The craps layout looks overwhelming until you understand it follows a logic. Almost everything on the felt is either duplicated on both sides (left half and right half, each mirrored for the two base dealers), or it sits in the center where the stickman works. Once you see those three zones, the rest falls into place quickly.
The Three Zones
Left and right side sections — the outer thirds of the layout, one mirror of the other. Each side is managed by one base dealer. If you're standing at the left side of the table, the left dealer handles your bets; same on the right.
Center section — the middle strip of the table, managed entirely by the stickman. This is where all proposition bets live: hardways, any seven, yo, any craps, horn, and hop bets. Players call out proposition bets to the stickman and toss chips to the center. You don't place these yourself.
The boxman sits between the two base dealers, behind the chip rack, and supervises the game — overseeing payouts, handling cash buy-ins, and settling disputes. There's no betting area in front of the boxman.
The Pass Line
The wide strip that runs along the outer edge of each side section, closest to the players. This is where you place a pass line bet before the come-out roll. It's the most-used bet at the table. After a point is established, the dealer moves the puck (a black-and-white disk) to the corresponding point number box, flipping it to show the white "ON" side. When the puck is off and showing the black "OFF" side, no point is set and a new come-out roll is due.
Don't Pass Bar
Just inside the pass line, a narrower strip labeled "DON'T PASS BAR." The "bar" refers to a number that's barred — almost always 12 — which means a 12 on the come-out is a push (no win, no loss) for don't pass bettors rather than a loss. This is how the casino maintains its edge on the don't side. Some tables bar the 2 instead; it makes no mathematical difference, but check the felt to confirm before betting.
Don't Come
A smaller box above the come area, labeled "DON'T COME." The mirror version of don't pass, but placed during the point phase. Like don't pass, it bars the 12 on the equivalent of its come-out roll. Once it establishes a point, you want a 7 to roll before that number repeats.
The Point Number Boxes
The six numbered boxes across the top of the side section: 4, 5, Six, 8, Nine, 10. ("Six" and "Nine" are spelled out on most layouts to prevent confusion when the numbers are upside down mid-roll.) These boxes serve two purposes: the puck sits on the established point, and dealers move come bets here once they've acquired a number. The small row of blank boxes directly above the numbers is where dealers position come bets at each specific number, separated from the puck.
The Come Area
The large box in the center of the side section, labeled "COME." You place a come bet here after a point has been established. Come bets work exactly like a new pass line bet — a 7 or 11 wins immediately, craps numbers lose, and any other number moves your bet to that number box where it needs to repeat before a 7. The come area is often busy once a shooter is mid-roll and players are loading up on numbers.
The Field
A wide, one-roll bet area clearly labeled "FIELD" with the winning numbers printed inside it: 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12. The 2 and 12 are circled on the felt and pay more — most tables pay 2:1 on the 2 and 2:1 or 3:1 on the 12. This is a self-service bet: you place your chips in the field box yourself, and you're responsible for picking them up if they win. Leave them and they ride for the next roll.
The Center: Proposition Bets
The middle strip of the table is divided into labeled sections for every proposition bet. You'll typically see:
- Seven — one-roll bet on a 7, pays 4:1 (listed as 5 for 1). Highest house edge on the table at 16.67%.
- Yo (11) — one-roll bet on an 11, pays 15:1.
- Any Craps — one-roll bet on a 2, 3, or 12, pays 7:1.
- C & E — the E and C circles running down the side split a bet between any craps and yo.
- Hardways (4, 6, 8, 10) — standing bets that a specific number rolls as a pair (2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5) before a 7 or an easy version of that number.
- Hi-Lo — splits a bet between aces (2) and boxcars (12).
You don't place proposition bets yourself. You call the bet to the stickman and toss your chips to the center. The stickman positions them and confirms the amount.
The Chip Rail
Not technically a betting area, but the grooved rail that runs along the top edge of the table in front of players. This is where you keep your chips during play. Each player's section of the rail is loosely their space — don't reach across someone else's rail or lean over it during a roll.
Reading the Layout on Any Table
Every casino prints its own layout and the specific text, colors, and positions vary. A few things that are always true: the pass line is always on the outer edge closest to you; the point boxes are always across the top in the same order (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10); the center is always the stickman's territory. When you sit at an unfamiliar table, spend thirty seconds reading the field payout (2:1 or 3:1 on the 12), checking if Big 6/Big 8 is present, and scanning the odds multiplier placard on the dealer's end of the table. Those three checks tell you almost everything you need to know about how that table prices its game.
For the complete rules and payouts on each bet area, see Every Bet Explained. To see how the math stacks up across every section, see Odds & Math.