Craps Terminology: Glossary of Terms and Phrases

Craps tables are loud, fast, and packed with jargon that sounds like a foreign language. Dealers shout "yo-eleven," players cheer for "Little Joe," and someone just asked for "same dice" after a cube bounced off the felt.

We've mapped out all the craps lingo here. You'll see basic stuff like the Pass Line and wild nicknames like snake eyes and boxcars.

Essential craps terms every player needs to know

Craps has its own language. The words cover everything from dice rolls to different bets to who does what at the table. You'll hear "shooter" (the person throwing), "come out roll" (the first toss), and "point" (the number you're chasing). Dealers throw around slang too. "Yo" means eleven. "Snake eyes" means you rolled two ones.

Learn a few key words and suddenly the chaos clicks. The vocabulary below appears at virtually every craps table, whether you're standing at a physical layout or playing crypto craps online.

Shooter

The shooter is the player currently rolling the dice. When someone sevens out or passes, the dice move clockwise to whoever's next. When your turn comes, the stickman offers several dice, and you pick two.

Come out roll

Every round starts with a come out roll. This first throw can end things right away or lock in a point the shooter needs to hit. Roll 7 or 11? Pass Line wins. Roll 2, 3, or 12? You lose.

The point

If the come out roll lands on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the point. Now the shooter keeps going. Hit the point again and Pass Line wins. Roll a 7 and it's over. You'll see a puck marked "ON" sitting on the point number. That's how you remember what you're shooting for.

Natural

A natural? That's when you roll 7 or 11 on the come out. Pass Line bets win instantly. You'll hear the dealer call "winner seven" or "yo-eleven" when a natural hits.

Craps roll

Rolling 2, 3, or 12 on the come out is called "craps" or "crapping out." Pass Line bets lose right away. The name probably started with "crabs," which is what English gamblers called a bad throw way back.

Seven out

Once there's a point on the board, rolling a 7 kills the round. The dealer calls "seven out, line away." Pass Line loses. The dice go to the next shooter. Here's the twist: rolling 7 on the come out actually wins.

Yo

Dealers yell "yo" instead of "eleven" because at a noisy table, "eleven" sounds way too much like "seven." Walk past any live table and you'll catch someone shouting "yo."

Boxman and stickman

The boxman sits behind the chip stacks and supervises the game. The stickman sits opposite. He's got a long stick for sliding dice to the shooter and he's the one calling out what rolled. Two base dealers handle bets on each end of the layout.

Craps betting terminology and definitions

The game has its own words for every bet you can make. Some bets end in one roll. Others stick around until something specific happens.

Pass Line bet

The Pass Line is the most common bet in craps. Win on 7 or 11. Lose on 2, 3, or 12. Anything else? Now you're waiting for that point to show before a 7 does. House edge? About 1.41%.

Don't Pass bet

Don't Pass flips everything. You're rooting against the shooter. Seven out? You win. Point hits? You lose. On the come out, 2 or 3 wins, 7 or 11 loses, and 12 typically pushes.

Come bet

Come bets are basically Pass Line bets you make after there's already a point. Your bet gets its own come point from whatever rolls next.

Don't Come bet

Don't Come is the flipped version of Come. You're betting the shooter will roll a 7 before hitting your come point number.

Odds bet

After the point goes up, you can add an Odds bet behind your Pass Line or Come bet. This wager pays true odds with zero house edge, making it one of the best bets available in any casino game.

Place bets

Don't want to wait for a point? Bet that 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 shows before a 7. Payouts vary by number:

• Place 6 or 8: House edge of 1.52%
• Place 5 or 9: House edge of 4%
• Place 4 or 10: House edge of 6.67%

Buy bet and Lay bet

A Buy bet pays true odds on place numbers but charges a 5% commission. Lay bets flip it. You're betting 7 shows first. Both charge commission, which means you need the right bet size to make the numbers work.

Field bet

The Field is a one-roll bet that wins if the next throw is 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. Most tables pay double on 2 and triple on 12. House edge runs about 5.5%. Depends on how that specific table pays.

Hardways

Hardway wins if the shooter hits a specific double before the same total shows up any other way or before a 7. Hard 6 is 3-3. Hard 8 is 4-4. You get it. Hardways cost you more in house edge, but the payout's bigger.

Horn bet

The Horn covers 2, 3, 11, and 12 in a single wager split four ways. It's a one-roll bet with high volatility — though not quite matching the variance of slot games.

Big 6 and Big 8

Big 6 and Big 8 are even-money bets that win if 6 or 8 rolls before 7. The catch? Place bets on those same numbers pay 7:6 instead of 1:1. Big 6 and Big 8 are straight-up worse deals. Anyone who knows the game avoids Big 6 and Big 8.

These house edges compare favorably to many casino offerings, though games like blackjack can offer even lower edges with optimal play.

Craps dice slang and nicknames for rolls

Craps has personality because dealers and players throw around wild nicknames for different rolls. Some of these nicknames are older than your parents.

Snake eyes and aces

Double ones? Snake eyes. The two dots look like a snake staring at you. You'll also hear "aces" or simply "two craps two."

Little Joe

Four gets called "Little Joe." You'll hear it most when it's a hard 4 (2-2). The name comes from old dice games and never left.

Fever five

Five is sometimes called "fever" or "Little Phoebe." Not as common, but you'll catch it at tables where people are having fun.

Yo-eleven

Like we said before, "yo" keeps dealers from mixing up "eleven" and "seven." At a loud table, clarity matters.

Boxcars and midnight

Double sixes (12) get called boxcars. The dice look like train cars lined up. People also say "midnight" because, you know, 12 o'clock.

Craps stick calls and dealer sayings

Dealers don't just announce numbers. They've got these rhythmic calls that pump up the table and tell everyone what just rolled.

Winner seven

You hear this when 7 shows on the come out. Pass Line wins. Round keeps going with another come out.

Seven out line away

This means the round's done. Shooter hit a 7 after the point went up. Pass Line loses. Dice move on.

Craps no pass

Roll 2, 3, or 12 on the come out and you'll hear "craps no pass." Pass Line loses.

Eighter from Decatur

This one's a classic. It simply means 8 was rolled. It rhymes, so it sticks. Plus it keeps the energy up.

Nina from Pasadena

Same deal with 9. Dealers make up their own versions sometimes, but this one's stuck around.

Why is craps called craps

The name probably came from the French word "crapaud" (means toad). Players used to crouch like toads on sidewalks when they played. Or maybe it came from "crabs," which is what English gamblers called rolling 2 or 3. Either way, the name stuck when the game moved from streets to casinos.

The modern version of craps developed in New Orleans in the early 1800s. A dice maker named John H. Winn added the "Don't Pass" bet later. That balanced things enough for casinos to actually run it.

Street dice slang compared to casino craps

Street dice games share some craps words but have their own slang too. Shooting dice slang from movies or rap? Some of that doesn't translate to casino craps.

Fade

In street dice, "fading" means covering another player's bet. No house. Just players betting against each other.

Side bet

Side bets are when players bet each other instead of the table. Casino craps won't let you do this, but street games run on side bets.

Cee-Lo

Cee-Lo is a separate dice game using three dice, popular in street settings. Rules are totally different, but the vibe's similar.

Shooting dice

Shooting dice is the general term for playing informal dice games. This connects to all that shooting dice slang, but casino craps keeps things more standard.

Learn craps lingo and start playing at JB

Know these words and the table suddenly makes sense. JB offers crypto craps with instant deposits, fast withdrawals, and provably fair gameplay you can verify yourself.

FAQs about craps terminology

What is a ballerina in craps?

A ballerina refers to a hard 4 (double twos). The joke is that a ballerina is always on her "tutu," which sounds like "two-two."

What is a 7 called in craps?

It depends on timing. On the come out roll, 7 is a "natural" or "winner seven." Once there's a point up, 7 becomes "seven out" or "Big Red."

What does same dice mean at the craps table?

When a die flies off the table, the shooter can request "same dice" to continue with the original pair. Some players consider it lucky.

What is a hop bet in craps?

A hop bet is a one-roll wager on a specific dice combination, like 4-3 or 5-2. Payouts are high, but so is the house edge.

Do online craps games use the same terminology as live casinos?

Yes. Whether you're playing RNG craps or live dealer tables at a crypto casino like JB, the terminology stays consistent.