Pass Line

Craps can seem like a complicated game, however if broken down to its core elements, it can be seen as just another straightforward casino game. In a typical casino game, there’s a main bet and a side bet. It’s the same with Craps. The main bet is your Pass Line Bet, where the player is betting that a certain number will roll twice before a 7 is rolled. There are two variations of this main Pass Line bet, which includes the Come Bet and the Place Bet. On each of these variations, the player is betting that a certain number will hit before a 7. All of the rest of the bets can be considered side bets that the player will play as they’re waiting for their main bets to hit.

Pass Line & Don’t Pass Line Bets

The first roll on a craps game is called the “Come Out” Roll. A new round begins on the “Come Out” roll, when the puck is marked as “OFF”. On all dice tables there is a puck that is black on one side and white on the other. Most will have an “ON” and an “OFF” on them. When the puck is black this signifies it is the “Come Out” Roll. The casino requires a mandatory bet on the Pass Line, or Don’t Pass Line, in order for the Shooter to roll the dice. The Stickman will offer the shooter five dice to choose from and the Shooter will pick up two of those five dice. Don't get too cool for school and toss three of the dice back to the dealer like you're the Fonz. Be warned: in craps, that’s just 'Jumping the Shark'. It’s not as slick as you think. On the “Come Out” Roll, if the Shooter rolls a 7 or an 11, then all of the players will win Even Money on their Pass Line bet. If the dice rolls a 2, 3, or 12, then this is known as “Craps” or “Crapping Out” and the Pass Line Bet will lose. The House Edge for the Pass Line is 1.41%. For the Don’t Pass bets, the exact opposite will occur, where, on the “Come Out” Roll, a 7 or an 11 will lose, and a 2 or 3 will win. However, keep in mind the term Bar 12, which means that your bet will push if a 12 is rolled. Keeping in mind that Bar 12 is a tie, the House Edge for the Don’t Pass Line is 1.36%.

Establishing a Point

If the Shooter rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, then a Point is established, and the puck will be turned to the “On” position, with the white showing, and placed on the appropriate number. Once a Point is established, in order for the Pass Line to win, it’s the Shooter’s goal to roll the Point number again, before rolling a 7, which is also known as Seven Out. If the Shooter rolls a 7, then the Pass Line loses, and the dice will be passed clockwise to the new Shooter. However, if the Shooter rolls the Point, then the Pass Line wins. The Shooter will keep the dice, and a new round will begin.

Keep in mind, the only numbers that matter, once a Point has been established, are the Point itself and the number 7. The Don't Pass is the opposite, you want the 7 to roll before the Point. The rest of the numbers will remain unaffected unless the player is betting on a side bet, such as the Field or one of the Proposition bets.

Odds

Now we will discuss “Taking” and “Laying” odds. After the Point has been established, players can take Odds by placing an additional wager behind their Pass Line bet. The odds will be paid differently depending on what number the Point is. If the Point is a 4 or 10, then the odds will be paid 2 to 1. If the Point is a 5 or 9, then the odds will be paid 3 to 2; and if the Point is a 6 or 8, then the odds will be paid 6 to 5. The 6 and 8 are the most popular numbers to play because they get rolled the most often. So, believe it or not, there’s actually a 6 to 5 bet in the casino that is popular!

The odds are paid as “True Odds”, meaning there is no house advantage. Taking odds is the best bet in the house. For example, on the Pass Line, the player will place a $10 wager with an additional $10 odds bet behind their Pass Line Bet, about 2 fingers widths apart. With the point being 9, if the shooter rolls the 9 before a 7, the Pass Line bet will be paid $10, or even money, and the odds wager will be paid $15, or 3 to 2. The Pass Line always wins even money, and the odds bet will always be paid the appropriate odds.

Laying odds on the Don’t Pass Line is the same as taking odds on the Pass Line, except reversed. Remember, the Don’t Pass Line, is the exact opposite of the Pass Line. For example, if the point is a 9 and the player laid odds on the Don’t Pass Line and a 7 hits, then instead of being paid 3:2, like he would if he was playing odds on the Pass Line, it would be reversed and the player would be paid 2:3. His three red chips, $15, would be paid with two red chips, $10. The player has to lay $15 to win $10.

Once a Point has won or lost, the puck is returned to the “OFF” position, or the black side of the puck, and a new “Come Out” roll begins. If the shooter 7 outs, a new shooter begins the next “Come Out” roll.

Here is a breakdown on the odds are calculated. When rolling 2 dice, the probability of rolling a certain combination is 1/36. That means there are 36 combinations of numbers that the dice could possibly roll, and not all of those numbers are created equal. There are some combinations that show up much more frequently than others.

2 and 12 are rolled the least because there’s only one combination that can give us these numbers. While the number 7 has the most combinations or number of ways it can be rolled. 7 is the only number out of the group that has 6 combinations. This means that there’s a higher probability of rolling a seven than there is of rolling a 2.

Which is why the casino takes your money on the number 7, and not the number 2. There’s a 16.67% chance that the player will roll a 7 compared to the 2.78% chance that they’ll roll a 2 and that’s why it is always good to know probability before playing a game. That’s why betting on the Don’ts is the smarter move. So, join the dark side… we have cookies.