Craps is resolved on the total of two six sided dice. Every bet on the layout carries a fixed house edge set by that total's probability and the payout offered: 1.36% on Don't Pass, 1.41% on the Pass Line, and 16.67% on Any Seven. The payout table and the edge per bet follow the ruleset below.
The dice and their probabilities
Two dice produce 36 equally likely combinations. Every edge figure in this article is derived from these counts.
| Total | Combinations | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| 2 or 12 | 1 each | 1 in 36 |
| 3 or 11 | 2 each | 1 in 18 |
| 4 or 10 | 3 each | 1 in 12 |
| 5 or 9 | 4 each | 1 in 9 |
| 6 or 8 | 5 each | 5 in 36 |
| 7 | 6 | 1 in 6 |
Ruleset
The come out roll
A round begins with the come out roll. On the Pass Line, 7 or 11 wins at even money and 2, 3 or 12 (craps) loses. Any other total, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, becomes the point.
The point
Once a point is set, the shooter rolls until the point repeats or a 7 appears. Point first wins the Pass Line; 7 first loses it and ends the shooter's turn.
Don't Pass
Don't Pass is the reverse position. On the come out roll, 2 or 3 wins, 7 or 11 loses, and 12 is a push. The 12 push is the "bar" rule; without it the bet would carry a player advantage. Some tables bar the 2 instead of the 12. The edge is identical, since both totals have one combination.
Come and Don't Come
Come and Don't Come follow the Pass and Don't Pass rules exactly but are placed after a point is already established. The next roll acts as that bet's own come out roll. House edges are the same as their line equivalents.
Odds
After a point is set, a line bet may be backed with an Odds bet paid at true odds: 2:1 on 4 and 10, 3:2 on 5 and 9, 6:5 on 6 and 8. The Odds bet carries no house edge. The permitted multiple of the line bet varies by table and is set by the operator.
Payout table and house edge
Last verified: 29 September 2026. Edges are computed from the 36 combination table above, per bet resolved.
| Bet | Standard payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Pass Line / Come | 1:1 | 1.41% |
| Don't Pass / Don't Come (bar 12) | 1:1 | 1.36% |
| Odds | True odds | 0% |
| Place 6 or 8 | 7:6 | 1.52% |
| Place 5 or 9 | 7:5 | 4.00% |
| Place 4 or 10 | 9:5 | 6.67% |
| Field (12 pays 3:1) | 1:1, 2 pays 2:1 | 2.78% |
| Field (12 pays 2:1) | 1:1, 2 pays 2:1 | 5.56% |
| Big 6 or Big 8 | 1:1 | 9.09% |
| Hard 6 or Hard 8 | 9:1 | 9.09% |
| Hard 4 or Hard 10 | 7:1 | 11.11% |
| Any Craps | 7:1 | 11.11% |
| Eleven (Yo) | 15:1 | 11.11% |
| Twelve | 30:1 | 13.89% |
| Any Seven | 4:1 | 16.67% |
Place bets
Structure
A Place bet backs a single number to appear before a 7. It stays in action until it wins or a 7 rolls, and it can normally be removed between rolls. Place bets on 6 and 8 are paid 7:6, which is why they are staked in multiples of six units.
Why 6 and 8 cost less than 4 and 10
The payout shortfall against true odds differs by number. True odds on 6 are 6:5; the table pays 7:6. True odds on 4 are 2:1; the table pays 9:5. The larger gap on 4 and 10 produces the 6.67% edge.
Field
The Field is a one roll bet. It wins on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12 and loses on 5, 6, 7 and 8. Although it wins on seven totals and loses on four, the losing totals account for 20 of the 36 combinations. The payout on 12 is the variable that matters: 3:1 halves the edge relative to 2:1.
Proposition bets
Proposition bets sit in the centre of the layout and are mostly resolved on a single roll. Hardway bets are the exception: Hard 6 wins when 3 and 3 appear before a 7 or any other 6, and remains in action otherwise. Proposition payouts vary between tables more than any other area of the layout, and some tables quote "for 1" payouts, which include the stake and are lower than the equivalent "to 1" figure. A 16 for 1 payout on Eleven equals 15:1.
Regional and table variations
- Bar 2 or bar 12 on Don't Pass: no change to edge.
- Field payout on 12: 3:1 or 2:1, see table.
- Odds multiples: set by table; larger multiples reduce the combined edge per unit wagered but increase the amount at risk.
- Big 6 and Big 8: absent from many layouts. Where present, the Place 6 and Place 8 bets resolve on exactly the same outcomes at 1.52%.
- "For" versus "to" payouts on propositions: confirm which wording a table uses before comparing edges.
Summary
The lowest edge on the layout is the Odds bet at 0%, available only behind a line bet that itself carries 1.36% or 1.41%. The highest is Any Seven at 16.67%. Big 6 and Place 6 win on identical dice outcomes, yet one carries six times the edge of the other purely because of the payout. Every bet listed has a negative expectation, including the lowest edge positions.
Responsible gambling
Online craps in Malta is restricted to players aged 18 and over at operators licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority. Craps offers many one roll bets resolved in seconds, and the fastest, highest edge bets on the layout are the ones that drain a budget quickest. Deposit limits and self exclusion are available from every MGA licensed operator. The Responsible Gaming Foundation helpline is 1777; Appoġġ Supportline is 179.