How to Play Craps: A Beginner's Guide to Your First Time at the Table
A craps table looks intimidating: a big tub, three dealers, a guy in a suit and a layout covered in bets. The good news is you only need to know a few things to play your first time. Mike walked through all of it on a private table at Park MGM.
1. Buy in
Wait until the dice aren't moving, then drop your cash on the table in front of you. Don't hand it to the dealer. They'll count it and push you chips. Put the chips in the rail in front of you; that's your workspace.
For your first time, find a $5 minimum table. You'll see those early in the morning and midweek, and they let you learn without risking much.
2. Make a pass line bet
Put a $5 chip on the Pass Line. That's the basic bet, and it's what you need to shoot.
3. Shoot the dice
The stickman pushes you five dice. Pick two with one hand, keep them over the table, and throw them so they hit the back wall.
4. The come-out roll
When the puck says OFF, it's a come-out roll:
- 7 or 11: pass line wins.
- 2, 3 or 12: pass line loses ("craps").
- 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10: that number becomes the point, and the dealer flips the puck to ON and puts it on that number.
5. Once the point is set
Now you just want to roll the point again before a 7. You don't have to remember anything; look for the puck. Rolls like 2, 3, 11 or 12 don't matter now. If a 7 comes first, that's a seven-out and the pass line (and your place bets) lose.
6. Place the inside numbers
While the point is on, you can bet other numbers to win every time they roll. Drop chips in the Come area and tell the dealer "inside." The 6 and 8 take multiples of $6 and the 5 and 9 take multiples of $5, because that's how they pay. With a point of 5, for example, you'd place $6 on the 6, $6 on the 8 and $5 on the 9.
Not sure what to bet? Toss the dealer a green chip and say "inside." They'll make the right bets and give you correct change.
7. Take odds
Behind your pass line you can add odds, the best bet in the casino because it pays true odds. The easy rule: double your pass line bet. With a $5 line bet, put $10 behind it. That works on every number at almost every casino.
8. Same bet or press?
When a place bet hits, the dealer asks what you want to do. "Same bet" means you keep the winnings and leave the bet the same. "Press" means you use some of the winnings to make the bet bigger. As a beginner, say same bet and put your winnings in a separate spot on the rail so you know where you stand.
What a first session really looks like
Mike's own demo ended with a 10 he wasn't on ("should have bet the 10, you're going to say that a lot") and then a seven-out. That's normal. With $5 bets, a $100 to $200 buy-in survives a few bad rolls while you wait for a good one.
Ready to look like you know what you're doing? The ASS LINE Tee is the oldest pass line joke at the table.
Gear for new craps players
Betting progressions and press patterns don't change the house edge, and no system guarantees a hot shooter. Play with money you can afford to lose. 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
More craps strategy on the CZVegas YouTube channel.