Craps is essentially a simplified version of Hazard – an English dice game that was played between the 14th and 18th Century. Despite Hazard’s complicated play rules, it was very popular in London and commonly played for cash in local pubs. In the 19th century, Hazard underwent simplification in France before making its way to North America, where it became known as Craps and is still enjoyed in casinos, online or live, today.
You can play Craps games for real money at Cafe Casino's online casino without having to leave the comfort of home. The best way to start learning how to play this popular casino table game is to open another tab online with Craps launched in Practice Play mode and follow along with the bets suggested in this online Craps casino game guide. We’ll go over the standard Pass and Don’t Pass Lines, the Big 6 and 8 bets, the play odds, and more. Once you know how an online Craps table works, you’ll find it far easier to play online Craps casino games than what you may have imagined. If you require further explanation, including information on the “come-out” roll and Point round, be sure to check out our online casino Beginners’ Guide to Craps games.
Craps Bets Explained: What is a Craps Pass Line Bet?
If you’re looking to start with Craps table game play basics, the easiest place to start is with is the Pass Line bet. Toss a casino chip on it and hit “Roll” to initiate the first roll of the round, which is called the “come out” roll. With the Pass Line bet, you win if you land a 7 or 11 and lose if you land a 2, 3, or 12. All other results (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) establish a “Point number.”
The Point number initiates a series of rolls in Craps games. You keep rolling the dice until you either re-roll the Point number, or roll a 7; the former pays you 1:1, and the latter takes your wager and ends the round. Let’s say you roll a 9 after placing a wager on the Pass Line. Nine becomes your Point number, so you continuously roll the dice until you land another 9 and win, or a 7 and lose.
What is a Craps Don’t Pass Bet?
Instead of the Pass Line, you can bet on its inverse wager – the Don’t Pass Bar. Instead of being paid for landing a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll, you’ll get a 1:1 payout for landing a 2, or 3. A 7 or 11 result in a loss, and a 12 results in a push.
Landing a Point number is a bit different, too in Craps games. If you land a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 in the come-out roll, that number becomes the Point and initiates a series of rolls, as is the case in the Pass Line bet. However, with the Don’t Pass bet, the round ends with a 1:1 real money payout when you land a 7, or a loss if you re-roll the Point number instead.
What are Big 6 and Big 8 Bets?
In Craps games, Big 6 and Big 8 bets are multi-roll bets that pay even real money if you roll a 6 or 8 before a 7. You’re betting on either the 6 or 8—not both.
What are Odds Bets?
The darlings of the Craps game world, play odds bets become available when a Point is established and essentially bolster the Pass Line and Don’t Pass bets. Pass odds pay when you reroll the Point as opposed to a 7, whereas Don’t Pass odds pay when you roll a 7 instead of rerolling the Point. Both pay at true play odds, meaning there’s no casino house edge attached.
What are Place to Win and Place to Lose Bets?
Any of the point numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) can be selected for Place to Win and Place to Lose bets. A Place to Win bet means you’re betting that the number you choose will be rolled before a 7. A Place to Lose bet means that you want a 7 to be rolled before the chosen number. The real money payouts are as follows:
Place to Win Payouts
Roll Payout
4 or 10 9:5
5 or 9 7:5
6 or 8 7:6
Place to Lose Payouts
Roll Payout
4 or 10 5:11
5 or 9 5:8
6 or 8 4:5
What are Buy and Lay Bets?
The Buy and Lay bets are the same as the Place to Win and Place to Lose except for the Craps payouts. You can “buy” or “lay” a Point number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10), which will be resolved when you roll the number you selected or roll a 7. With the Buy bet, you get paid when you roll the selected number before a 7, whereas with the Lay bet, you get paid when you roll a 7 before rolling the selected number. Both play bets are paid according to true casino odds (no casino house edge), but charge a 4% commission when you place the play bet.
Buy Bet True Odds Payouts (Does not include 4% commission charged)
Roll Payout
4 or 10 2:1
5 or 9 3:2
6 or 8 6:5
Lay Bet True Odds Payouts (Does not include 4% commission charged)
Roll Payout
4 or 10 1:2
5 or 9 2:3
6 or 8 5:6
What are Field Bets?
A field bet in Craps games is a one-roll bet on the outcome of a single roll falling within a group of pre-selected numbers. You are betting on the outcome being a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12; if any of these numbers are thrown, you win the field bet, which pays even-money on 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11 outcomes. If you win with a 2, you get double the game payout, and if you win with a 12, you get triple the real money payout—as indicated on the table.
What are Proposition Bets?
Proposition bets include single-roll bets on one specific number being rolled at the casino table, and multi-roll bets. For the single-roll bets in Craps games, you can play one of the following numbers being thrown on the very next roll: Craps 2, Craps 3, or Craps 12. You can also take Any Craps games if you want to increase your casino odds of winning real money, as any of those three Craps game outcomes would be considered a winner.
Proposition Bets Payouts
Bet Payout
Craps 2 30:1
Craps 3 15:1
Craps 12 30:1
Any Craps 7:1
The multi-roll proposition bets are the Hardways, which categorize rolling a number in two ways: the hard way and the easy way. The “hard way” means you’ve rolled the number through doubles. Conversely, rolling a number the “easy way” means rolling it with two different numbers. For example, rolling Eight the hard way means you’ve rolled two Fours, whereas rolling it the easy way could be a Five and a Three. To win any of the four Hardway bets (4, 6, 8, and 10), you must roll the selected number the hard way—rolling a 7 or rolling the number the easy way results in a loss.
At Cafe Casino's online casino, you can try out all of these game bets in Practice Play mode. Once you get the hang of them, you can branch out to other play bets like the Come and Don’t Come if you’d like to add some complexity. And for those wanting to incorporate a little Craps game strategy, play guides are available online at our casino that discuss the casino odds and game table probabilities of these real money bets. For now, the more play bets you place, the better acquainted you’ll become with the Craps table game, and the more likely you’ll be able to snag some real money payouts in this classic dice casino game.