Dice games
Craps
- players
- 2–12
- minutes
- 20
- years
- 10+
In the box
2 dice + chips
Box details
- Origin
- Traditional game, with no specific designer or publisher
- Mechanics
- Betting and BluffingDice Rolling
Where to buy it
Near you
In a shop
Within 50 km.
The basics
One player, the shooter, rolls two dice, and the others bet for or against them. On the come-out roll, 7 or 11 wins, 2, 3 or 12 loses, and any other result becomes the point, which the shooter must roll again before a 7; they keep the dice until they lose on a 7. Play for as long as you like, until a player runs out of chips.
The rules, step by step
Setup
2 dice, chips, 2 to 12 players, Bet before the 1st roll
- Two dice, chips, two to twelve players around a table.
- One player is the shooter; the others bet for or against them.
- Everyone places their stake before the first roll.
How to play
7 or 11: win, 2, 3 or 12: lose, Roll the point before 7
- First roll, called the come-out: 7 or 11 wins straight away, 2, 3 or 12 loses. Any other result becomes the point.
- Once the point is established, the shooter keeps rolling until they roll that point again, which wins, or roll a 7, which loses everything.
- The shooter keeps the dice until they lose on a 7; then the dice pass to the left.
- Pass and don't pass bets are opposites: one wins exactly when the other loses, apart from the 12.
Scoring
Pass pays even money, Odds pay true odds
- The scorer tracks each player's chip balance: enter the win or loss on each roll.
- A winning pass bet is paid at even money, one to one.
- Odds bets, placed behind the line once the point is established, are paid at true odds: 2 to 1 on a point of 4 or 10, 3 to 2 on 5 or 9, 6 to 5 on 6 or 8.
End of the game
A player out of chips, Or by agreement
- Play as long as you like: the game ends when a player runs out of chips, or by agreement.
House rules and pitfalls
7 is the most frequent result with two dice: it wins on the first roll and loses everywhere after that.
- 7 is the most frequent result with two dice: it wins on the first roll and loses everywhere after that. The whole game rests on this reversal.
- Odds bets are the only bets in the game with no house edge. All the bets in the centre of the table are clearly unfavourable.