Craps Table Layout Explained

The short answer

A craps table felt is laid out in three repeating zones: two identical player-facing end sections that mirror each other, and a shared middle section of proposition bets that everyone at the table can see and bet on. The pass line runs along the front edge closest to you, the come area sits just behind it as a large rectangle, the field occupies its own separate box between the come area and the place numbers, and the riskiest bets — hard ways and one-roll props — sit dead center, equally far from everyone.

Once you know that the layout is basically two mirrored halves plus a shared middle strip, the felt stops looking like a wall of text and starts looking like what it is: a map.

Why is the table shaped this way?

A standard craps table sits 12 to 14 people, split across two long sides, with the layout printed symmetrically so every player sees the same zones directly in front of them. The middle section — proposition bets and hard ways — is printed once, shared by both sides, and the stickman controls the dice from that same middle position.

This symmetry means the layout in front of you always has the same information no matter which side of the table you're standing on. Learn one side, and you've learned both.

What does the felt actually look like, zone by zone?

Here's the layout condensed into a spatial reading, from the back of the table (where the dice land) toward the front edge (where you stand). Note that the field bet has its own dedicated rectangular box on the rail — it is a separate zone from the come area, not a strip inside it, and it does not overlap with the center proposition bets:

1 [ BACK WALL — dice bounce here to end each roll ]
2
3 DON'T PASS BAR
4 (top rail, mirror bet against the shooter)
5
6 PLACE BET NUMBERS: 4   5   6   8   9   10
7 (place your chips on the number you want)
8
9 --------------- CENTER STRIP (shared) ---------------
10 |  HARD WAYS: 4  6  8  10                            |
11 |  ONE-ROLL PROPS: any 7, any craps, horn, C&E        |
12 -------------------------------------------------------
13
14 COME
15 (large rectangle — bet after a point is set, works like pass line)
16
17 FIELD
18 (its own separate box on the rail — one-roll bet on 2,3,4,9,10,11,12)
19
20 PASS LINE
21 (your main bet, printed along the front edge, closest to you)
22
23 [ YOU STAND HERE ]
Copy

That's a simplified version, but it's the mental model that matters: risky, high-house-edge bets are physically farthest from you, in the shared middle, while the field sits in its own clearly marked box on the rail, distinct from both the come area above it and the proposition bets in the center.

Bet-by-bet: what's where and what does it pay?

The field bet's edge swings depending on how a casino pays the 12 (and occasionally the 2) — some pay double, some pay triple, and that single rule change moves the house edge from around 2.7% up to 5.5% (Casino.org). Always check the printed field payouts before betting it, they're usually stamped right in the field box.

Where exactly are the pass line and don't pass bar?

The pass line runs the entire width of the table along the front, so it's the same physical strip for everyone. The don't pass bar sits near the top rail, on the opposite side of the layout from the pass line, and is the mirror-image bet for players betting against the shooter.

Because these two bets sit at fixed, well-known spots, dealers can settle both at the same time after every roll without confusion, which is part of why the layout hasn't changed much in decades.

What are the place bet number boxes?

Across the top of the layout sits a row of six boxes labeled 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 — the six possible point numbers. These are for place bets, which you can turn "on" or "off" at will, unlike pass line which locks in until the round resolves. You tell the dealer which number and amount, and they'll set your chips in the corresponding box.

Note that these boxes are shared: everyone's place bets on the number 6 sit in the same "6" box, even though the chips belong to different players. Dealers track ownership by chip position within the box, so keep your stack tidy and close to your own rail position.

Where does the field bet actually sit, and why does it matter?

The field occupies its own dedicated rectangular box on the rail, positioned between the come area and the front edge where players stand — it is not part of the come area and it does not spill into the center proposition strip. It's a one-roll bet: you're wagering that the very next roll is a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12, and it resolves immediately whether or not a point is currently active.

Because the field box sits right on the rail near your own chips, it's one of the easiest bets to place by accident when you're reaching for the pass line or come area, so it's worth knowing exactly where its boundary is before you start stacking chips near it.

What's in the center strip — field, props, and hard ways?

The middle of the table belongs to the stickman, who calls the roll and pushes bets in that zone. This is where you'll find hard ways (betting a number rolls as doubles, like a hard 8 meaning two 4s specifically, not a 6-and-2) and one-roll propositions like "any 7" or "horn bets" covering multiple numbers at once. The field bet is not part of this center strip — it sits separately on the rail, closer to the players.

These bets are visually the most colorful part of the table, often marked in red and yellow, which is part of why beginners gravitate toward them. The house edge tells a different story than the artwork does, and our bet ranking guide lays out exactly which bets are worth your money and which aren't.

How does this map to an online craps screen?

Online craps interfaces mirror this physical layout almost exactly, just flattened into a single screen instead of wrapping around a table. You'll still see a pass line strip, a come area, a separate field box, a row of place numbers, and a center cluster of proposition bets — the spatial logic carries over even though there's no felt or chips involved.

The main practical difference is that online layouts often label bets more explicitly (spelling out "Hard 8 pays 9:1" directly on the button), since there's no dealer standing by to explain a bet before you place it. If you're moving from a physical table to an online or crypto casino, the how-to-play guide covers what else changes in that transition.

How do you play responsibly around this layout?

The layout is designed to make high-edge bets look just as inviting as low-edge ones — same felt, same chip mechanics, same energy from the table. Decide which bets you're willing to place before you sit down, and don't let a bet's location or color scheme talk you into something with a double-digit house edge.

Table games each have their own layout logic — see poker hand rankings if you're comparing craps to other games on the felt.

Ready to see it in action? Play craps or browse the full craps category on Wild.io.

A quick note on playing smart: craps math is fun to study, but the house edge never goes away no matter how well you know it. Set a budget before you sit down, treat losses as the cost of entertainment, and use Wild.io's responsible gambling tools if you ever want to set limits or take a break.

What does each bet pay?

Now that you know where each bet lives, see what it pays with the craps payout calculator — enter your wager and get the exact return.

Sources

• Wizard of Odds: Craps — house edge for odds, place, and proposition bets (retrieved July 2026)
• Hard Rock Bet: How to Play Craps — Odds — pass, don't pass, come, and field bet house edges (retrieved July 2026)
• Casino.org: The Craps Table Layout Explained — table zones, place-bet boxes, and hard-way payouts (retrieved July 2026)
• PokerNews: Craps Bets Explained — one-roll proposition bet mechanics and payouts (retrieved July 2026)
• Wikipedia: Craps — table layout and terminology (retrieved July 2026)