Online Craps 101: Rules, Bets, Odds and Tips

Online craps is a dice game where every bet is settled by the total of two six-sided dice, and the smartest way to play is simple: stick to the pass line (or don’t pass), back it with free odds, and skip the long-shot proposition bets. Those core bets carry a house edge of about 1.4%, while some centre-table bets cost you more than 16% per wager, according to the house-edge tables published by Wizard of Odds.

This guide explains the rules from the first roll, lists each common bet with its payout and house edge, shows how an online craps table differs from a casino floor, and tests the betting systems players still swap on forums. If you play with crypto, a short section covers bet sizing in coin units, because volatility adds a second layer of risk on top of the dice. For the wider game hub, see our online craps page.

How a round of craps works

Craps runs in rounds. A round starts with the come-out roll, and its result decides whether the round ends at once or a point is set. Online, you never throw anything yourself: a random number generator (RNG) produces the two dice in a software game, while live-dealer versions stream physical dice from a studio.

1. Come-out roll. A total of 7 or 11 wins for pass line bets. A total of 2, 3 or 12 (called “craps”) loses for pass line bets.
2. Point is set. Any other total (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) becomes the point. A marker, often shown as an “ON” puck, sits on that number.
3. Point phase. The dice keep rolling. If the point repeats before a 7, pass line bets win. Should a 7 arrive first (“seven-out”), pass line bets lose and the round ends.
4. New round. After a pass line win or a seven-out, a fresh come-out roll begins.

Every other bet on the layout sits on top of this cycle. Some only resolve on a single roll, others stay working until the point or a 7 appears.

The maths behind two dice

Two dice give 36 equally likely combinations. That small number is why craps is easy to analyse and why its house edges are known exactly rather than estimated.

Seven is the most common total, with six ways out of 36. On the come-out roll it helps the pass line; once a point is set, it becomes the number that ends the round. Comparing the ways to roll a point against the six ways to roll a 7 gives the true odds for the point phase: 2 to 1 for a 4 or 10, 3 to 2 for a 5 or 9, and 6 to 5 for a 6 or 8.

Put together, a pass line bet wins about 49.29% of the time. That small gap below 50% is the entire house edge on the game’s main bet.

Online craps bets and rules

Layouts look busy, but only a handful of bets matter for a player who wants to keep the house edge low. The table below lists the bets you will see on most online tables, with the standard payouts and the house edge per bet resolved, taken from the Wizard of Odds craps tables. Check the paytable or help screen of the game you open: payouts on the field and proposition bets vary between versions, and a lower payout raises the edge.

Pass line and don’t pass

Pass line is the bet most players start with: you are betting with the shooter. Don’t pass is its mirror image, betting that the shooter fails. Its edge is a touch lower (1.36% against 1.41%) because a 12 on the come-out roll is a push instead of a win for don’t pass. Some players avoid don’t pass because it means cheering for a seven-out at a live table; online, that social pressure disappears and the choice is purely mathematical.

Come and don’t come

Come bets work like a pass line bet placed after the point is already set. The next roll acts as that bet’s own come-out roll. They let you have several numbers working at once while keeping the low edge of the line bets, which is why systems like the “three-point Molly” use them.

Free odds: the only bet with no house edge

Once a point is established, you can add an odds bet behind your pass or come bet. It pays at true odds, so the casino has no advantage on that portion of your money. Your combined edge falls as the odds bet grows: with the common “3-4-5x” limit (three times the line bet on 4 and 10, four times on 5 and 9, five times on 6 and 8), Wizard of Odds puts the combined house edge on pass plus odds at about 0.37%.

Odds limits differ a lot between online games. Many software tables allow less than 3-4-5x, and a few do not offer an odds bet at all, which removes the best value on the layout. Open the rules page before you play.

Place bets

A place bet lets you pick a number without waiting for a come-out roll. Place 6 and 8 are the only ones close to the line bets at 1.52%. Placing the 4 or 10 costs 6.67%, more than four times as much. Buy bets, where you pay a commission to get true odds, can cut that cost on 4 and 10 when the commission is charged only on wins, but many online versions do not offer them.

Field, hardways and proposition bets

Centre-table bets pay big numbers, which is exactly how they hide their cost. Any seven pays 4:1 on an event with true odds of 5 to 1, giving the house 16.67%. Hardways and the horn-style single-roll bets sit between 9% and 14%. These bets can be fun in small doses, but treat them as entertainment spending, not as a way to “hedge” a line bet.

Big 6 and Big 8 deserve a special warning. They win on the same event as a place 6 or 8 but pay even money instead of 7:6, so the edge jumps from 1.52% to 9.09% for no reason other than a worse payout.

Online craps versus a casino table

Rules are identical, but the experience is not. Here is what changes when you move from a casino floor to a screen.

• Speed. Software craps can resolve a roll in a couple of seconds. More rolls per hour means your expected loss per hour rises, even when the house edge per bet stays the same.
• Limits. Minimum bets online are usually far lower than at a land table, which suits small bankrolls, but maximum odds multiples are often lower too.
• Bet availability. RNG versions sometimes drop buy, lay or put bets, or change field and proposition payouts. Live-dealer craps tends to follow land rules more closely.
• No etiquette. You never handle dice, tip a dealer or worry about other players’ superstitions.
• Randomness. In an RNG game the dice are produced by software, so “dice control” claims cannot apply. At a regulated casino, the RNG should be tested by an independent lab; on crypto sites, look for test certificates or provably fair verification where the game supports it. Our provably fair guide explains how that check works.

Some crypto casinos label a simple over/under game as “dice”. That is a different game with its own maths; our crypto dice guide covers it.

Online craps betting systems, tested

No betting system changes the house edge. Each roll is independent of the last one, so a pattern of bets can shift when you win or lose, but not the average cost of each bet. Here is how the most common systems behave.

Martingale

You double the stake after every loss on an even-money bet such as pass or don’t pass, hoping one win recovers everything. In practice, a run of losses quickly reaches the table maximum or your bankroll. Starting at 0.0001 BTC, eight straight losses would require a ninth bet of 0.0256 BTC, after 0.0255 BTC already lost. Losing streaks of that length do happen over a long session.

Three-point Molly

Here you make a pass line bet, then up to two come bets, each backed with full odds, so three numbers are working at once. This is one of the more reasonable approaches because nearly all the money sits on low-edge or zero-edge bets. The trade-off is higher variance: a seven-out can take three line bets and their odds in one roll.

Iron Cross

A field bet combined with place bets on 5, 6 and 8 means every total except 7 pays something. That sounds attractive, but the field and place 5 carry high edges, and a 7 wipes out all four bets at once. The overall cost per roll is far higher than a pass line bet with odds.

Paroli and other progressive systems

Positive progressions raise bets after wins. They limit losses during cold streaks, which helps with discipline, yet they do not create an advantage. Use them as a budgeting tool, if at all.

Practical tips for playing craps online

1. Start on the line. Pass or don’t pass plus odds is the lowest-cost way to play.
2. Take odds when the game allows them. Keep part of your bankroll free for odds rather than spreading it across centre bets.
3. Place only the 6 and 8 if you want more action between line bets.
4. Read the help screen. Check field payouts, odds limits and whether the game is RNG or live.
5. Slow the game down. Turn off auto-roll and quick-spin features if the table has them, because faster play means faster losses.
6. Use demo mode first. Many software craps games have a free-play mode. Learn the layout before risking money.
7. Set a session budget. Decide your loss limit before the first roll, and stop when you reach it. Our bankroll management tips show how to size a session.
8. Check bonus rules. Table games often contribute little or nothing to bonus wagering, and some casinos ban craps entirely while a bonus is active. Our checklist on what to look for in casino terms and conditions shows where to find those clauses.

Playing craps with crypto

At crypto casinos, stakes are often shown in coin units or converted from a fiat display currency. Two practical points follow. First, a balance in BTC or ETH can rise or fall in fiat value while you play, independent of your results at the table. Second, small decimal stakes are easy to misread: 0.001 BTC is ten times 0.0001 BTC, and a slip of one zero changes your risk tenfold.

A worked example: suppose your session budget is 0.005 BTC and you plan 50 line bets. A 0.0001 BTC pass line bet with 1x odds risks up to 0.0002 BTC per round. With a combined edge near 0.85% at 1x odds (Wizard of Odds), the expected cost over 50 such rounds is roughly 50 × 0.0002 × 0.0085, or about 0.000085 BTC. Short sessions swing far more than that average, so the budget, not the expected loss, is what protects you. Stablecoins such as USDT remove the coin-price swing, though they carry issuer risk of their own.

For other table games and how their edges compare, browse our table games hub or the roulette house edge guide.

Responsible play

Craps is fast, social and easy to over-play online. Set deposit and loss limits in your casino account, take breaks, and never chase losses with bigger bets. Gambling is entertainment with a cost, not a way to earn money. If it stops being fun, use the casino’s self-exclusion tools and contact a support group such as Gamblers Anonymous. More help and links are on our responsible gambling page.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best bet in online craps?

Pass line or don’t pass backed by free odds. The line bets carry a house edge of about 1.41% and 1.36%, and the odds bet has no house edge, so adding odds lowers the combined cost. Place 6 and 8 at 1.52% are the next best option.

How do you win at craps?

On the come-out roll, a pass line bet wins on 7 or 11 and loses on 2, 3 or 12. Any other total becomes the point, and the pass line then wins if the point is rolled again before a 7. No strategy removes the house edge, so wins in the long run come down to variance.

Is online craps rigged?

Software craps uses a random number generator. At a properly licensed casino the RNG should be tested by an independent lab, and some crypto games add provably fair checks. Play only at casinos whose licence you can verify on the regulator’s site, and avoid games without published rules.

Does the Martingale system work in craps?

No. Doubling after losses does not change the house edge, and a losing streak quickly hits the table maximum or your bankroll. Eight straight losses from a 0.0001 BTC start would require a ninth bet of 0.0256 BTC.

What bets should you avoid in craps?

Proposition bets such as any seven (16.67% house edge), 2 or 12 (13.89%), any craps and the yo (11.11%), plus Big 6 and Big 8 (9.09%). They pay large multiples but cost far more per bet than the line bets.

Can you play craps with Bitcoin?

Yes, at crypto casinos that carry RNG or live craps tables. Keep in mind that your balance can change in fiat value while you play, and double-check decimal stakes, because one extra zero changes your bet size tenfold.

What is the best craps strategy for beginners?

Keep it simple: bet the pass line (1.41% house edge) or don’t pass (1.36%), add free odds once a point is set, because the odds bet itself carries no house edge, and leave the proposition bets alone. Bet a small fixed unit and decide your session budget in mBTC before the first roll.