Decode craps lingo and table slang from A to Z. Master dealer calls, game terminology, and bet definitions to play with confidence.
Last updated:Craps comes with its own language. Walk up to a live table in Las Vegas or stare at an online betting panel, and you will hear a barrage of rapid-fire slang and callouts.
Pick up the lingo, and the chaos suddenly makes sense. You will know what the dealers are shouting, how the board moves, and where your money actually sits.
Here is the essential breakdown of craps terms and table slang from A to Z.
A to C
- Across: Putting money on every single box number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) at the same time.
- All Tall Small (ATS): A bonus side bet tracking whether the shooter hits the low numbers (2-6), high numbers (8-12), or the entire board (2-12) before rolling a 7.
- Any Craps: A one-roll preposition bet that the next throw lands on 2, 3, or 12. Pays 7:1.
- Any Seven (Big Red): A one-roll wager that the next roll equals 7. Pays 4:1.
- Boxcars: Table slang for rolling a pair of sixes (12).
- Buy Bet: Paying a 5% commission (vig) on a box number, almost always the 4 or 10, to get paid at True Odds.
- Comeout Roll: The very first roll of a fresh round before anyone sets a Point.
D to H
- Don’t Come Bet: Placed during the Intermediate Roll to bet against the next number the shooter throws.
- Don’t Pass Line: Betting against the shooter right out of the gate. Wins on a Comeout 2 or 3, loses on a 7 or 11.
- Easy Way: Hitting an even number (4, 6, 8, 10) with unequal dice, like rolling 5-3 for an 8.
- Field Bet: A quick one-roll wager covering 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
- Fire Bet: A side wager that pays up to 1,000:1 if the shooter manages to hit several individual, unique Points.
- Hardway: Rolling an even number as an identical pair (2-2, 3-3, 4-4, or 5-5).
- House Edge: The built-in mathematical cut the casino keeps on any wager.
I to P
- Inside Bets: Placing chips exclusively on the middle numbers: 5, 6, 8, and 9.
- Lay Odds: Extra chips stacked behind a Don’t Pass or Don’t Come wager, paid out at true mathematical odds.
- Off (Not Working): Means your bet sits idle and cannot win or lose on the next toss.
- Outside Bets: Putting chips on the outer edges of the box: 4, 5, 9, and 10.
- Pass Line: The backbone of craps. You win on a 7 or 11 on the Comeout, or by hitting the established Point before a 7 rolls.
- Point: The target number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) locked in on the Comeout Roll.
- Press: Using your profit from a winning Place Bet to bump up the wager size for the next roll.
- Puck: The double-sided disk showing if the table is waiting for a Point (OFF) or actively chasing one (ON).
R to Z
- Seven Out: Rolling a 7 during the Intermediate Roll. It wipes out active line bets and ends the shooter’s turn.
- Shooter: The person throwing the dice.
- Snake Eyes: Slang for double ones (2).
- True Odds: Payouts that match the exact mathematical probability of the roll, carrying zero house edge.
- Vigorish (Vig): The 5% casino fee taken on Buy and Lay wagers.
- Working: A live bet ready to win or lose on the upcoming throw.
- Yo (Yo-Eleven): The call for an 11. Dealers yell “Yo” so nobody mistakes it for “Seven” across a loud pit.
Author:
Lucas Portela
Owner, BoldGambler • Avanhandava/SP
Oddsmaker, affiliate and content creator in the iGaming industry.