Updated Fact-checked 12 min read
Dean Calloway
Senior Craps Editor 12+ yrs
- Published
- Updated
- Fact-checked
Key craps terms and definitions
Whether you're just starting out or consider yourself an experienced shooter, this glossary breaks down the key terms that shape the craps experience — from the come-out roll to free odds and the calls of the stickman. A concise but comprehensive reference. Ready to expand your knowledge? Dive in.
A-Z dictionary · 40+ terms40+ termsBeginner-friendlyA-Z indexed
This section breaks down the language of craps — from the come-out roll to free odds and table calls — into clear, beginner-friendly definitions. Use the A-Z index below to jump to any letter, or scroll through the full list.
Craps terminology
Every common term defined. Click any letter in the index to jump there.
B
- Bankroll
- The total amount of money a player has set aside for craps. Bankroll management is the practice of allocating these funds wisely across a session, keeping each Pass Line or Come bet a small fraction of the whole so you can survive a cold table.
- Base dealer
- One of the two dealers stationed at either end of the table who handle players' chips, pay winning bets, and place Come, Place and odds bets on the layout. There are two base dealers per table, flanking the boxman.
- Big 6 / Big 8
- A self-service bet that 6 (or 8) rolls before a 7, paying even money. It carries a steep 9.09% house edge — always use a Place 6 or Place 8 instead, which pays 7:6 for the same wager.
- Boxcars
- Slang for a roll of 12 (two sixes). A one-roll proposition that pays 30:1 but carries a house edge near 13.9% — a sucker bet despite the payout.
- Boxman
- The seated casino employee who supervises the table, guards the chip bank, settles disputes, and oversees the two base dealers and the stickman. The senior member of the crew.
- Buy bet
- Paying a commission (vig) to be paid at true odds on a number instead of the lower Place payout. Worth it on the 4 and 10, where a 5% vig undercuts the 6.67% Place edge — especially if the casino charges the vig only on a win.
C
- Come bet
- A bet identical to the Pass Line but made after the point is established. The next roll becomes its own come-out: 7 or 11 wins, 2/3/12 loses, any other number becomes the Come point. House edge 1.41%, and you can back it with free odds.
- Come-out roll
- The first roll of a new round, made when the puck is OFF. A 7 or 11 wins the Pass Line, a 2, 3 or 12 (craps) loses it, and 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 establishes the point.
- Craps
- On the come-out, a roll of 2, 3 or 12 — all of which lose the Pass Line. Also the name of the game itself. The numbers 2, 3 and 12 are collectively the 'craps numbers'.
- Crew
- The team of casino staff running a live table: the boxman, two base dealers, and the stickman. Each rotates positions through a shift.
D
- Don't Come
- The mirror of the Come bet, made after the point is set. It wins on a 7 (and the come-out 2 or 3), bars the 12, and loses on 11; once a Don't Come point is set you can lay odds against it. House edge 1.36%.
- Don't Pass
- The Pass Line's opposite, betting with the house against the shooter. On the come-out it wins on 2 or 3, bars 12 (a push), loses on 7 or 11; after the point it wins if a 7 comes before the point repeats. House edge 1.36%.
F
- Field bet
- A one-roll bet that the next number is 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12. Typically 2 pays 2:1 and 12 pays 3:1, with the rest even money. House edge about 2.78% — playable but not a core bet.
- Free odds
- An additional wager placed behind a Pass, Don't Pass, Come or Don't Come bet once a point is set. It pays true odds with a 0% house edge — the best bet on the table. Pass odds pay 2:1 on 4/10, 3:2 on 5/9, 6:5 on 6/8.
H
- Hardway
- A bet that 4, 6, 8 or 10 rolls as a pair (e.g. 3-3 for a hard 6) before it rolls 'easy' or before a 7 appears. Pays 7:1 or 9:1 but carries a 9-11% house edge — a proposition bet to avoid.
- Hop bet
- A one-roll bet on a specific dice combination on the very next throw, e.g. 'hopping the 5-2'. Call bets with high house edges (about 11% on a two-way, 13.9% on a hard hop) — pure entertainment money.
- Horn bet
- A one-roll bet split equally across the 2, 3, 11 and 12. It wins if any of those four rolls, paid at that number's rate minus the losing portions. A high-edge proposition combining the craps numbers and the yo.
- House edge
- The casino's long-run statistical advantage on a bet, expressed as a percentage of each wager. In craps it ranges from 0% on free odds and 1.36% on Don't Pass up to 16.7% on Any 7. Bet selection is the only lever you control.
L
- Lay bet
- Betting that a 7 rolls before a chosen number (the opposite of a Place bet), paying true odds minus a commission. The Don't side's counterpart to buying a number — laying the 4 or 10 is the sharpest of these.
M
- Midnight
- Table slang for a one-roll bet on 12 (two sixes), often called out together with 'yo' on the come-out. Same wager as boxcars, paid 30:1 with a heavy house edge.
N
- Natural
- A come-out roll of 7 or 11, which immediately wins the Pass Line. The opposite of rolling craps on the come-out.
O
- Off
- A bet that is not active for the next roll — Place bets, for example, are automatically OFF on the come-out unless the player calls them 'working'. The puck shows its black OFF side before a point is established.
P
- Pass Line
- The fundamental craps bet, made before the come-out. It wins on a come-out 7 or 11, loses on 2/3/12, and otherwise wins if the point repeats before a 7. House edge 1.41%, dropping toward 0% as you add free odds.
- Place bet
- Betting that a specific box number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) rolls before a 7, without an established point of your own. Place 6 and 8 are the value plays at 1.52% (pay 7:6); 5/9 are 4.0% and 4/10 are 6.67%.
- Point
- The number established on the come-out (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10). The puck flips ON to mark it. The shooter then tries to roll the point again before a 7 to win the Pass Line.
- Press
- To increase an existing bet, usually by adding the winnings from a paid Place or Come bet on top of the original. 'Press the 8' tells the dealer to roll your payout back into a larger wager.
- Proposition bets
- The one-roll and hardway wagers in the center of the layout, controlled by the stickman — Any 7, Any Craps, the horn, hops and hardways. All carry high house edges (9-16.7%) and should be avoided.
- Puck
- The ON/OFF marker disc the dealer uses to show the table state. Black 'OFF' side up means the come-out phase; flipped to the white 'ON' side and placed on a number, it marks the point.
R
- Right bettor
- A player betting with the shooter — the Pass Line and Come side — hoping the point repeats before a 7. The opposite of a wrong bettor (Don't side).
S
- Seven-out
- Rolling a 7 during the point phase before the point repeats. It ends the round, loses Pass Line and Come bets, wins the Don't side, and passes the dice to the next shooter.
- Shooter
- The player currently rolling the dice. The shooter must have a Pass or Don't Pass bet down and keeps the dice until they seven-out, after which the dice rotate clockwise to the next player.
- Snake eyes
- Slang for a roll of 2 (two ones). On the come-out it is craps and loses the Pass Line; as a one-roll proposition it pays 30:1 with a roughly 13.9% house edge.
- Stickman
- The crew member who controls the dice with a long hooked stick, pushes them to the shooter, calls each roll, and books the center proposition bets. The voice of the table.
T
- Toke
- A tip for the crew, often made as a bet placed on their behalf — e.g. 'a dollar yo for the dealers'. Tokes are part of table etiquette and can earn you sharper service.
- True odds
- The real probability-based payout of a bet, with no house margin. Free odds pay at true odds (e.g. 2:1 on a 4 or 10); the gap between true odds and the casino's actual payout is where the house edge lives.
V
- Vig (vigorish)
- The commission charged on buy and lay bets, typically 5% of the wager, in exchange for true-odds payouts. Some casinos take the vig only on winning bets, which sharply lowers the effective edge.
W
- Working
- A bet that is live and counts on the next roll. Place and odds bets that would normally be OFF on the come-out can be turned on by telling the dealer 'my bets are working'.
- Wrong bettor
- A player betting against the shooter — the Don't Pass and Don't Come side — hoping a 7 arrives before the point. The Don't side carries the lowest house edge in the game (1.36%).
Y
- Yo (Yo-leven)
- Table slang for 11, called 'yo' to avoid confusion with 'seven'. On the come-out a yo wins the Pass Line; as a one-roll proposition bet it pays 15:1 with an 11.1% house edge.