Craps Table Layout Overview

Layout of a Craps Table Craps can be an extremely intimidating game. The lingo is completely indecipherable without prior experience, there are a number of faux pas a player can commit without knowing that can turn everyone at the table against him, and the large crowd gathered around the table makes everything you do feel highly scrutinized.

But once you know the game well, Craps is arguably the best experience in the casino. That same crowd that once intimidated you is now your closest group of friends, as in Craps everyone typically wins or loses together. The excitement of the rolling dice is unmatched, and even the odds are some of the best you can find on the floor if you make the right bets while you play craps online and also offline!

Arguably the most important part of learning Craps is understanding the table layout: once you know what everything means, the way the game flows becomes a lot easier to grasp.

The Pass Line : The Pass Line usually runs around the outside of the table and is where players place their pass line bets. Pass line bets are the most popular bet at the Craps table: simplified, you are essentially betting that the player will win over the house. In Craps, this means that the player rolls a 7 or 11 on the “come out roll,” or the first throw of the dice. Most other numbers, if rolled, become the “point.” The player then tries to roll the point again. If he or she does so, pass line bets win.

On the other hand, if the player roller a 2, 3, or 12 on the come out roll, the pass line bet loses; if the point is set and the player rolls a 7 before rolling the point, the pass line bet also loses. Read more about the pass line bet!

The Don’t Pass Bar is where all don’t pass bets are made. This is essentially the opposite of a pass bet: everywhere the pass line loses, the don’t pass bar wins, and vice versa. That means if the come out roll hits a 2 or 3, or if the player rolls a 7 before rolling the determined box point, the Don’t Pass Bar wins (this is known as a “seven out”).

There is one exception: if the come out roll is a 12, bets on the Don’t Pass Bar neither win nor lose: they are simply returned. This is the “bar” part of the bet, and is done to preserve the house edge.

You cannot bet on the Don’t Pass Bar at any point after the come out roll, but you can remove your bet after the point has been established if you so wish. This is not advised, because the odds of winning don’t pass on the come out roll are 3-to-8 against, whereas they shift 2-to-1 in favor of the bet once the point is established.

It is worth noting that those who play the Don’t Pass Bar are not looked upon favorably by those at the table. It is tradition that everyone at the table players the pass line bet, so everyone wins and loses together and there is a greater sense of camaraderie. Once someone goes against the grain, they are shunned, as they are weakening the feel of the table. Read more about the don’t pass line!

Come Bet : The Come Area is where come bets are made. Come bets are almost always made after a point has been established, and are often referred to as a “virtual” pass line bet. Just like the pass line bet, a 7 or 11 is a win, whereas 2, 3, and 12 make the bet a loser. Anything else becomes the point for the come bet, which needs to be rolled before a 7.

Once the point is established for a come bet, the dealer will move your chips to the top of the corresponding point number box, also used for place bets. Read more about the come bet

Don’t Come Bar : Again, the don’t come bet is essentially the opposite of the come bet and companion to the don’t pass bet, made only after the point has been established. 7 or 11 make the bet a loser, whereas 2 and 3 make a winner, with 12 being a push, returning your bet without any winnings or losses. Read more about the don’t come bet

Field Area The Field area is used for field bets, appropriately. Also known as a “one roll” bet, it can be made at any time and is a bet on the next throw of the dice. If the roll is any number listed in the Field area – 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 – you win the bet, with any other number a loss. 2 and 12 usually pay out double, though this may change by casino. Read about field bets here

Big 6 and Big 8 Conspicuous in the corner next to the Field area, Big 6 and Big 8 are bets that can be made at any time. A bettor playing the Big 6 is saying that a 6 will be rolled before a 7; correspondingly, a Big 8 means an 8 will be rolled before a 7. If it does, the bet wins, and if a 7 comes first, the bet loses. These are worse bets than the place bets on 6 and 8, with a large 9% house edge; avoid them.

Place Bet The Place Bet is the area near the top of the table where the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 are shown in individual boxes. The Place Bet can be made at any time and is a simple bet that that number will be rolled before the next 7. Think of it like setting your own point at any time. Read more about the place bets

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