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Craps is a card-passing poker game for three to six players using one six-sided die. Each player is dealt seven cards; in turn, each player may bet or check, then rolls the die and passes that many cards face down to the next active player. After one circuit, short hands are topped up to five cards, and a final betting round and showdown decide the pot.
Craps was contributed to pagat.com by Ella Bowerman. It is a game for three to six players, using a standard 52-card deck with no wild cards and one six-sided die.
Hands rank according to the standard poker hand rankings. A player's hand is the best five cards they hold at showdown.
The object is to hold the best five-card hand at showdown, or to win the pot earlier by making a bet no one calls.
The source does not specify the opening stake. The usual practice is for every player to ante an agreed amount before the deal.
The dealer deals seven cards face down to each player.
The turn to bet, roll and pass goes once around the table, starting with the player to the dealer's left.
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Deal | Seven cards face down to each player |
| Turns | Each active player in turn checks or bets, rolls the die and passes that many cards to the left |
| Top-up | Any player with fewer than five cards is dealt enough to make five |
| Final betting round | Normal betting, then showdown |
At their turn, a player either checks or bets, based on their hand.
If the player checks, there is no betting round at that turn.
If the player bets, a full betting round follows. It continues as usual until every other active player has called or folded, so that the stakes are equal.
The player then rolls the die, chooses exactly that number of cards from their hand, and passes them face down to the next active player on their left.
A player who bets and is then raised may fold during that betting round. That player must still roll the die and pass cards before leaving the hand.
The player receiving the cards picks them up and adds them to their hand, then takes their own turn in the same way.
Players who have folded are skipped, both for the turn to roll and when passing cards.
When every active player has rolled and passed once, any player holding fewer than five cards is dealt enough cards from the deck to make five.
Keeping a full house
Ben was dealt seven cards and received three from the player on his right, so he holds ten: A♠A♦A♥9♣9♦4♠7♥2♣J♦3♥
Ben rolls a 5 and must pass exactly five cards. He keeps A♠A♦A♥9♣9♦, a full house, aces full of nines, and passes the other five to his left.
After the top-up, there is one final betting round.
If two or more players remain, there is a showdown. Each player makes the best five-card hand from all the cards they hold, and the best hand wins the pot.
Identical five-card hands split the pot.
Eleven cards, twice around. With three or four players, the dealer may deal eleven cards to each player and announce that the turn to roll and pass will go around the table twice instead of once.
Strategy notes:
The die decides how many cards you lose, but you choose which ones. A player can keep a five-card hand intact only when they hold at least five cards more than the number rolled: with seven cards, a roll of 3 or more forces the player to break up any five-card hand, though the hand may still improve from cards received later or from the final top-up.
Every card you pass strengthens the next player. Passing cards that cannot help them, such as low cards of several suits, is as important as keeping your own best cards.
Exactly the number you roll on one six-sided die, from one to six. You choose which cards to pass, and they go face down to the next active player on your left.
No. On your turn you may check or bet. If you check, there is no betting round at that turn, and you simply roll and pass.
After everyone has rolled and passed, any player with fewer than five cards is dealt enough from the deck to make up a five-card hand before the final bet.
Where any doubt remains in the application of this document, Rob is right.
Hand rankings, high to low: royal flush · straight flush · four of a kind · full house · flush · straight · three of a kind · two pair · one pair · high card. Suits never break ties.
Craps Poker Rules · OPR-649 · officialpokerrules.com/craps/