The most obvious piece of information a savvy craps player needs to know is where everything sits on the craps table and which bets can be placed where. Craps tables are fantastically well-labeled, with each betting zone colorfully and prominently divided and labeled. A few table layouts add designated spaces for some of the more unique proposition bets, but all craps tables contain the same basic design.

Buy: Paying the house a 5 percent commission to get true odds on a Place bet. C and E Bet: A proposition bet on the 11 (E) or any Craps (C) Capped Dice: Crooked dice. Cheques: Another name for chips. Cold Table: When shooters are not making their points. C & E (Craps and Eleven) The C&E bet is actually a combination of the any craps (2,3,12) bet, or the 11 (AKA Yo) bet. Basically, when you bet on C and E, you are wagering that the shooter will roll any craps numbers (2, 3, or 12) or 11. If you hit any one of these numbers, you win the bet. There’s a 1 in 6 chance that the C and E bet will hit.

Attributed to John H. Winn, the dice maker who took craps from the steamboats on the Mississippi into popular casino play in the 1800′s, this table layout was originally called the Philadelphia layout. Winn is responsible for introducing the Don’t Pass and Don’t Come bets, allowing a player to bet against the shooter as well as for the shooter on a particular dice roll.

Physical Layout of the Table

Players stand facing the craps table along the sides and front of the rounded-corner, rectangular table. The front, or bottom, of the table is the edge from where you can read all the words and numbers properly. Most of the craps table crew including the dealers and boxman sit at the top of the table and read upside down. A standard size casino craps table will comfortably hold up to twenty standing players around it.

The felt and base of the table sits down several inches from the rail along the edge. Below this rail are places for drinks and ashtrays, to keep any food, beverages, and cigarette ashes off the playing surface. The table is large enough that bets are placed at their marked spots on the table for all the active players. Dice are rolled onto the table as well, hence the recess allows for keeping the dice on the table most often.

When you look at the table layout, you first notice that there is a central zone and two, symmetrical left and right halves to the table. This helps maximize the number of players placing bets in the most commonly used zones. You also notice that every area is labeled with its area and bet name as well as payout odds for some particular bets. Not everyone of the almost forty possible bets is “visibly listed” on the table, but the vast majority and the most commonly used are.

From Outside In: Bottom Left and Right Zones

The ring on the outermost loop of the table layout is the pass line betting area. Working on mirror-image 90º angles, the pass line curves down both the left and right sides, along to the lower left and right corners. Pass line bets are made on the come out roll only. One of the most frequently used bets, the pass line asserts that the shooter will roll a natural (7 or 11) or a point (four, five, six, eight, nine or ten) before rolling craps (2,3 or 12).

Just inside the pass line loop is the Don’t Pass line loop, with the Big 6 and Big 8 bets at the lower junction corners of the don’t pass line area. Don’t pass bets are those betting wrong, against the shooter on the come out roll, asserting that the shooter will roll craps before the natural or point. Big 6 and Big 8 bets are proposition bets that cumulative state that the shooter will hit a six or eight before he sevens out.

Pass line and don’t pass line bets have the lowest house edge of the visible bets and are some of the best bets for players to make. Big 6 and 8 have very high house edges and are such a poor bet for players that Atlantic City casinos actually removed this bet from the craps table. Players are wiser to use Place bets on six and eight.

Middle Left and Right Zones

The next section adjoining a smaller surface area within the don’t pass loop is the field box. Playing the field means placing single roll bets on one or more of the field numbers. A field bet indicates that the shooter will show, on their immediate next roll, either a two, three, four, nine, ten, eleven or twelve. If one of those numbers appears, the field bet wins. Field bets on two and twelve pay double the bet; the rest of the field box numbers pay even money.

Bottom Central Section

The center of the table holds the spaces for the proposition bets. This is the non-mirrored zone on the table and houses a box divided into several different proposition bets. These are all one roll bets, asserting the outcome of the next immediate dice roll.

At the top of the prop bets box is the “any 7″ bet, which will pay a win on the next roll being a seven. At the bottom of the prop bets box is the “any craps” bet, calling for the next roll to be 2, 3 or 12.

Just below the any seven section is the box for hardways bets, which actually can hold over several rolls rather than just one. Hardways bets call for a matched pairs dice combination on each even number four through ten. Hardways bets are hard four (two 2′s), hard six (two 3′s), hard eight (two 4′s) and hard ten (two 5′s). To win a hardways bet, these pairs must appear before seven or an an easyway combination of the same number. A few additional unique hardways bets can also be placed in this area such as a buffalo bet or hoping hardway (two 1′s), but these are not listed on the table.

Below this section is the horn bet box. Horn bets are multi-part bets, which place money on the next roll being one of the least rolled dice combinations, a 2, 3, 11 or 12. Individual craps bets can be placed on any single one of these numbers as well. Horn high bets split two parts of the bet toward the 12 being rolled, and leave one part each for the 2, 3 and 11.

In between the proposition bets box and the outer loops, some tables include specifically labeled areas for C-E and E.T. bets, which are proposition multi-part bets on craps or eleven (C-E) and eleven or twelve (E.T.) being the next rolls showing numbers. Even if these sections are not labeled on the table, players may place these bets also.

Upper Left and Right Table

At the back of the table, or the upper left and right corners are another series of boxes. Just above the field box is the come box. Immediately above the come box is a row of boxes, from the outside in that are the don’t come box and the ten, nine, eight, six, five and four place bet boxes.

Come bets parallel pass bets but may be made anytime after the point is established on or after the come out roll. Come bets are right bettor, pro-shooter bets that state the shooter will hit the point or seven before craps. Don’t come bets parallel don’t pass bets. Don’t come bets are the wrong bettor side stating that the shooter will hit craps before the point or seven. Come and don’t come bets, like pass and don’t pass bets have the lowest house edges, closest to true odds.

Place bets are made on one or more of the individual numbers at the top of the table, stating that the shooter will roll one of these before sevening out. Place bets have the second best house edge for players, behind pass/come, don’t pass/don’t come bets.

There are numerous other non-visible bets, including one of the best for players: free odds bets. Free odds bets are made after and in addition to a standing pass/come, don’t pass/don’t come bet, stating that the original bet will win. Free odds bets have almost zero house edge. Other non-visible bets include aces, midnight and other single roll proposition bets.

Once a player sees the craps table layout, he knows where to bet. The visually rich table layout keeps the bets clearly before shooter and players around the exciting craps game.

The craps table is one of the most noticeable facets of any casino because of the frenzy of activity, noise and excitement usually surrounding it. Though the craps table may seem intimidating at first glance, the rules of the game are actually quite simple once you take a few minutes to understand them. Craps is a table game where you place wagers on the outcome of one roll, or the sequence of rolls, of a single pair of dice. Unlike other games where a dealer does all the work, players at the craps table are each given an opportunity to be the “shooter” (the person who rolls the dice).

Craps has managed to become and remain one of the most popular game throughout casinos across the world for decades. Read on to learn more about the rules and how to play.

Helpful Articles on Craps

– Low House Edge Craps Strategies
– Playing Craps Online

Basic Craps Rules and Table Etiquette

Before elaborating on the different types of bets that can be made while playing craps, it is important to first learn the basic rules and etiquette of the craps table. When you arrive at the table, the first order of business is converting your cash into casino chips. In order to do so, you simply place your preferred cash on the table and ask the dealer for “change only.” Dealers will never take money directly from your hand so it is important to remember to put cash on the table only when the shooter does not have the dice in hand.

Placing Bets Yourself vs Dealer Placing Bets

Another craps rule to remember is that for making pass/don’t pass bets, odds bets, field bets, and come bets you are able to place the chips on the appropriate betting area yourself. For most other bets, however, you must place the amount you wish to wager on the table and ask the dealer to move your chips to the appropriate betting area.

Selecting and Shooting the Dice

When shooting the dice, always make sure to throw them to the opposite end of the table, avoiding the sides. Something else you want to avoid is throwing the dice into the air; no one at the table, especially those working the table, wants to see this happen. This is proper etiquette and should be followed at all times when playing at any casino.

When it is your turn to shoot, you will be greeted with up to 5 dice from the stickman to choose from. With one hand only, you are to select the two dice you wish to roll. It is important that you never use two hands when handling the dice. Though it is discouraged, a prospective shooter may choose to pass and let the next person in line assume the role. This is more of a superstitious precedent and in all reality will not change the outcome tremendously.

Finally, because the craps table is a lot longer than most other tables at the casino, you have to really fling the dice to ensure that they hit the back wall and bounce back off. If the dice roll off the table or do not roll far enough you will have to roll again and all bets will be void and re-placed on the next throw.

Placing Line Bets

The craps table is intimidating to so many people because of the plethora of wagers that are presented on it. While there are a large amount of wagers possible, the most common type of bet is pass or don’t pass. This part is very simple to understand and we’ll go over it in further detail below.

Before the start of a round of craps, there will be a black/white button on the table which reads, “OFF”. This means that no point has been established and that players may still place bets. In order for a round to start, the shooter must place a bet on the pass line. A player wagering on the pass line is hoping that the first roll of the dice (the come-out roll) will add up to 7 or 11.

If the first roll is a 7 or 11, all those who bet on the pass line will win even money. For example, if you place a $10 bet on the pass line and the dice show a 5 and a 2, you will win an additional $10. If, on the other hand, the come-out roll adds up to 2, 3, or 12, all those who bet on the pass line will lose.

Don’t Pass Line

Another riskier bet that can be wagered before the come-out roll is on the don’t pass line. In contrast to a pass line bet, a don’t pass line bet will earn you even money if the come-out roll adds up to 2 or 3 (a sum of 12 is a “push”, meaning you neither win nor lose).

If the come-out roll is a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, a point has now been established. If any of these dice sums appear, your pass line bet will be retained and the button on the table will be placed on the newly established point number. This means you do not win or lose, and your bet stays out on the table. If, for example, the point is a 6, the shooter will roll the dice any number of times in an attempt to hit a sum of 6 without first hitting 7.

If the shooter hits any numbers besides 6 or 7 in this hypothetical example they will continue to roll free of consequence. If the shooter hits a 6, everyone who bet on the pass line will win even money and a new round of craps will begin. You are then able to keep your bet out there, or place additional bets. A roll of 7 means everyone on the pass line loses their bet and the dice will also be passed to the next player.

Odds Bet

An odds bet can be placed once a point is established (assuming your bet still sits on the pass line). An odds bet pays out true odds depending on the point that is established. If the point is a 4 or 10, you will be paid 2:1, a point of 5 or 9 pays 3:2, and a point of 6 or 8 pays 6:5. In most casinos, you are able to place an odds bet up to double (and sometimes even greater than) your pass line bet. Odds bets are able to be increased, decreased, or removed at any time too.

Come Bet

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Another wagering option once a point is established is come bet. A come bet can only be placed if you are also wagering on the pass line and works by treating the shooter’s next roll as your own come-out roll. The difference between the come-out roll on a come bet and the one played at the beginning of a round is that this bet affects only you. If you wager a come bet and the next roll of the dice does not add up to 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12, you have now established a come point. At this juncture, the rolls of the dice are treated in much the same way they would be for a normally established point. If the shooter rolls a 7 you lose your bets, but if he rolls your come point, you win both the come point and pass line bets.

Don’t Come Bet

A don’t come bet works in the exact opposite fashion of a come bet. In terms of a don’t come bet, if a 2 or 3 is rolled, the player wins, if a 7 or 11 is rolled the players loses, and a 12 is a push. If you establish a point in a don’t come bet, the player who placed the wager will be hoping that a 7 shows up before the established point. You are also able to place an odds wager on a come bet by simply articulating to the dealer that you would like “odds on come.”

Placing Single-Roll Bets

Another more advanced type of bet is known as a “service bet.” These wagers are placed by players who are trying to guess the exact outcome of the next roll of the dice. Wagers of this type include snake eyes (wagering that the next roll will be a 2), ace-deuce (wagering that the next roll will add up to 3), hi-lo (wagering that the next roll of the dice will yield a 2 or 12), and many more.

Yo Bet

A yo bet is only won if the next roll is an 11 while a boxcar (midnight, or cornrows) bet hopes that the next roll will add up to 12. A three-way bet wins if the next roll of the dice adds up to 2, 3, or 12. A C&E bet is a combined wager that hopes either craps (2, 3, or 12) or yo (11) will be the outcome of the next roll. In regards to a C&E wager, one of the two bets will always lose while the other bet stands the chance to win, but is not a guaranteed win.

Any 7 Bet

An “Any 7” bet is a wager that the outcome of the shooter’s next roll will add up to 7. This wager is rarely placed due to the superstition that saying the word “seven” at a craps table is bad luck. The Horn is a type of bet that is actually 4 separate bets. With a Horn wager, you are betting that a 2, 3, 11, or 12 will show up on the next roll. The payouts for a winning Horn wager vary depending on the number the dice sum up to. For example, if you place a $5 chip on the table and say “Horn high boxcar”, you are wagering 4 $1 bets on 2, 3, 11, and 12, with the extra $1 being placed on a 12.

An Any 7 bet is a wager that the outcome of the shooter’s next roll will add up to 7. This wager is rarely placed due to the superstition that saying the word “seven” at a craps table is bad luck. The Horn is a type of bet that is actually 4 separate bets. With a Horn wager, you are betting that a 2, 3, 11, or 12 will show up on the next roll. The payouts for a winning Horn wager vary depending on the number the dice sum up to. For example, if you place a $5 chip on the table and say “Horn high boxcar”, you are wagering 4 $1 bets on 2, 3, 11, and 12, with the extra $1 being placed on a 12.

Field Bet

A field bet is made in hopes that the next roll of the dice will yield a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. The payout odds for a field bet are different depending on what the outcome of the roll of the dice is. Hitting a 2 or 12 on a field bet typically pays 2:1 or 3:1 while hitting a 3, 4, 9, 10, or 11 pays 1:1. A field bet is a type of service bet, though unlike most other service bets players are allowed to place the wager without consulting a dealer first.

An On the Hop bet is a wager that the next roll of the dice will yield an exact dice combination. For example, if you bet 6 and 3 on the hop, you are placing a wager that one die will show a six while the other shows a three. On the Hop bets have true odds of 17:1 and 35:1; or, in other words, a house edge ranging from about 11% to 14%.

Placing Multi-Roll Bets

As you become more comfortable with the flow of craps, you will be able to entertain more complex, riskier bets. A hard-way bet is a proposition wager that the next roll of the dice will yield a hard-way number (4, 6, 8, 10). For this bet, you are hoping the dice will show 2 2’s (4), 2 3’s (6), 2 4’s (8), or 2 5’s (10). In order to win this bet you must land a hard-way number before a 7 or any other dice combination that adds up to 4, 6, 8, or 10. For example, if you make a hard-way bet on 8 and the next roll of the dice shows a 2 and a 6, you lose.

Easy Way Bet

An easy-way bet hopes that the outcome of the next roll will be 4, 6, 8 or 10. Unlike a hard-way bet, however, a player is only able to win if one of the 4 sums of the dice is reached without showing 2 of the same numbers. For example, if you place an easy-way bet on 4, a 2 and 2 on each of the die would be a loss, but a 3 on one die and a 1 on another would be a win.

Big 6 and Big 8 Bet

Big 6 and Big 8 bets are wagers placed hoping that the shooter will roll a 6 or an 8 before a 7. This type of bet pays out at 1:1.

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Place and Buy Wager

A place and buy wager is a bet that one of the point numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) will show up before a 7. Players make this bet by placing the amount of money which they wish to wager in the come area and explaining how much they want to be on what numbers to the dealer. The payouts on a place wager are slightly worse than true odds while the payout on a buy wager are true odds less a 5% commission.

Lay Bet

A lay bet is the opposite of a buy bet because the person making the wager is hoping a 7 will show up before the laid number. A lay bet pays out true odds in a reverse manner. For lay bets, a 4 or a 10 will bay 1:2, a 5 and 9 will pay 2:3, and 6 and 8 will pay 5:6. A lay bet will also see 5% commission being taken.

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Craps Summary

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In summation, the game of craps is a lot easier to understand than most people originally think. It just takes time and willingness to learn the proper rules and etiquette. Players are able to wager bets that are as simple or complex as they like and there are many different ways to win (and lose), and different payouts to accompany them. So long as you take heed of the basic rules and etiquette of the craps table you will have minimal issues when playing. Craps is arguably the most exciting game in the casino for a reason, so don’t be afraid to play.