Craps guide
How do you pay a press in craps, and what order does the base work in?
On a press, work out what the place bet wins, leave the chips for the new bet on the number, and hand the rest of the win back to the player. After every roll the base dealer works in one order, take, pay, move, pay, so losing chips never mix with the payouts.
By Jeff Quizon. Built by a dealer who’s dealt craps for Bay Area casino party companies. Published October 29, 2026. Last reviewed October 29, 2026.
Want to drill these payouts? Practice free in the craps app →
| Number | Bet | Wins | Call | On the number | Back to the player |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 or 8 | $12 | $14 | Same bet | $12 | $14 |
| 6 or 8 | $12 | $14 | Half press | $18 | $8 |
| 6 or 8 | $12 | $14 | Press it | $24 | $2 |
| 6 or 8 | $12 | $14 | Take me down | $0 | $26 |
| 6 or 8 | $24 | $28 | Half press | $36 | $16 |
| 6 or 8 | $30 | $35 | Press it | $60 | $5 |
| 5 or 9 | $10 | $14 | Half press | $15 | $9 |
| 5 or 9 | $10 | $14 | Press it | $20 | $4 |
| 4 or 10 | $10 | $18 | Half press | $15 | $13 |
| 4 or 10 | $10 | $18 | Press it | $20 | $8 |
Practice it
Drill these payouts free in the app →Working out a press: the win minus the raise
A player has $12 on the 6 and the 6 rolls. Two $6 units win $14. On “press it” the bet doubles to $24, so $12 of the win goes onto the number and $2 goes back to the player. On “half press” the bet goes up by half, to $18, so $6 of the win stays and $8 goes back.
A half press needs a bet that splits into whole units in half. $12 on the 6 and $10 on the 5 do. Three $6 units on the 6 don’t, so ask the player for the amount they want working.
The shortcut for a full press
Every $6 on the 6 or 8 wins $7 and a full press puts $6 back up, so each unit leaves $1 in change. $12 leaves $2, $18 leaves $3, $30 leaves $5.
On the 5 and 9 every $5 wins $7, so each unit leaves $2. On the 4 and 10 every $5 wins $9, so each unit leaves $4.
Same bet, take me down, and off and on
“Same bet”: pay the win and leave the bet up. “Take me down”: the bet and the win both go back, so $12 on the 6 returns $26 and leaves nothing on the number.
“Off and on” is for a come bet that wins when the player has the same amount waiting in the come box. Pay the win next to the bet in the box. The player picks up the box chips and the win, and the bet on the number stays up as the new come bet. With $10 and $20 odds on the 6, the flat bet wins $10 and the odds win $24. The player takes $44 back, and the $10 bet and its $20 odds stay on the 6.
Down with odds
A player has $18 placed on the 6, and a $10 come bet travels to the 6. The player calls “down with odds”. Pay the place bet, $21, and take it down. The $18 and the $21 together are $39 to work with. The most odds a $10 come bet can take is 5x on the 6, and odds on the 6 go in $5 steps, so the player can ask for $35 odds. $45 is on the number, $10 flat and $35 odds, and $4 goes back.
Take, pay, move, pay
Take the losers first. It clears the layout, and what you take helps pay the winners. Then pay, then move the come and don’t come bets to their numbers, then pay what is on the numbers.
Working in this order keeps a come bet that has just travelled from being mistaken for one that already won, because it moves after the first round of pays.
House rules vary
- Odds on an off and on. We default to the odds staying up on the number with the new come bet. A casino may take the odds down with the payoff, and the new come bet goes up flat.
- Down with odds. We default to offering it. A casino that doesn’t pays the place bet normally and lets it stay up, and the come bet travels with no odds.
- Pay order. The directions the base takes and pays each group, and whether come bets are paid before place bets, change from casino to casino.
Practice it
Press & Same Bet, and Base-Dealer Sequence
Press & Same Bet and Base-Dealer Sequence are part of the Craps Track. Levels 1 and 2 of Payout Speed are free. It’s a one-time purchase with a 5-day refund.
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