How to Play Craps — Complete Rules Guide

Craps looks chaotic from the outside — a crowded table, chips flying in every direction, players shouting at a pair of dice. But underneath the noise, the structure of the game is straightforward. Every round follows the same two-phase sequence, and once you understand it, everything else falls into place. This guide covers how a craps round works from the first roll to the last.

The table and the shooter

Craps is played on a long, felt-covered table with raised sides so the dice always bounce off the wall at the far end. One player at a time is the shooter — the person who rolls the dice. All other players bet on the outcome of the shooter’s rolls. Being the shooter is optional; you can pass the dice if you prefer to bet without rolling. The shooter must keep at least one active bet (typically on the pass line) while they are rolling.

Phase 1: The come-out roll

Every new round begins with the come-out roll. This is the shooter’s first roll after either a new shooter takes over or the previous round has ended. Before the come-out roll, the puck (a round marker) is placed on the table with the black “OFF” side showing, indicating that no point has been established yet.

On the come-out roll, three things can happen:

Natural — immediate win for pass line bettors

If the come-out roll is a 7 or 11, this is called a natural. The pass line wins immediately, the don’t pass loses, and a new come-out roll begins. No point is established.

Craps — immediate loss for pass line bettors

If the come-out roll is a 2, 3, or 12, this is called craps (or “crapping out”). The pass line loses immediately. The don’t pass wins on a 2 or 3, but pushes (ties, no money changes hands) on a 12. Again, no point is established, and the shooter rolls again for a new come-out.

Point established

If the come-out roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the point. The dealer flips the puck to its white “ON” side and moves it to the corresponding number on the layout to mark the point. The round now moves into Phase 2.

Phase 2: The point phase

Once a point is established, the shooter keeps rolling until one of two outcomes occurs:

The point is rolled again

If the shooter rolls the point number before rolling a 7, the pass line wins and the don’t pass loses. The round ends, the puck is flipped to “OFF”, and a new come-out roll begins. The shooter keeps the dice.

Seven-out

If the shooter rolls a 7 before the point, this is called a seven-out (not “crapping out” — that term only applies to the come-out roll). The pass line loses and the don’t pass wins. The round ends, the dice pass to the next player clockwise, and a new come-out roll begins with the new shooter.

Any other number rolled during the point phase — including naturals and craps numbers — has no effect on the pass line or don’t pass. Only the point number and the 7 matter for resolving those bets.

Pass line and don’t pass — the core bets

The pass line is the most fundamental bet in craps. You are betting with the shooter, hoping for a natural on the come-out and hoping the point repeats before a 7.

The don’t pass is the opposite. You are betting against the shooter, hoping for craps on the come-out (except 12, which ties) and hoping a 7 comes before the point in the point phase. Don’t pass bettors are sometimes called “wrong way” bettors, though there is nothing wrong about it mathematically — the don’t pass actually has a slightly lower house edge than the pass line.

Come and don’t come bets

Once a point is established, players can also place come bets and don’t come bets. These work exactly like pass and don’t pass, but they use the next roll as their own personal come-out roll. A come bet wins on 7 or 11, loses on 2, 3, or 12, and establishes its own point on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. This allows multiple bets to be active at the same time, each at a different stage of their own pass/don’t pass sequence.

How a round ends

A round ends the moment either of the two Phase 2 outcomes occurs: the point repeats, or a 7 is rolled. After a seven-out, the next player becomes the shooter. After a point win, the same shooter starts a new come-out roll.

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Understanding the two-phase structure of craps makes every other aspect of the game click into place. Once you know the pass line, the come-out, and the point, you are ready to explore the full range of craps bets. Craps Bets covers the complete bet menu including odds bets, place bets, field bets, and the proposition bets you should almost certainly avoid. For advice on which bets to actually make, see Craps Strategy. Play craps online for free to see these rules in action.