The Pass Line Bet
| Updated: The Pass Line Bet: The Most Fundamental Bet in Craps
With its incredible pace and staggering number of available bets, craps can be an intimidating casino game for first-time players. What is perceived to be a highly complex game, with a crowd of loud players standing around the table, however, is quite a simple and traditional dice game that depends purely on chance. It is perfectly suitable even for novices, who only need to know the two fundamental bets in order to play: the Pass Line and the Don’t Pass wagers. If you happen to be such a player, this article will equip you with all the knowledge you need to place these bets while playing craps.
Before delving into the basics of the Pass Line bet, we should shed some light on the importance of the different wagers in craps. As we all know, craps is among the oldest games invented by humankind, with many researchers believing its origins can be traced back to the Roman Empire or even further back in time, to Ancient Egypt some 4,600 years ago. Over the centuries, the game of dice has changed and evolved; new rules have been introduced, and new wagers have been devised.
One of the very few things that have probably remained the same since the beginning is the Pass Line bet – a wager on the shooter to win. The other fundamental wager, the Don’t Pass, was introduced in the 19th century by American dice maker John H. Winn, who is known today as the “Father of Modern Craps”. With the Don’t Pass, players can bet on the shooter to lose, and until its invention the game was considered quite unbalanced, as everyone could only bet against the house. In addition, many players simply resorted to cheating.
Then, Winn decided to make craps a little more interesting and fair, so he came up with the Don’t Pass. Gaming halls started to offer other wagers, and by the middle of the 20th century the simple game of dice had transformed into what we know as craps today – a fun, dynamic, and intriguing casino game with plenty of betting options. Still, there is no need to know them all in order to enjoy craps in land-based and online casinos. The two main wagers are the only bets novices should learn before starting to play, and the Pass Line bet is the more common and entertaining of the two.
What is the Pass Line Bet?
As explained above, the Pass Line wager is the most fundamental and straightforward bet in craps, but it is also the most commonly placed bet. It is believed that around 90 percent of all players at the table opt for it, whether they are complete novices or experienced gamblers. This is why, so often, when you look at a random craps table you will see the majority of people cheering together after a win or standing in anticipation of the next opportunity to win.
This is exactly what makes the game so interesting and entertaining, apart from the pure gambling aspect. So, what exactly is the Pass Line bet? When do you win, and when do you lose? Once the shooter throws the dice, the outcome is called a “come-out roll”, and it results in an automatic win or loss for Pass Line and Don’t Pass bettors. If the come-out roll is 7 or 11, the Pass Line bet wins, but if it is 2, 3, or 12, the bet loses. These three numbers are referred to as “craps”. If any other number comes out, further action is required, which will be explained in detail in the following sections.
In order to place a Pass Line wager, you need to put your chips on its respective area on the craps table. It is easy to reach from anywhere, as this long, narrow area lies on the outer edge of the betting layout and surrounds all other areas at the two ends of the table. Players can place the wager themselves without asking for assistance from the dealers or the stickman.
While this may not sound difficult, landing a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll is far from guaranteed, and the odds are stacked against you. The following sections include more detailed information about the odds, the payout for a Pass Line bet, and the house edge you need to overcome.
Possible Outcomes of the Pass Line Bet
There are three possible outcomes when you place a Pass Line bet on the come-out roll. Two of them are quite straightforward – if the total of the two dice is 7 or 11, you win and receive an even payout, and if it is craps (2, 3, or 12), you lose. Whenever any of these occurs, the next throw of the dice will also be considered a come-out roll, and the game continues in the same manner.
But what if any of the other numbers land in the come-out roll? This is the third possible outcome that makes the game of craps much more interesting, even if you are betting on or against the dice just like most novices do.
The Point
The third outcome occurs when the numbers on the two dice total 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. The total thrown is called a “point”, and the shooter needs to roll the dice until they land the point again for the Pass Line bet to win. If the dice land on 7 before that, however, those who have placed their chips on the Pass Line lose. When 7 is rolled first, this is called a seven-out.
As you can clearly see, rolling a 7 in this case results in a loss. It is important to know that 7 is the number most likely to be rolled. For this reason, players should always wait for a come-out roll if they wish to bet on the Pass Line. As the game of craps is very dynamic, it can be confusing to keep track of the rolls – whether this is the shooter’s second or third roll, or maybe it is the come-out. This is where the puck becomes useful.
The Puck
Players who find it hard to keep track of all the bets and rolls can look at the marker puck. This is a small disk that is usually placed beside the betting layout – it looks just like a hockey puck and has two sides. When it shows its black side, marked with “Off”, the shooter is throwing a come-out roll and it is the perfect time to place a Pass Line bet.
When the point has been established, however, the dealer indicates it by flipping the puck to its white side. It says “On”, and the puck will be moved to the corresponding box of the point number. As explained above, this could be 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. Whenever the puck is white and placed on any of these numbers, players should not place a Pass Line wager, because 7 will lose, while only repeating the point number will bring them a win.
Pass Line Bet House Edge and Payout
Craps is based on chance, which means the outcome of every roll depends on statistical probability rather than on any decision-making by the player. This is why understanding the mathematical aspect of the game is important, especially for those who plan to play it regularly. Craps is played with two dice, each offering six possible outcomes. The total number of combinations is 36, with the totals 2 and 12 each having only one possible combination (1-1 and 6-6).
The Pass Line wager wins if one of two totals is rolled on the come-out, namely 7 or 11. The 7 can be formed with the most possible combinations – six (1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 6-1, 5-2, and 4-3), so the probability of rolling 7 is 6/36, or exactly 16.67%. The other alternative, throwing 11, has a probability of 5.56% (2/36), with two possible combinations, namely 5-6 and 6-5.
The probability of the Pass Line bet winning on the come-out roll is therefore the sum of the probabilities for 7 and 11, which is 8/36 or about 22%. However, the overall probability of this bet winning involves more calculations related to the third outcome of the come-out roll, namely the so-called “point”. This is when neither 7, 11, nor craps is tossed and the total of the two dice is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. In this case, another rule comes into play and the actual odds of winning the bet are around 49%, while the odds of losing are slightly higher at 51%.
Of course, players need to understand that this percentage is theoretical and after each bet has been resolved, they either win or lose. If the wager in this case is $100, they can either end up with $200 in their pocket (the bet plus the payout) or they can lose it all. The house edge is useful from a statistical point of view and shows you how likely you are to win or lose in a particular game. To be more precise, it shows how much you can expect to win or lose on average after playing a large number of games or rounds.
Note that the house edge percentage also applies to an indefinite number of games – at least hundreds of thousands. When it comes to playing for a shorter period of time, the result can be very different. In addition, although the 1.41% house edge applies to the Pass Line bet when resolved, it works out to only 0.42% per roll.
Pass Line Bet Patterns
Instead of placing a single bet on the table, many players prefer combination bets that allow them to reduce risk while playing. There are several bets that combine well with the Pass Line wager to create patterns of varied risk and house edge. While some can be used by beginners, others are recommended for experienced players who will find these strategies useful and easy to understand.
Below, you will find three common Pass Line bet patterns, along with short and straightforward descriptions of some additional bets. Each combination is suitable for a different type of player, depending on individual risk tolerance, level of experience, and bankroll size.
Pass Bet with 1 Come Number
Before looking at this relatively simple pattern, we should explain the basics of Come bets. They are quite similar to Pass Line wagers, but instead of being placed before the come-out roll, they are made once the point has already been established. The chips for them are placed on large rectangular boxes in the middle of the betting layout that simply say “Come”.
This bet wins when the dice land on 7 or 11 and loses when the craps numbers are thrown (2, 3, 12), which mirrors the rules for the Pass Line during the come-out roll. When any of the point numbers is rolled, another point is established and the Come bet wins when the shooter rolls the same point before throwing a 7. Similarly to the Pass wager, if the dice land on 7 before a point number has been rolled, the bet loses. The Come bet pays out evenly and has a house edge of 1.41%.
This is a safe, conservative strategy that allows players to reduce their losses even when the rolls seem to be against them. This is why it can be used by less-experienced players as well. The double odds on the Come bet work similarly to free-odds bets, providing better payouts for winning wagers. This way, the house edge is nearly eliminated.
Pass Bet with 2 Come Numbers
This pattern is similar to the strategy discussed above, but it adds another Come bet to the equation. Of course, the second Come bet cannot be placed before the original point is established, so players need to wait until a point number is determined, the dice are rolled for the second time, and neither their Pass Line nor their Come wagers win or lose.
In this case, they can place a second Come bet and support it with double odds once again. This move allows them to have three point numbers working for them. As you can imagine, the house edge remains lower than usual at 0.6% as long as the Come bets are backed with double odds. It is important to understand that whenever the Pass Line bet wins, the two Come bets are returned to the player. The reason is very simple – once the Pass Line bet wins, the puck flips to show “Off” and the next come-out roll is in order.
As the Come bets and their odds are not active during come-out rolls, the chips go back to the player. Alternatively, they can remain on the same boxes they were moved to, waiting for the point numbers to be rolled. In theory, it may seem difficult to understand, but in practice this strategy is much less complex. Because the chips for the Come bets are returned, the risk is not particularly high, even though more money is wagered until the bet is resolved.
Pass Bet with 2 Come Numbers, 6-8 Place Bet
This is a riskier and more aggressive betting strategy where much more money is at stake. At the same time, more numbers and possible scenarios are covered. To use this pattern, players start with a Pass Line bet and support it with double odds. Then, they make two Come bets with double odds, and depending on the next roll, they can make one or two Place bets.
If none of the point numbers covers 6 or 8, players bet on one of these numbers or on both of them, depending on what has landed up to that point. When the Place bets are made, they should be backed with double odds as well. With this strategy, players can have up to five numbers covered, which increases their chances of winning. Still, whenever the shooter throws 7, all these bets lose.
Since 7 is the number with the highest probability of being rolled, this Pass Line bet pattern remains quite vulnerable to it. Another important thing to know is that the house edge climbs to 1.52% due to the wagers on 6 and 8. Therefore, this strategy should not be used lightly or by players who do not have a deep understanding of the basics of the game. Craps is, after all, a game of chance, and even though you can calculate the probability of each roll of the dice, it does not give you any guarantees.