Official Craps Rules

Craps can be a bit hectic to beginners because a lot of actions are taken at once and bets can be places at any given point. Knowing a couple of bets goes a long way but understanding the potential betting scenarios is even more fun.

The idea of the game is to bet on the results of two rolled dices. Being a game of pure chance, it is not easy to alter the outcomes. However, the game offers a number of ways to wager. Most of the wagers depend on the dice combination that is rolled. So the player tries to predict the numbers that will appear in subsequent rolls.

The First RoundHow the Pass, Don’t Pass, and Come Bets OperateDon’t Come, Field, and Place BetsHardway Bets
The First Round

The First Round

The first round of craps is referred to as a come-out roll. In most casinos, the shooter makes a Pass bet or the Don’t Pass bet. Pass line bets are the winning factors while the Don’t Pass bets are the losing factors.

The outcome numbers 2, 3, and 12 become a loss on the pass bet and the round comes to an end in what is known as "crapping out." The pass bet wins when the outcome is 7 or 11. In some game variations, the number 12 represents a tie that ends the round, and the bet returns to the player. Outcomes 4,5,6,8,9,and 10 are considered the point numbers.

The First Round
How the Pass, Don’t Pass, and Come Bets Operate

How the Pass, Don’t Pass, and Come Bets Operate

Understanding the type of bet to make and when to make is critical to playing the game. The first bet is known as the Pass which as bee explained above in the come-out roll section. It is possible to put extra money down behind the pass bet but there will be no house edge.

When the player puts additional money for a Don’t Pass Bet, then they are laying the odds. Then there is the Come bet that works in a similar way as the pass bet but can also be used for another roll during the cycle.

How the Pass, Don’t Pass, and Come Bets Operate
Don’t Come, Field, and Place Bets

Don’t Come, Field, and Place Bets

The Don’t Come bet is synonymous with the Don’t Pass bet and can be made at any given time except during the first roll. It is the opposite of the Come bet. The Field bet allows the players to roll different dices as winning outcomes.

Generally, the player wins if the outcome of the next roll is 3,4,9,10, or 11. Numbers 2 and 12 wins double or triple the bet. Other outcome numbers represent a loss. The Place bet in Craps is represented by numbers 4,5,6,8, and 10. The player bets that one of these outcomes will roll before a 7.

Don’t Come, Field, and Place Bets
Hardway Bets

Hardway Bets

When players stake on hard numbers like 8, it means they are wagering for a specific number to appear. The caveat here is that the number should be divisible by 2. For instance, outcome 8 can be made by 5 different sums. But a pair of 4s becomes a Hardway Bet.

When it comes to Craps payouts, players are expected to understand winnings before figuring out what bet to place. The numbers that roll out are totally out of the player’s control because this is a game of chance. If the player bets that the big 8 and big 6 will roll out next, the only expected pay is 1:1.

Hardway Bets