Many people consider Craps to be a confusing game for beginners because there are so many ways to bet. It is not, so long as you understand that Craps is a game of rounds. The first time you roll in a round, it is called the Come Out roll. Sometimes the outcome of a round will be determined on the Come Out roll. If you roll a 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12, you immediately end a round. If you roll any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) that is called the Point .

Everyone at the Craps table will throw (shoot) the dice in their turn. You can bet on the thrower if you choose not to throw the dice yourself. At the table you can make several kinds of bet.

As you throw the dice across the Craps table layout, they fall into one of three areas: there are two side areas and a center area. Each side is the mirror image of the other and contains the following: Come and Don't Come bets, Pass and Don't Pass line bets, Odds bet, Place bets and Field bets. The center area is shared by both side areas and contains the Proposition bets .

Winning/losing plays

Pass Bets - you win when the dice show 7 or 11 and lose when they show 2, 3, or 12.

Don't Bets - you win when the dice show 2 or 3 and lose when they show 7 or 11.

Don't Bets - you tie when the dice shows 12 (in some casinos it is 2 � see the 'Bar' roll on the layout to indicate when a roll is treated as a tie).

Craps - bet types

Pass Line Bet - If your first roll is a 7 or 11 (a natural), you win. If it comes up 2, 3 or 12 it is Craps and you lose.

Odds on Pass Line Bet - Once you roll a point you can place another bet by taking odds. Each point has different payoffs.

Come Bet - The same rules apply here as for the Pass Line bet. What changes is that you can make this bet when the point on the pass line has been fixed.

Odds on Come Bet - Just like Odds on Pass Line bet � but you take the odds on the Come Bet, not on the Pass Line bet.

Don't Pass Line Bet - This is the Pass Line bet in reverse. You lose on a natural roll (7, 11) and win if it is 2 or 3.

Don't Come Bet - The reversed Come Bet in reverse: when the come point is fixed you win on 2 or 3 and lose on 7 or 11.

Place Bets - You can place this bet only after determining the Point. Bet on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10. This bet can be cancelled at any time.

Field Bets - Make these bets only on a single dice roll. Winning numbers are 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12. Losing numbers are 5, 6, 7 and 8.