How To Play

A shooter rolls two dice. The first roll is the come-out. Pass line bets win on 7 or 11, lose on 2, 3, or 12. Any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) becomes the point. The shooter keeps rolling until they hit the point again (Pass wins) or roll a 7 (Pass loses). Dozens of additional bets surround the layout.

House Edge

BetHouse EdgePass / Come1.41%Don't Pass / Don't Come1.36%Place 6 or 81.52%Field2.78% - 5.56%Any 7 (proposition)16.67%

Backing Pass with full odds (3-4-5x or higher) drops the combined edge to ~0.37% at 5x odds and approaches 0% at higher multiples. Odds bets pay true odds with zero house edge.

Basic Strategy

• Bet Pass line on the come-out, then take maximum allowed odds once a point is set.
• Add Come bets to get more numbers working, also backed with odds.
• Place the 6 and 8 if you want extra action - they are the lowest-edge place bets.
• Avoid all proposition bets in the center: hardways, any 7, any craps, hop bets, the horn.

Common Mistakes

Skipping the odds bet - it is the only zero-edge wager in the casino. Throwing $5 on hardways for the dealers; the 9-11% edge eats your bankroll fast. Believing in "hot shooters" and pressing bets emotionally. Tossing chips on the field every roll - the 5 and 9 paying 2:1 do not offset the seven losing numbers.

Example Sequence

You bet $10 Pass. Shooter rolls a 6 (point). You back it with $50 odds (5x). If the 6 hits before the 7, you collect $10 on Pass plus $60 on odds (true 6:5) = $70 profit on $60 risk.

Bottom Line

Craps offers the lowest practical edge in the casino once you load up on odds. Stick to Pass/Come with odds, ignore the carnival in the middle, and set a stop-loss before you join a noisy table.