What are the basic rules of craps?
Craps is played around a table with two dice, one shooter, and bets placed on what those dice will show. The first roll of any new round, called the come-out roll, sets the tone: a 7 or 11 wins for pass line bets on the spot, while a 2, 3, or 12 loses them outright. Any other number becomes the point, and the shooter keeps rolling until that same number comes up again or a 7 appears, whichever happens first.
The come-out roll and how a round starts
Every round of craps begins with the come-out roll. Players place their pass line bets before this roll, and the outcome decides whether the round ends immediately or moves into a second phase. A come-out roll of 7 or 11 is a win for pass line bets; a roll of 2, 3, or 12 is a loss. Any other result — 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 — does not end the round. Instead, that number is marked as the point, and play continues.
What happens once a point is established
Once a point is set, the rules of the game narrow to a single question: will the shooter roll the point number again before rolling a 7? Every other number that comes up during this phase has no direct effect on a pass line bet — it simply means the shooter rolls again. If the point reappears, pass line bets win. If a 7 appears first, pass line bets lose, and the round ends regardless of how many rolls it took to get there.
Pass line, don't pass, and how odds are built in
The pass line bet is the most common starting bet in craps, and it works exactly as described above: win on a come-out 7 or 11, lose on 2, 3, or 12, then ride the point. A don't pass bet is roughly the mirror image — it loses on a come-out 7 or 11 and wins on 2 or 3 (12 is usually a push, not a loss, for this bet), then needs a 7 to appear before the point to win. Beyond these two, tables offer many additional bets — on specific numbers, on combinations, on the next single roll — each with its own payout and its own built-in house edge. No timing of bets, no pattern of dice, and no betting sequence changes that edge; the dice have no memory, and each roll is independent of the ones before it. Exact payout figures for a given bet are printed on the table layout or in the operator's own rules sheet, and they vary by bet type.
Related: How to Deal Blackjack: Dealer Procedure and Table Rules.
Questions and answers
What exactly is the come-out roll?
It is the first roll made at the start of a new round, before any point has been established. Its result decides whether the round ends immediately (on 7, 11, 2, 3, or 12) or continues into the point phase (on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10). Every round of craps begins this way, whether it is the first round at a table or the one following a previous win or loss.
What happens if the come-out roll is 7 or 11?
A come-out roll of 7 or 11 is an immediate win for pass line bets. The round ends there, and a new come-out roll follows for the next round. Bets on the don't pass side lose in this situation, since the two bets move in opposite directions.
What happens if the come-out roll is 2, 3, or 12?
These three numbers, sometimes called craps numbers, cause an immediate loss for pass line bets on the come-out roll. Don't pass bets generally win on 2 or 3, while a come-out roll of 12 is typically treated as a push (neither win nor loss) for don't pass bets, though the exact handling of 12 can vary by table rules and is worth checking against the posted layout.
What is a point number, and how is it chosen?
If the come-out roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the point. It is not chosen by a player or a dealer; it is simply whatever number the dice showed on that roll. The point stays fixed for the rest of the round.
What ends the round once a point is set?
Two outcomes end the round: the shooter rolls the point number again, which is a win for pass line bets, or the shooter rolls a 7 first, which is a loss for pass line bets and ends the shooter's turn. All other numbers rolled in between have no bearing on the pass line bet itself, though they may affect other bets placed on the table.
Is there a way to predict or influence which number comes next?
No. Each roll of the dice is a physically independent event, unaffected by previous rolls, by how long a shooter has held the dice, or by any betting pattern. The rules of craps build a fixed house edge into every bet type, and no sequence of bets or timing removes that edge. Anyone claiming otherwise is describing a myth, not a mechanic of the game.
Who can place bets at a craps table?
Craps, like all casino table games, is intended for adult players only, with age requirements set by local law and enforced by the operator. Beyond that, there is no special skill requirement to place a basic pass line bet — understanding the come-out roll and the point covers the core mechanic that the rest of the game is built around.