If you walk through any major casino, you will undoubtedly find one game that is completely chaotic and more energetic than any other game in the building. The crowd is going wild while a single player throws two red dice down the green felt. This chaotic scene is the game of Craps. To a complete beginner, the craps table looks like an impossible mathematical nightmare. There are dozens of different betting sections, complex jargon being yelled by the dealers. But this is a huge misconception. Despite the crazy layout, craps is actually one of the simplest, and best games in the entire casino. If you just learn the basics, you can play craps like a seasoned professional.

The Core Mechanic: How the Game Starts

The absolute best way to survive the craps table is to ignore all the crazy bets in the middle. The confusing center sections are terrible traps with massive house edges. You only care about one line that wraps around the entire edge of the table: the Pass Line bet. Placing a chip on the Pass Line is the fundamental core of the entire game. When a new round begins, the shooter rolls the dice for the first time. With your money on the Pass Line, you win instantly on a 7 or 11. You instantly lose your bet if the Come-Out roll is a 2, 3, or 12 (known as "Crapping Out"). The math is that basic: 7/11 wins, 2/3/12 loses.

The Ongoing Game: Chasing the Point

But what happens if the Come-Out roll is not a winner or a loser? If the result is one of the other numbers, the Point is established. The dealer takes a white puck and flip it to the "ON" side directly onto that specific number on the table layout. The rules of the game now completely change. To win the money, the shooter must roll the dice again and again until that specific number hits. If they hit the Point, everybody with a Pass Line bet wins. However, there is a catch: if a 7 appears before they hit the Point, this is a "Seven Out". Every single Pass Line bet instantly loses, the game resets, and the next person shoots. The entire excitement is a group effort praying the shooter hits their Point before rolling a deadly 7.

• Taking Odds: When the puck is ON, you can place an 'Odds' bet behind your chips. This is known as taking odds and it is literally the only bet in the entire casino that has a house edge of exactly 0.00%. It is a perfectly fair bet.


• Betting the Dark Side: You can also bet against the shooter. You win when others lose, or if the shooter fails. It is mathematically slightly better, but nobody will high-five you because you are betting with the house.


• Avoid the Center of the Table: The center layout with the huge payouts are sucker bets with huge casino advantages. Avoid them completely.

The Rules at a Glance: The Only Rules You Need

For a quick reference before you play, to make things easy, memorize this table. It explains the basic rules of the Pass Line bet: the Pass Line.

In conclusion, craps is not a game you should be afraid of. The felt is designed to look incredibly complex and confusing so that amateur players will guess and lose their money. When you arrive, placing your chips exclusively on the Pass Line, taking your odds, and completely ignoring the screaming center of the board, you are playing the best game on the floor. Grab the dice, throw them against the back wall, and enjoy the absolute most thrilling, high-energy time on the floor.