Craps is a game played by one or more players against a casino. The casino covers all player bets at a table and sets the odds on its payout. Players take turns rolling two dice. The player rolling the dice is called the "shooter." Other players at the table bet on the shooter's dice rolls. The game is played in rounds, with the first roll of a new round called the "come-out roll." The round resolves with a point being rolled or a seven.

To begin, a player wishing to play as the shooter must bet at least the table minimum on either the "Pass" line or the "Don't Pass" line. The right to roll the dice is rotated clockwise around the craps table.

 A player next in turn to become shooter may refuse the dice, but can continue to bet on the shooter's rolls; the dice then pass to the next player willing to become the shooter. The shooter is then presented with multiple dice by the stickman, and must choose two to roll with. The remaining dice are returned to the stickman's bowl and are not used.

Keeping track of all the possible bets in a Craps game can be a little overwhelming for novices. It's recommended that new players stick to the pass line bet until the other bets start to make more sense and the player becomes more comfortable with the game as a whole.

There is no grand strategy that promises to reduce the house's edge to the smallest percentage possible, the way there is in Blackjack. But there are smart bets and bets that should be avoided. Generally the options in the middle of the table, single roll bets, are considered sucker bets due to the fact that they are the only bets that are determined by a single roll of the dice and the long odds they have.

A player wishing to play craps without being the shooter should approach the craps table and first check to see if the dealer's "On" button is on any of the point numbers. If the point number is "Off" then the table is in the come-out round. If the dealer's button is on, the table is in the point round where some casinos may allow a pass/don't pass bet to be placed, but the player should check with the dealer.

 All single or multi roll proposition bets may be placed in either of the two rounds. Between dice rolls by the shooter, there is a period for dealers to make pay outs and collect losing bets. When the dealers are finished, players are then allowed to place new bets. The stickman monitors the action at a table and decides when to give the shooter the dice, after which no more betting is allowed.