Come-out, point, seven-out

Chapter 1: Foundations · Lesson 3 of 21 · 8 min read

The two phases of every round, and the flip that makes 7 a friend and then an enemy.

A round of craps has two phases.

1. The come-out roll (puck OFF). The shooter rolls, and one of three things happens:

• 7 or 11, a natural. Pass Line bets win at once. The next roll is a new come-out.
• 2, 3 or 12, craps. Pass Line bets lose at once. Next roll is a new come-out. (The shooter keeps the dice.)
• 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10: that number becomes the point. The dealer flips the puck to ON and sets it on that number.

2. The point phase (puck ON). The shooter keeps rolling until one of two things happens:

• The point is rolled again: the shooter made the point. Pass Line wins, the puck goes OFF, and a new come-out begins with the same shooter.
• A 7 is rolled: seven-out. Pass Line loses, the dice pass to the next shooter, and a new come-out begins.

During the point phase every other total (including 2, 3, 11 and 12) doesn't matter for the Pass Line. They just mean "roll again". Other bets may win or lose on them.

So a 7 is your friend on the come-out and your enemy once a point is set. That flip is the heart of craps.

On the come-out, a natural (8 ways) is twice as likely as craps (4 ways). That edge for the shooter is what makes the Pass Line feel friendly. Once a point is set, though, 7 is more likely than any point number, so the Pass Line is now the underdog. The two effects almost cancel. Lesson 5 shows exactly how close it comes.

We've loaded the dice for these scenes so you see each case.