How to Play Craps

After your initial bets, you can increase your opportunities for wins in Craps by adding additional bets under certain circumstances. There are two additional bets that correspond to the Pass Line and Don’t Pass Bar that can help you increase your profit on both of these bets.

Always remember that the amount put on an additional bet cannot, in any case, be more than double the amount of your original bet.

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 the 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.

Odds on Pass Line

This additional bet can only be played after a ‘Point’ has already been set by the first roll of the die. In effect, this bet means that you are putting additional money on rolling the ‘Point’ for a second time before rolling a seven. This bet pays differently depending on the ‘Point’. A 4 or 10 will pay 2:1, a 5 or 9 pays 3:2, while a 6 or 8 pays 6:5. If a 7 is rolled, however, you will lose both your original bet and your Odd on Pass Line bet.

Odds on Don’t Pass Bar

This bet can be made after the ‘Point’ has been set for a Don’t Pass Bar Bet. The rules and payouts are exactly the same as ‘Odd on Pass Line’.

While there are a great many extra bets to be made and considered while playing Craps, these are the most basic and the most beneficial options a player has. In fact, these bets have some of the best Odds on the entire Casino Floor. So if your lack of knowledge is discouraging you, don’t let it! These basic bets are enough to get you started at the Craps Tables where you’ll soon pick up the rest. If you still aren’t comfortable playing at a real Casino, try playing first at an Online Casino to test your different options and until you feel confident with a few basic moves.

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 payouts. 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 (one roll bets).

Craps 2

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

Craps 3

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

7

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

11

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

Craps 12

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

Any Craps

A bet that a 2, 3 or 12 will be thrown on the next roll will payout 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 payout at 2-1.