Craps

Craps: Betting With the Shooter or Directly Against Them

The choice that defines this game is whether you are on the shooter's side or opposing them, and the two bets are close to mirror images.

The Pass Line backs the shooter to succeed. On the come-out roll, a 7 or 11 wins instantly, while a 2, 3 or 12 loses. Any other number becomes the point, and the shooter keeps rolling until either that point comes up again, winning the Pass Line, or a 7 appears first, which loses it.

The Don't Pass Line bets against the shooter, essentially wagering that the 7 arrives before the point does. It is the same sequence read in reverse, and it puts you at odds with everyone else at the table who is backing the Pass Line.

That social dimension is real and worth mentioning: Craps is one of the few casino games where players are collectively invested in the same outcome, and Don't Pass bettors are conspicuously not. Some players find that uncomfortable regardless of the arithmetic.

Come bets work in a similar way to Pass Line bets but can be placed after the point is already established, which lets you enter a round already in progress rather than waiting for the next come-out.

Field bets operate on completely different logic. They cover a single roll rather than a full sequence, paying out on a set group of numbers with the extremes rewarded best. Rolling a 12 on a Field bet is listed at thirty to one, one of the richest one-roll payouts available.

The distinction between one-roll wagers and sequence bets is the main thing a newcomer needs to grasp. A Pass Line bet may take many rolls to resolve; a Field bet resolves immediately. Mixing them up leads to confusion about why a bet has or has not been settled.

Craps suits players who enjoy a game with genuine pace and a range of bet types resolving on different timescales, and who do not mind that the table layout takes some learning. It is the most visually intimidating game in this range and among the most straightforward once the come-out sequence clicks.

Anyone new to it should start with the Pass Line alone, since it is the game's foundation and every other bet is easier to understand once that sequence is familiar.