How to Play Craps

Learning how to play craps gives you entrance to a fast-paced, exciting casino game. To start playing craps, you'll need to learn the layout of the table, to trust your gut and to read your opponents.

The shooter rolls two dice, the sum of which determines whether there are winners, losers or if the shooter needs to roll again. The craps table looks confusing because players can place bets on many different parts of the table, but it's not as complicated as it seems.

The pass line bet is the first thing you should learn when learning how to play craps. The pass line bet is not only simple to understand, it's probably the most fun. You're rooting for the shooter, and against the house. The most basic pass line bet is known as the come out roll. This involves you placing your bet on the pass line before the shooter begins her roll. If the shooter rolls a 7 or an 11 you win. A 2, 3 or 12 (called craps) means that you lose, while all the other numbers become point numbers. Point numbers, if rolled, must be rolled again before the shooter rolls a 7, otherwise you lose. If the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point number, they lose and the next shooter may roll.

The odds bet is another type of bet a craps player can make. The odds bet can only be made after the point number has been defined. The odds bet pays according to the point, with the following payouts:

Point = 4 or 10 pays 2 to 1
Point = 5 or 9 pays 3 to 2
Point = 6 or 8 pays 6 to 5

An odds bet is the only bet you can make where the house doesn't have an advantage. You can make a double odds bet which means that you bet twice your passline bet.