Learn how to play craps online and in Vegas. Master dice odds, table layout zones, and screen betting controls with ease.
Last updated:Craps is hands down the wildest game in any American casino. Whether you are shoulder-to-shoulder on the Las Vegas Strip or tapping chips onto virtual felt from your phone, the energy is unmatched.
The speed scares off newcomers, but the game is actually dead simple once you break it down: learn the dice math, read the screen layout, and place your bets. This page is the starting point for our full craps section – work through it once and every specific bet covered there will already make sense.
Key Takeaways: Craps Basics and Table Layout
- Core Objective: Craps is fundamentally a race to roll your targeted numbers before the 7 appears to wipe the board.
- Dice Math & Probabilities: A total of 7 is mathematically the most common outcome with 6 combinations, while extreme numbers like 2 and 12 are the rarest with only 1 combination each.
- Five Layout Zones: The felt is split into distinct betting areas, covering outer Line Bets, Come boxes, top Box Numbers, the Field, and the high-risk Center proposition box.
- Digital Controls: Playing online simplifies the game with intuitive interface buttons to roll, clear or undo mis-taps, and repeat prior wagers with a single tap.
1. The Basic Objective & Dice Math
Two standard six-sided dice run the entire show. Every roll totals between 2 and 12.
Your job is simple: pick which totals hit before a “stopper” number—usually the 7—wipes the board clean. Which bets are even active at a given moment depends on which of two phases the table is in – see our puck and phases guide for the full breakdown.
Key Rule: Craps is simply a race to hit your target numbers before the 7 shows up.
The Odds at a Glance
- 7: 6 combinations (1 in 6 chance — most common)
- 6 & 8: 5 combinations each
- 5 & 9: 4 combinations each
- 4 & 10: 3 combinations each
- 3 & 11: 2 combinations each
- 2 & 12: 1 combination each (rarest rolls)
2. Reading the Virtual Layout
Open an online craps table on your phone or desktop, and you will see a digital replica of authentic casino felt divided into five key zones:
- The Line Bets (Pass Line & Don’t Pass): Wraps along the outer rail. Almost every beginner starts here.
- The Come & Don’t Come Boxes: Sits directly above the Pass Line for secondary bets once a round is active.
- The Place & Box Numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10): The bold row across the top, showing the primary point numbers you can target directly.
- The Field: The wide strip between the Come box and the Pass Line, paying out single-roll hits on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
- The Center / Proposition Area: Packed in the middle with high-risk, high-reward wagers like Any Seven, Hardways, and Horn bets.
3. Screen Controls & Placing Bets
Playing online removes the pressure of dealer lingo and fast-moving crowds. Select your chip denomination ($1, $5, $25, or $100), tap your chosen betting zone, and you are live.
Your Interface Buttons
- Roll: Triggers the RNG (or signals the live-dealer feed to throw).
- Clear All / Undo: Wipes unconfirmed bets to correct mis-taps before the toss.
- Repeat / Rebet: Clones your last betting pattern straight back onto the table.
Respect the math, memorize the layout zones, and you will feel completely at home on any mobile betting app or live Vegas table. For every other bet mentioned above – Buy Bets, side bets, betting systems and more – see the full craps section.
Author:
Lucas Portela
Owner, BoldGambler • Avanhandava/SP
Oddsmaker, affiliate and content creator in the iGaming industry.