Craps Terms: Complete Beginner Glossary

A–Z glossary · Table calls · Bets, dice, and payouts

Craps has a compact rule set and a large vocabulary. This glossary explains the terms a beginner will hear at a casino table, including traditional expressions that describe bets without endorsing the superstition behind them.

Quick distinction: to 1 describes profit plus return of the original wager; for 1 includes the returned stake in the stated amount. A $5 bet paying 4 to 1 produces $20 profit plus the $5 stake. A $5 bet paying 5 for 1 returns $25 total—the same economic result.

A–C

Ace-deuce: A roll of 3, made as 1–2. It is a craps number on the come-out and a common component of Horn and C&E bets.

Action: Money currently wagered or the collection of bets a player has working. “No action” can also mean a wager or throw was not accepted.

Any Craps: A one-roll bet that wins on 2, 3, or 12 and loses on every other total.

Any Seven: A one-roll bet on 7, traditionally called Big Red. It commonly pays 4 to 1 and has a 16.67% house edge.

Apron: The unmarked area of the layout near the chip rail, used for returned chips and some wager placement.

Back Line: Another name for the Don’t Pass area or bet.

Bar 12 / bar 2: The come-out number that pushes instead of winning for Don’t Pass. Bar 12 is standard on many layouts; house rules can differ.

Base dealer: A dealer who works one side of the table, books and settles wagers, exchanges chips, and handles buy-ins for assigned player positions.

Big 6 / Big 8: A self-service bet that 6 or 8 will appear before 7, usually paying even money. It is generally inferior to Place 6 or Place 8 when those pay 7 to 6.

Big Red: Table slang for the Any Seven proposition bet. Some players also avoid saying the word “seven” when a point is ON; that custom has no effect on probability.

Boxperson: The seated table supervisor in a traditional crew. Some casinos use a floor supervisor instead of staffing this position.

Box numbers: The totals 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10—the six numbers that can become standard Pass Line points.

Buy bet: A number-versus-7 wager paid at true odds minus a commission, commonly called the vig. Commission timing varies by house rules.

C&E: A one-roll split wager on Any Craps (2, 3, or 12) and Eleven. The two portions settle separately on the next roll.

Center bets: Proposition wagers printed in the center of the layout and typically booked verbally through the stickperson or dealer.

Cocked die: A die resting at an angle against chips, the wall, or another object. The crew applies the house rule to decide the face or call no roll.

Color up: Exchange smaller-denomination chips for larger ones before leaving the table.

Come bet: A line-style bet made after the table’s come-out. Its first roll wins on 7 or 11, loses on 2, 3, or 12, or establishes an individual Come point.

Come box: The marked area where players place Come bets.

Come-out roll: A roll made while the puck is OFF to begin a new Pass/Don’t Pass round.

Contract bet: A wager that cannot normally be removed after a point is established. Pass and Come flat bets are contract bets; their Odds portions are generally removable.

Craps: The totals 2, 3, and 12. On a come-out roll they lose Pass and are handled under the Don’t Pass bar rule.

Craps check: Table slang for an Any Craps wager used alongside a Pass Line bet. It reduces the loss on come-out 2, 3, or 12 but carries the Any Craps house edge.

Crap out: Traditionally, rolling 2, 3, or 12 on the come-out. Do not confuse it with a seven-out, which occurs when 7 is rolled after a point is ON.

D–H

Dealer: A crew member who books, positions, collects, and pays wagers and exchanges cash for chips.

Die / dice: Die is singular; dice is plural. Casino craps uses two dice.

Don’t Come: A Don’t-side wager beginning after the table’s come-out. Its first roll wins on 2 or 3, loses on 7 or 11, and normally pushes on 12; another box number becomes its individual point.

Don’t Pass: A line bet that loses on come-out 7 or 11, wins on 2 or 3, and normally pushes on 12. After a point, it wins if 7 appears first. Its standard bar-12 house edge is about 1.364% per initial wager.

Down: Removed from the layout and returned to the player. This differs from off, which normally leaves the wager in place but inactive.

Double Odds: An Odds limit allowing up to twice the flat line or Come wager, subject to the table’s rounding and house rules.

Easy way: A 4, 6, 8, or 10 rolled with unequal dice, such as 2–4 for 6. This contrasts with the hard way, such as 3–3.

Edge / house edge: The casino’s expected profit as a percentage of the player’s initial wager or resolved action, according to the stated convention. It describes a long-run average, not what must happen in one session.

Field: A one-roll bet that usually wins on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. Payouts on 2 and 12 vary by table.

Flat bet: The base Pass, Don’t Pass, Come, or Don’t Come wager, separate from any Odds wager attached to it.

Free Odds: Another name for taking or laying Odds. “Free” means the Odds portion is paid at true odds with zero house edge, not that the wager is risk-free.

Front Line: Another name for the Pass Line.

Hardway: A bet that 4, 6, 8, or 10 will be rolled as matching dice before either an easy way of that total or 7. Example: hard 8 is 4–4.

Heel / bridge: A way of positioning or offsetting chips to distinguish certain wagers or player ownership. Exact chip placement varies, so follow the dealer’s instruction.

Hop bet: A one-roll wager on a specific two-dice combination, such as 3–4 or 5–5.

Horn: A one-roll bet divided among 2, 3, 11, and 12.

I–P

Inside numbers: 5, 6, 8, and 9. “$22 inside,” for example, commonly means $5 each on 5/9 and $6 each on 6/8.

Lay bet: A wager that 7 will appear before a selected 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. It pays at true odds minus a commission under the table’s approved rules.

Laying Odds: Adding an Odds wager behind Don’t Pass or Don’t Come. Because 7 is more likely than any point, the player risks more than the potential profit.

Layout: The printed felt or synthetic surface showing betting areas and player positions.

Marker / puck: The two-sided disc used to show the table point. OFF means no point is established; ON appears when it is placed on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10.

Midnight: Traditional call for a total of 12, made as 6–6.

Natural: In line-bet usage, a come-out 7 or 11, which wins Pass. Some older writing uses the term more broadly; the specific wager rules matter.

No roll: A throw the crew declares invalid under house rules. Its dice result does not settle wagers.

Off: A wager is inactive for a roll, or the puck indicates that no table point is established. The two meanings depend on context.

On: A wager is working for a roll, or the puck marks the active table point.

One-roll bet: A wager decided by the next valid throw only.

Outside numbers: 4, 5, 9, and 10. Usage can vary, so state the actual numbers rather than relying on the nickname for a large wager.

Parlay: Add a win to the original wager so the full returned amount remains at risk on the next decision.

Pass Line: A line bet that wins on come-out 7 or 11, loses on 2, 3, or 12, and otherwise wins if the established point repeats before 7. Its house edge is about 1.414%.

Place bet: A wager that a selected box number will appear before 7. Standard payouts are 9 to 5 on 4/10, 7 to 5 on 5/9, and 7 to 6 on 6/8, but posted rules control.

Point: A box number established by a come-out roll, or an individual number traveled to by a Come or Don’t Come bet.

Press: Increase a wager, often using some or all of a win. It does not necessarily mean doubling.

Proposition bet: A wager on a specified dice result, often located in the center of the layout and commonly carrying a higher house edge.

Put bet: A Pass-like wager placed directly on a point number after the come-out, commonly used with Odds. It skips the come-out win/loss stage.

R–Z

Rail / rack: The grooved area in front of a player used to hold chips. The crew’s central chip inventory is also called the bankroll or table rack.

Regress: Reduce one or more wagers after a specified result. Regression lowers later exposure but does not erase the risk taken before the reduction.

Right bettor / wrong bettor: Traditional labels for Pass/Come and Don’t Pass/Don’t Come players. They describe which side of the point-versus-7 result a player chose, not whether the person is behaving properly.

Same bet: A request to restore the previous wager amount after a win or settlement. Because calls vary, confirm the amount when the layout is crowded.

Seven-out: Rolling 7 after a point is ON. It ends the shooter’s turn and settles Pass, Don’t Pass, and many other multi-roll wagers.

Shooter: The player throwing the dice. A player may pass the dice rather than shoot.

Snake eyes: Traditional name for a total of 2, rolled as 1–1.

Stickperson: The crew member who controls the dice, calls rolls, and usually books center action.

Taking Odds: Adding a true-odds wager behind Pass or Come after a point is established.

True odds: The mathematical ratio between losing and winning outcomes, before a casino payout schedule or commission creates an edge.

Vig / vigorish: A commission charged on certain wagers, especially Buy and Lay bets. When it is collected changes the effective house edge.

Working: Active for the next roll. Some bets are automatically off on a come-out unless called working; others remain active by default. Confirm with the dealer.

World / whirl: A five-unit one-roll combination covering 2, 3, 11, 12, and Any Seven. The 7 portion can reduce the net loss when 7 rolls, depending on the paytable.

Yo / yo-eleven: Table call for 11, used to distinguish the total from the similarly sounding 7.

Learn the terms in context

Start with the craps rules, follow a live round in how to play craps, then use the payout and house-edge table to compare bets. The layout guide shows where these terms appear on the felt.

Rule source

Core bet definitions were checked against the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s approved Craps and Mini-Craps rules. Exact commissions, payouts, and procedures can vary by jurisdiction and casino.