Craps Rules

Craps is a game where you roll two dice and the outcome of the roll determines which bets wins.

Craps is known for its flexibility and wide variety of playable bets. Each roll of the dice in a game of Craps represents an opportunity to place exciting bets of various risk/reward. But the one thing you must learn before fully appreciating the game, and to benefit from some of the more advantageous betting opportunities, is that not all rolls are the same, and that not all bets are available on each roll.

NOTE: All rolls count, even those instances where, for example, the dice end up on top of each other.

A game of Craps is divided into sessions, and some bets are only available before each session while others are available only during a session. A session begins with a roll known as the come out roll and will continue over several rolls until a target number set by the come out roll is matched or a 7 is rolled.

You don’t have to wait for a session to end before placing bets. But some bets are only available during the come out roll.

The Session

A session begins when the first player arrives at the table. He is known as the shooter. But before he can roll the come out roll he must make a bet. A Line bet.
There are also other pre-session bets available but they will be discussed in the Craps Bets and Payouts section
The line bet is important because it marks the start of a session and will stay on the table, potentially during several rolls, until it either wins or loses. A line bet cannot be retracted or added to once a session is under way.

Point Numbers

Once a come out roll does not total 2, 3, 7, 11 or 12 a session is initiated. All line bets will remain until they either win or lose. But although they remain on the layout, as soon as a session is initiated, all line bets actually transform into another set of bets – point bets.

As soon as line or point bet either wins or loses, the current session ends and a new one begins with a new come out roll.

Once you get to grips with the line/point bets and the basic session rules, you are ready to move on to all the other exciting bets, some of which are among the most favorable bets available in a casino.

CRAPS – BETS AND PAYOUTS

Line Bet – pays 1 to 1

Can only be placed on come out rolls.
The line bet consists of 2 opposite bets. You either place chips in the Pass Line bet field or in the Don’t Pass Bar field.

Any other outcome of the roll will initiate a session and the number rolled becomes the point number. A white marker is placed above the point number in the number bets field.

Example #1: (Frank Sinatra will be the star of the example text)

Frankie arrives at the table and places a $5 bet in the pass line field. He rolls the come out roll and a 6 and a 1 comes up, totaling 7. His pass line bet wins and the session ends.
He then opts to play the same pass line bet and rolls a new come out roll. This time hitting a 5 and a 4, totaling 9. The 9 does NOT end the session, so his bet stays in the pass line field and a marker is placed above the number 9 in the number bets field. The 9 is now the point number for that session.

Point Bet – pays 1 to 1

Can’t be placed on come out rolls.

Example #2: Frankie places a $5 pass line bet and rolls the come out roll – a 9. The bet neither wins nor loses and so the session continues with the 9 now marked as the point number.

Frankie’s bet is still in place but is now in fact a point bet based on the point number 9.
For Frank’s bet to win, he needs to roll another 9 before he rolls a 7.

Had Sinatra’s initial line bet been a don’t pass line bet he needs to roll the 7 before rolling the point number.

Old blue eyes cannot remove this bet before matching the point number (a win) or rolling the 7 (a loss) and thus ending the session.

Notice how the 2 initial pass line and don’t pass line bets also work in opposite ways as point number bets.

Every time your line bet wins your winnings will be added to your initial bet.
So in order to bring it home you must either retract all your bets (F2) or decrease the now doubled line bet.

Come/Don’t Come – pays 1 to 1

Can’t be placed on come out rolls.

The come bets are line bets and work just like pass/don’t pass bets. But instead of being placed during come out rolls they are placed before each roll within a session, known as field rolls.

If the come/don’t come bet wins or loses it is either removed or doubled up (you can retract it at any time).

If a come/don’t come bets neither wins or loses on the roll, it too is transformed into a point bet based on the number rolled.

But since that number will NOT be marked by a white marker, instead, the bet is moved from the come/don’t come field to the corresponding point bet field on the layout. Just give it a try and you will figure it out quickly!

Hardway

Can not be placed on come out rolls.

Hardway bets are based on the following double combinations.

You win if the specific double is rolled before a 7 or any other combination totaling that sum is rolled. Example: The hardway bet 2-2 loses if 1-3 is rolled.

Field Bet

Can be placed before any roll.

The field bet is a bet based on the total sum of a roll and is divided into three separate bets.

Big 6 and Big 8

Can be placed before any roll.

These two bets works just like point bets. You are hoping for a 6 or an 8, depending on what number you choose, being rolled before the 7 is rolled.

NUMBER ROLLED	LOSE	PAYOUT
8 (if bet on	7	1 to 1

All other outcomes of the roll is a push (bet remains).

Number Bet

Can be placed before any roll.

Number bets are bets on a specific combination being rolled and can be found to the outmost right of the layout mixed in with the hardway bets. If the combination is not matched on the following roll, the bet is lost. (Notice how this differs from the hardway bets which do not necessarily win or lose on each roll.)

The “Any Craps” bet wins if a 2, 3 or a 12 is rolled. The “7″ bet wins on any combination that totals 7.

The C-E Bet

Can be placed before any roll.

The C-E bet is located in between the line bets field and the number bets field.
It’s a one roll bet that either wins or loses on the consecutive roll.

Place Bet

Can’t be placed on come-out rolls.

Place bets are always inactive during come-out rolls.

A place bet is a bet that the sum of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 respectively will be rolled before a 7 is rolled. Each bet covers one of the numbers, however the payout for certain numbers (like 4 and 10) are identical. Bets are placed in the narrow field just below the point bet number area.

Any other outcome other than a winning place bet number or a 7 leaves the bet untouched.

Please note that if the point number is rolled the session ends, and the next roll will consequently be a new come-out roll during which all place bets will be inactive.

Buy Bet

Can’t be placed on come-out rolls.

Buy bets are inactive during come-out rolls.

A buy bet is a bet that one of the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 will be rolled before a 7 is rolled.

By picking one of these numbers, and placing a chip in the point number area for that number, you hope to roll that number before a 7 is rolled. Depending on the likelihood of the 7 being rolled before the number you picked, the payout varies accordingly.
You can remove a buy bet at any time.

NOTE: All winning buy bets will be charged a 5% commission. Do note that payouts will be calculated after the commission has been charged.

Example: Sammy Davis Jnr places a $100 Buy Bet on 10 (pays 2:1). He wins and $5 is charged from his original bet leaving $95. The payout then equals $95*2=$190. Thus he nets $185 from the bet. This is the figure displayed in the chat.

Lay Bets

Can’t be placed on come-out rolls.

Lay bets are inactive during come-out rolls.

A lay bet is a bet that a 7 will be rolled before any of the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10.
By picking one of these numbers, and placing a chip in the field above the Point number area, you hope to roll a 7 before that number. Depending on the likelihood of the 7 being rolled before the number you picked, the payout varies accordingly.
You can remove a Lay bet at any time.

NOTE: All winning Lay bets will be charged a 5% commission.

Laying and Taking Line Bet Odds

Can only be placed in conjunction with a line bet.

The option to either take or lay odds is a very important feature of Craps. It’s also one of the best bets one can make in a casino.

You place a take/lay odds bet by making an additional bet behind your line bet AFTER the come out roll has been rolled and a point number has been established.

So as soon as a point number has been established you can make the take/lay odds bet.
Which one you make depends on whether your initial bet was a pass line bet (take odds) or a don’t pass bet (lay odds).

You take/lay odds by adding chips behind your initial line bet on the layout.
How large a take/lay odds bet you can make is calculated by multiplying your line bet with a set factor.

A take odds bet wins if the point number is rolled before a 7 and lay odds bets wins if a 7 is rolled before the point number. Just like the initial line bets.

Taking Odds – Roll Point Number Before 7

Laying Odds – Roll 7 Before Point Number

Laying and Taking Come Bet Odds

Can only be placed in conjunction with a come bet.

Take/lay odds for come bets works just like take/lay odds for line bets and is a very important feature of Craps.

You place a take/lay odds bet by adding chips on top of your initial come/don’t come bet AFTER a point number has been established.

So as soon as a point number has been established you can make the take/lay odds bet.
Which one you make depends on whether your initial bet was a come bet (take odds) or a don’t come bet (lay odds).

The bet is placed by making an additional bet on top of your come bet, which is placed on the point bet field.

How large a take/lay odds bet you can make is calculated by multiplying your line bet with a set factor.

A take odds bet wins if the point number is rolled before a 7, and lay odds bets wins if a 7 is rolled before the point number. Just like the initial come bets.

Taking Odds – Roll Point Number Before 7

Laying Odds – Roll 7 Before Point Number

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