The craps table layout is symmetrical, with two matching betting areas on the left and right and a shared proposition box in the middle. The main bets (Pass Line, Don’t Pass, Come, Field, and the place numbers) sit in the two end sections. The center holds the high-paying one-roll bets that the stickman controls.
That symmetry is the first thing to understand. A craps table looks crowded because it fits two full betting layouts on one felt, one for each end, so a big crowd can all reach their bets. Learn one half and you’ve learned both. Here’s every area, walking from the rail inward.
The two identical ends
Picture the table split down the middle. Each end has its own Pass Line, Don’t Pass, Come box, Field, and set of place numbers. They’re mirror images. Wherever you stand, you use the section in front of you. The dealer on your side handles your bets.
This is why the layout feels overwhelming and then suddenly doesn’t. You only ever work with half the felt.
Pass Line
The long strip running along the outer edge, closest to where you stand. It’s usually the boldest line on the table. You bet here before the come-out roll. Wins on 7 or 11, loses on 2, 3, or 12, otherwise sets the point. House edge 1.41%. Most players put a chip here to start, and it’s the bet you make yourself rather than handing to a dealer.
Don’t Pass
A thinner bar just inside the Pass Line, often marked “Don’t Pass Bar 12.” This is the reverse bet: you win when the Pass Line loses, with the come-out 12 pushing. Edge 1.36%. It sits right next to the Pass Line because they’re opposites, and putting them side by side makes the mirror obvious.
The odds area
There’s no printed box for odds. You place an odds bet directly behind your Pass Line chip, in the unmarked space just outside the Pass Line. Behind Don’t Pass you lay odds in the matching spot. The lack of a label is exactly why so many players miss the best bet on the table. Odds pay true odds with a house edge of 0%.
The Come box
A large open box in the center of each end, usually just marked COME. You bet here only after a point is set. It works like a Pass Line bet that starts on the next roll. Edge 1.41%. When your Come bet moves to a number, the dealer slides your chip up to that box number for you.
Don’t Come box
A smaller box tucked in the upper corner of each end, marked DON’T COME BAR. Same reverse logic as Don’t Pass, applied to Come bets. Edge 1.36%. It’s small and off to the side because fewer players use it.
The place numbers
Across the top of each end sit the boxes numbered 4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, and 10 (the 6 and 9 are spelled out so nobody confuses them across the table). These are where the dealer positions your Place bets, Come points, and odds.
Place 6 or 8 has an edge of 1.52%, place 5 or 9 sits at 4.00%, and place 4 or 10 at 6.67%. You don’t reach up to these boxes yourself. You hand chips to the dealer and say what you want. The dealer also stacks your chips in a spot within each box that quietly marks whose money it is, based on your position at the rail.
The Field
A wide band inside the Come box, listing 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12. A one-roll bet you place yourself. It wins on any of those numbers on the next throw and loses on 5, 6, 7, or 8. The 2 and 12 usually pay extra. It looks like a bargain because it covers seven numbers, but the losing numbers roll more often. Edge 5.56%.
Big 6 and Big 8
A corner box marked with a large 6 and 8. A bet that the number rolls before a 7, at even money. It pays worse than simply placing the 6 or 8, so most dealers will steer you to the place bet instead. Edge 9.09%. Some newer tables have dropped this box entirely.
The center: the proposition box
The middle of the table belongs to the stickman. This crowded box holds the flashy bets, and the diagrams of dice show you what each one pays.
Hardways. The 4, 6, 8, and 10 shown as pairs (2-2, 3-3, and so on). You bet the number rolls as a pair before it rolls any other way or a 7 appears. Edge 9.09% to 11.11%.
Any Seven. One roll, wins on a 7. High payout, brutal edge of 16.67%.
Any Craps. One roll, wins on 2, 3, or 12. Edge 11.11%.
The single-number props. Snake eyes (2) at 13.89%, boxcars (12) at 13.89%, and the Yo (11) at 11.11%.
Horn and C and E. The Horn splits a bet across 2, 3, 11, and 12, with an edge of 12.50%. C and E covers Any Craps and the Eleven, edge 11.11%. Hop bets, single-roll wagers on an exact combination, run 11.11%.
You never place center bets yourself. You toss chips toward the middle and call out the bet, and the stickman positions it and books it.
Who does what
Four people run a live table, positioned around that layout.
Boxman. Seated at the center, opposite the stickman. Guards the chip bank, supervises, and settles any dispute.
Two base dealers. One at each end, standing where the players are. They take your buy-in, pay winners, and place your Place bets and odds in the boxes you can’t easily reach.
Stickman. Stands at the middle of the player side, pushes the dice to the shooter with a curved stick, calls out every roll, and manages the whole proposition box.
In the free game here, the felt is the same but the crew is automated. You click your bets and the round resolves, which makes the layout easy to explore without a dealer waiting on you or a crowd leaning over your shoulder.
Frequently asked questions
Why are the 6 and 9 spelled out on a craps table?
The 6 and 9 are written as SIX and NINE in the place-number boxes so players standing on opposite sides of the table can’t misread them. A “6” seen upside down looks like a “9.” Spelling them out removes any confusion about which number a bet is on.
Where do I put an odds bet on the table?
Odds go in the unmarked space directly behind your Pass Line bet, just outside the Pass Line strip. There’s no printed box for it. Behind a Come bet, the dealer places your odds slightly off-center in the number box. The missing label is why many players never discover this low-edge bet.
What is the box in the middle of the craps table?
That’s the proposition box, controlled by the stickman. It holds the one-roll and hardway bets: Any Seven, Any Craps, the hardways, and single-number props like snake eyes and boxcars. These pay the biggest and carry the highest house edges on the table, some above 16.67%.
Do I place my own bets in craps?
You place the Pass Line, Don’t Pass, Come, Don’t Come, and Field bets yourself, since they’re within reach. For Place bets, odds on the numbers, and any center proposition bet, you hand or toss chips and tell the dealer or stickman what you want. They position the bet for you.
Why are there two identical sides on a craps table?
The layout mirrors itself so a crowd standing all around the table can each reach a full set of bets. Each end has its own Pass Line, Come box, Field, and place numbers. You only ever use the section in front of you, which is why the busy-looking table is simpler than it appears.