Craps rules control how the dice are thrown, when bets are accepted, how the point is established, what counts as a valid roll, and how payouts are made. The core rule is simple: on the come-out, 7 or 11 wins Pass Line, 2, 3, or 12 loses, and 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 becomes the point.
Quick Facts
- The shooter must throw two dice together.
- Dice normally must hit the opposite back wall.
- Only the stickman offers dice to the shooter.
- Bets must be clear before the dice are in motion.
- The puck shows whether the table is OFF or ON a point.
- A seven-out ends the shooter’s hand after a point is established.
- The boxman or floor resolves disputes, not the loudest player.
Plain Talk
The written rules of craps are not just about winning and losing. They are about control.
A craps table has many players, many bets, moving dice, dealer-booked wagers, self-service wagers, and fast payout sequences. Rules protect the game from confusion, late betting, accidental chip movement, payout arguments, and dice manipulation.
The basic player-facing rules are easy:
- Make bets before the roll.
- Do not put hands in the layout while dice are moving.
- Throw both dice to the far wall when you are the shooter.
- Follow the puck: OFF means come-out, ON means point is active.
- Know whether 7 is good or bad for your bet.
For beginner flow, read how to play craps. This page is stricter: it is about procedure.
Regulatory rulebooks vary by jurisdiction, but the control themes are consistent. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission equipment rules include craps layout and equipment standards. The Massachusetts internal control standards define table-game staffing roles such as dealers and stickperson. The math behind legal outcomes can be checked against Wizard of Odds dice probabilities.
How It Works
1. The table state: OFF or ON
The white puck tells the table state.
| Puck state | Meaning | Main player impact |
|---|---|---|
| OFF | No point is established | Come-out roll is next |
| ON | Point is established | Pass Line wants point before 7 |
2. The come-out roll
On the come-out roll:
| Roll | Pass Line | Don’t Pass | Table result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 or 11 | Wins | Loses | New come-out |
| 2 or 3 | Loses | Wins | New come-out |
| 12 | Loses | Push on most Don’t Pass rules | New come-out |
| 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 | Point | Point | Puck turns ON |
Some houses bar 2 instead of 12 on Don’t Pass. Always check the layout.
3. The point phase
After a point is set, the shooter rolls until one of two key events:
- The point repeats: Pass Line wins.
- A 7 appears first: Pass Line loses and the shooter sevens out.
Other rolls may resolve other bets, but they do not resolve the original Pass Line bet unless they are the point or 7.
4. Legal roll standards
A standard legal roll usually requires:
- two dice thrown at the same time,
- one hand only,
- dice thrown across the layout,
- dice hitting the opposite back wall,
- no interference from hands, chips, or foreign objects.
The crew can call “no roll” when the throw fails procedure, a die leaves the table, dice are interfered with, or the floor determines the result should not stand.
5. Bet timing
Self-service bets, like Pass Line and Field, are placed by players. Dealer-controlled bets, like Place bets and many center propositions, must be booked by the dealer or stickman.
Late bets create arguments. A bet is not automatically live because a player shouted it as the dice left the shooter’s hand.
Craps Table Example
A player puts $15 on the Pass Line. The shooter rolls 6 on the come-out. The dealer moves the puck ON to 6.
The player tries to toss $15 into the Field after the dice have already left the shooter’s hand on the next roll. The roll lands 9.
The crew may reject the late Field bet because it was not placed before the dice were in motion. The player may complain because 9 would have won the Field. The floor will look at timing, dealer acknowledgement, and whether the bet was clearly booked.
This is why timing matters. Craps is not just “chips plus dice.” It is procedure.
From the Casino Side:
The casino side of craps is built around speed and defensibility.
Dealers need to know which bets are booked, where each player’s odds belong, which place bets are working, which bets are off, and whether a payout is correct. The stickman controls dice movement and center action. The boxman watches the bank, dice, layouts, and dealer work. The floor handles player ratings, disputes, fills, credits, and serious procedural calls.
Surveillance cares about hands in the layout, late chips, dice sliding, dice not hitting the wall, past-posting, dealer overpayments, collusion signals, and repeated disputes around the same player or dealer.
Rules are not there to make the game formal. They are there because a busy craps table can become chaos in five seconds.
Common Mistakes
- Thinking a verbal call is always a live bet.
- Throwing one die before the other.
- Soft-rolling dice so they do not hit the back wall.
- Picking up dice with two hands.
- Reaching into the layout while dice are out.
- Assuming Don’t Pass always pushes on the same craps number everywhere.
- Believing the shooter controls when a disputed roll counts.
Hard Truth
In craps, procedure beats opinion. If the crew did not book the bet cleanly before the roll, your “but I meant to bet it” argument is already weak.
FAQ
What counts as a legal craps roll?
A legal roll generally uses two dice thrown together with one hand so the dice travel across the table and hit the opposite back wall.
What is a no-roll?
A no-roll is a roll the crew does not count because of a procedural problem, interference, dice leaving the table, or another control issue.
Can I touch my chips while dice are moving?
Do not reach into the layout while dice are out. It creates interference and dispute risk.
Why must dice hit the back wall?
The back wall helps randomize the dice and reduces controlled or sliding throws.
Who decides disputed bets?
Usually the floor supervisor, with input from the dealers, boxman, and surveillance when needed.
Are craps rules identical everywhere?
No. Core flow is similar, but table limits, odds multiples, field payouts, Don’t Pass bar rules, and procedural details can vary.
Can the casino refuse a late bet?
Yes. If the bet was not clearly placed or booked before the dice were in motion, the crew can reject it.
Deeper Insight
Craps rules exist because the game has two kinds of risk: gambling risk and operational risk.
Gambling risk is the player losing because the dice landed against the bet. Operational risk is the casino or player losing because of confusion, unclear bets, bad payouts, bad chip handling, late calls, or dice manipulation.
Good table procedure reduces operational risk. It also protects honest players. Without strict timing and dice rules, every close roll could become a negotiation.
The point system also creates a clean sequence for dozens of bets. Once the puck is ON, some bets work, some can be turned off, some are contract bets, and some are one-roll bets. A strong crew keeps all of that organized without stopping the game every roll.
Formula / Calculation
P(event) = favorable dice combinations / 36
P(7) = 6 / 36 = 16.67%
P(6) = 5 / 36 = 13.89%
P(4) = 3 / 36 = 8.33%For a Pass Line point of 6, the key contest is 6 before 7:
Ways to roll 6 = 5
Ways to roll 7 = 6
True odds against making 6 before 7 = 6:5Formula Explanation in Plain English
The rules tell you when the bet is alive. The dice combinations tell you how often the result should happen. A point of 6 is easier to make than a point of 4 because 6 has more combinations. But 7 still has more than either, which is why the seven-out is the central threat. Use craps odds and the house edge calculator to see how the payout compares with the probability.
Related Reading
Use the craps guide as the hub, then read craps table layout to see where the rules happen on the felt. Craps dice combinations explains the math behind legal totals. Craps odds and craps house edge explain pricing. For tools, compare bets through the craps odds calculator and expected loss calculator. If you hear “I can control the throw,” read dice control myth before believing it.