Introduction

The key to playing craps is knowing what your options are. The buffet of bets available on a casino craps game can be bewildering, but the core of the game is comprised of two meat-and-potatoes bets: the pass line and don’t pass.

Craps has two stages of play: coming out or having a point number.

The pass line and don’t pass are directly linked to the stage of the game.

Pass Line

The pass line is clearly labeled on the game layout and wraps around the entire outer edge of the game. It is accessible by all players, and you are expected to place your own bets.

When the game is coming out, the pass line wins on seven and eleven, and loses on two, three, and twelve.

If, during the come out, a four, five, six, eight, nine, or ten roll, then that number will become the point number. Now the game has a point number and is no longer coming out.

With a point number, the pass line bets will win if the point number is rolled again before a seven. If the seven rolls before the point number, then the pass line bets will lose.

When the game has a point number, players make odds bets on their pass line bets. This is a crucial part of the game. The whole point of craps is to win on odds bets.

The proper units that you should bet on the odds vary by the number that is marked for the point. Asking the dealer what the correct bet would be is the easiest way to make sure you are betting the correct amounts. If you do not bet the correct amounts, the casino will round down you payoff when you win.

Most players bet either the pass line or don’t pass. The pass line is the most popular because the odds bets have higher payoffs.

Don’t Pass

When the game is coming out, the don’t pass wins on two and three, pushes (meaning neither win nor lose) on twelve, and loses on seven and eleven.

Once the game has a point number, the don’t pass will win if the seven rolls before the point number. If the point number rolls again before the seven, then the don’t pass will lose.

When the game has a point number, players often lay odds bets on their don’t pass bets. Laying the odds means that you will get paid less money on a win than what you bet.

For example, laying the odds that a seven will roll before the point number four is 1 to 2. Therefore, you have to bet 2 units for every 1 unit that you will be paid. This is the case because it is more likely that the seven will roll before the point number and you will win.

If the game is cold and shooters are not making their point numbers, playing the don’t pass is the best choice.

Shooting the dice

The option for any player to throw the dice passes clockwise around the table.  To be a shooter, a player must play the pass line or don’t pass. You will be the shooter for as long as you continue to successfully roll point numbers.  After you make a point number, then the game will be coming out again. 

When you roll the seven while a point is established, you will have “sevened out,” and the dice will be passed to the next player.
The rules of the game do not compel players to throw the dice.  You have the option to pass your turn to shoot if you want to.  

Come bets

After a point has been marked, a bet placed in the come, which is a broad area of the game clearly labeled between the field and numbered boxes, will win or lose exactly like a pass line bet. It is essentially a brand new come out roll within a game that has an established point.  That is why it is called playing the come.

If a seven or eleven rolls, come bets win. If craps roll, the come bets lose. If a number rolls, the dealer will place the come bet on the number, and you may take odds exactly as you would on the pass line. If that number rolls again before a seven, then you will win. 

Don’t come bets are just like don’t pass bets. They will win on a roll of two or three and push on a twelve. Sevens and elevens kill them, and numbers become their points. You can lay odds on the don’t come bets after they advance to numbers. These bets will win if a seven rolls before the number. The betting area for the don’t come is relatively small. It will be a patch in the back corners of the table next to the boxes for the four or ten.

Place bets

When you place a number, you skip the middleman by betting directly on the number of your choice. The four, five, six, eight, nine, and ten are available for place betting. Place bets are kept on the large numbered boxes that are directly in front of the inside dealers. 

Unlike the pass line and come, players are not allowed access to the numbered boxes. The dealer has sole control over this area. In order to place bet, you set your money on the table and tell your dealer what numbers that you want to bet.  Then, the dealer will pick up your money and put it on the requested numbers. 

It is essential for you to communicate with your dealer when making place bets.  Do not set your money down and assume that the dealer will know what you want. 

In general, place bets are very popular. New players are sometimes shy about making them because they require communication.  People worry about saying the wrong thing, but there is no need for reluctance. Your inquiries will generally be acknowledged with polite service. 
Place bets win every time the number they are on rolls. If a seven rolls, then all place bets lose unless it is during the come out phase of the game. Place bets are switched “off” during the come out roll and will neither win nor lose.

What place bets pay:

4 and 10: 9-to-5 ($5 bet wins $9, $50 bet wins $90)
5 and 9: 7-to-5 ($10 bet wins $14, $50 bet wins $70)
6 and 8: 7-to-6 ($6 bet wins $7, $60 bet wins $70)

It is important to pay attention to your betting units when making place bets.

Use units of 5 on the four, five, nine, and ten

Use units of 6 on the six and eight

Conclusion

Craps is complex and offers you a wide variety of betting choices. However, there is no need to be intimidated by it. Once you understand the principles of the game and have played a little while, it should “click” for you.

However, learning craps on a live game can be difficult. To fully prepare yourself to play...and to win...read “Get Dicey: Play Craps and Have Fun” written by Tracy Michigan, a former Las Vegas casino dealer. Get Dicey is available on eBay in trade paperback or ebook from the seller falbepublishing.