# How to Play: Craps

Follow the come-out roll, the point and each wager's settlement rules. The calculations here assume two fair, independent six-sided dice on each roll, unchanged probabilities between rolls and the specified payouts. Other game variants need their own rules.

## The 30-second version

> Under the stated rules, Pass has 1.41% house edge per initial line wager. Don't Pass, with 12 pushing, has 1.36% when pushes stay in that denominator. Eligible true-odds portions have 0.00% edge, but adding them does not remove the base wager's expected dollar loss. Place, field and proposition bets need their exact payouts and settlement conditions; they do not share one percentage.

## How the game works

### Come-out and point

One player, the shooter, rolls the dice. A line wager starts with a come-out roll. Read Pass and Don't Pass separately:

| Come-out total | Pass | Don't Pass, with 12 barred |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7 or 11 | Wins at 1:1 net | Loses |
| 2 or 3 | Loses | Wins at 1:1 net |
| 12 | Loses | Push: stake returned, no net gain |
| 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 | That total becomes the point | That total becomes the point |

After a point is set, the relevant line wager continues until the point or 7 appears. **Point first:** Pass wins and Don't Pass loses. **7 first:** Pass loses and Don't Pass wins. Other totals do not resolve those line wagers. A new line wager starts a new come-out cycle after settlement.

A seven-out means a 7 during the point phase. It is different from a come-out 7, which wins a Pass wager. Other bets on the table can settle on different rolls, so the result for Pass is not the result for every chip.

### Count the dice outcomes

There are 36 equally likely ordered pairs: the first die and second die each have six possible faces. Totals are not equally likely.

| Total | Ways to make that total | Probability on one stated fair roll |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2 or 12 | 1 for each total | 1/36 for each |
| 3 or 11 | 2 for each total | 2/36 for each |
| 4 or 10 | 3 for each total | 3/36 for each |
| 5 or 9 | 4 for each total | 4/36 for each |
| 6 or 8 | 5 for each total | 5/36 for each |
| 7 | 6 | 6/36, or 16.67% |

The six ways to make 7 make it the most likely single total in this model. That probability describes the dice; whether 7 wins or loses a wager comes from the game rules.

Reference: [craps rules, payout examples and wager denominators](https://wizardofodds.com/games/craps/basics/).

## Bet types

### Line and Come wagers

| Bet | Settlement | House edge under the stated rules |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pass | Starts on a come-out; wins on 7/11, loses on 2/3/12, otherwise point before 7 wins. | 1.41% per initial wager |
| Don't Pass | Starts on a come-out; wins on 2/3, pushes on 12, loses on 7/11, otherwise 7 before point wins. | 1.36%, including push wagers |
| Come | Starts during a point phase; its next roll acts as its own come-out and can establish a separate Come point. | 1.41% with the same rules |
| Don't Come | Uses its own Don't Come start and point, with 12 pushing in this example. | 1.36%, including push wagers |

A Come point can differ from the table's main point. Check which bets are working during a later come-out roll and which can be removed or reduced. A line wager's contract rules should not be assumed to match a place wager's rules.

### True odds behind an eligible wager

After the relevant point is established, the game may allow an additional odds wager. Taking odds behind Pass/Come wins if its point appears before 7. Laying odds behind Don't Pass/Don't Come wins if 7 appears first.

| Point | Taking odds: net win per unit staked | Laying odds: net win per unit staked |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 4 or 10 | 2:1 | 1:2 |
| 5 or 9 | 3:2 | 2:3 |
| 6 or 8 | 6:5 | 5:6 |

These fractions give 0.00% house edge on the odds portion when paid exactly under the stated model. They do not make that portion a guaranteed win or remove the required base wager. Check permitted amounts, payout precision and whether a quoted multiple limits the stake or the possible win. The same advertised multiple need not mean equal amounts risked when taking and laying odds.

### Place bets

A place wager backs its named total before 7 while it is working. The following figures assume it stays active until one of those resolving outcomes and receives the exact stated net payout.

| Place number | Net payout | House edge per wager carried to resolution |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 6 or 8 | 7:6 | 1.52% |
| 5 or 9 | 7:5 | 4.00% |
| 4 or 10 | 9:5 | 6.67% |

This denominator is a wager carried to a win or loss, not a newly counted stake on every neutral roll. Buy and lay bets can instead use a commission; check how much is charged and when. Do not give those wagers the place-bet percentage merely because the number is the same.

### Field: a one-roll wager

In the stated field game, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12 win on the next roll; 5, 6, 7 and 8 lose. The ordinary winning totals pay 1:1 net. The special payouts on **both 2 and 12** change the edge:

| Net payout on 2 | Net payout on 12 | House edge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2:1 | 2:1 | 5.56% |
| 2:1 | 3:1 | 2.78% |

Swapping which of 2 and 12 receives the triple payout leaves that calculation unchanged because each has one dice combination. As a mathematical counterexample, a field paying 3:1 on both would have 0.00% edge under these same rules. That is not a claim that a particular table currently offers it, and it shows why true odds should not be described as the only possible zero-edge casino wager.

### Proposition and hardway wagers

Read whether a wager lasts one roll or remains active until particular outcomes settle it. These are exact examples rather than a universal range for every bet in the center of a layout.

| Wager | Resolving event and net payout | House edge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Any 7 | Next roll is 7; pays 4:1 | 16.67% |
| Any craps | Next roll is 2, 3 or 12; pays 7:1 | 11.11% |
| 11 / Yo | Next roll is 11; pays 15:1 | 11.11% |
| 2 or 12, selected separately | Next roll is the chosen total; pays 30:1 | 13.89% |
| Hard 6 or Hard 8 | The chosen total appears as doubles before an easy version of it or 7; pays 9:1 | 9.09% |
| Hard 4 or Hard 10 | The chosen total appears as doubles before an easy version of it or 7; pays 7:1 | 11.11% |

Hardways here stay working until a win or loss; unrelated totals postpone settlement. A hard 8 is two 4s, while an easy 8 is any other dice pair totaling 8. Side bets, hop bets, promotional payouts and other variants need separate calculations.

## The math

### Probability is not the same as payout

For a bet that remains active until a win or loss, let p be its probability of winning on a roll and q its probability of losing on a roll. Neutral rolls postpone the outcome. Its eventual winning probability is `p / (p + q)` under the unchanged independent-roll model.

For a place 6 paying 7:6, five dice pairs win and six pairs make a losing 7. The eventual win probability is 5/11. Expected net return per unit staked is `(5/11 × 7/6) − 6/11 = −1/66`, giving 1.52% house edge.

For Any 7 at 4:1, six outcomes win four units and 30 lose one. The one-roll expected net return is `(6 × 4 − 30) / 36 = −1/6`, giving 16.67%. That wager's payout is essential to the result; the probability of 7 alone does not determine its expected return.

### Include the line wager's whole cycle

Pass can resolve on the come-out or continue through a point. Weighting each branch by its dice combinations gives expected net loss of `7/495` of the initial stake, or 1.41%.

Don't Pass with 12 barred gives `3/220`, or 1.36%, per initial wager **including the come-out-12 pushes**. Excluding those wagers would change the denominator and the percentage. The figure is not a separate charge taken from each roll, and a push is not a loss.

See the [published probability derivations](https://wizardofodds.com/games/craps/appendix/1/); the examples here are independently checked from the 36 dice pairs and stated settlement rules.

### Why true odds have zero edge

For point 4, three pairs make 4 and six make 7. Taking odds wins with probability 3/9 and pays 2:1 net, giving `(3/9 × 2) − 6/9 = 0`. Laying odds reverses the winning condition and pays 1:2, giving `(6/9 × 1/2) − 3/9 = 0` per unit risked.

The corresponding 5/9 and 6/8 payouts work the same way with four and five point combinations. This is an expectation under exact payouts; either side can still lose the full odds stake.

### Adding odds changes the denominator

Consider an unchanged one-unit Pass wager. Suppose exactly m extra units are added as true odds whenever any point is established, with the same m for every point. The chance of establishing a point is 24/36, or 2/3. In this model:

- Expected net loss per original line wager remains `7/495` units because the added odds have zero expected net loss.
- Average total amount newly staked per original line wager is `1 + 2m/3` units.
- Combined edge is `(7/495) / (1 + 2m/3)`, expressed as a percentage.

| Added odds amount after any point | Average total stake per original one-unit line wager | Combined percentage |
| --- | --- | --- |
| None | 1 unit | 1.41% |
| 1 unit | 5/3 units | 0.85% |
| 2 units | 7/3 units | 0.61% |
| 5 units | 13/3 units | 0.33% |
| 10 units | 23/3 units | 0.18% |

This is average total action across complete line cycles; the odds stake is not placed on come-outs that resolve immediately. It assumes the same exact multiple on every point, no rounding or fees, and unchanged base stakes and number of cycles. It is not a 3–4–5 schedule or a laying-odds schedule.

The smaller percentage comes from a larger average total stake, while expected loss on the unchanged base remains the same. More money is exposed on point cycles and the distribution of possible results changes. A table maximum is a limit, not a target to spend.

### Spending and results

For a fixed $100 of initial Pass wagers in this model, expected net loss is about $1.41. Initial Don't Pass wagers with 12 pushing instead have about $1.36 expected net loss per $100. Neither is a guaranteed session cost. Adding other wagers changes total action and can add further expected loss; repeating unresolved rolls does not itself place a new line stake.

Compare definitions in [the game comparison](https://www.playbookrg.com/brand/content/games/#odds-at-a-glance).

## Key terms

| Term | Definition |
| --- | --- |
| Shooter | The player rolling the dice. |
| Come-out roll | The first roll of a line-wager cycle. |
| Point | The established 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 tracked against 7 for that wager. |
| Seven-out | A 7 rolled after the relevant point is set; it loses Pass. |
| Natural | Here, a come-out 7 or 11 that wins Pass. |
| Craps total | A come-out 2, 3 or 12 that loses Pass under these rules. |
| Push | Return of a wager without net win or loss. |
| Bar 12 | Here, the rule making Don't Pass/Don't Come push on an opening 12. |
| Taking odds | An eligible added wager backing the point before 7 at the stated true payout. |
| Laying odds | An eligible added wager backing 7 before the point at the stated true payout. |
| Working | Active for settlement on the relevant roll. |
| Place bet | A named total before 7, at its specified payout while working. |
| Field | The specified one-roll group of totals, with special payouts on 2 and 12. |
| Hardway | A chosen total as doubles before the easy form or 7. |
| Net payout | Winnings excluding the returned stake; distinguish this from a total-return amount. |
| Resolution | The event that settles the wager as a win, loss or push. |
| Total action | All new stakes placed, counted according to the stated model rather than counting held chips again each roll. |

## Tips for informed play

1. **Identify the wager's phase.** A come-out 7 and a point-phase 7 have different effects on Pass. Track separate Come points carefully.
2. **Read the exact payouts.** Field payouts on both 2 and 12 matter; a bet's name or layout position is not a return calculation.
3. **Keep the stake denominator visible.** Per line cycle, per resolved wager, per roll and per total amount staked are different comparisons.
4. **Treat zero edge as an expectation.** True odds can lose, require the eligible base wager and expose additional money.
5. **Set time and spending limits before play.** Table energy, an available odds multiple or previous losses need not determine the next amount you risk.

## Common myths

| Myth | One-liner | Full entry |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Seven is always bad | Come-out 7 wins Pass; 7 after a point loses it. | |
| Zero edge means the wager cannot lose | A true-odds wager can lose its full stake despite zero expected net loss. | |
| Adding odds erases the base bet's expected loss | The unchanged base retains its expected loss; added odds change total exposure and the combined denominator. | |
| Every field bet has the same edge | The special net payouts on both 2 and 12 determine the calculation. | |
| Every bet in the center lasts one roll | The stated hardways remain active until specified resolving events. | |
| A streak makes the next roll due | Under the stated independent fair-dice model, earlier results do not change the next-roll probabilities. | |

## Quiz questions

### Question 1

**Stem:** What is the edge on the added true-odds portion, paid exactly under this guide's model?

| Option | Text |
| --- | --- |
| A | 1.41% on every odds wager |
| B | 1.36%, regardless of which side it backs |
| C | 0.00%, while the required base wager keeps its own expected loss |
| D | Zero chance of losing the stake |

**Correct:** C

**Explanation:** The odds payouts balance their win and loss probabilities. This does not make each result a push or cancel the base wager's expected loss. Adding more odds behind an unchanged base increases the amount exposed on point cycles.

**Source:** Own dice-pair and payout calculation, checked against the linked craps analyses.

### Question 2

**Stem:** On a come-out 7, what happens to Pass under the stated rules?

| Option | Text |
| --- | --- |
| A | It loses, because every 7 is a seven-out |
| B | It wins at 1:1 net |
| C | The 7 becomes the point |
| D | It pushes in the same way as Don't Pass on 12 |

**Correct:** B

**Explanation:** Come-out 7 and 11 are immediate Pass wins. Once a point has been set, a 7 before that point instead loses Pass. The wager's phase matters; this is not a result for every other bet on the table.

**Source:** Stated line-wager rules, checked against the linked craps rules reference.

### Question 3

**Stem:** The field wins on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12. Ordinary wins pay 1:1; both 2 and 12 pay 2:1 net. What is its house edge?

| Option | Text |
| --- | --- |
| A | 2.78%, regardless of the special payouts |
| B | 5.56%, from (20 − 14 − 2 − 2) / 36 |
| C | 0.00%, because two totals pay double |
| D | The Pass line's 1.41% |

**Correct:** B

**Explanation:** There are 20 losing pairs, 14 ordinary one-unit winning pairs and two special pairs paying two units each. Expected loss is 2/36 of the stake, or 5.56%. Paying one special total 3:1 instead changes the edge to 2.78%.

**Source:** Own enumeration of the specified field outcomes and payouts; linked craps rules and analysis.

## Social snippets

### Snippet 1

**Hook:** Zero edge does not mean zero risk.

**Fact:** The stated true-odds portion has 0.00% house edge. Pass retains 1.41% per initial line wager, and Don't Pass with 12 pushing retains 1.36% including pushes.

**Stat:** An added odds wager can lose and does not erase the required base wager's expected loss.

### Snippet 2

**Hook:** Read both field payouts.

**Fact:** In the specified field game, 2:1 on both 2 and 12 gives 5.56% edge. Paying 2:1 on 2 and 3:1 on 12 gives 2.78%.

**Stat:** Same winning totals; different net payouts and expected returns.

### Snippet 3

**Hook:** The phase changes what 7 means.

**Fact:** Seven wins Pass on the come-out and loses Pass after a point. Its probability remains 6/36, or 16.67%, on each roll in the fair independent-dice model.

**Stat:** Check the wager and phase before treating a table result as your own result.

## Sources and scope

- [Shackleford: craps rules, payouts and wager denominators](https://wizardofodds.com/games/craps/basics/). Published rule examples and mathematical tables, including field payout variants and the distinction between taking and laying odds.
- [Shackleford: derivation of craps probabilities and expected returns](https://wizardofodds.com/games/craps/appendix/1/). Original mathematical analysis used to cross-check the stated line, place, hardway and odds examples.

Checked September 5, 2026. Calculations independently enumerate the stated dice pairs and settlement rules. They assume exact payouts, unchanged fair-roll probabilities and the specified working/settlement conditions; they do not certify a particular table, dice-control claim, product availability, pace or session outcome.