How to Play Craps

How to Play Craps for Beginners

Ready to learn how to play craps? Let’s break it down. 

1. Each round of craps starts with the come-out roll.

• The come-out roll is the first time the dice are rolled - either at the very beginning of the game or when the previous betting round has ended. 
• The player that throws the dice (or pushes the ‘roll’ button online) is considered the shooter. 

1. Once the dice have been rolled, there are 3 possible outcomes.

• Natural: the dice add up to 7 or 11. In this case, the shooter wins and gets to roll the dice again. 
• Craps: the roll adds to 2, 3, or 12. When this occurs, the shooter loses and rolls the dice again. 
• Point: the dice add to 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, or 10. The amount rolled is marked on the table or indicated on the screen (online). The shooter rolls again.  

If the shooter rolls the same number again, they win. Note: the roll does not have to be the same combination of numbers, just the same total.   

If the shooter rolls a 7 on the second roll, they lose and the betting round is over.  

Craps Betting Rules 

Now that you know the basics of how to play craps, let’s take a look at some essential rules. 

Pass Line & Don’t Pass Line 

You will notice two large sections on the crap board - the “Pass Line” and the “Don’t Pass Line”. Place your chips in one of these sections to make a Pass Line bet or a Don’t Pass bet.  

If you place a bet on the Pass Line, this means you believe the shooter will win. The shooter can win by either: 

• Rolling a natural (7 or 11) or 
• Rolling the same total twice before rolling a 7. If the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the same total twice, this is known as a “seven-out”. 

Betting on the Don’t Pass Line means that you believe the shooter will lose. The shooter can lose by either: 

• Rolling a 2 or 3 or 
• Rolling a seven-out (i.e. rolling a 7 before rolling the same total as their first roll). 

What happens when 12 is rolled? When 12 is rolled it is considered a push. Bets don’t win or lose.  

Come Bet & Don’t Come Bet 

Once a point has been established by the shooter’s initial roll, players can make the following bets: 

• Come bet 
• Don’t Come bet 

Our guide on how to play craps wouldn’t be complete without discussing these basic craps bets. Here’s how Come and Don’t Come bets are won and lost. 

Come Bet 

• A Come bet wins when a natural is rolled (i.e. 7 or 11). 
• The bet loses if a 2, 3, or 12 is rolled. 
• If a point is rolled (called the Come-Bet Point), then a Come bet wins when the Come-Bet Point is rolled again before a 7. 

Don’t Come Bet 

Don’t Come bets are similar to Don’t Pass bets.  

• A Don’t Come bet wins if a 2 or 3 is rolled.  
• The bet loses if a 7 or 11 is rolled. 
• When a 12 is rolled it’s considered a push - the bet is neither won nor lost.  
• If a point is rolled (i.e. 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, or 10), a Don’t Come bet wins only if a 7 is rolled before the point is rolled again. 

Every craps game includes Pass and Come bets. Once these bets are made, players must wait until the betting round is over.

Craps Proposition Bets 

Additional bets can also be made on the Come-Bet Point. These bets aren’t mandatory. 

The majority of proposition bets in craps are one-roll bets. This means that whether the bet wins or loses is determined with just one roll. 

The following proposition bets are possible in craps. 

• Seven - this bet wins if 7 is rolled. 
• Craps - a craps prop bet wins if a 2, 3, or 12 is rolled. 
• Ace Deuce - this bet wins if 3 is rolled. In other words, one dice is a 1 and the other is a 2. 
• Aces - an aces prop bet wins if 2 is rolled. There is only one way to roll this total - 1-1. 
• Boxcars - this bet wins if 12 is rolled. 
• Horn - if a 2, 3, 11, or 12 is rolled, the bet wins. 
• Hard Ways - if the pair of dice add to 4, 6, 8, or 10, the bet wins (e.g. 2-2, 3-3, etc.). 
• Big 6 - if you bet on a Big 6, you are betting that 6 will be rolled before 7 is rolled. 
• Big 8 - a Big 8 bet wins if 8 is rolled before 7 is rolled.  
• Field Bets - this bet wins if a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 is rolled. 
• Place Bets - players can also bet on any number on the table when the point is known. In this case, you win if your number is rolled before 7 is rolled.  

In craps, prop bets pay out 1:1. This means that if you bet $5 and you won the prop bet, you would walk away with $10 (i.e. your initial $5 bet, plus $5 in winnings).  

Keep in mind that the house edge is high with craps prop bets. Therefore, these bets are not usually recommended, especially for players learning how to play craps.

Where to Play Craps

After you learn how to play craps, you’ll likely want to know where to play craps in Canada. 

Craps can be played online or at domestic land-based casinos. That said, this table game is much more common at land-based casinos in Canada. In fact, nearly every domestic casino you walk into will have a craps table! 

Want to give craps a try? Let’s take a closer look at where Canadians can legally play craps. 

Where to Play Craps Online in Canada 

There are many legitimate and convenient places to play craps online in Canada. It’s even possible to find free craps online! This option is great for beginners who are learning how to play craps and want to practice before using real money.  

When choosing an online casino to play craps, safety and security are important. Canadians have three options for safe and legal craps online.  

1. Provincial gaming sites - these sites are operated by provincial governments. For example, PlayNow.com. This site is operated by the government of British Columbia. 
2. Province-regulated sites - these sites are not operated by a provincial government but are regulated and licensed by the provincial government. An example would be PlayOJO, which is regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario.  
3. Offshore sites - these sites have no affiliation with local governments. Instead, they are operated by private organizations and licensed and regulated overseas.  

Offshore online casino sites provide much more selection for players. However, they aren’t always the safest option.

When choosing an offshore site, be sure you know what to look for in a safe and secure gambling platform. For instance, an unregistered offshore casino must not have any operations within Canada. 

Where to Play Craps Domestically in Canada 

Canadians can also play craps at land-based casinos. From coast to coast, there are many modern and well-known domestic casinos to choose from, including: 

• Parq Casino - British Columbia 
• River Cree Resort and Casino - Alberta 
• Dakota Dunes Casino - Saskatchewan 
• Fallsview Casino Resort - Ontario 
• Magic Palace - Quebec 
• Grey Rock Casino - New Brunswick, and more 

Craps Tips & Strategies 

Craps is a game of chance. However, there are some ways to control your level of risk and increase your odds. 

Want to know how to play craps like a pro? Here are some tips and strategies: 

• Practice online before you play at a land-based casino.

Practicing online will help you learn how to play craps and prepare you to play with a live dealer. Players in Canada can also access free craps online. This option is great when learning because you can practice before playing real money craps. 

• Familiarize yourself with all possible craps bets and the craps table. 

Craps has a lot of moving pieces. Therefore, it’s important to study the board and to get to know all the possible bets you can make. 

• Make bets with a low house edge. 

Bets with a low house edge will increase your odds. On the other hand, bets with a high house edge (like prop bets) will lower your odds. 

Craps bets with the lowest house edge include:  

• Pass Line 
• Don’t Pass Line 
• Come 
• Don’t Come 

In contrast, proposition bets in the centre of the craps table have the highest house edge. Keep in mind that although proposition bets can be a high risk but they pay out more.

As always, play within your limit and take risks only when you can afford to lose.  

• Study possible dice outcomes. 

Learning probability and possible dice outcomes can help you make more educated bets.