If you walk through any major casino, you will immediately notice one game that is completely chaotic and more energetic than any other game in the building. The crowd is going wild as the dice bounce across a massive table. This highly intimidating game is known as Craps. To a complete beginner, the betting layout looks like an alien language. There are confusing boxes and numbers, and players are throwing chips everywhere. But this is a huge misconception. While it looks complex, craps is actually one of the simplest, and best games in the entire casino. By understanding one rule, you can join the fun.
The Pass Line Bet: The Come-Out Roll
The only logical way to survive the craps table is to look away from the center of the board. The weird proposition bets are designed to steal your money with massive house edges. You only need to look at the long line that borders the felt: the famous Pass Line. Betting on this line is how you play the game. When a new shooter gets the dice, the shooter rolls the dice for the first time. If you have a bet on the Pass Line, you get paid 1:1 immediately if the Come-Out roll is a 7 or an 11. You instantly lose your bet on a 2, 3, or 12. That is the first step: 7 or 11 wins, 2, 3, or 12 loses.
The Ongoing Game: The Goal of the Shooter
But what happens if the Come-Out roll is not a winner or a loser? If the result is a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that specific number officially becomes "The Point". The pit boss takes a marker and flip it to the "ON" side directly onto that specific number on the table layout. The rules of the game now completely change. To secure a win, the shooter must roll the dice again and again until they hit that exact "Point" number a second time. If they hit the Point, everybody with a Pass Line bet wins. But there is a fatal flaw: if the shooter rolls a 7 before the Point hits, this is called "Sevening Out". Every single Pass Line bet instantly loses, the game resets, and the dice are passed to the next player at the table. The entire game of craps is basically just a massive group of people praying the shooter hits their Point before rolling a deadly 7.
The Secret Odds Bet: When the puck is ON, you can back up your bet. This is called "Taking Odds," and it is a mathematical anomaly that pays true mathematical odds. The house has no advantage here. Don't Pass Line: You can also bet against the shooter. This is betting on the 7, or if the shooter fails. It is technically a smarter bet, but nobody will high-five you since you win when the table loses. The Sucker Bets: The 'Hardways' and 'Any Seven' bets with the huge payouts are sucker bets with huge casino advantages. Do not touch those bets.
Simplifying the Math: A Quick Summary
For a quick reference before you play, to guarantee you know what to do, review the simple cheat sheet below. It explains the basic rules of the only bet you will ever need to make: how to play the Pass Line.
ActionWhat the Shooter RollsWhat Happens to Your Pass Line Bet The StartShooter rolls a 7 or an 11.You instantly WIN even money. The round resets. Come-Out RollCrapsYou instantly LOSE your bet. The round resets. Establishing the PointAny other numberThe number becomes the Point. The game moves to the next phase. The Ongoing GameHits the PointYou WIN your Pass Line bet (and any Odds bets). Round resets. The Ongoing GameRolls a 7 (Seven Out)You LOSE your bet. The round completely ends. Dice pass to next player.
In conclusion, craps is actually incredibly simple. The casino purposefully designs the table layout to confuse beginners so casual gamblers will randomly throw chips on terrible, high-house-edge sucker bets. By stepping up to the table, placing your chips exclusively on the Pass Line, taking your odds, and completely ignoring the screaming center of the board, you are playing one of the smartest, most mathematically sound game available. Grab the dice, throw them against the back wall, and have the best social gambling experience Las Vegas has to offer.