The Craps Table Layout Explained: Every Bet Zone

The craps table is symmetrical for two dealers, and every zone has a name and purpose — once you know what each section does, the layout makes sense.

The table is symmetrical

The craps table has two identical sides for two dealers. Left and right are mirrors of each other. The center runway belongs to the stickman (who controls proposition bets). If you’re standing at one end of the table, your betting zone is on the left or right dealer’s side.

Zone-by-zone breakdown

Pass Line (bottom rail)

A thick line that runs along the bottom edge of the table. This is where you place your fundamental wager.

• What it means: you’re betting that the come-out roll will produce a 7 or 11 (you win), a 2, 3, or 12 (you lose), or a box number (establishing a point). If a point is set, you win when that number repeats before a 7.
• House edge: 1.41%
• Placement: chips go on this line, directly across from the stickman from where you’re standing.

Don’t Pass Bar

The line immediately next to Pass Line, marked with “Bar 2” or “Bar 12” (varies by casino).

• What it means: the opposite of Pass Line. You win on 2 or 3 (some casino bar 2, others bar 12). On a point, you win if 7 appears before the point repeats.
• The bar rule: when 12 rolls on the come-out, your Don’t Pass bet pushes (returns with no win or loss). This bar is why Don’t Pass has a slightly higher edge than a pure “opposite” bet.
• House edge: 1.36%
• Placement: chips go just outside the Pass Line, also near the dealers.

Come / Don’t Come

The middle lanes running horizontally across the felt.

• Come: works like Pass Line, but you place it after a point is already established. Wins on 7–11, loses on 2–3–12, establishes its own traveled number otherwise.
• Don’t Come: opposite of Come. Same bar-12 rule as Don’t Pass.
• Placement: Come bets start in the Come box (center), then travel to the specific number box once a number is established.

Point Numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10)

Six numbered boxes across the middle of the table. This is where the puck lives and where placed/traveled Come bets settle.

• The puck: a plastic marker, white on one side and black on the other. White side = point is ON. Black side = point is OFF (come-out roll phase).
• What happens here: Come bets travel to their number; Place bets live here; traveled Pass Line odds settle here; the point repeats to determine the Pass Line winner.
• Position matters: the dealer places your traveled Come bet at the specific number box corresponding to your position at the table.

Field (upper rail)

A large strip covering numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12.

• What it means: a one-roll bet. You win if any of those numbers come up on the next roll. You lose if 5, 6, 7, or 8 appears.
• Payout: typically 1:1 on 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 2:1 on 2 and 12 (though some casinos pay 3:1 on 12).
• House edge: ~5.56% (standard), ~2.78% (with triple 12).
• Placement: chips go in the Field strip, your side of the table.

Place Bet Numbers (same as point numbers)

The same numbered boxes (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) where Place bets live independently of Come bets.

• What it means: you’re betting a specific number will roll before a 7. Payout depends on the number (6 and 8 are best at 7:6, or 1.52% edge).
• Stay-up rule: if you hit your Place number, the bet stays up for the next roll unless you tell the dealer to take it down.
• Placement: your Place bet chips sit at the specific number box, managed by the dealer.

Big 6 / Big 8 (corners)

Two corner boxes labeled “Big 6” and “Big 8.”

• What it means: same win condition as Place 6 or Place 8 (the number repeats before 7), but pays only 1:1 (vs. 7:6 on a Place bet).
• Why avoid: you’re paying for the same outcome but getting less money back. The Place 6/8 at 1.52% edge is vastly superior to Big 6/8 at 6.67% edge.
• Historical note: Big 6/8 is a legacy bet from an era before Place bets were invented. It exists purely because casinos profit from uninformed players.

Center Table / Proposition Bets

The stickman’s zone in the middle of the table. These are the “prop bets.”

• Hardways: betting that a number (4, 6, 8, 10) will roll as a pair (hard) before rolling as any other combination and before 7. Edge: 6.25–11.11%.
• Any 7: betting that 7 rolls on the next spin. Pays 4:1. Edge: 16.67%. Worst single bet on the table.
• Any Craps: betting that 2, 3, or 12 rolls next. Pays 7:1. Edge: 11.11%.
• Horn: a combination bet covering 2, 3, 11, 12 (four separate wagers). Edge varies by combination.

Rule of thumb: the closer to the center of the table, the higher the house edge. Pass/Don’t Pass and Come/Don’t Come (near the rails) are the best bets. Center bets (props) are the worst.

Summary table: edges by zone

Zone	Bets	House edge	Priority
Rails (Pass/Don’t Pass)	Pass, Don’t Pass	1.36–1.41%	Play these
Middle lanes (Come/Don’t Come)	Come, Don’t Come	1.36–1.41%	Play these
Point boxes (Place 6/8)	Place 6, Place 8	1.52%	Acceptable
Point boxes (Place 5/9)	Place 5, Place 9	4.00%	Avoid
Point boxes (Place 4/10)	Place 4, Place 10	6.67%	Avoid
Corners (Big 6/8)	Big 6, Big 8	6.67%	Never play
Center (Props)	Hardways, Any 7, Any Craps, Horn	6.25–16.67%	Avoid entirely

Sources & Further Reading

• Wizard of Odds — Craps Table Layout — detailed zone descriptions
• Casino Control Commission documents — official Nevada table standards

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