?

Craps is a casino table game decided by the total of two six-sided dice. One player, called the shooter, throws the dice, while any number of players place bets on the result. Because everyone is betting on the same roll, a live craps table is social and fast-moving, which is part of its appeal. The same game is available online, where a random number generator (RNG) replaces the physical dice and you play alone against the software.

The rules are identical whether you play in a land-based casino or online, so once you understand the bets you can follow the game anywhere. If you are new to casino games in general, the logic is similar to learning how to play blackjack or how to play pokies: master the basic choices first, then the detail.

The craps table explained

A standard craps table has a printed layout that is mirrored on both ends so a crowd can play from either side. Each marked area is a place to put a different bet. The main areas you need to recognise are:

• Pass Line — the long bar running around the edge, where most players start.
• Don’t Pass Bar — the opposite bet, placed just above the Pass Line.
• Come and Don’t Come — large boxes in the centre for bets made after the round has begun.
• The point boxes — numbered boxes (4, 5, Six, 8, Nine, 10) across the top for Place bets.
• Field — a wide one-roll bet area.
• The centre (proposition) area — single-roll bets run by the stickperson in the middle.

At a live table, staff manage the chips and payouts. A white puck marked “ON” or “OFF” sits on the layout to show whether a point has been set. Online, the layout is the same but you click directly on the area you want to bet.

How a round works: the come-out roll and the point

Every round starts with a come-out roll. Before it, you place a Pass Line bet. The first roll has three possible outcomes:

• 7 or 11 — the Pass Line wins even money, and a new come-out roll begins.
• 2, 3 or 12 — this is called “craps”; the Pass Line loses, and a new come-out roll begins.
• 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 — this number becomes the point. The puck flips to “ON” and moves to that number.

Once a point is set, the shooter keeps rolling. The Pass Line now wins if the point number is rolled again before a 7 appears. If a 7 comes first, the Pass Line loses and the round ends — this is known as “sevening out,” and the dice pass to a new shooter. That single rule, point before 7, is the heart of craps.

The main craps bets

There are dozens of possible bets, but a handful cover the vast majority of play. The key difference between them is the house edge — the small long-run mathematical advantage the casino builds into each bet, shown as a percentage of the amount staked. A lower number means more of your stake is returned to players over time.

Pass Line and Don’t Pass

The Pass Line is the standard bet described above and pays even money (1:1) with a house edge of about 1.41%. The Don’t Pass bet is its opposite: you win if the shooter sevens out before making the point, and a 12 on the come-out is a push (your stake is returned). Betting against the shooter feels unusual at a crowded table, but Don’t Pass has a marginally lower house edge of about 1.36%.

Come and Don’t Come

The Come bet works exactly like the Pass Line but is made after a point is already set. The next roll acts as a fresh come-out for that bet: 7 or 11 wins, 2/3/12 loses, and any other number becomes that bet’s own point. Don’t Come mirrors Don’t Pass the same way. Their house edges match the line bets — about 1.41% and 1.36%.

Odds bets

After a point is established, you can back your Pass/Come (or Don’t) bet with an odds bet, placed just behind the original chips. This is the only bet on the table with no house edge at all — it pays true mathematical odds: 2:1 on the 4 or 10, 3:2 on the 5 or 9, and 6:5 on the 6 or 8. Casinos cap how much odds you can take, commonly 3x, 4x or 5x your line bet; online limits are often lower. Because odds pay fairly, taking them lowers the overall house edge on your combined wager.

Place, Field and proposition bets

Beyond the line bets, the most common options are:

• Place bets — bet that a specific number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) rolls before a 7. The 6 and 8 are the best value here at a 1.52% edge; the 5 and 9 jump to about 4.00% and the 4 and 10 to about 6.67%.
• Field — a one-roll bet that the next total is 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12. It looks generous but carries a roughly 5.56% edge on a standard layout.
• Proposition (centre) bets — one-roll long shots such as Any Seven (16.67% edge), Any Craps (11.11%) and the Hardways. These pay big but are the most expensive bets on the table over time.

How to start playing craps

You do not need to learn every bet to join a game. A simple starting routine is:

1. Wait for a come-out roll (the puck shows “OFF”).
2. Place a single Pass Line bet for the table minimum.
3. If a point is set, add an odds bet behind it if you wish.
4. Watch the point-before-7 outcome and collect or re-bet.

Online, the steps are the same but you set a chip value and click the Pass Line, then confirm the roll. Many online casinos offer a free demo mode so you can practise the mechanics with no money at stake. Demo play is useful for learning the table — but it cannot change the odds of real-money results, which are fixed by the house edge on each bet.

Common beginner mistakes

• Chasing proposition bets. The flashy centre bets have by far the highest house edge; they are entertainment, not value.
• Ignoring odds bets. The free odds behind a line bet is the single best-value wager on the table and is often overlooked.
• Trying to “read” the dice. Each roll is independent. No system, rhythm or past result makes the next roll more predictable.
• Betting more to recover losses. Increasing stakes to chase a loss does not improve your odds and spends your bankroll faster.

Playing craps online in New Zealand

Craps is widely available at online casinos in both RNG and live-dealer formats, and games can be played in online casinos that accept New Zealand dollars. New Zealand’s online gambling framework is changing: the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026 is now in force and is being phased in by the Department of Internal Affairs, with the licensed market not expected to be fully operational until 2027. Until then, the rules on who may legally offer and advertise online casino games are shifting, so it is worth understanding New Zealand’s 2026 gambling laws before you play.

If you do choose to play for stakes, stick to sites that let you set deposit and loss limits, and treat it as paid entertainment rather than a way to make money. For context on where craps sits among other options at real-money casinos, remember that every casino game carries a built-in house edge by design.

Responsible gambling

Craps is a game of chance with a permanent house edge on every bet, so over time the maths favours the casino. It should be treated as entertainment, not income, and gambling is restricted to adults aged 18 and over in New Zealand. Set a budget before you play and never bet money you cannot afford to lose. If gambling is causing harm to you or someone you know, free, confidential help is available 24/7 from Gambling Helpline Aotearoa on 0800 654 655 or by texting 8006. You can also arrange to block your own access to gambling using self-exclusion tools.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is craps hard to learn?

No. The core game is simple once you understand the come-out roll and the point. If you only ever make a Pass Line bet, you can play a full round correctly without knowing any of the other bets, and that single bet already has one of the lowest house edges on the table.

What is the best bet in craps?

By house edge, the odds bet behind a Pass or Come bet is the best, because it pays true odds with no house edge. Among the standalone bets, Don’t Pass (about 1.36%) and Pass Line (about 1.41%) are the lowest-edge choices. Proposition bets in the centre of the table are the most expensive.

Can a strategy guarantee you win at craps?

No. Each roll of the dice is independent and random, and every bet has a fixed house edge, so no betting system can overcome it in the long run. Choosing low-edge bets like the Pass Line with odds simply reduces how much the game is expected to cost you over time.

What does “seven out” mean?

Once a point has been set, “seven out” is when the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point number again. It ends the round, loses the Pass Line bets, and passes the dice to the next shooter.

Is online craps the same as table craps?

The rules, bets and payouts are identical. The difference is that online RNG craps uses software to generate each roll instead of physical dice, while live-dealer craps streams a real table. Either way, the house edge on each bet is the same as in a land-based casino.