Craps Glossary: Every Term You Will Hear at the Craps Table
The first time you stand at a live craps table, half of what you hear sounds like a foreign language. The stickman is calling out things like "yo eleven," "boxcars," and "little Joe from Kokomo" while the dealers are talking about hardways, comes and props. The other players are saying things like "press it," "color me up," and "I'm working." None of it is in the rule book the casino gives you. None of it is intuitive.
This is the glossary that translates all of it. Every term you will hear at a craps table, online or live, organized alphabetically. I have stuck to terms a beginner is actually likely to encounter rather than padding the list with archaic slang nobody has used since 1972. If a word made the list, it is because you are going to hear it within your first few sessions.
Bookmark this page. Come back to it whenever you hear something at a craps table that does not make sense. Most of these terms only need to be looked up once. After that they become part of the language.
A
Aces. A roll of 2, made by both dice landing on 1. Also called snake eyes. Aces is the more formal casino term, snake eyes is the more colorful one. Either gets used. There is a one-roll prop bet on aces that pays 30 to 1, with brutal math behind it.
Ace deuce. A roll of 3, made by a 1 and a 2. The "deuce" part is just casino-speak for the number 2. Like aces, ace deuce has a one-roll prop bet attached to it. Also brutal math.
Across. A bet that covers all six place numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10) at once. When a player says "I'm going across for $32," they want $5 each on the 4, 5, 9 and 10, plus $6 each on the 6 and 8. The math on the across bet is mediocre because the 4, 5, 9 and 10 drag the average up, but it is fast action.
Action. Money in play on the table. A player with $100 in chips spread across multiple bets has $100 in action. Casinos track action because it determines comps and ratings.
Any craps. A one-roll bet that the next throw will be a 2, 3 or 12. Pays 7 to 1, but the true odds make it a bad bet with about an 11 percent house edge. Skip it.
Any seven. A one-roll bet that the next throw will be a 7. Pays 4 to 1, but the math gives the casino about a 16 percent edge, which is one of the worst on the table. Easily one of the worst bets in the entire casino.
B
Bar 12 (or bar 2). The notation in the don't pass and don't come areas indicating which number pushes on the come out roll. If the bar says 12, a 12 on the come out is a push for don't bettors. The push exists to give the casino its edge on don't pass bets, since otherwise the bet would be slightly favorable to the player. We get into this in the don't pass article.
Big 6 and Big 8. A bet that the 6 (or 8) will be rolled before a 7. Pays even money, which is worse than a place bet on the same number. Older tables have these in the corners. Most newer tables have removed them because they are obvious tourist traps. If you see one, just place the 6 or 8 instead.
Big red. Slang for the 7, used by players who do not want to say the actual word during a point cycle. The phrase comes from the red 7 displayed on the table for the any seven prop bet.
Bones. Slang for dice. Comes from the days when dice were actually made of bone. You will hear stickmen and old-school players use this. "Roll the bones" is just "throw the dice."
Box numbers. The numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10, which appear in the boxes at the top of each end of the table. These are the numbers that can be points and the numbers you can place bet on.
Boxcars. A roll of 12, made by both dice landing on 6. Also called midnight. Like aces, there is a one-roll prop bet on boxcars that pays 30 to 1 with bad math.
Boxman. The casino employee who sits at the middle of the table on the casino's side, behind the chip rack. He is the supervisor for the table, watches every roll and every payout, and handles cash transactions. Talk to the dealer first if you have a question. The boxman is who you escalate to.
Buy bet. A type of place bet where you pay a 5 percent commission for the privilege of getting paid at true odds instead of place bet odds. Better math than place bets on the 4 and 10, similar to place bets on the 5 and 9 once the commission is factored in. More complicated than a beginner needs.
C
Cold table. A table where shooters are sevening out quickly and most bets are losing. Cold tables are bad for pass line bettors and good for don't pass bettors. The math says cold tables and hot tables are exactly the same statistically over the long run. In any given hour, they can feel very different.
Color up. When you exchange smaller chips for larger denomination chips before leaving the table. You say "color me up" or "color please" to the dealer. They will count your chips, give you back fewer chips of higher value, and you take those to the cashier cage to convert to cash.
Come bet. A bet that works exactly like a pass line bet but is made after a point has already been established. The next roll becomes the come bet's personal come out. Same math as the pass line, same option to take free odds. Used by players who want multiple numbers working at once. Full breakdown in the come bet article.
Come out roll. The first roll of a new round, made when the puck is on the off side. Determines whether the round resolves immediately (on a 7, 11, 2, 3 or 12) or moves into a point cycle.
Contract bet. A bet that cannot be removed once a point has been established. The pass line is a contract bet. Once the point is on, your money is locked in until the round ends. Don't pass is not a contract bet, even though many players assume it is.
Craps. The name of the game, but also the name for a roll of 2, 3 or 12. Saying "the shooter rolled craps" means they rolled one of those three numbers, which loses pass line bets on the come out.
Crew. The casino employees working a craps table together. Usually a boxman, two dealers and a stickman. Sometimes a third dealer rotates in. The crew works as a team, and tips are shared among them.
D
Dark side. Slang for betting against the shooter, meaning don't pass and don't come bets. Dark side bettors are sometimes called wrong way bettors. The terms have a slightly negative connotation but are not really meant as insults.
Dealer. The casino employee on either side of the boxman, responsible for handling bets and payouts on their side of the table. There are two dealers per shift. Players talk to the dealer on their side of the table.
Don't come bet. The don't pass version of a come bet. Made after a point is established, treats the next roll as its own come out, with all wins and losses flipped from a regular come bet. We cover it in the don't come article.
Don't pass bet. A bet against the shooter, made on the don't pass bar before a come out roll. Wins on a 2 or 3, loses on a 7 or 11, pushes on a 12 (or 2 in some casinos). Slightly better math than the pass line. Full details in the don't pass article.
Double odds. A casino rule that lets you bet up to twice your pass line bet on free odds. So a $10 pass line bet can have $20 in odds behind it. Most casinos have moved beyond double odds to 3x-4x-5x or higher.
E
Easy way. A roll of 4, 6, 8 or 10 that is not a pair. So a 4 made by a 1 and a 3 is an easy 4. A 4 made by two 2s is a hard 4. Used in announcing rolls when hardway bets are in play.
Even money. A bet that pays 1 to 1. If you bet $10 and you win, you collect $10 in winnings plus your original $10 back. The pass line, don't pass, come, don't come and field bet wins (on most numbers) all pay even money.
F
Field. A one-roll bet that the next throw will be a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12. Has bad math despite covering seven numbers, because the numbers it does not cover (5, 6, 7, 8) are the most common. We get into the trap in our field bets article.
Fire bet. A bonus side bet, available at some tables, that pays if the shooter makes four, five or six unique points before sevening out. Long odds, big payouts when they hit. Most players avoid them because the math is bad, but they are popular with players who want a big chance at a big win.
Free odds. The bet behind the pass line (or in front of don't pass) that pays at true odds with zero house edge. The best bet in the casino. Always take it. Full details in the free odds article.
G
Garden. Old slang for the field. You will hear it occasionally from older players or from stickmen with classic patter. "The garden is paying" means somebody hit a field bet. Mostly archaic at this point.
George. Slang for a player who tips dealers generously. The opposite is a "stiff." Dealers obviously prefer Georges.
H
Hardway. A bet that a specific number (4, 6, 8 or 10) will be rolled with both dice showing the same value before a 7 hits or before that number rolls the easy way. Hard 4 is two 2s. Hard 6 is two 3s. Hard 8 is two 4s. Hard 10 is two 5s. Pays 7 to 1 on the 4 and 10, 9 to 1 on the 6 and 8. House edge of 9 to 11 percent depending on which number. Bad bets despite their popularity.
High-low. A combined one-roll bet covering both 2 and 12 in equal amounts. Each side pays 30 to 1 if it hits. Bad math, popular with players who like longshots.
Hop bet. A one-roll bet on a specific dice combination. For example, a "hop 5-3" is a bet that the next roll will be a specific 5 and 3, not just any 8. Pays 15 to 1 for non-pair hops, 30 to 1 for pair hops. Bad math. The stickman handles them.
Horn bet. A combined one-roll bet on the 2, 3, 11 and 12 split into four equal parts. Pays based on which number hits. Bad math, often called for in equal parts when somebody yells "horn high" or "horn low."
Hot table. A table where shooters are making points and pass line bettors are winning. The opposite of a cold table. Hot tables are more fun for the majority of players. The math says they are statistically identical to cold tables over the long run.
House edge. The casino's mathematical advantage on a bet, expressed as a percentage of the amount wagered. Pass line is 1.41 percent. Free odds is 0 percent. Hardways are 9 to 11 percent. The house edge is what the casino earns on average over the long run.
I
Inside numbers. The 5, 6, 8 and 9, the four place numbers in the middle of the layout. "Inside for $22" is shorthand for $5 each on the 5 and 9 plus $6 each on the 6 and 8.
Iron cross. A betting setup that combines field bets with place bets on the 5, 6 and 8, designed to win on every roll except a 7. Sounds amazing, has bad math. We cover it in the field bets article. Avoid.
J
Juice. Slang for the casino's commission on a buy bet, usually 5 percent of the win. Also used informally for the house edge in general.
L
Lay bet. The opposite of a buy bet. You bet against a number, paying a 5 percent commission for true odds payouts. Used by dark side players who want to bet against specific numbers. Better math than don't place bets, more complex than a beginner needs.
Lay odds. Free odds for don't pass and don't come bets. Same zero house edge as pass line odds, but the mechanics are reversed. You put up more than you win. Full details in the free odds article.
Little Joe. Old slang for a roll of 4. Sometimes "little Joe from Kokomo." You will hear stickmen with classic patter call it out. Has no effect on the game, just adds flavor.
M
Marker. Two meanings. Sometimes refers to the puck that marks whether a round is in the come out phase or the point phase. Sometimes refers to a credit line a casino extends to a player, where the player can bet against money the casino will collect later.
Midnight. Slang for a roll of 12. Also called boxcars. Both terms get used.
N
Natural. A roll of 7 or 11 on the come out roll. A natural wins pass line bets immediately and ends the round. The same shooter throws another come out roll right after.
O
Odds. Two meanings. The free odds bet, which is the zero-edge bet behind the pass line. Also the general probability of any outcome on the dice. "What are the odds of a 7" usually refers to the second meaning.
Off. A status of a bet meaning it does not win or lose on the next roll. Place bets are off by default during the come out roll. The puck on the off side also indicates that a come out roll is about to happen.
On. The opposite of off. A bet that is on is active and will win or lose based on the next roll. The puck on the on side indicates that a point has been established and the round is in the point cycle.
Outside numbers. The 4, 5, 9 and 10. The opposite of inside numbers. "Outside for $20" is shorthand for $5 each on those four numbers.
P
Pass line. The most popular bet in craps, a bet that the shooter will win the round. Wins on naturals on the come out, loses on craps, turns into a point bet otherwise. House edge 1.41 percent. Full details in the pass line article.
Pit. The area in the casino where the table games are clustered, usually with a central walkway between rows of tables. The pit boss is the supervisor in charge of a section of the pit.
Pit boss. The casino employee who oversees a section of the pit, including multiple craps tables and possibly other games. Higher rank than the boxman. Players sometimes interact with the pit boss for comp questions or higher-level issues.
Place bet. A bet that a specific number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) will be rolled before a 7. House edge varies by number, with 6 and 8 being best at 1.52 percent. Full details in the place bets article.
Point. The number a shooter is trying to roll again before sevening out. Set on the come out roll if the shooter rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. The puck flips on and gets placed on the point's box.
Press. To increase the size of an existing bet, usually after a win. "Press the 6" tells the dealer to add to your existing place bet on 6. Some players press every win, rolling winnings into bigger bets.
Proposition bet. Sometimes shortened to prop bet. The bets in the center of the table, run by the stickman. Includes hardways, hop bets, the horn, any seven, any craps, and so on. Almost all of them have terrible math. Avoid.
Puck. The round black-and-white disc that sits on the layout. Has an "on" side and an "off" side. Tells everyone at the table whether the round is in the come out phase or the point phase.
R
Rail. The padded edge of the craps table where players lean and where chip racks are built in. Drinks should not go on the rail. Use the drink holders or shelves underneath.
Right way bettor. A player who bets the pass line and come, betting with the shooter. Most players are right way bettors. The opposite is a wrong way bettor or dark side bettor.
RNG. Random number generator. The software that simulates dice rolls in online craps. Reputable sites have their RNGs audited by independent third parties to verify they produce truly random results.
S
Sevening out. Rolling a 7 during a point cycle, which ends the round. Pass line bets and most other bets lose. The shooter has to give up the dice and pass them to the next player.
Shooter. The player whose turn it is to throw the dice. The dice rotate clockwise around the table. Players can pass on shooting if they do not want to. Full breakdown in the being the shooter article.
Snake eyes. A roll of 2, made by both dice landing on 1. Same as aces. Snake eyes is more colorful, aces is the formal term.
Stickman. The casino employee who handles the dice with the long curved stick, calls out the result of each roll, and runs the proposition bets in the center of the table. Stickmen are usually the most talkative members of the crew, with classic patter to keep the energy up.
T
Take down. To remove a bet from the table. "Take down the 8" tells the dealer to give back your place bet on 8. Most bets can be taken down at any time. Pass line bets cannot once a point is set.
Take odds. To make a free odds bet behind your pass line or come bet. The opposite is "lay odds" for don't pass and don't come bets.
True odds. The actual mathematical probability of an outcome. The free odds bet pays at true odds. Most other bets pay slightly less than true odds, with the difference being the house edge.
Two-way bet. A bet that includes a tip for the dealers as part of the wager. "Two-way hardway 8" means a hardway bet for you and a smaller hardway bet for the dealers on the same number. If both win, you both collect.
U
Unit. Your basic bet size. If you bet $5 on the pass line, your unit is $5. The size of your bankroll relative to your unit determines how long you can play and how much variance you can absorb. We talk about unit sizing in bankroll management.
W
Working. A bet that is on and will win or lose based on the next roll. The opposite of off. By default, place bets and most numbered bets are off during the come out roll. You can tell the dealer "working" or "off" to change the status.
Wrong way bettor. A player who bets don't pass and don't come, betting against the shooter. Same as a dark side bettor. Mathematically a slightly better bet, socially less popular.
Y
Yo. Slang for a roll of 11. Comes from "yo eleven," which stickmen call out so the number is not confused with "seven" in a noisy room. The yo is also the name of a one-roll prop bet on 11, which pays 15 to 1 with bad math.
The terms you do not need to learn
I left out a bunch of terms that other glossaries include because they are mostly arcane or only used in very specific contexts. Things like "bones flying" (variant of bones), "shoot the moon" (used in different ways at different tables), "sevens out" (which is just sevening out conjugated weird), "dice off" (rare), and a long list of regional or old-school slang that nobody uses anymore. If you hear something at a table that is not in this list, just ask the dealer what it means. Most dealers are happy to explain anything during a quiet moment.
The terms in this glossary are the ones you will actually encounter. Memorizing them is not necessary. Recognizing them is enough. After a few sessions at a craps table, you will hear the language so often that it becomes natural, and you will not need to look anything up.
One last thing
The slang at a craps table is part of the culture. It has been built up over a hundred years of players, dealers and stickmen. Some of it is functional, like "yo" replacing "eleven" so the dice do not respond to a stickman accidentally calling out the wrong number. Some of it is just colorful for its own sake, like "little Joe from Kokomo" for a 4. Either way, it is part of what makes craps feel like its own game with its own world.
Once you get comfortable with the terminology, you will start to enjoy it. The patter of a good stickman is part of the entertainment. The slang the players use creates a kind of insider feeling at the table. You are not just playing dice, you are part of a tradition that goes back generations.
That is the whole guide. Eighteen articles covering every part of a beginner's introduction to craps. Read them in order, jump around to whatever interests you, or use this glossary as a quick reference whenever you hear something at the table that does not make sense. The dice will be there when you are ready.