Learning Center / Craps
How to play crapsFrom the come-out roll to the point
Craps looks complicated from the rail, but the heart of the game is one bet and a few rolls. Here is how a Las Vegas craps game works, explained the way CEG Dealer School teaches new dealers. Then practice it free in our craps simulator on a real Bubble, Standard or Crapless table.
How a round of craps works
- The come-out roll
A new shooter rolls with the puck OFF. On the Pass Line, a 7 or 11 wins even money and a 2, 3 or 12 (craps) loses. Any other number becomes the point.
- The point is set
When a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 rolls, the dealer turns the puck ON and places it on that number. The shooter keeps rolling.
- Make the point or seven out
If the point rolls again before a 7, Pass Line bets win. If a 7 comes first, the shooter sevens out, Pass Line bets lose, and the dice move to the next shooter.
- Take your odds
Once the point is set, back your Pass Line bet with odds. Odds pay true odds with no house edge: 2 to 1 on 4 and 10, 3 to 2 on 5 and 9, 6 to 5 on 6 and 8.
- Add bets as you learn
Come bets work like a Pass Line bet made after the point. Place bets pick a number directly. Field, Hardways, Horn and Hop bets pay more and carry a higher house edge.
Playing the Don't side
Don't Pass and Don't Come are the opposite bets: you win when the 7 shows before the point. On the come-out, 2 and 3 win, 7 and 11 lose, and 12 is a push. Odds behind a Don't bet are called reverse odds, because the true odds are reversed: you risk more to win less (1 to 2 on 4 and 10, 2 to 3 on 5 and 9, 5 to 6 on 6 and 8). A Lay bet is a different bet: a direct bet against a number that pays a commission.
Craps payouts
Common Las Vegas payouts. Every CQ Nexus table pays these to the penny, and Field and odds rules can be set per table.
| Bet | Wins when | Pays |
|---|---|---|
| Pass Line / Come | Point rolls before a 7 | 1 to 1 |
| Odds on 4 or 10 | Point rolls before a 7 | 2 to 1 |
| Odds on 5 or 9 | Point rolls before a 7 | 3 to 2 |
| Odds on 6 or 8 | Point rolls before a 7 | 6 to 5 |
| Place 4 or 10 | Number rolls before a 7 | 9 to 5 |
| Place 5 or 9 | Number rolls before a 7 | 7 to 5 |
| Place 6 or 8 | Number rolls before a 7 | 7 to 6 |
| Buy 4 or 10 | Number rolls before a 7 | 2 to 1, less 5% commission |
| Field | Next roll is 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 | 1 to 1 (2 pays 2 to 1, 12 pays 2 or 3 to 1) |
| Hard 4 or Hard 10 | Rolled as a pair before a 7 or the easy way | 7 to 1 |
| Hard 6 or Hard 8 | Rolled as a pair before a 7 or the easy way | 9 to 1 |
| Any Seven | Next roll is a 7 | 4 to 1 |
| Yo (11) | Next roll is an 11 | 15 to 1 |
| Easy hop (e.g. 4-2) | Next roll is that exact combination | 15 to 1 |
| Hard hop (e.g. 3-3) | Next roll is that exact pair | 30 to 1 |
Three ways to play craps
Standard craps
The live-dealer table you know from the Strip: odds, Place and Buy bets, the full proposition box, paid by dealer procedure.
Bubble Craps
The electronic table with the dice in a glass dome and no dealers. Bets are paid to the penny, and your Buy bets stay up after they win.
Crapless craps
No craps numbers on the come-out. A 2, 3, 11 or 12 becomes the point, so only a 7 wins on the come-out roll. More action, with a higher house edge on the Pass Line.
Craps etiquette
The unwritten rules every dealer knows. Follow these and you'll play like a regular from your first visit.
- Buy in between rolls
Wait until the dice are in the middle of the table, then lay your cash on the layout and tell the dealer what you want. Dealers can't take cash from your hand.
- Hands up when the dice are out
Once the stickman sends the dice to the shooter, keep your hands out of the table. If a die hits a hand and the next roll is a seven, the table will remember who it was.
- Place your own line bets, call the rest
You set your own Pass Line, Come, Don't, Field and odds bets. For Place, Buy, Hardways and proposition bets, set your chips down and call the bet to the dealer or stickman.
- Shoot with one hand
Pick up the dice with one hand, keep them over the table, and throw so both dice hit the back wall.
- Don't say the word seven
It's superstition, but the table takes it seriously. Players say "big red" or nothing at all.
- Keep the rail clear
Your chips live in the rail in front of you. Drinks go on the shelf under the rail, never on the rail or the layout.
- Tip by betting for the crew
The usual way to tip at craps is a bet for the dealers, like a Pass Line bet or a two-way Yo. Tell the dealer it's for them.
Craps terms
The words you'll hear at a craps table, in plain English.
- Come-out roll
- The first roll of a new round, made with the puck OFF.
- Point
- The number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) set on the come-out roll. It has to roll again before a 7 for Pass Line bets to win.
- Puck
- The marker that shows ON with the point number, or OFF before a point is set.
- Seven out
- Rolling a 7 after the point is set. Pass Line bets lose and the dice pass to the next shooter.
- Shooter
- The player rolling the dice.
- Stickman
- The dealer who runs the dice with the stick, calls each roll, and books the proposition bets.
- Boxman
- The supervisor seated between the base dealers who watches the game and the money.
- Odds
- An extra bet behind a Pass Line or Come bet that pays true odds, with no house edge.
- Reverse odds
- Odds behind a Don't Pass or Don't Come bet. The true odds are reversed, so you risk more to win less.
- Place bet
- A bet that a chosen number rolls before a 7.
- Buy bet
- Like a Place bet, but paid at true odds for a 5% commission.
- Lay bet
- A direct bet that a 7 rolls before a chosen number, paid at true odds for a commission.
- Hardway
- Rolling 4, 6, 8 or 10 as a pair, like 3-3 for a hard 6.
- Horn
- A one-roll bet split across 2, 3, 11 and 12.
- Hop bet
- A one-roll bet on one exact combination of the dice.
- Yo
- Dealer slang for 11, so it is never mistaken for 7.
- Press
- Raising a winning bet, usually by adding the winnings to it.
- Working / off
- Whether a bet is in play on the next roll. Many bets are off on the come-out unless you call them working.
Craps questions
Can I play craps online for free?
Yes. You can play craps free in your browser at games.cqnexus.com/craps with play money, with no download and no account needed to start. A 7-day free trial unlocks every table, including Bubble, Standard and Crapless. CQ Nexus is a training app, so there is never any real-money wagering.
What is the best bet in craps for a beginner?
The Pass Line with odds. The Pass Line carries a house edge of about 1.41%, and the odds bet behind it pays true odds with no house edge at all. Don't Pass is slightly better at about 1.36%. Most proposition bets in the center of the table carry edges above 9%.
What are 3-4-5x odds?
3-4-5x odds is a common Las Vegas limit on how much odds you can take behind a Pass Line or Come bet: 3 times your bet on the 4 and 10, 4 times on the 5 and 9, and 5 times on the 6 and 8. It makes every odds win pay 6 times your flat bet. CQ Nexus tables let you set double, 3-4-5x or a custom odds multiple.
What is crapless craps?
Crapless craps is a version where you cannot lose on the come-out roll. A 2, 3, 11 or 12 becomes the point instead of winning or losing, so only a 7 wins on the come-out. You can also Place and Buy the 2, 3, 11 and 12. The trade-off is a higher house edge on the Pass Line, about 5.38%.
How do hop bets work in craps?
A hop bet is a one-roll bet on an exact combination of the two dice. An easy hop, like 4-2, can roll two ways and usually pays 15 to 1. A hard hop, like 3-3, can roll only one way and usually pays 30 to 1. The CQ Nexus craps simulator supports every hop combination and pays each one correctly.
What is the difference between Bubble Craps and a live craps table?
Bubble Craps is an electronic table: the dice are shaken inside a glass dome, there are no dealers, and the machine pays every bet to the penny. A live table has a stickman and dealers who pay by procedure. CQ Nexus includes both, plus Crapless craps, so you can practice the exact game you will find in the casino.
Will practicing here prepare me for a real casino?
That is what it is built for. The game follows the same order of operations taught at CEG Dealer School in Las Vegas, uses real table limits and payouts, and lets you practice bet sizing, odds and pressing before you ever buy in.
Ready to practice?
Video lessons for craps, narrated by the Casino Quest team, are coming to the Learning Center.