Strategy guide
Craps decoded.
Roll the dice and aim for the lucky combinations.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Best for
- Social play
- Key tips
- 4
- 01
Introduction
Craps looks chaotic at the table, but the core game is simple once you know the pass line bet and how the point is set.
- 02
How to play
A shooter rolls two dice. The first roll (the come-out roll) either wins, loses, or sets a 'point' number. If a point is set, the shooter keeps rolling until they hit that number again (a win) or roll a 7 (a loss).
- 03
Rules
A come-out roll of 7 or 11 wins for pass line bets; 2, 3 or 12 loses. Any other number becomes the 'point'. The shooter rolls repeatedly until the point repeats (pass line wins) or a 7 appears (pass line loses). Odds bets can be added behind a pass line bet once the point is set, at true odds with no house edge.
- 04
Odds and house edge
The pass line bet carries a house edge of about 1.41%, one of the lowest on the floor. Proposition bets in the centre of the table, like 'any 7', carry edges above 11% and should generally be avoided.
- 05
Common mistakes
New players often chase proposition bets for their big payouts, not realising the house edge on those bets is many times higher than the pass line.