The Pass Line and the Odds
The first bet every craps player learns, and the only bet in the casino with no house edge. How they work, what they pay, and a worked example.
The Pass Line is where most of the table puts its chips, and it’s where you should start. Add the Odds once there’s a point, and you’re playing the best bet in the casino.
The Pass Line
Place your bet on the Pass Line before the come-out roll, the first roll of a round.
| Come-out roll | What happens |
|---|---|
| 7 or 11 | You win even money |
| 2, 3, or 12 | Craps. You lose |
| 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 | That number becomes the point |
With a point on, only two numbers matter. Roll the point again and you win. Roll a 7 first and it’s a seven-out: the line loses, and the dice pass to the next shooter.
Over time the house keeps 1.41% of Pass Line bets. That’s low for a casino game. It comes from the come-out: 7 and 11 win eight times out of 36, while 2, 3, and 12 lose four times out of 36, but once a point is on, a 7 is more likely than any point.
The Odds
Once a point is set, put more chips just behind your Pass Line bet. That’s taking the Odds. It wins when the Pass Line wins and loses when it loses, but it pays true odds: exactly what the chances say it should. The house has no edge on it.
| Number | Pass Odds |
|---|---|
| 4 | 2 to 1 |
| 5 | 3 to 2 |
| 6 | 6 to 5 |
| 8 | 6 to 5 |
| 9 | 3 to 2 |
| 10 | 2 to 1 |
Harder points pay more because 7 has six ways to roll: 6 or 8 has five ways, 5 or 9 has four, and 4 or 10 has only three.
At PlayCraps tables you can take up to 3x Odds on 4 and 10, 4x on 5 and 9, and 5x on 6 and 8. Tap “Max odds” and the table works it out.
A worked example
You bet $10 on the Pass Line. The shooter rolls a 6, so 6 is the point. You add $10 in Odds.
A few rolls later, the 6 comes back. The Pass Line pays $10 at even money. The Odds pay $12 at 6 to 5. That’s $22 in play money on a $20 bet.
Don’t Pass and Lay Odds
Don’t Pass is the other side. It wins on 2 or 3 on the come-out, loses on 7 or 11, and pushes on 12. After a point, it wins when a 7 comes before the point. The house edge is 1.36%, a hair lower than the Pass Line. You can lay odds behind it, which pay true odds the other way: 1 to 2 on 4 or 10.
It’s a fine bet. Just know that when you win, the rest of the table usually loses.
Why this matters
Every other bet in craps is measured against these two. Next, learn how to get more bets working with Come bets, or see how everything else stacks up in good bets, bad bets.