The Exact Flow of a Craps Game: From Come Out Roll to Seven Out

You walk up to a craps table mid-game. Twelve people are cheering. Chips are everywhere. The stickman is calling numbers. And you have no idea what just happened or what's about to happen next.

Here's the secret: no matter how chaotic a craps table looks, the game only has two phases. Phase one: the come-out roll. Phase two: the point phase. That's it. Every single round of craps follows this identical structure, and once you see the pattern, the chaos becomes a rhythm you can read — and bet on.

This article walks you through the exact craps game phases, step by step, so you'll know precisely what's happening at every moment. For the complete beginner's overview, see How to Play Craps: The Complete Beginner's Guide.

Phase 1: The Come-Out Roll

Every round starts here. The puck sits in the "OFF" position. The shooter picks up the dice. The stickman calls "Coming out!" Everyone leans in.

The come out roll produces one of three results:

A natural (7 or 11). Pass Line bets win instantly. The table cheers. The same shooter picks up the dice and comes out again. No point was established — the game resets to another come-out roll.

Craps (2, 3, or 12). Pass Line bets lose instantly. The table groans. But the shooter keeps the dice — crapping out doesn't end your turn as shooter. Another come-out roll follows.

A point is established (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10). The dealer picks up the puck, flips it to "ON," and places it on the number that was rolled. The game shifts to phase two.

The Come-Out Roll by the Numbers

Two-thirds of the time, the come-out roll establishes a point. The other third produces an instant resolution — win or loss — and the game cycles back. Some shooters roll three naturals in a row before ever setting a point. Others establish a point on their first throw. The dice decide.

Phase 2: The Point Phase

Once the point is set, everything changes. The 7 — which was your best friend on the come-out — becomes the enemy. The shooter's job is now simple: roll the point number again before rolling a 7.

Point hits before 7: Pass Line bets win at even money. The puck flips back to OFF. The same shooter starts a new come-out roll. The crowd erupts.

7 hits before point (seven-out): Pass Line bets lose. The puck goes OFF. The dice pass to the next shooter. The table deflates.

Any other number rolls: Nothing happens to Pass Line bets. The shooter picks up the dice and throws again. These "neutral" rolls are where other bets — Come, Place, Field — live and die, but the Pass Line just waits.

How Long Does the Point Phase Last?

That depends entirely on the point. The 7 has six combinations — more than any other number — so it's always favored to arrive first. But the margin varies:

A point of 6 or 8 gives you the best shot — almost a coin flip against the 7. A point of 4 or 10 puts you at a 2:1 disadvantage. This is why the Odds bet pays 2:1 on 4/10 and only 6:5 on 6/8 — the payouts reflect the actual difficulty.

Watching a Full Round: From Start to Finish

Here's how a complete round plays out at a $10 table. You have $10 on the Pass Line.

Roll 1 (come-out): The shooter tosses the dice. They tumble off the back wall and settle: 4 and 2. Total: 6. The dealer slides the puck to the 6 and flips it to ON. The point is 6.

This is when you place your Odds bet. You put $20 behind your Pass Line chips (2x Odds). You now have $30 working — $10 at 1.41% house edge, $20 at 0% house edge. For details on why this is the best bet in the casino, see Taking the Odds in Craps: The Only Bet with No House Edge.

Roll 2: 5 and 4. Total: 9. Nothing happens to your Pass Line bet. If you had a Come bet or Place bet on 9, that would've paid. But your Pass Line just sits and waits.

Roll 3: 3 and 3. Total: 6 — hard 6! The dealer calls "Six hard, point!" Pass Line bets win. Your $10 pays $10 (even money). Your $20 Odds pays $24 (6:5). Total profit: $34.

The puck flips to OFF. New come-out roll coming. Same shooter — she made her point, so she keeps the dice.

Roll 4 (new come-out): 6 and 1. Total: 7. Natural! Pass Line wins again — another $10. The shooter has now made money on two consecutive rounds without even establishing a point on the second one.

Roll 5 (another come-out): 5 and 3. Total: 8. Point is 8. Puck goes to ON on the 8. You take Odds again.

Rolls 6-9: The shooter rolls 11, 4, 3, 5. None of these affect your Pass Line bet. You're still waiting for an 8 or a 7.

Roll 10: 2 and 5. Total: 7. Seven-out. Your Pass Line bet and Odds bet both lose — $30 gone. The dice pass to the next shooter. The round is over.

Session total for this shooter: Won $34 + $10, lost $30. Net: +$14. Not bad for ten rolls.

This is the rhythm. Come-out, point, resolution. Come-out, point, resolution. Sometimes the resolution takes two rolls. Sometimes it takes twenty. But the structure never changes.

The Seven-Out: Why It Matters

The seven out craps meaning is specific: the shooter rolled a 7 during the point phase, ending the round and passing the dice. It's not the same as rolling a 7 on the come-out (which is a win for the Pass Line).

New players often confuse "crapping out" (rolling 2, 3, or 12 on the come-out) with "sevening out" (rolling 7 during the point phase). Crapping out loses your Pass Line bet but doesn't end your turn as shooter. Sevening out loses your Pass Line bet AND ends your turn. The dice pass to the left, and a new shooter begins.

The probability of sevening out on any given roll during the point phase is 16.67% — the same probability the 7 always has. Over the course of a shooter's turn, the cumulative probability climbs quickly. By the sixth roll of the point phase, there's about a 67% chance at least one 7 has appeared. Long rolls — 15, 20, 30 numbers — are memorable precisely because they're rare.

Where Other Bets Fit into the Flow

The Pass Line bet follows the two-phase structure perfectly. But other bets have their own timing:

Come bets can only be placed during the point phase. The next roll after you place a Come bet acts as that bet's personal come-out roll. If a number is established, the dealer moves your chips to that number. See The Come Bet: Creating Multiple Points on the Table.

Place bets can be made at any time during the point phase by telling the dealer which number(s) you want. They're "off" during come-out rolls unless you specify otherwise.

Odds bets go behind your Pass Line or Come bets after a point is established. They're the most important secondary bet in the game.

Proposition bets (center of the table) are one-roll bets that resolve immediately, regardless of the game phase. They exist outside the two-phase structure entirely.

Understanding which bets are active during which phase prevents the most common beginner mistake: trying to place a bet at the wrong time and getting your chips politely returned by the dealer.

Try It Yourself

Experience the full flow of a craps round in our simulator. Watch the puck flip from OFF to ON. See a point get established. Feel the tension of waiting for the point or the 7. Then watch the seven-out end the round and the dice pass to the next shooter.

The simulator runs at the pace you choose — no pressure from dealers or other players. Slow it down, study each phase, and notice how the betting options change when the puck moves. That timing awareness is what separates confident players from confused ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is the come out roll in craps? The first roll of a new round, made while the puck is OFF. It resolves instantly (natural 7/11 wins, craps 2/3/12 loses) or establishes a point number that begins the second phase of the game.

Why is seven out important in craps? Seven out ends the round, causes all Pass Line and active Come bets to lose, and passes the dice to the next shooter. It's the event that resets the entire game flow.

How do the probabilities differ between the come out roll and point phases? On the come-out, you have a 22.2% chance of winning (7 or 11) versus 11.1% of losing (2, 3, 12) — roughly 2:1 in your favor. During the point phase, the 7 is always more likely than your point, so the probabilities flip against you.

Can I place bets during any phase of the game? Pass Line and Don't Pass bets are placed before the come-out roll only. Come bets, Place bets, and Odds bets are placed during the point phase. Proposition bets can be made at any time but resolve on the very next roll.

What are the main craps game phases I should understand? Just two: the come-out roll (phase 1) and the point phase (phase 2). Every round cycles through both. Once you can identify which phase the game is in by looking at the puck, you'll know exactly what's happening.

How can I practice craps game phases without risking money? Our free craps simulator lets you play through hundreds of rounds, watching the phases unfold in real time. It's the fastest way to internalize the rhythm before stepping up to a live table.

Final Thoughts

Craps looks like controlled chaos. It's actually a two-phase loop: come-out, point, resolution. That loop repeats all night, with different shooters, different points, and different outcomes — but the structure never varies. Once you see the pattern, the noise fades and the game becomes readable.

Stand at the table, watch the puck, and follow the flow. Come-out roll — point established — shooter rolls — point or seven. That's the entire game. Everything else is just details layered on top.

Related articles:

• How to Play Craps: The Complete Beginner's Guide
• Establishing a Point in Craps: What It Means and What to Do
• The Pass Line Bet: Craps' Most Fundamental Wager Explained