There are no real variations on a Craps Game. When you play craps it is a roller against the casino or bank.
During a craps game other people at the craps pit can bet on the outcome of the roller without having to be the one rolling the dice. In this section we will mainly be coving the betting options. If you are new to playing craps, we suggest you first have a look at our how to play craps section and then read this as this covers the rules of craps in more detail.
Betting the Pass Line (betting on the shooter)
 | $777 Bonus |  |
 | $3,000 Bonus | |
 | $787 Bonus | |
 | $10,000 Bonus | |
 | $868 Bonus | |
When you (the “shooter”) roll a 7 or 11 on your come out roll it is refer to as a “natural” and which is always an automatic win. This is the most basic part of the rules of craps you need to understand. However if you roll a 2, 3 or 12, it is called “craps” and you lose your Pass Line bet.
Should you roll any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10), this becomes your “point”. You win if the “point” repeats before 7 rolls, and you lose if you roll a 7 before your “point” is made. These bets are placed in the area marked “Pass Line” on the layout in a craps game.
Betting the Don’t Pass Line (betting against the shooter)
This is the reverse of betting the “Pass Line”. You lose on a “natural” 7 or 11, and win if a 2 or 3 rolls (12 is a “standoff” no one wins). If the dice roll 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 it becomes your “Point” and you win if 7 rolls before your “Point” is repeated. You lose if your “Point” is made before 7 rolls in a craps game. Place these bets in the area marked “Don’t Pass Line” on the layout.
Come Bets (Same principle as a Pass Line bet)
The simplest explanation of “Come” bets is that you’re betting with the dice, exactly as on the “Pass Line” except that “Come” bets are made any time after the “Come-out” roll. You win on “naturals” 7 or 11, and you lose on “craps” 2, 3 or 12. Any other number becomes your “come-point” and you win if your “come- point” is made before 7 rolls. You make these bets in the area marked “Come” on the layout.
Don’t Come Bets (Same principle as a Don’t Pass Line bet)
The reverse of betting the “Come”. You lose if the next roll is a 7 or 11, and win on a 2 or 3 (12 is a “stand-off”). Here you will win if 7 rolls before your “Don’t Come Point” is repeated, and lose if the “Don’t Come Point” is made before a 7 is rolled.
Place Bets
You may make a “Place Bet” bet at any time on any or all of the following numbers: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 when playing a craps game.
The rules of craps also state that the number you have placed rolls before a 7 you win and are paid as follows:
Buy and Lay Bets
Buy bets are usually made on the 4 and 10. Lay bets are usually made on the 4, 5, 9 or 10. A buy bet wins if the number rolls before a 7. A Lay bet wins when 7 roll before the number. Five percent (5%) is charged for these types of bets when playing a craps game.
The Field Bet
Another extremely simple bet to make within the game of craps is the Field bet. It doesn’t have quite as good of odds as the pass line bet with odds behind it but it does have decent odds in comparison to many other bets on the table in craps. Most importantly, the field bet is a very simple one-time bet that can apply to any given roll. The field bet is circled in white in the graphic below for your reference.
Another part of the rules of craps we want to touch on is a bit more about the field bet. This bet will be much easier to explain than the pass line bet as its complexity is much less. The field bet is simply a one-time bet that says if the shooter throws a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 then you win. If a 5, 6, 7, or 8 are thrown you lose. It’s that simple and that easy. Most casinos also give you a bonus if a 2 or a 12 is thrown. I’ve noticed that most casinos double pay 2x your bet when a 2 or “snake eyes” is thrown and some even pay 3x your bet if a 12 or “midnight” is thrown. Consider that a bonus if you hit those numbers!
The Hard-way Bet
 | $60 Free Chip + $2,000 Bonus | |
 | $10 Free Chip + $1,000 Bonus | |
 | $4,000 Bonus | |
 | $7 Free Chip + $3,000 Bonus | |
 | $1,000 Bonus | |
The Hard-way bet is a rather simple bet but not one of the smartest bets on the table in a craps game simply because the advantages go much more to the house than say a pass line bet with odds placed on it. But, remember, craps is supposed to be fun and if you are looking for the best odds then go play Poker because that’s the only game anyone has ever made a living at! All jokes aside, the hard-ways bet is located in the middle of the table which is circled in the graphic below.
There are essentially 4 hard-ways bets that are on the table.
What does a hard-way bet mean?
As per the rules of craps you it is simply, that the dice rolled the same number or “doubles”. For example a 2 and a 2 was rolled for a hard 4, a 3 and a 3 was rolled for a hard 6, etc. That being said, when you wager on any hard-ways bet you are betting that the hard-way number you wagered will come up before a “soft” version of that number or a 7. What’s the “soft” version of each number? It’s just a 4, 6, 8, or 10 with no repeating numbers or doubles. So, a 1 and a 3 is labelled a “soft 4”.
The pay-outs for winning a hard-ways bet depend on the casino but these are the most common odds I’ve seen:
Proposition Bets : This is a bet that I would not advocate as the advantage is hugely in on the house’s side. In short… NEVER PLACE A PROPOSITION BET. It is easy money for the house.
That is a quick and easy rundown of the rules of craps and how a craps game is played. You should definitely try these out by playing free online craps at any of the casinos on our site. When you are ready to start enjoying craps for money, there would be loads of casinos to choose from.
