How to Play Craps: A Complete Beginner's Guide

The how-to section has 18 guides. You don't need them all at once. Jump to a stage, or pick any card to open that guide. If you're starting from zero, work top to bottom.

Craps is a dice game. Two dice. Players bet on what's going to happen when those dice land. The bets are made on a big table covered in betting boxes, but the dice themselves decide everything. There's no dealer playing against you, no machine working in the background, no cards. Just two dice and the math.

One player at the table is the shooter, who throws the dice. Everyone else, including the shooter, bets on the outcome. When the shooter wins, most of the table usually wins together; when the shooter loses, most of the table loses together. That's why the noise is what it is — people cheering or groaning at the same time because they all have the same bet. If you want a fuller introduction, our article on what craps is goes deeper.

Every round follows the same pattern, and once you see it the rest of the game gets much easier to follow. A round starts with the come out roll, the shooter's first throw, and three things can happen.

• If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, that's a natural and the round wins for most bettors. The same shooter throws another come out roll right after.
• If the shooter rolls a 2, 3 or 12, that's craps. The round loses for most bettors, but the shooter keeps the dice and throws another come out.
• If the shooter rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, that number becomes the point. A puck flips to the "on" side and sits on top of that number, and the round enters its second phase.

In the second phase the goal changes: the shooter is trying to roll the point again before rolling a 7. If the point hits first, the round wins. If a 7 comes first, the round loses and the dice pass to the next player. That's the whole rhythm — come out roll, possibly establish a point, try to make the point before the 7, repeat. We have a full breakdown of the come out roll and the point and the deeper basic rules of craps in their own articles.

The table is covered in betting boxes, each a different bet with a different payout and house edge. New players see all that and panic. Don't. You don't need to know all of those bets, and most of them are bad. The middle of the table, where the proposition bets live, is mostly traps for tourists. What you actually need is a small handful of bets — three, really, with a few more you can add as you get comfortable.

You step up to a $10 minimum table, put $10 on the felt between rolls, and ask for change. You put a $5 chip on the pass line. The shooter throws a 5, the puck flips to "on," and the point is now 5.

The dealer asks if you want odds. You hand over a $10 chip and they place it just behind your pass line bet. You now have $5 on the pass line and $10 in odds, $15 total on this round. The shooter throws a 9 (no effect), an 11 (no effect), then a 5. The point hits. You win: the pass line pays even money ($5), and your odds pay true odds, which on a 5 is 3 to 2, so your $10 pays $15. You collect $20 plus your original $15 stays.

Or the shooter throws a 7 instead, and the dealer sweeps your $15 off the layout. The shooter gives up the dice. That's a normal round. Some last one roll, some go 20 minutes — there's no limit. The shooter keeps going until the point hits or a 7 ends it.

Find a table with an open spot and a minimum you can afford — it's on a placard at one end of the table. Wait for a moment between rolls, step up to the rail, put your cash on the felt, and say "change please." Don't hand cash directly to the dealer; they can't take it from your hand, so lay it down. The dealer counts it out and pushes you chips.

Now wait for the next come out roll (you can tell because the puck is on the "off" side), put a chip on the pass line, and you're playing. For a while, all you need to do is watch and bet the pass line. Add free odds when you're comfortable, add a come bet when you want a second number going, and let the rest of the game wait. You can play smart craps with just the pass line and odds, and you'll outlast most players betting all over the layout. Starting online is even simpler: pick a table, click a chip, click the pass line. We compare the two in our article on online vs live craps.

A few things will save you money if you keep them in mind from the start.

• Don't bet the proposition bets in the middle. Hardways, any seven, the field, the horn bets. The payouts look exciting but the house edge is far higher than the pass line and place bets.
• Don't chase losses. The dice have no memory. The next roll is just as likely to be a 7 as any other. Walk away when you're out of budget.
• Don't skip free odds. The pass line alone is fine; the pass line with full odds is much better. The casino doesn't advertise odds because they can't win money on it.
• Don't say the word "seven" during a point cycle. It won't change the dice, but you'll be the most hated person at the table.
• Don't bet money you can't afford to lose. Set a budget and stick to it.

We have full articles on bankroll management and common craps mistakes that are genuinely worth reading before you put real money on a table.

If you're playing live, knowing how to behave matters almost as much as knowing the bets. Handle the dice with one hand if you're the shooter, don't throw too softly, tip the dealers when you're winning, don't put your drink on the rail, don't say "seven," and don't slow down the game. Be friendly to other players and they'll be friendly back. Our craps etiquette article is short and worth reading before your first session.

If you end up being the shooter, there are a few specific rules and rituals that come with the role. Our article on being the shooter covers everything from how to handle the dice to what to do when the table is cheering you on for a long roll.

You can play craps two ways: live at a physical table, or online against software that simulates the dice. Both have the same rules and the same odds, but they feel completely different. Online is faster, quieter, and more private — you can play for $1 a hand, take your time, and look up bets without an audience. The downside is no social atmosphere, no free drinks, and no real dice in your hand.

Live is the full experience: the noise, the crew, the cheering, the dice in your hand on your turn. It's more expensive in minimums and moves slower, which can be good or bad. For a complete beginner, online is probably the better place to start, then move to a live table once you're comfortable. Our article on online vs live craps goes deeper, and the legal craps homepage has casino reviews and bonuses if you want to play online.

This page covers the whole game at a high level. If you're starting from zero, here's the order to read the deeper guides: begin with what is craps, then the basic rules, then the table layout so you can read the felt, then the come out roll and the point and the dice probability article.

From there, the bets: read the pass line first, then free odds, then the come bet. Save don't pass and don't come for after a few sessions, and read place bets and field bets to learn what's worth your money. Then the practical articles: being the shooter, etiquette, online vs live, and common mistakes. Read bankroll management before you put real money down, and bookmark the glossary for any term you hear at a table. Most articles take 10 minutes or less, and the whole guide runs about an hour.