How to Play Craps

As the fastest-moving table game in a casino, craps allows players to make several bets simultaneously. With the widest range of wagering options, playing craps requires a larger amount of money than other table games. Below is a step-by-step guide for newcomers playing craps near Denver.

Playing the Come-Out Roll

Before a round of craps starts, there’s an OFF button sitting on the table away from any points, which means that a point hasn’t been determined yet. The game doesn’t start until the shooter, or the player with the dice, bets on the pass or don’t pass line. These are basic bets, and other players at the table may bet here as well. The come-out roll is the shooter’s first roll, and the result determines the pace of the round. For a seven or 11, pass line wagers win even money and don’t pass line bets lose. A two, three or 12 is called craps, for which don’t pass line wagers win but pass line bets lose.

Betting on the Point

A point is established when the shooter hits a four, five, six, eight, nine or 10. The OFF button is moved to the point number and flipped over to become the ON button. All pass and don’t pass line bets remain where they are, and players can add bets to the point at this time. The point wager is called an odds bet, which is explained below.

When playing the point, the shooter needs to roll that number before rolling a seven. If the shooter hits the point number, everybody with a pass line wager wins, and the shooter begins a new round with a come-out roll. If the shooter hits a seven the first time, everyone loses, and the game starts with another player. Additional points are established when other numbers are rolled.

Making Odds Wagers

Like pass and don’t pass line bets, odds wagers have decent odds and are placed behind the pass line. Players can only place such a bet if they wagered on the pass or don’t pass line. They can also decrease, increase or remove odds wagers at any time. The payout for winning is true odds, which are as follows:
2-1 chance for points four and 10,
3-2 chance for points five and nine, and
6-5 chance for points six and eight.

Placing Come and Don’t Come Bets

After a point is established, players may make come or don’t come wagers in addition to their pass or don’t pass line bets and odds bets. The come and don’t come bets go on the specified spaces, and the shooter’s next roll becomes the come-out roll for the players who choose to do this. This bet only affects those players, but the same rules above apply.

If a four, five, six, eight, nine or 10 are rolled, this number becomes the players’ come or don’t come point. The dealer moves the bets to that number, and the players now have two points since their pass or don’t pass line wagers still depend on the shooter’s point. If the shooter rolls the point and the come or don’t come point before rolling a seven, the players win both bets.

Additionally, players can say “odds on come” or “odds on don’t come” to place odds on their come or don’t come wagers. They can establish more come or don’t come points as well by making more of those bets.