Craps looks complicated at a busy casino table, but the core is surprisingly simple. One player — the "shooter" — rolls two dice, and the outcome decides whether the bets on the table win or lose. The game has two phases: the opening roll and, if that doesn't produce an immediate decision, the point phase. Understand those two phases and you understand craps.
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What is craps?
Craps is a casino game in which players bet on the outcome of a roll of two dice. What counts each time is the sum of the two dice, so a number between 2 and 12. At any given moment one player is the shooter and rolls the dice; the other players can bet along on the same rolls. To understand the rules you need nothing more than two dice — the online dice roller set to two, for example — and this explanation.
The come-out roll (opening roll)
A round always starts with the come-out roll: the shooter's first roll. What happens next depends entirely on the sum:
- 7 or 11 — a "natural": the Pass Line wins immediately and the round is settled right away.
- 2, 3, or 12 — "craps": the Pass Line loses immediately. Hence the name of the game.
- 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10: this number becomes the point. The round isn't decided yet and moves on to the second phase.
| Roll (sum) | Name | Result for the Pass Line |
|---|---|---|
| 7 or 11 | Natural | Wins immediately |
| 2, 3, or 12 | Craps | Loses immediately |
| 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 | Point | Becomes the point — on to the point phase |
The point phase
Once a point is established, the goal changes. The shooter now keeps rolling until one of two things happens:
- The point is rolled again — the shooter rolls the same number one more time. The Pass Line wins and a new come-out roll begins.
- A 7 is rolled — this is called "seven out". The Pass Line loses, the turn is over, and the dice pass to the next shooter.
All other rolls during this phase mean nothing for the Pass Line; the shooter simply rolls again. So it's a race between the point and the 7 — and exactly that tension, roll after roll, is what makes craps so lively at the table.
Watch the role of the 7 closely: on the come-out roll a 7 is actually good for the Pass Line, but as soon as there's a point, that same 7 is the end of the round. Same number, opposite meaning — for beginners that's the most confusing part of the game.
The best-known bets
Countless betting options revolve around these two phases. We'll cover the best-known ones briefly and purely descriptively — this is not an encouragement to bet.
- Pass Line: the basic bet we described above. Wins on a 7 or 11 on the come-out, loses on craps, and then follows the point against the 7.
- Don't Pass: nearly the opposite of the Pass Line. Wins on 2 or 3 on the come-out, loses on 7 or 11. One number — usually the 12, sometimes the 2 — is a "push" (a tie; your bet stays put), so that this doesn't become an advantage bet.
- Come and Don't Come: the same logic as Pass and Don't Pass, but you use them to join mid-round. The very next roll then acts as your personal come-out.
- Odds: an extra bet you may place behind a Pass or Come bet once there's a point. Special because the payout here is made with no house edge, at the true odds.
- Field: a bet on one single roll, which wins on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 and loses on 5, 6, 7, or 8.
- Place bets: here you bet that a specific number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) is rolled before a 7 comes.
Why the 7 is so central
It's no coincidence that the 7 is the pivot of craps: it's the most likely sum with two dice. There are six different ways to roll a 7 (1-6, 2-5, 3-4, and their reverses), compared with just one way for the 2 and one for the 12. Of the 36 possible combinations, six produce a 7 — odds of 6 in 36, or 1 in 6.
That's why a 7 on the come-out roll is so often good news for the Pass Line, and why it's such a real danger during the point phase: of all the numbers, the 7 simply comes up most often. Want to run the numbers yourself? Then read our explanation of the odds of every roll with two dice.
Origins and street craps
Craps descends from an older English dice game called "hazard" and took its modern form in the United States. Besides the casino version with a table and official bets, there is also "street craps": an informal street version where players roll against each other, often against a wall, with no casino as the counterparty. The core rules — natural, craps, and the point — are the same in both versions.
Responsible play
Craps is and remains a game of chance with a house edge: in the long run the casino statistically has the upper hand, and no "system" changes anything about that. Gambling for money is for adults only (18+). Always play in moderation, never bet more than you can afford to lose, and treat it as entertainment, not as a way to make money.
Good to know: this page explains the rules of craps purely for information and does not encourage gambling. The online dice roller on Dice Together is completely free and just for fun — you never play it for money.
Frequently asked questions about craps
What does seven out mean in craps?
Seven out means the shooter rolls a 7 during the point phase before the point is rolled again. The Pass Line then loses, the round is over, and the dice pass to the next shooter.
What is the point in craps?
The point is the number established when the come-out roll is a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. That number is locked in, and the shooter keeps rolling until the point is rolled again (Pass Line wins) or a 7 is rolled (seven out, Pass Line loses).
What is the difference between Pass and Don't Pass in craps?
The Pass Line wins on a 7 or 11 on the come-out and loses on craps (2, 3, or 12). Don't Pass is nearly the opposite: it wins on 2 or 3 and loses on 7 or 11. At most tables the 12 on the come-out is a push for Don't Pass, so it doesn't become an advantage bet.
Is craps a game of chance?
Yes. Craps is a game of chance with a house edge: the outcome depends entirely on the luck of two dice. Gambling for money is for adults only (18+). Play in moderation. The online dice roller on this site is purely for fun and never for money.
Can you play Craps with an online dice roller?
Yes. The online dice roller has a Craps preset that sets up two dice — that's all you need, because in Craps you always roll both dice at once. With the free Android app you see the rolls big on your TV.