Craps looks like chaos from across the casino floor: chips flying, a dealer calling out a language you don't speak, a crew moving fast. It isn't chaos. It's a rhythm, and once you know it, the table stops being intimidating. This walkthrough puts you at a table, one moment at a time, and lets you make the calls yourself: no chips, no money, no pressure.
A round starts with the come-out roll. You put a chip on the Pass Line, one of the best bets in the casino (about a 1.4% house edge). A come-out 7 or 11 wins; 2, 3, or 12 loses; any other number becomes the point. The dealer marks the point with the puck, and now your Pass Line bet wins if that number rolls again before a 7. You don't touch your chip; it rides automatically.
After the point is established you can take odds: a bet placed behind your Pass Line that pays at true odds, with a zero house edge. It's the best deal on the floor. Don't confuse it with "Big 6/8" in the corner, which looks similar but carries a much worse edge.