What “shooting craps” means
At a casino craps table, the shooter is the player rolling the dice for the table. You do not have to be the shooter to play craps, but if the dice come to you and you want to roll, you become the shooter for that round sequence.
Craps is a dice game built around the pass line and the come-out roll. Two six-sided dice produce 36 equally likely combinations, and different bets on the same table carry materially different house edges. That matters because “how to shoot” is partly about procedure and partly about understanding which wagers do what.
If you are brand new, the easiest way to approach the game is this: learn the object of the pass line game first, then learn what changes after a point is established, then add any extra bets only if you understand how they settle.
The object of the game
The basic pass line game has 2 stages. First comes the come-out roll. If that roll is a natural, pass line bets win immediately. If it is craps, pass line bets lose immediately. If it lands on a point number, that number becomes the point.
Once a point is established, the shooter keeps rolling until either the point repeats or a 7 appears. If the point repeats first, the pass line wins. If 7 appears first, the pass line loses and that shooter’s hand ends.
That simple cycle is the core of the table. Nearly every other common bet either follows that cycle, bets against it, or attaches extra money to it.
How a round works from buy-in to settlement
When you arrive at the table, do not place cash directly onto the felt in front of you as if it were a bet. Wait for a break in the action, place the cash on the layout where the staff can see it, and the dealer exchanges it for chips. Keep your chips stacked in your rail, which is the chip tray area in front of your spot.
If you want to shoot, the dice move clockwise around the table among players who are eligible to roll. When they reach you, you can accept them or decline. If you accept, you place a pass line or don’t pass bet before the next come-out roll, depending on which side you want to be on.
The shooter then selects the 2 dice, throws them so they travel to the far wall, and the table resolves the roll. On a come-out roll, one of 3 things happens: the pass line wins, the pass line loses, or a point is established. If a point is established, a marker is placed on that number.
After that, rolls continue until the point is made or 7 appears. During this stage, other bets may win and lose on individual rolls, but the main pass line cycle stays in place until one of those 2 outcomes ends it. When the shooter sevens out, the dice pass to the next eligible player.
Settlement is immediate after each roll. Winning bets are paid, losing bets are collected, and bets that stay working remain on the table unless you ask to take down a removable bet. Not every bet can be removed at every moment, so if you are unsure, ask the dealer before the next roll.
The main decisions you make
Your first decision is which core bet to start with. Most beginners start with the pass line because it is the standard entry point and matches the basic flow of the game. Some players use don’t pass instead, which bets against the shooter making the point.
Your next decision comes after a point is set. At that moment, many players add an odds bet behind a pass line or don’t pass bet if the table allows it. This is not a separate prediction about a different outcome; it is an additional wager tied to your original line bet under the table’s posted rules.
You may also choose whether to add side action such as come, don’t come, place, field, hardways, or proposition bets. Procedurally, you can play a whole session without touching any of those. Learning the pass line cycle first is usually the cleanest way to avoid confusion.
One more practical point: published strategy charts and house-edge comparisons for craps depend on the exact bet and the exact table rules in use. If a table offers odds, limits, or side bets with specific conditions, read the layout and ask the dealer how that table treats them before you put chips down.
Main craps bets and how they differ
| Bet | What you are betting on | When it is placed | How it settles | House-edge note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pass line | The shooter wins the basic cycle | Before the come-out roll | Wins on a natural on the come-out; loses on craps; if a point is set, wins if the point repeats before 7 | Lower edge than many one-roll and proposition bets, but still a house-edge bet |
| Don’t pass | The shooter fails to make the point | Before the come-out roll | Opposite side of the main cycle after the come-out stage, under the table’s stated rules | Often among the lower-edge core choices, depending on rules |
| Odds behind pass or don’t pass | An added wager tied to the line bet after a point is set | Only after a point is established | Settles with the linked line bet when the point is made or 7 appears | Changes the combined expected rate of loss of the overall package compared with the line bet alone |
| Come | A new pass-line-style cycle starting from the next roll | After a point is established | The next roll acts like its own come-out roll for that bet; then it moves to a number if needed | Generally closer to the core game than high-edge novelty bets |
| Don’t come | A new don’t-pass-style cycle starting from the next roll | After a point is established | The next roll starts its own cycle for that bet | Typically lower edge than many side bets, depending on rules |
| Place bets | A chosen number appearing before 7 | Usually after a point is established | Paid if that number rolls before 7; loses on 7 | Edge varies by number and payout rule |
| Field | A one-roll result landing in the field | Before a single roll | Wins or loses on that next roll only | Usually higher edge than the core line game |
| Hardways and proposition bets | Specific dice combinations or one-roll outcomes | Any time the table accepts them | Some stay up until resolved; some are one-roll bets | Commonly among the higher-edge choices on the table |
The practical takeaway is not that one bet “wins more.” It is that some bets lose more slowly in expectation than others. No betting pattern changes the built-in edge of a negative-expectation game, and progression systems redistribute outcomes rather than remove the edge.
How to shoot the dice properly
Once you are the shooter, the mechanical part is straightforward. Take the 2 dice offered by the stickperson, set them in your hand, and make one throw down the table so both dice hit the far wall. That back wall is there to keep the roll random enough for table procedure.
Do not slide the dice, drop them short on purpose, or toss them so softly that they fail to reach the wall. If that happens, staff may call no roll or ask you to throw again. The exact tolerance can vary by table crew, but the basic expectation is the same: a clean throw that reaches the far wall.
As the shooter, you are not making strategic decisions with the way you throw. The outcome is determined by the dice result. Your job is to make a valid roll and understand what the table is waiting to resolve.
A simple beginner path through one hand
Suppose you buy in, take chips, and wait for a fresh come-out roll. You place a pass line bet. If the first roll wins or loses it immediately, that round ends for your line bet right there. If instead a point is established, the point marker moves to that number.
At that stage, you can either leave your pass line bet alone or add odds if the table offers them and you want that structure. Then the shooter keeps rolling. If the point repeats before 7, the pass line wins. If 7 appears first, the pass line loses and the shooter’s hand ends.
That is enough to play correctly at a live table. Everything else in craps is optional complexity layered on top of that sequence.
Procedural mistakes new players make
The most common mistake is putting chips down late, while the dice are already out or the crew is calling the game live. Craps has a strict rhythm. Wait until the staff is ready for bets. If you are unsure whether betting is open, pause and ask.
Another frequent error is confusing a line bet with a place bet. They may both involve a number eventually appearing before 7, but they are not the same wager and they do not pay or behave the same way. If you say only “I want the 6,” the dealer may need to clarify what you mean.
The third mistake is touching bets after the roll has started or reaching into the layout when the dice are in motion. Keep your hands back once the throw begins. Dealers need a clear table to track action and settle correctly.
A softer but still costly mistake is wandering straight into proposition bets without understanding them. Many of the flashier centre-table wagers resolve quickly and carry higher house edges than the basic line game. They can be entertaining, but they are not the easiest place to learn the table.
How to read the table before you play
Take a moment to read the layout, watch one or two rolls, and listen to the dealer calls. Craps feels fast until you can map the words to the table. Once you see where the pass line sits, where the point is marked, and where centre-table bets live, the game becomes much easier to follow.
If you want the most useful questions to ask, keep them procedural: “Is betting open?” “Can I put odds behind this?” “Is this a place bet or a come bet?” Those questions help you get the mechanics right without holding up the game.
Craps has a reputation for noise and complexity, but the basic structure is narrow. Learn the pass line cycle, know when a point exists, understand that different bets have different house edges, and make sure every wager you place is one you can describe before the dice move.
FAQ
Do you have to be the shooter to play craps at a casino?
No. You can stand at the table and bet on the outcome of the shooter’s rolls without ever handling the dice. Shooting just means you are the player making the throw for that hand.
If the dice come to you and you do not want to roll, you can usually decline and let them move on to the next eligible player.
What is the easiest bet for a beginner in casino craps?
For learning the procedure, the pass line is the simplest starting point because it follows the main structure of the game from the come-out roll through the point cycle. It teaches you how the table breathes.
After that, if the table offers odds and you understand how they attach to the line bet, you can decide whether to add them under that table’s posted rules.
Are all craps bets the same in terms of house edge?
No. Different bet types on the same table can have materially different house edges. Core bets such as pass line, don’t pass, come, and don’t come are structurally different from field, hardways, and proposition bets.
That does not mean any bet overcomes the edge. It means your bet selection changes the expected rate of loss, so it is worth knowing what each wager actually does before you place it.
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This article is general information about how these mechanics work. It is not legal advice and not a recommendation to gamble or to use any particular operator. Availability and legality differ by jurisdiction — check the rules that apply where you are.