How Craps Bets Work: Pass Line, Don't Pass, and Come Bets
Craps is built around a few core bets that shape the action: the Pass Line, Don't Pass, Come, and Don't Come. The Pass Line is the simplest — you win immediately if the come-out roll is 7 or 11, lose on 2, 3, or 12, and any other number becomes the point that must be rolled again before a 7 to win. The Don't Pass is the opposite: you win on 2 or 3, lose on 7 or 11, and 12 is typically a push; when a point is established, you win if a 7 appears before the point. The Come and Don't Come bets act like fresh Pass/Don't Pass bets but are placed after a point is established, taking the next roll as a new come-out for those bets. These core pass/don’t pass-type bets are foundational because they carry the lowest house edges among common table options and interact with the widely used “odds” bets. Understanding the mechanics and resolution order is crucial: craps settles in a specific order (pass line, can’t bet changes, then others), and dealers will resolve bets according to the table’s protocol. New players should practice mentally tracking the point and recognizing which numbers correspond to the best follow-up bets. Beyond these, there are many proposition and place bets that offer different payouts and risks, but the Pass/Come family is where the most mathematically sound play begins.
Understanding True Odds and Payouts: Odds Bets and Payout Ratios
True odds refer to the actual probability of hitting a certain number before a 7 is rolled; casinos often pay “true odds” on the separate odds bet, which is one reason this bet is so valuable. For example, on the point of 4 or 10, the true odds are 2-to-1 against making the point (because there are three ways to roll a 7 and two ways to roll a 4). For a point of 5 or 9, true odds are 3-to-2; for 6 or 8, they are 6-to-5. Casinos typically allow players to back their Pass/Come (or Don't variants) with an odds bet that pays at these true odds, meaning no extra house edge is applied to that portion of the wager. However, the base Pass Line bet has a small built-in house edge (about 1.41%), so the combined house edge of a Pass Line plus odds stack decreases as more odds are added, because the odds bet itself is neutral. Payout ratios vary table-to-table for non-odds side bets (e.g., place bets, field bets, proposition bets); some pay at unfair ratios relative to true odds, increasing the house advantage. Always compare the payout quote to the probability: if the payout is lower than the true odds, the casino earns a margin. Pragmatically, when allowed unlimited or large multiple odds, players should maximize odds bets after placing the base Pass/Come to reduce effective house edge on their total funds committed.
House Edge Explained: Which Bets Favor the Player
House edge is the average percentage of each bet the casino expects to keep over the long run. It’s computed from the difference between true probabilities and payouts. In craps, the bet with one of the best house edges is the Pass/Come combined with full odds (which can drop the effective edge well below 0.5% depending on how many odds are permitted). The Don't Pass/Don't Come have slightly lower edges on the base bet than Pass Line in many cases (about 1.36%), and combined with odds they’re similarly attractive. Place bets on 6 and 8 paid at 7:6 have decent edges if used properly, but place bets and buy bets often have higher costs due to less favorable payouts and vigorish (a commission on buy bets). Conversely, proposition bets such as Any 7, Hardways, and single-roll bets can carry enormous edges — often 9% up to 16% or more — and are essentially “sucker bets” in long-run play. The Field can be tempting due to immediate payouts, but its long-term edge depends on whether 2 and 12 are paid at double; even then, it’s worse than Pass Line with odds. Understanding which bets favor the player is less about winning every session and more about minimizing expected loss per dollar wagered; that’s why disciplined players concentrate action on Pass/Come with odds and perhaps place bets on 6/8, avoiding high-edge prop bets except for entertainment-sized wagers.
Betting Strategy and Bankroll Management for Craps Players
A solid craps strategy balances bet selection with bankroll sizing and variance tolerance. First, prioritize low-house-edge bets: Pass/Come with the maximum allowed odds, or Don’t Pass/Don’t Come with odds, reduce long-term expected loss. Decide on a unit size that is a small fraction of your total bankroll — common practical rules are 1-2% per session or smaller units when stakes are large — to endure the variance of both point cycles and cold tables. Use odds bets not to chase unlikely outs but to reduce the casino’s cut on your total capital in play. Avoid big multi-roll proposition bets and the Any 7 or Any Craps lines as primary plays; they can result in large, quick losses. Consider employing flat-betting (same amount each shooter) or proportional betting (adjusting stake to bankroll changes) rather than Martingale-type progression systems; progression systems can fail catastrophically during losing streaks. Keep track of table limits and how many odds your table allows — “3-4-5x odds” means you can place 3x on 4/10, 4x on 5/9, 5x on 6/8 and these multipliers matter for edge reduction. Finally, define stop-loss and stop-win points before you start; craps has huge short-term swings, and emotional decision-making increases losses. Good bankroll management plus focusing on the mathematically sound bets gives you the best chance to enjoy play with minimized expected losses.
