Boxcars, Centerfield, Shooting From The Don't - Craps is a game so dynamic it has a language all its own. It's a wildly popular and extremely gregarious game, and a first-time visit to a Craps table can be a daunting experience. However, after a brief overview of the rules, and five minutes at a table, even novice gamers begin to appreciate the excitement of the Craps tables.

The Basics

Craps is an exciting, fast paced game with many ways to win. Craps is played by having the shooter toss two dice from one end of the table to the other. Payoffs are made based on the number which has been rolled.

The basic idea behind the game of Craps is to establish a "point" number and roll that number again before rolling a 7. When a new shooter is given the dice, the first roll is called the "Come Out" roll. The numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 can be a point number. All other numbers have special meaning depending on whether they are rolled before or after a point is established. The shooter rolls the dice until they fail to make their point. The dice are then passed to the next shooter and a new game begins.

Pass Line

A Pass Line bet is betting that the shooter will make their point before rolling a 7. On the Come Out roll, if a 7 or 11 are rolled prior to establishing a Point, any Player who bet on the Pass Line wins. If, however, a 2, 3 or 12 are rolled, the Pass Line bet loses. If the shooter rolls any other number on the "Come Out" Roll, this number becomes the point. If the shooter rolls the point number again before rolling a 7, Pass Line bets will win. Once a point has been established, the Pass Line bet is considered a contract bet, which means it may not be reduced or removed.

Don't Pass

A Don't Pass Line bet is betting that the shooter will not make their point before rolling a 7. On the Come Out roll, if a 2 or 3 rolls, Don't Pass bets will win. If a 7 or 11 rolls, Don't Pass bets will lose. If a 12 rolls, Don't Pass bets will "push", which means neither win nor lose. After a point is established, Don't Pass bets will win if the shooter rolls a 7 before the point number. Don't Pass bets will lose if the shooter makes the point number before a 7 is rolled. Don't Pass bets can be removed at any time by asking the dealer to "take them down".

Place Bets

A Place Bet is a bet that the shooter will roll a specific number before a 7. Place Bets can be made on a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. These wagers can be made after a point is established by placing your bet with the dealer. Place Bets can be taken down at any time. The 4 and 10 pay nine to five. The 5 and 9 pay seven to five. The 6 and 8 pay seven to six.

Come Bets

Once a point has been established, Come Bets can be made on each and every roll. Bets placed in the "Come" section of the layout will be acted upon with the next roll of the dice. A Come Bet will win even money on a 7 or 11 and will lose on a 2, 3, or 12. If any other number is rolled, that becomes the "point" for the Come Bet and the wager is moved to that number on the layout. A Come Bet will win even money if that number is rolled again before a 7 and will lose if a 7 rolls before that number. Come Bets are also contract bets and may not be reduced or removed.



The Fire Bet is a side wager that can be made in addition to other bets on the game. A Fire Bet wager from $1 - $5 is optional, but must be placed prior to a new shooter's "Come Out" Roll. These wagers will pay off when 4, 5 or 6 different points are made by the same shooter. 4 points pays 40 for 1, 5 pays 200 for 1 and when a lucky shooter hits 6 different points, all fire bet wagers will be paid 500 for 1!

These are just a few of the basic bets for Craps, which should be enough to get you in the game. To learn more about the game, our friendly table games staff will be glad to help you!