How to Play Craps in Vegas: Rules, Bets & Strategy
Craps is a dice game played with two six-sided dice, and learning how to play craps in Vegas takes about five minutes of rules and a single bet to get into the action. The table looks like chaos, but it runs on a simple rhythm, and once you hear it, craps becomes the loudest, friendliest bet in the building.
This guide walks through everything in order: the rules and the all-important come-out roll, a step-by-step walkthrough of a round, how to read the craps table, every craps bet and the odds behind it, the strategy that actually holds up, the crapless craps variation, table etiquette and a first-timer game plan. We run six craps tables on our floor with $5 minimums and up to 10x odds, so consider this the version written by the people who deal the game every night and who want you to walk up and win the hard way.
Craps Rules & How the Game Works
Craps is played with two six-sided dice, and every round runs through two phases: the come-out roll and the point phase. One player, the shooter, throws the dice, and everyone at the table can bet on the results whether they are shooting or not. That is the whole engine of the game: two dice, a felt full of betting areas and a group of people rooting for or against the same roll.
Understanding those two phases is most of understanding how craps works, so here is how each one plays out.
The come-out roll
The come-out roll is the shooter's first throw of a new round, and it can settle a Pass Line bet in a single toss. If you have placed the most basic bet, the Pass Line bet, here is what each result means.
| 7 or 11: | Pass Line wins instantly (this is called a "natural") |
| 2, 3 or 12: | Pass Line loses instantly (this is "craps") |
| 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10: | That number becomes the "point" and the round continues |
The point phase
Once a point is set, the dealer flips the marker (the "puck") to ON and the shooter keeps rolling toward one goal: hit the point number again before a 7 appears. If the point hits first, Pass Line bets win. If a 7 shows up first, Pass Line bets lose and the round ends, a result called a seven-out, and the dice pass to the next shooter.
That tension between the point and the 7 is the heartbeat of craps, and it is exactly what every bet on the table is built around. Before you worry about those bets, though, you only need to know how to step up and make the first one.
How to Play Craps, Step by Step
You can start playing craps with just one bet, the Pass Line, in seven simple steps. Step up, get your chips down and you are in the game.
- Find an open spot and buy in. Wait for the current roll to finish, set your cash on the layout (do not hand it to the dealer) and say "change only." The dealer turns it into chips.
- Wait for a new shooter or a fresh come-out roll. If the puck shows OFF, a new round is about to begin.
- Place a Pass Line bet. Put your chips in the area marked "Pass Line" directly in front of you, before the come-out roll.
- The come-out roll happens. A 7 or 11 wins, a 2, 3 or 12 loses, and anything else (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) becomes the point.
- If a point is set, back your bet with odds. Once the point is on, you can place an Odds bet behind your Pass Line, the best bet in the building, which we cover below.
- The shooter keeps rolling. You are now hoping the point repeats before a 7.
- Round ends, repeat. The point hits (you win) or a 7 shows (you lose), and a new come-out roll begins. A shooter who makes the point keeps the dice and shoots again.
That Pass Line loop is genuinely all you need for your first session, and it is how to play craps and win the smart way: a low house edge bet that keeps you in the action every roll. Everything else is optional flavor you can add once you can read the table in front of you.
Reading the Craps Table
A craps table is run by a four-person crew and split into mirror-image halves, but there are really only six betting zones you need to know. The duplication just lets two crews run both ends of a busy table, so ignore it and the layout gets simple fast.
- The Pass Line: the long border running along the outside edge, closest to you. Your craps home base.
- Don't Pass Bar: just inside the Pass Line, for betting against the shooter.
- Come and Don't Come: the big boxes in the middle for bets you make after a point is set.
- The Field: a wide one-roll betting strip, usually marked with the numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12.
- Place and point numbers: the boxes across the top (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10) where the dealer parks your Place bets.
- The center: the stickman's territory, holding the hardways and the high-payout proposition bets.
The four-person crew is there to help you read all of it: two dealers handle the bets on each end, the stickman moves the dice and calls the action, and the boxman watches the chips and settles disputes. Now that you can see where every wager lives, here is what each one actually does.
Every Craps Bet, Explained
Craps offers more than a dozen bet types, but the three lowest-edge bets, the Pass Line, the Come and the Odds bet, are all you need to play a sharp game. The rest, from Place and Field bets down to the long-shot props, are sorted below from the smartest (lowest house edge) to the wildest.
Pass Line bet
The Pass Line bet carries a house edge of about 1.41%, one of the lowest in the casino, which is why it is the first bet every player should learn. You are betting with the shooter: place it before the come-out roll, win even money (1:1) on a come-out 7 or 11, lose on a 2, 3 or 12, and otherwise the point is set and you win if it repeats before a 7.
Come bet
A come bet has the same low house edge as the Pass Line, around 1.41%, but you make it after the point is already established. Drop a chip in the big "Come" box and the very next roll acts like a come-out roll just for you: 7 or 11 wins, 2, 3 or 12 loses, and any other number becomes your come point, which the dealer moves up for you to repeat before a 7. The come bet in craps is how players get multiple numbers working at once without leaving the smart-money tier.
Don't Pass & Don't Come bets
The Don't Pass and Don't Come bets run a hair lower than the Pass Line at about 1.36%, because you are betting against the shooter. On the Don't Pass line a come-out 2 or 3 wins, 7 or 11 loses, and 12 is a push (a tie), and once a point is set you win if a 7 comes before the point. The don't come bet works the same way after the point, exactly like the come bet in reverse. Both are perfectly smart bets, you will just be quietly rooting opposite the rest of the table.
Odds bet (the best bet in the casino)
The Odds bet has a house edge of exactly 0%, the only bet on the floor with no built-in advantage for the house, and it is not even printed on the table. After a point is established you place it directly behind your Pass Line or Come bet, and it pays true odds, meaning the payout matches the real probability of the result.
The catch: you can only take odds as a multiple of your line bet, and each casino sets a maximum, which is where Vegas tables genuinely differ. At Palms you can take up to 3x, 4x, 5x and 10x odds, and 10x odds let you put serious money on the one bet the house cannot tax. The true-odds payouts:
| Point number | True odds payout |
|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 2 to 1 |
| 5 or 9 | 3 to 2 |
| 6 or 8 | 6 to 5 |
Keeping your line bet modest and loading the Odds bet behind it lowers your overall house edge more than any system ever will. The Place bet is the next step up when you want a specific number working right away.
Place bets
A place bet lets you bet that one specific number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) rolls before a 7, without waiting for it to be the point. Hand your chips to the dealer and name your number and they position it for you. Place bets on the 6 and 8 are the strongest of the group, with a house edge near 1.52%, because those numbers come up most often after the 7.
| Place number | Payout |
|---|---|
| 6 or 8 | 7 to 6 |
| 5 or 9 | 7 to 5 |
| 4 or 10 | 9 to 5 |
Field bet
The field bet is a one-roll bet that wins on seven different numbers (2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12), which sounds generous until you notice the field leaves out 5, 6, 7 and 8, the most common rolls. It pays even money on most field numbers, with a bonus (typically 2:1 on the 2 and 3:1 on the 12, though this varies by house). The field bet in craps is easy and fun for a quick hit, but the house edge is higher than the line bets, so treat it as seasoning rather than strategy.
Hop bets
A hop bet is a one-roll wager on an exact dice combination, paying as much as 15:1 or 30:1 depending on the combo. You tell the stickman the next roll will be, say, a 5 and 2 "hopping." Craps hop bets are pure long-shot fun with a steep house edge, so bet them for the thrill, not the math.
Proposition & hardway bets
Proposition and hardway bets carry the highest house edges in craps, some above 16%, and they all live in the center of the table under the stickman. Props include Any Seven, Any Craps and Yo-eleven, while a hardway means rolling a 4, 6, 8 or 10 as a matching pair (a "hard 8" is two 4s). They flash the biggest payouts on the felt, which is exactly why the house loves them, so toss a buck at them when the table is hot but do not build your night around them.
Quick Odds & Payouts Reference
The best craps bets carry a house edge between 0% and about 1.5%, while the long shots in the center can top 16%, so this quick reference sorts the bets you will actually use by payout and edge. House edge is simply the casino's long-run mathematical advantage, and the lower the number, the more player-friendly the bet.
| Bet | Pays | Approx. house edge |
|---|---|---|
| Odds (behind Pass/Come) | True odds (2:1, 3:2, 6:5) | 0% |
| Don't Pass / Don't Come | 1:1 | 1.36% |
| Pass Line / Come | 1:1 | 1.41% |
| Place 6 or 8 | 7:6 | 1.52% |
| Place 5 or 9 | 7:5 | 4.0% |
| Field | 1:1 (2:1 / 3:1 bonus) | 2.8% to 5.5% |
| Place 4 or 10 | 9:5 | 6.7% |
| Any Seven | 4:1 | 16.7% |
Best Craps Strategy
No craps strategy can beat a house edge that runs from 0% on odds bets to nearly 17% on proposition bets, because every roll is independent and random. What real strategy does is manage that edge and your bankroll so you play longer and keep your money on the table's best bets. The four approaches below, ranked from safest to wildest, are the ones that hold up to the math.
The best mathematical craps strategy
The single most efficient play sits at a combined house edge near 0.6% or lower: bet the Pass Line or Don't Pass and take maximum odds. Because the odds portion has a 0% house edge, loading up behind a small line bet drags your overall edge toward zero. On a 10x odds table like ours, a $5 Pass Line bet backed by $50 in odds is mathematically far better than a $55 bet anywhere else on the felt.
The 3 Point Molly
The 3 Point Molly puts three numbers to work for you and is the most popular structured approach in craps. The recipe: make a Pass Line bet with odds, then a Come bet on the next roll backed with odds, then a second Come bet backed with odds. When the table is hot, the 3 point molly turns a good roll into a great one, and when it is cold you still only have money on the game's lowest-edge bets.
The Iron Cross
The Iron Cross strategy covers every number on the dice except one, the 7, by combining a Field bet with Place bets on the 5, 6 and 8. You collect on nearly every roll, which feels fantastic, but the exception is the catch: when the 7 inevitably shows, every bet goes down at once. The iron cross craps strategy delivers frequent small wins and the occasional big hit to the bankroll, so only run it if you are comfortable with the swings.
Bankroll & the $200 craps strategy
A comfortable craps session calls for a bankroll of 30 to 40 times the table minimum, which at a $5 table is a tidy $200. That much cushion lets you ride out a cold streak and stay in the game for a hot one. Set a number you are happy to spend, keep your line bets small, put the rest into odds and walk when you hit your limit, win or lose. Discipline is the only craps strategy that works every single time, and it pairs naturally with a friendlier variation worth knowing.
Crapless Craps
Crapless craps removes the two come-out losers from the standard game, but it raises the Pass Line house edge to about 5.4% from 1.41%. In standard craps a come-out 2, 3 or 12 loses your Pass Line bet instantly. In crapless craps those numbers never lose; instead 2, 3, 11 and 12 all become point numbers, and a come-out 7 still wins for the Pass Line, so you can never "crap out."
Beginners love that no-crapping-out comfort, but the honest trade-off is the higher edge: by turning those numbers into points and giving up the come-out 11 as an automatic winner, the math shifts toward the house. The fix is the same as always, and it is the reason our crapless tables also allow up to 10x odds: back your bet with odds.
Crapless craps strategy
Play crapless the smart way by keeping the Pass Line bet small, taking big odds on your point and treating the 2, 3, 11 and 12 points as the bonus variety they are. The novelty is real and the action is fun, so go in knowing the math and the higher edge will not surprise you. Knowing the bets is only half the game, though; the other half is etiquette.
Craps Etiquette: Playing at a Vegas Casino
About six table manners separate a confident craps player from a nervous first-timer, and none of them are hard. Knowing how to play craps at the casino is half rules and half these unwritten craps table rules the regulars wish everyone knew.
- Buy in between rolls: wait for the roll to finish, lay your cash on the felt and let the dealer convert it. Never hand money directly to a dealer.
- Keep your hands out of the table: when the dice are out, keep your hands clear of the rail. A hand the dice hit is the fastest way to draw a groan from the table.
- Shoot off the back wall: if you are the shooter, throw with one hand and let the dice bounce off the far wall.
- Use chips, not cash, mid-game: and try not to say the word "seven" out loud at the table, because craps superstition runs deep.
- Let the dealer place your tricky bets: odds, place bets and anything in the center go through the crew. Put your chips down and tell them what you want.
- Tip the dealers: tossing the crew a bet or a toke when you are winning is good karma and good manners.
Follow those and you will blend right in, and if you forget one, every dealer on our floor would rather help a polite beginner than deal to an empty table. With the etiquette down, all that is left is a first-timer game plan.
Craps for Beginners: Your First Roll
Your first craps session needs only two things: a Pass Line bet and an Odds bet behind it. Craps for beginners is far simpler than the table makes it look, so here is how to start strong and skip the rookie mistakes.
- Start with one craps bet: just the Pass Line. Play a few rounds doing nothing else until the come-out-then-point rhythm feels automatic.
- Add the Odds bet next: once the loop clicks, back your line bet with odds. That one habit makes you a smarter player than most people at the table.
- Skip the center bets at first: the high-payout proposition and hardway bets are the most tempting and the most expensive, so leave them alone while you learn.
- Watch a craps round before you jump in: standing at the rail and following one full round is the fastest free lesson there is.
- Bring a sensible bankroll: around 30 to 40 times the minimum gives you room to learn without sweating every roll.
- Take a lesson: many Vegas casinos, Palms included, will walk you through the game at a live table.
The most common beginner mistake is not a bad bet, it is being too intimidated to walk up at all. The craps table is the most welcoming spot on the floor, and the quick cheat sheet below puts everything you need in one place before you walk up.
Craps Cheat Sheet: Quick Reference
This craps cheat sheet condenses the come-out rules, the smartest bets and the key payouts into six quick lines you can scan before you walk up. Keep them in mind and you will play a sharp game from your very first roll.
| Come-out roll: | 7 or 11 wins, 2, 3 or 12 loses, any other number sets the point |
| Smartest bets: | Pass Line, Come and Odds, with the Odds bet at a 0% house edge |
| Odds payouts: | 4 or 10 pay 2 to 1, 5 or 9 pay 3 to 2, 6 or 8 pay 6 to 5 |
| Best Place bets: | the 6 and 8, paying 7 to 6 at a low 1.52% house edge |
| Bets to skip: | the center proposition bets, with house edges up to 16.67% |
| Bankroll: | bring 30 to 40 times the table minimum, about $200 at a $5 table |
Keep these six lines in mind and the only thing left is the real thing, waiting just west of the Strip.
Playing Craps at Palms
Palms runs six craps tables just west of the Strip, with $5 minimums and odds up to 10x. Reading about craps is one thing, but hearing the table erupt when the point hits is another, and our pit is built to be one of the most welcoming places in Vegas to learn the dice.
That 10x odds offering is a genuinely big deal, because it is the highest-value bet in the game and we let you take it up to $20,000. New to the dice? Start at a $5 table, ask the crew for a quick lesson and play the smart-money bets you just learned. Want more ways to win? Our Bonus Craps side bets let you bet "All Small," "All Tall" or "Make 'Em All" for a shot at a big payout, and our crapless tables keep the come-out roll friendly.
Put it all together and craps is simpler than it sounds: two dice, two phases, a handful of smart bets led by the Pass Line and Odds, and a little etiquette. That is the rhythm under the chaos, and as the first Las Vegas casino owned and operated by the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, we have built a floor where everyone genuinely has a seat at the table.