How to play craps in one line: bet on the pass line, the shooter rolls two dice, a 7 or 11 wins straight away, 2, 3 or 12 loses, and any other total becomes the point that must be rolled again before a 7. Everything else on the table is optional. This guide walks through each stage, the dice odds, the best starter bets and a full worked round.
A round starts with the come-out roll: 7 or 11 wins for pass bets, 2, 3 or 12 loses, anything else sets the point.
Once a point is set, the pass line wins if the point repeats before a 7 and loses on a 7.
Pass (1.41%) and don't pass (1.36%) are among the cheapest bets in any casino; odds bets behind them carry no house edge.
Proposition bets in the centre of the table cost far more, up to 16.67% on Any Seven.
Online craps in the UK is an RNG or live game with a minimum of 5 seconds per game cycle and no autoplay.
Dice combinations
36
Chance of rolling a 7
6 in 36 (1 in 6)
Pass line
Pays 1 to 1, 1.41% house edge
Don't pass
Pays 1 to 1, 1.36% house edge
Odds bet
Pays true odds, 0% house edge
Any Seven
Pays 4 to 1, 16.67% house edge
How to play craps: the short version
Craps is a dice game in which everyone bets on the outcome of rolls made by one player, the shooter. The game looks complicated because the table is covered in betting boxes, but the core game is a single bet with two stages. Learn that, and you can ignore every other box until you choose to explore.
Place a bet on the pass line before the first roll of a round, called the come-out roll.
If the come-out roll is 7 or 11, you win even money. If it is 2, 3 or 12 ("craps"), you lose.
Any other total (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) becomes the point.
The shooter keeps rolling. If the point comes up again before a 7, you win even money. If a 7 comes first, you lose, and the round ends.
That's the whole of the main game. The rest of this guide explains why it works the way it does, which extra bets are worth knowing and which ones carry a heavy cost.
Craps dice odds: why 7 matters
Two dice give 36 equally likely combinations. Six of them total 7 (1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, 6-1), so 7 is the most common total, with a 1 in 6 chance on every roll. The totals either side become less likely the further they are from 7. Every bet in craps is priced from this table, and our craps dice odds page goes further.
Two-dice totals and their chances
Total
Combinations
Chance
Role on the come-out roll
2
1
2.78%
Craps (pass loses)
3
2
5.56%
Craps (pass loses)
4
3
8.33%
Becomes the point
5
4
11.11%
Becomes the point
6
5
13.89%
Becomes the point
7
6
16.67%
Natural (pass wins)
8
5
13.89%
Becomes the point
9
4
11.11%
Becomes the point
10
3
8.33%
Becomes the point
11
2
5.56%
Natural (pass wins)
12
1
2.78%
Craps (pass loses)
Add those up for the come-out roll: 8 of 36 combinations win straight away for the pass line (7 or 11), 4 of 36 lose (2, 3 or 12) and 24 of 36 set a point. The point stage then favours the 7, because 7 has more combinations than any point number. Those two effects nearly cancel out, which is why the pass line's house edge is only 1.41%.
The craps table, the shooter and the dice
A craps layout is usually printed twice, one half for each end of a physical table, with the high-cost proposition bets in the middle. Around the edge run the pass line and the don't pass bar; inside are the come and don't come areas, the field and the place-bet numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10.
The shooter rolls the dice for a whole sequence. When the shooter sevens out (rolls a 7 after a point is set), the dice pass to the next player. Online, there is no physical shooter in RNG games; the software rolls for you.
The puck is a marker that shows OFF when no point is set and ON over the point number once one is established.
The dealers (and in land-based casinos, the stickman) pay bets, move chips and call the rolls. In live online craps a presenter calls the game and the software settles bets.
Contract and optional bets: once a point is set, the pass line bet stays until it is won or lost. Most other bets can be placed or taken down between rolls.
Seven out is the moment that ends a shooter's turn and settles pass line bets as losers. Our answer to what does seven out mean in craps explains the term.
The come-out roll and the point phase explained
The come-out roll
Each round starts with a come-out roll. Pass line bettors win on a 7 or 11 (a natural) and lose on 2, 3 or 12. Don't pass bettors are on the other side: they lose on 7 or 11, win on 2 or 3, and usually push on 12, which is the casino's way of keeping an edge on that side.
The point phase
If the come-out roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, that number becomes the point. Now only two totals matter for the pass line: the point (win) and 7 (lose). Every other total, including 2, 3, 11 and 12, is irrelevant to pass and don't pass bets during this stage, though it may settle other bets on the table.
Chance of the point being made before a 7
Point
Ways to roll the point
Ways to roll 7
Chance pass wins
4 or 10
3
6
3 in 9 (33.3%)
5 or 9
4
6
4 in 10 (40.0%)
6 or 8
5
6
5 in 11 (45.5%)
Once a point is set, the pass line is behind on every number, which is why craps offers the odds bet at true odds. Our pass line bet guide works through the full probability.
A sensible starting plan is the pass line, with an odds bet behind it once a point is set. Place 6 and 8 are the only other common bets near the same price. Everything from the field downwards costs noticeably more for each pound staked. Our craps house edge page covers every bet, including the proposition bets in the centre.
A worked round of craps with pound amounts
Here is one round at £10 on the pass line, with odds added once the point is set.
A worked round
Roll
Total
What happens
Running result
Come-out
5
Point set at 5. You add £10 odds behind the pass line.
£20 at risk
2
8
Not 5 or 7; no effect on your bets.
Unchanged
3
11
No effect during the point phase.
Unchanged
4
4
No effect.
Unchanged
5
5
Point made. Pass pays £10 (1 to 1); odds pay £15 (3 to 2).
+£25 profit
Had a 7 come before the 5, both bets would have lost: −£20. The chance of the 5 coming first is 4 in 10, so the pass line is the underdog at this stage, and the odds bet pays 3 to 2 to make up for it exactly. That is why the odds bet carries no house edge, as the Wizard of Odds craps guide (opens in a new tab) explains.
The long-run cost of the pass line alone is £10 × 1.41% = about 14p per bet resolved. Over 100 resolved pass bets at £10, that is about £14.14 on average, though a real session can be far from that figure in either direction.
How to play craps online, step by step
Choose a UK-licensed casino and check its game lobby for RNG or live craps.
Open the game's help screen and read the rules and payouts, including how the don't pass handles 12 and what the field pays on 2 and 12.
Set a budget and a session time before you place a chip.
Pick a chip value and place it on the pass line before the come-out roll.
Press roll (RNG) or wait for the live roll, and watch where the puck goes.
If a point is set, decide whether to add an odds bet behind the pass line, within the table's maximum.
Let the round finish: the pass line settles on the point (win) or a 7 (lose).
Repeat, or stop when you reach your time or budget limit.
Beginner mistakes and craps myths
Playing the centre of the table. Proposition bets look exciting because they pay 7 to 1, 15 to 1 or 30 to 1, but those payouts are well short of the true odds. Any Seven, at 16.67%, costs nearly twelve times as much as the pass line per pound.
Skipping the odds bet. It is the only bet in the casino with no house edge. If you want more on the table, adding odds lowers your average cost per pound compared with raising the pass line bet.
Believing in hot shooters. Each roll is independent. A shooter who has made several points is no more likely to make the next one; see hot hand fallacy.
Thinking a number is due. Dice have no memory. A 7 is a 1 in 6 chance on every roll however long it has been since the last one; our gambler's fallacy page explains why.
Using a staking system. Raising bets after losses changes how much you risk, not the house edge. Our craps strategy page covers what a sensible approach looks like.
Playing craps online in the UK: RNG and live
Online craps comes in two forms. RNG craps uses a random number generator to produce each roll, and is tested by approved test houses before it goes live. Live craps streams real dice from a studio. Evolution lists Craps in its First Person game range (opens in a new tab), RNG games with 3D animation in which the dice results are decided by the random number generator; a Go Live button can take you to the live version of the same game. Payouts on live and online tables can differ from the standard figures above, especially on the field and proposition bets, so check the game's help screen.
UK rules shape the pace. Since 17 January 2025, casino games other than slots must allow at least 5 seconds per game cycle, autoplay is banned (a re-bet button is allowed), you cannot play several games at once, and your net spend and time played must be shown, under the Gambling Commission's responsible product design standards (opens in a new tab). The £5 and £2 stake limits apply only to online slots, not craps. Read more on live craps in the UK and whether you can play craps online in the UK.
Where to play craps with a UK licence
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Frequently asked questions
How do you play craps for beginners?
Start with the pass line bet only. Place it before the come-out roll; a 7 or 11 wins, 2, 3 or 12 loses, and any other total becomes the point. You then win if the point is rolled again before a 7. That one bet has a house edge of 1.41%, among the lowest in the casino. Our pass line bet guide covers it in full.
What is the come-out roll in craps?
The come-out roll is the first roll of a new round, made when no point is set. For pass line bets, 7 or 11 wins immediately, 2, 3 or 12 loses, and 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 becomes the point. The puck shows OFF before the come-out roll and moves to the point number once one is established. The point glossary entry explains what happens next.
What is the best bet in craps?
The odds bet is the best value because it pays true odds and has no house edge, but you can only place it behind a pass, don't pass, come or don't come bet. Of the standalone bets, don't pass (1.36%) and pass (1.41%) are the cheapest. Proposition bets cost much more. Our what is the best bet in craps answer compares the options.
Why does 7 lose after the point is set?
Because once a point is established, the pass line wins only on the point and loses only on a 7. A 7 is the most likely total, with 6 of 36 combinations, so it beats every point number, which have between 3 and 5 combinations each. The pass line gets its advantage back on the come-out roll, where 7 wins. See craps dice odds for the full table.
Can you play craps online in the UK?
Yes, UK-licensed casinos can offer RNG and live craps, though fewer carry it than blackjack or roulette, so check each casino's game lobby. UK rules require at least 5 seconds per game cycle and ban autoplay, while the slot stake limits do not apply. Payouts can vary, so read the help screen first. Our live craps UK page covers studio versions.
How much does craps cost to play?
It depends on your bets. The pass line costs about 1.41% of each bet on average, so £10 per resolved bet costs about 14p in the long run. Any Seven costs 16.67%, or about £1.67 per £10. Adding odds behind the pass line lowers your average cost per pound wagered. Any session can differ widely from these averages. Our cost per hour guide shows how to estimate a session.
What does the shooter do in craps?
The shooter rolls the dice for everyone at the table and keeps rolling until they seven out, meaning they roll a 7 after a point has been set. The dice then pass to the next player. In RNG online craps the software produces the rolls, and in live craps a studio handles them. The shooter glossary entry has more on the role.
Is there a strategy to win at craps?
No strategy beats the house edge in craps, but you can choose cheaper bets. The pass and don't pass lines, the odds bet and place 6 or 8 are the lowest-cost options, while the centre proposition bets are the most expensive. Staking systems don't change the edge. Our craps strategy page explains how to make a budget go further.
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