The shooter, or anyone wishing to bet that the shooter will win, places his bet "on the line" (in the area marked "Does Pass," "Line," or "Win" on various layouts) Anyone betting against the shooter places his bet in the area marked "Don't Pass." Anyone wishing to bet on a special contingency, such as that craps (2, 3, or 12) will or will not be thrown on the next roll, places his bet in the appropriate space on the layout; such bets are called proposition bets. The house maintains a mathematical advantage on all bets of about 1.4 percent, higher on certain layouts and special bets.

Craps can be an intimidating game for the beginner. The table seems to have about a hundred different kinds of bets. Critical to the understanding of craps is that it is a game of rounds. The first roll in a round is called the come out roll. Sometimes the outcome of a round will be determined on the come out roll. In particular a 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12 on the come out roll immediately ends a round. If any other total is rolled (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) that number is called the point. The dealer will place a white puck on an area of the table to designate what the point is, in case you forget. If a point is rolled the dice will be rolled continuously until the same point is rolled again or a 7.

Don't Pass Line Bet - The reverse of the Pass Line bet. You are betting that the first role of the dice will not add up to 7 or 11. A 2 or 3 wins. A 12 causes a "Push" or "Standoff" where no one wins. If a "Point" is established, you are betting that the shooter will not "Make" or role his or her "Point" again before rolling a 7. Come Bets - This bet is made after the "Point" has been established and is exactly like the "Pass Line" bet. You win if the "Shooter" roles a "Natural" 7 or 11 and lose on 2, 3, or 11, called "Craps." You place your wager in the area marked "Come" on the craps table. Your wager remains here unless a "Point" number is rolled. The dealer then moves your wager to the number that was rolled on the table. This same number must be rolled again before a 7 comes for you to win.