Craps glossary
The words you will hear at a craps table, explained in plain English. From the come-out roll to boxcars, here is what the dealers and players are actually saying.
- Come-out roll
- The first roll of a new round, made with the point marker OFF. A 7 or 11 wins the Pass Line, a 2, 3, or 12 is craps, and any other number sets the point.
- Point
- The number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) set on the come-out roll. The shooter now tries to roll it again before a 7.
- Seven-out
- Rolling a 7 after a point is set but before hitting the point. It ends the round, clears the line bets, and passes the dice to the next shooter.
- Natural
- A 7 or 11 on the come-out roll. It wins the Pass Line immediately.
- Craps
- A 2, 3, or 12 on the come-out roll. It loses the Pass Line. The 12 is a push for Don’t Pass bettors. See the bet
- Shooter
- The player throwing the dice. Everyone can bet, but only the shooter rolls, and the role passes clockwise after a seven-out.
- Puck
- The ON/OFF marker the dealer uses to show whether a point is set and which number it is.
- Pass Line
- The main bet in craps, made before the come-out roll. It backs the shooter to make the point. See the bet
- Don’t Pass
- The opposite of the Pass Line, betting with the house against the shooter. The come-out 12 pushes. See the bet
- Free odds
- An extra bet placed behind a Pass Line or Come bet after the point is set. It pays true odds with no house edge. See the bet
- Come bet
- A bet that works like the Pass Line but starts on any roll after the point is set. See the bet
- Place bet
- A bet that a chosen number rolls before a 7. Placing the 6 or 8 is the strongest of these. See the bet
- Buy bet
- A place bet that pays true odds for a 5% commission. Worth it mainly on the 4 and 10. See the bet
- Lay bet
- A bet that a 7 rolls before a chosen number, for a commission. The dark-side version of a buy. See the bet
- Field
- A one-roll bet on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. It looks generous but the missing numbers are the common ones. See the bet
- Hardway
- A bet that a 4, 6, 8, or 10 rolls as a matching pair before it rolls any other way or a 7 shows. See the bet
- Easy way
- Making a number with two different dice, like 5-3 for an 8. The opposite of hard, and it loses a hardway bet.
- Any Seven
- A one-roll bet on the 7. It wins most often of any prop and has the worst house edge on the table. See the bet
- Snake eyes
- A roll of 2, the pair of ones. A long-shot one-roll bet that pays 30:1. See the bet
- Boxcars
- A roll of 12, the pair of sixes. Also called midnight. A one-roll bet paying 30:1. See the bet
- Yo
- The 11, called “yo” so it is not confused with seven across a loud table. See the bet
- Horn
- A single bet split across the 2, 3, 11, and 12. See the bet
- Hop bet
- A one-roll bet on an exact dice combination, called to the stickman. See the bet
- C and E
- A bet split between Any Craps and the Eleven, a common come-out toss. See the bet
- Fire Bet
- A bonus bet that pays when one shooter makes several different points in a single hand. See the bet
- Boxman
- The seated casino employee who supervises the table, watches the money, and settles disputes.
- Stickman
- The dealer who pushes the dice with a stick, calls the rolls, and books the center prop bets.
- Toke
- A tip for the dealers, often made as a bet placed on their behalf.
- Press
- To increase a bet, usually by adding the winnings from the last hit to the amount already down.
- Wrong bettor
- A player who bets the Don’t Pass and Don’t Come, siding with the 7 against the shooter. Casino slang, not a judgment.