How to Play Craps Online: A Beginners Guide

Online Craps Table Layout

An online craps table looks a lot like the real thing, just brought to your screen. The felt layout is laid out clearly so you can see the Pass Line, Don’t Pass, Come, Don’t Come, and the middle section with all the fun side bets like the hardways. Instead of dealers and a stickman, the game handles everything for you, bets, payouts, and the dice roll itself. You just click where you want to place your chips, hit roll, and let the action unfold. Online tables make it easy to re-bet or see the current point at a glance, so the game keeps moving smoothly. It’s designed to capture the same energy of a live table, but with the convenience of playing whenever you want and at your own pace.

How do you Play Craps?

Craps centers around one player called the “shooter” who rolls the dice for everyone at the table. In online craps, you can be the shooter or simply bet on the outcomes. The game follows a simple pattern: the shooter makes a “come out roll” to start each round, and then the action continues based on what numbers appear.

Your job as a player is to place bets on what you think will happen with the dice. The beauty of online craps is that you can take your time deciding where to place your chips, unlike the fast-paced environment of a live casino where you might feel rushed. The only difference between the digital version and live dealer version is the pace, but you do have more time than in a retail casino to make your decisions either way.

The Come Out Roll

The come out roll is the first roll of each new round in craps. This means it’s the starting point where you’ll place most of your initial bets. During this roll, you’re hoping for specific numbers to appear that will either win your bet immediately or set up the next phase of the game.

Here’s what happens on the come out roll:

• Instant winners: Rolling a 7 or 11 wins Pass Line bets immediately
• Instant losers: Rolling a 2, 3, or 12 loses Pass Line bets right away
• Point numbers: Rolling a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 establishes a “point”

Making The Point

When the shooter rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 on the come out roll, that number becomes the “point.” This means the game enters a new phase where the shooter keeps rolling until they either roll the point number again or roll a 7. If they roll the point first, Pass Line bets win. If they roll a 7 first, Pass Line bets lose and the round ends.

The point phase is where craps gets really exciting because you’re watching every roll, hoping to see your number come up before that dreaded 7 appears.

Craps Betting Options- The Basics

Whether you are playing at Hard Rock Bet Online in New Jersey, or in a retail casino, the bets are all the same. Smart beginners stick to three main bets that offer the best value and are easy to understand. These bets give you the most bang for your buck while you’re learning the game, and they’re the foundation that experienced players build their strategies around.

Starting with these basic bets helps you avoid the confusing proposition bets in the center of the table that can quickly drain your bankroll. Unlike when you are learning how to play slots online where there is no strategy, craps requires you to pay attention and know the rules in order to maximize your returns. 

Pass Line Bet

The Pass Line bet is the most popular wager in craps and the perfect starting point for new players. This means you’re betting that the shooter will win their round by either rolling a 7 or 11 on the come out roll, or by making their point before rolling a 7. You place this bet before the come out roll, and it pays even money (1:1) when you win.

Most craps players make the Pass Line bet because it’s straightforward and gives you something to cheer for on every roll. You’re essentially rooting for the shooter to succeed, which creates a fun, team-like atmosphere even when playing online. The pass line bet is what allows craps to boast about being a casino game with the best odds in retail casinos and online. 

Don’t Pass Bet

The Don’t Pass bet is the opposite of the Pass Line bet, meaning you’re betting against the shooter. This means you win when the shooter rolls a 2 or 3 on the come out roll, or when they roll a 7 before making their point. The bet pushes (ties) on a 12, and it also pays even money when you win.

While this is a valid way to play, some players avoid it because it feels like you’re betting against everyone else at the table. In online play, this social pressure doesn’t exist, so you can choose whichever bet feels right to you.

Odds Bets

Odds bets are additional wagers you place behind your pass line bet after a point is established. This means you’re doubling down on your confidence in the shooter’s ability to hit the point before rolling a 7. These bets pay true odds (no house edge), making them the best odds of any bet you can place in the casino.

Most tables allow you to take odds at specific multiples of your original pass line bet. You might see 3x, 4x, 5x, or even higher multipliers depending on the casino’s rules. Taking full odds maximizes your winning potential when the shooter succeeds, turning modest pass line wins into substantial payouts.

Key odds multipliers you’ll encounter:

• Single odds: Match your pass line bet exactly
• Double odds: Bet twice your pass line amount
• 3x-4x-5x odds: Variable multipliers based on the point number
• 10x odds: High-limit tables offering maximum odds

Smart bankroll management means having enough chips to take full odds when opportunities arise. Don’t stretch beyond your comfort zone, but recognize that odds bets give you the best mathematical value for your money in craps while practicing responsible gaming principles.

Additional Craps Bets

Come Bets

Come bets are identical to pass line bets except you make them after the point is established. This means you’re starting a fresh betting sequence while the original point remains active, giving you multiple numbers working simultaneously. When you place a come bet, the next roll becomes your personal come-out roll with the same win-lose conditions as the pass line.

The relationship between come bets and established points creates multiple winning opportunities. You might have a pass line bet on 6, a come bet that travels to 8, and another come bet working on 10. Now you’re rooting for three different numbers instead of just one, dramatically increasing your chances of collecting on each roll.

Come bet progression strategy:

• First come bet: Place after the point is established
• Second come bet: Add when your first come bet travels to a number
• Maximum coverage: Typically limit yourself to 2-3 active come bets
• Odds backing: Take odds on each come bet number for maximum value

Managing multiple come bets requires attention and discipline. You’ll have chips scattered across different point numbers, each with its own odds bet potential. This complexity rewards you with more action and winning opportunities, but demands careful tracking of your total exposure.

Place Bets

Place bets let you wager directly on specific numbers without waiting for come bet progression. This means you can immediately target the numbers you want to play, bypassing the randomness of where your come bets might travel. Place betting gives you instant gratification and precise control over your number selection.

The 6 and 8 place bets offer the best combination of winning frequency and reasonable payouts. These numbers appear more often than other place bet options because there are more dice combinations that create them. Experienced players often focus their place betting on these two numbers while using other strategies for additional coverage.

Strategic place betting approach:

• 6 and 8 focus: Best odds among place bet options
• Press or collect: Decide before each win whether to increase bets or take profits
• Take down timing: Remove place bets when table conditions change
• Bankroll allocation: Don’t overcommit to place bets at expense of line betting

Place betting works especially well during choppy sessions where points change frequently. Instead of waiting for come bets to travel to your preferred numbers, you can place them directly and start collecting immediately when they hit.

Hard Way Bets

A hardway bet is a wager that a specific “hard” number will be rolled before a seven or the “easy” version of that number. A “hard” number means both dice show the same value, like 2+2=4, 3+3=6, 4+4=8, or 5+5=10. These bets are popular because they pay higher than standard line bets, but they’re also riskier since there are fewer ways to win than to lose. The hard way bets are cleared if an easy way roll of the same number is rolled before the hardway.

• 🎲 Hard 4 (2+2) – Wins before 7 or easy 4; pays 7:1

• 🎲 Hard 6 (3+3) – Wins before 7 or easy 6; pays 9:1

• 🎲 Hard 8 (4+4) – Wins before 7 or easy 8; pays 9:1

• 🎲 Hard 10 (5+5) – Wins before 7 or easy 10; pays 7:1

Proposition Bets

Proposition bets, also called “prop bets” in craps are the exciting wagers that keep the center of the table buzzing. They are a single roll bet, so you know right away if you’ve hit big or missed. The payouts are much bigger compared to standard bets, which is what makes them so tempting, but they also come with higher risk since the odds aren’t in your favor. Many players treat them as a fun way to add a little extra thrill to the game while still focusing their main bets on the safer options.

• 🎲 Any 7 – Wins if a 7 rolls next; pays 4:1

• 🎲 Any Craps (2, 3, 12) – Wins if 2, 3, or 12 rolls; pays 7:1

• 🎲 2 (Snake Eyes) – Wins if a 2 rolls; pays 30:1

• 🎲 3 (Ace-Deuce) – Wins if a 3 rolls; pays 15:1

• 🎲 11 (Yo) – Wins if an 11 rolls; pays 15:1

• 🎲 12 (Boxcars/Midnight) – Wins if a 12 rolls; pays 30:1

• 🎲 Horn Bet – A combo bet on 2, 3, 11, and 12 (split across all four). Payout depends on which one hits.

• 🎲 Horn High Bet – Same as Horn, but with an extra unit stacked on one of the four numbers.

Field Bets

A field bet in craps is one of the simplest wagers you can make, and it’s resolved on the very next roll of the dice. When you place a bet in the field box, you’re betting that the shooter will roll a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. If any of those numbers come up, you win; if a 5, 6, 7, or 8 rolls, you lose. Most wins pay even money, but the 2 and 12 pay 2:1, meaning a $10 bet would pay out $20 profit. Because it’s quick, easy, and offers the chance at a bonus payout, the field bet is a popular way for new and seasoned players alike to keep the action moving.

FAQ about Craps

Below we’ve put together a few questions and answers about craps online.