Pass Line Craps Bet: Beginner's Guide

Bill Collins
Written by Bill Collins
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Bill Collins

Professional Craps Player
  • Author of the craps novel, "Vegas Fever";
  • 20+ years of successful craps experience, consistently winning since 2003;
  • Professional writer of Craps guides, with numerous articles published;
  • Admin of Facebook group "Craps Crusher" with 4.2k+ members, offering daily insights into effective craps strategies.
Vlad Mihalache
Editorial review by Vlad Mihalache
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Vlad Mihalache

Online Gambling and Slots Specialist
  • Accomplished content strategist and editor with over 6 years of experience in the iGaming industry;
  • Specializes in blackjack strategies, slots, and gambling addiction;
  • Online gambling expert with 2500+ articles written and reviewed;
  • Strong advocate for responsible gambling with comprehensive knowledge of gambling trends and addiction.
Beginner
icon-thumb-up 93% icon-clock-grey 7 min
icon-calendar Updated on Feb 19, 2024

Most new shooters start their journey by making a pass line craps bets, with the maximum odds the casino allows added after the point is established.  

On a regular craps table, the point is set on numbers from 4 through 10, while on the crapless version, it will be established on numbers from 2 through 12. 

In this guide, pro craps player Bill Collins will show you exactly how to use the pass line bet to your advantage and get consistent wins at the online craps table.

Here's what you will learn:

Let’s dive right in!

What is the Pass Line Craps Bet and When Should You Make It?

The pass line in craps is played by putting at least a minimum bet on the area marked “PASS LINE” in front of you. It becomes available either when a new shooter gets the dice after the previous shooter has 7’ed out, or when the same shooter wins his point and the On/Off puck is flipped to “OFF”. 

Suppose you’ve made your pass line bet and the shooter just tossed the dice. You lose your pass line bet if a craps, a 2, 3, or 12 rolls before a point number. 

If a 7 or an 11 rolls before a point number, you win even money on your pass line bet. If any other number rolls, that becomes the shooter’s point that he has to repeat before tossing a losing 7 to win pass line bets.

Be aware

If your pass line bet is lost to a craps, it will be swept away by the dealer and you will have to replace it if you want to have pass line action in play for the next roll of the dice.

Once the point is established, you may put up to the casino’s maximum odds bet behind your pass line bet, just on your side of the area marked PASS LINE.

Odds bets pay off at true odds, which means that the casino has no advantage on odds bets. 

Pass line odds bets in craps made when 5 or 9 is the point should always be in even dollar amounts for them to pay you full odds when you win. 

The odds and payouts for winning the pass line bet

There are four different payouts and odds for the pass line craps bet: 

  1. The pass line craps bet itself pays off at 1 to 1 when won
  2. Odds on 6 and 8 pay off at 6 to 5
  3. Odds on 5 and 9 pay off at 3 to 2
  4. Odds on 4 and 10 pay off at 2 to 1.

Where is the Pass Line Bet Located on the Table?

The pass line is about a 6 to 8-inch wide strip that runs around the table about a foot inside the outer edge of the table so that it is easily reached by all players, as it is a self-service bet you make yourself. It is clearly labeled “PASS LINE” in several places around the table. 

Recommendation

If you want to expand your craps knowledge even further, check out the craps table layout guide. You will learn about all the different areas on the table and some pro tips that will help you use them to your advantage.

Why Do Most Players Prefer This Bet?

Most players prefer this bet to play what is called “a game within a game” on those come out rolls. 

Everyone knows that the shooter, when the shooter has a pass line bet down, the shooter is trying to win his pass line bet by intentionally tossing a winning 7 or 11 on their come-out rolls. 

Fun fact

Some players seem to have the ability to roll 7’s and 11’s several times in a row before ever getting their point established on a number, which lets them rake in wins several times during this “game within a game” that come-out rolls are with pass line bets wagered.

Can You Combine the Pass Line Bet with a Field Bet?

You can make a field bet on any roll, including come out rolls. So, yes. You can combine those two bets, but doing so doesn’t give you any special advantage.

Can you Bet the Pass Line After the Come-out Roll?

No. You can only make a pass line roll before the point is established. You can always make a come bet after the point is established and it will play just like a newly place pass line bet does, in regards to if wins or loses on the shooter’s next rolls. 

The same rules apply to come bets. 

When the come bet point number is established, the dealer will move your come bet from the come bet area in the center of the table to the number that just rolled and became your come bet number. 

Then you’ll be able to add come bet odds, if you wish. They work just the same as pass line odds for the number that your come bet is on. 

You may make as many come bets in a row as you like and they will all work the same way. But they all lose at the same time when that 7 finally rolls. 

Come bets and Pass Line bets are contract bets that you lose control over until they are decided. When you win a come bet, it and any odds are paid off and your original bet and odds, if any, are returned to you with your winnings.

How Much Do you Win on the Pass Line Craps Bet at the Casino with 20x Odds?

If you have a $10 pass line bet, then put 20x odds on it and won, you would be paid $10 for your $10 pass line bet and 20 times your odds bet. 

  • If the point was 4 or 10, you would get $400 in odds payoff on your $200 odds bet. 
  • If the point was 5 or 9, you would $300 in odds payoff on your $200 odds bet.
  • If the point was 6 or 8, you would get $240 in odds payoff on your $200 odds bet.

Bill’s Thoughts on the Pass Line Craps Bet - “The Doey/Don’t”

I don’t care to play the “game within a game” on come-out rolls, because I usually put down big working inside or across bets that win much more, ($98) when they are rolled, so I am not trying to roll a 7 or 11 to win my $10 pass line bet. 

I’m going for the big payoff I get for rolling an across number (4, 5, 6 8, 9, or 10). Not everyone bets like I do, but it works well for me.

Just the fact that the casino wants me to make pass line bets is enough for me to shy away from making them.

What I do instead is bet $10 on the pass line and an offsetting $10 bet on don’t pass. 

That is called a “Doey/Don’t” and I only make it because I am required to have at least a minimum bet on the pass line to shoot the dice.

I can’t win any money on that Doey/don’t bet, because when one bet wins, the other bet loses an equal amount. I will even lose my pass line bet without winning my don’t pass bet when a come-out 12 rolls. I just view that, which rarely happens, as the price I pay to be able to shoot the dice.

I never make a pass line bet when someone else is the shooter. I’d rather make place bets after the point is established, because I have complete control over how they are played as the shooting turn develops. 

I can turn off place bets, make them larger or smaller at any time, move them to another number at will or just take them down because they are not contract bets.

The Bottom Line

This marks the end of our Pass Line Craps bet guide.

If you are a complete beginner, the information will come in handy when you sit at the craps table for the first time. I highly suggest reading my guide on how to play craps to get familiar with all the game rules.

Bill’s recommendation is to master the pass line bet before you move on to more advanced concepts. 

Of course, this bet alone won’t be enough for your long-term success, but it is a great starting point. 

If you want to discover more advanced bets and strategies, we highly recommend checking our craps guide collection.

Have fun!

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Bill Collins

Bill Collins

Professional Craps Player

About Bill Collins

  • Author of the craps novel, "Vegas Fever";
  • 20+ years of successful craps experience, consistently winning since 2003;
  • Professional writer of Craps guides, with numerous articles published;
  • Admin of Facebook group "Craps Crusher" with 4.2k+ members, offering daily insights into effective craps strategies.
Read Full Bio
Vlad Mihalache

Vlad Mihalache

Online Gambling and Slots Specialist

About Vlad Mihalache

  • Accomplished content strategist and editor with over 6 years of experience in the iGaming industry;
  • Specializes in blackjack strategies, slots, and gambling addiction;
  • Online gambling expert with 2500+ articles written and reviewed;
  • Strong advocate for responsible gambling with comprehensive knowledge of gambling trends and addiction.
Read Full Bio
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