If you walk onto a casino floor, it is usually incredibly easy to locate the Craps pit; just follow the noise.
Adding to the stress, there are four different casino employees managing the game, shouting commands and moving stacks of money at lightning speed.
This is a massive mistake, because beneath the chaotic surface, Craps actually offers some of the absolute best mathematical odds in the casino.
In this article, we are going to completely demystify the game of Craps for the absolute beginner.
Understanding the Core of Craps: The Pass Line
To play Craps flawlessly, you only need to understand one single bet: The Pass Line.
A new round of Craps begins with a "Come-Out Roll." This is the first roll of the dice by a new shooter.
Outcome 1 (The Instant Win): If the shooter rolls a 7 or an 11, the entire table erupts in cheers.
Outcome 3 (Establishing the Point): This is the most common outcome and the heart of the game.
This is where the true drama of Craps begins.
The Goal of the Game: Chasing the Point
The shooter will now continue to pick up the dice and roll them repeatedly until one of two specific things happens.
If the shooter successfully rolls an 8, the table erupts in cheers! They "Hit the Point."
If the shooter rolls a 7 before they roll the Point (an 8), it is called "Sevening Out."
The entire table groans, because a 7 means every single Pass Line bet instantly loses.
You can literally ignore the other 50 bets on the table and have an amazing, mathematically sound evening playing just the Pass Line.
How to Lower the House Edge to Zero
Once a Point is established, the casino allows you to place an additional wager directly behind your original Pass Line bet (outside the printed line).
It is mathematically perfect; the casino pays you out exactly according to the true statistical probability of the dice rolling the Point before a 7.
If the Point is 6 or 8 (the easiest points to hit), the true odds are 6 to 5. The Odds bet pays exactly 6 to 5.
Then, once the Point is established, they place the absolute maximum allowable amount of money on the "Odds" bet directly behind it.
With the Pass Line and the Free Odds bet in your arsenal, you are fully equipped to dominate the Craps pit.
The Craps Cheat Sheet for Beginners
The Come-Out Roll: The very first roll of a new game. Place your bet on the Pass Line. The Point Phase: The puck flips to "ON" and is placed on a specific number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10). The Free Odds Bet: Once the Point is established, place more chips directly behind your Pass Line bet. The Center Bets (Proposition Bets): The massive grid in the middle of the table (Hardways, Any 7, Horn Bets).
Understanding the Probabilities in Craps
The NumberPossible Dice CombinationsWhy Some Points are Harder to Hit 3 or 11 (Yo)Only 2 ways each (1-2, 2-1 or 5-6, 6-5)Very difficult to hit. 6 or 85 ways eachThe easiest points to hit, but still harder than a 7. The Odds bet pays 6:5. The Craps ParadoxBecause a 7 is the most common roll, it is your best friend on the Come-Out, and your worst enemy during the Point phase.The entire game is built around the mathematical dominance of the number 7.
Do not let the complex layout and the shouting dealers intimidate you from experiencing the best game in the building.
If you roll a massive streak of points, the entire table will literally cheer your name, offering a high you cannot find anywhere else.
Roll the bones, fear the 7, and enjoy the incredible camaraderie of the Craps pit.