Craps Terms You Need To Know – Craps Glossary

Craps can be intimidating, but understanding craps terminology makes the game much easier. Browse this craps glossary to get the gist, and refer back to it while you’re playing craps.

That way, when you hear someone say “don’t come bet,” you don’t say “Okay :’( ” and sit that one out.

The Most Common Craps Terms for Players

These are the core terms at a craps table. You’ll hear them get tossed around like a salad. Allow us to pour some dressing on the terms to complete the picture.

Come Out Roll

This is the first roll of a new craps round, and it has set rules. If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, pass line bets win instantly. Roll a 2, 3, or 12, and they lose. Any other number becomes the “point,” which the shooter tries to roll again before a 7 is rolled.

Pass Line

This is the most common bet in craps, and the core of most craps betting strategies. You win instantly if the come-out roll lands on 7 or 11, lose on 2, 3, or 12, and move into the next phase if any other number becomes the point.

Don’t Pass Line

The don’t pass line is a bet on the opposite side of the pass line. You win if the come out roll lands on 2 or 3, lose on 7 or 11, and push on 12.

This bet is also called “betting wrong” because you’re betting against the shooter, and thus, the rest of the table. But it’s just a nickname. You’re not wrong for betting on the don’t pass line. In fact, it has some of the highest odds at the table. You would be wrong, however, for tipping your imaginary fedora after every win and saying, “M’losers.” Don’t do that.

Natural

A natural is a winning come-out roll totaling 7 or 11. When the shooter rolls a natural, pass line bets win instantly before a point gets established. It’s one of the happiest sounds at a craps table, usually followed by pterodactyl-like shrieks of joy escaping from a few mouths.

Point

The come-out roll wins on 7 or 11 and loses on 2, 3, or 12. If any other number appears, that number becomes the “point.” Once a point is set, the shooter must roll that number again before rolling a 7. If the point hits first, pass line bets win, and the table erupts. Someone might knock over a drink, but that’s beside the point!

Seven Out

Although it sounds like 1980s slang…seven out, maaaan, seven out is when the shooter rolls a 7 after a point has already been established. That immediately ends the round, pass line bets lose, and the dice move to the next shooter.

Shooter

We’ve mentioned this a few times. Who is this shooter fellow or lady? The shooter is the player rolling the dice during a craps round.

Crap Terms for placing bets

The craps terms below revolve around the wagers you make during the game.

Place Bet

This is by far the most popular bet in craps. A place bet is a wager that a specific number (usually 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) will roll before a 7. You can place the bet at almost any time during the round.

If you’re playing Crapsless Craps, you can also put a place bet on 2, 3, 11, and 12, but that’s not a scenario you’ll find yourself in often.

Big 6/Big 8

Meet the Big 6 and Big 8. When you place a Big 6 or Big 8 bet, you win if a 6 or 8 rolls before a 7. Most players avoid these bets because Place Bets on 6 or 8 usually pay better. Best to steer clear of these, Big Guy.

Buy Bet

With a place bet, your payout does not equal true odds. To avoid this, you can place a Buy Bet. Your payout reflects the true odds of the number, but you pay a 5% commission to high-five the house. You can place buy bets on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, and the bet wins if that number rolls before a 7. But you still can’t buy a Kinder Surprise when you win.

Come Bet

You can only place a come bet after a point has been established. The next roll acts like a mini come-out roll for your bet. You win the same way you would with a pass line bet. 7 or 11 is a winner, and 2, 3, and 12 are losses. Any other number becomes the point.

Don’t Come Bet

A don’t come bet is similar to a don’t pass line bet, except you place it after a point already exists. The next roll acts as a mini come-out roll for your wager. You’re betting that a 7 will appear before the new point number, which makes this another “betting wrong” style wager.

Field Bet

A field bet is a one-roll wager that wins if the shooter rolls a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. You win even money for all numbers except 2 or 12, where you win 2:1. Forget Tinder. That’s how you play the field.

Hardways

Hardways are bets that a pair number—4, 6, 8, or 10—will roll as doubles before either a 7 or an “easy” version of the same total appears. For example, a hard 8 means rolling two 4s, not a 5 and 3, which is the “easy” version. Craps players love these bets almost irrationally. They have very low odds of winning, but they’re undeniably fun.

Lay Bet

A lay bet is a wager that a 7 will roll before a specific number, such as 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. It’s the opposite of a buy bet. Because the odds favor you, the payouts are smaller, and the casino usually charges a commission for the privilege of being the table’s villain.

Talking strategies

Up until now, we’ve seen a craps glossary of different bet types. But you can combine them in different ways for varying results, and that’s the beauty of craps. A few of those combinations are listed below.

Dark Side

To bet on the dark side, you have to dress up like Darth Vader or else the dealer won’t accept your bet. Just kidding. But it is called the Dark Side. It means betting against the shooter with don’t pass, don’t come, and lay bets.

Instead of rooting for long winning streaks, dark side players want a 7 to crash the party before point numbers hit again. It’s one of the most statistically solid craps strategies, even if it occasionally makes the rest of the table glare at you dramatically.

3 Point Molly

The pass line and come bets have the lowest house edge in craps. When you consistently bet on the pass line, and two come bets, and back them each with odds, that strategy is called the 3 Point Molly.

Iron Cross Craps

The Iron Cross combines place bets on 5, 6, and 8 with a field bet that covers 2, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12. The setup covers almost every number except 7, leading to frequent, smaller wins. It’s a fun one that keeps you busy. Although it must be said, it’s not a replacement for the Iron Church, and we can’t guarantee you’ll walk away with abs.

Craps might look chaotic at first glance, but once you learn the terminology, you’ll be a crap star like the rest of them. That’s a good thing—swear. Head to Cafe Casino to put your new craps vocabulary to work. That’s it for now. Seven out!