Mastering Pass Line and Don't Pass Bets

The Pass Line and Don't Pass bets form the backbone of sound craps strategy because they offer some of the lowest house edges on the table when played correctly. The Pass Line is a bet for the shooter: on the come-out roll, a 7 or 11 wins immediately and 2, 3, or 12 lose (12 is a push in many casinos). If a point is established (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10), the Pass Line bet wins if the shooter rolls the point again before a 7. The house edge for the Pass Line is about 1.41% without taking odds. Conversely, the Don't Pass bet is effectively wagering against the shooter: a come-out 2 or 3 wins, 12 is often a push, and 7 or 11 lose. When a point is established, the Don't Pass wins if a 7 appears before the point. The house edge on Don't Pass is slightly better at about 1.36% (depending on the casino’s 12 rule), making it the mathematically superior base bet.

Both bets become stronger when combined with odds bets. The “odds” are additional wagers placed behind the Pass or Don’t Pass that have zero house edge because they pay true odds. While the odds themselves don’t change the house edge of the base bet, they dilute it when added proportionally. For example, taking 3x or 5x odds effectively reduces the overall house edge of the combined wager to well below 1% if you always take maximum odds. The practical takeaway: prioritize Pass or Don’t Pass as your primary bets, understand the subtle difference between playing with the shooter (Pass) and against them (Don’t Pass), and always use odds when the table rules allow it.

Leveraging Come and Don't Come Strategies

Come and Don’t Come bets are functionally identical to Pass and Don’t Pass but can be made after the point is established, providing flexibility to capitalize on favorable rolls during a shooter’s sequence. A Come bet on a non-come-out roll behaves like a fresh Pass Line bet: the next roll becomes the Come’s “come-out” for that wager, with 7 or 11 paying and 2, 3, 12 losing/pushing depending on house rules. After a number is set for the Come bet, you can take odds behind it. Similarly, a Don’t Come bet acts like a separate Don’t Pass wager placed after the point, allowing you to bet against later-established numbers.

A strategic approach is to combine a primary Pass/Don’t Pass stake with multiple Come/Don’t Come bets to diversify exposure across points. For example, if you’re on the Pass Line, adding Come bets on the 6 and 8 (or any other numbers you prefer) and taking odds behind them can distribute your action and reduce variance compared to betting heavily on a single outcome. The house edge on Come/Don’t Come mirrors Pass/Don’t Pass, so they are similarly attractive for low-edge play—provided you manage the odds properly.

Avoid chaining too many Come/Don’t Come bets into small incremental sizes that cumulatively create undue volatility or force you into proposition bets to recoup losses. Another useful tactic is to mirror a Don’t Pass stance with Don’t Come bets when the shooter is in a “cold” stretch, then switch to Pass/Come when the roll flow changes—though switching frequently can increase complexity. In all cases, keep the focus on using these bets as vehicles for maximizing odds usage and keeping the mathematical advantage as close to zero house edge as possible.

Using Odds and Place Bets to Minimize Edge

The most powerful tool in reducing the house edge in craps is the odds bet. Unlike every other wager on the table, the odds bet pays true odds and carries no house edge. Casinos limit odds by a multiple (e.g., 2x, 3x, 5x, 10x) of your base Pass, Don’t Pass, Come, or Don’t Come bet. The larger the allowable odds and the more you use them, the closer your overall expected loss approaches zero. For instance, taking 3x odds on the Pass Line reduces the combined edge dramatically compared to Pass Line alone. Where possible, prioritize taking the maximum odds allowed by the table before making other side bets.

Place bets are another way to achieve favorable expected value relative to many proposition bets when used correctly. Placing the 6 or 8 pays 7:6 on a successful hit and has a house edge of around 1.52%—slightly worse than Pass Line with odds but better than many other alternatives. The 5 and 9, with pay 7:5, carry a higher edge (~4%), and the 4 and 10 are worse (~6.7%). A common low-edge strategy is to place only the 6 and 8 (or use them as the primary place bets) and avoid 4/10 unless odds or a buy (with commission) makes them more attractive.

Buy bets let you pay a small commission (typically 5%) to get true odds on 4 and 10, improving the house edge relative to standard place betting when you plan to make a large bet or when the commission is applied only on wins. Similarly, laying a bet against a number (lay bet) can be efficient if you place a larger stake and the payout structure favors you after commission. Always do the math: using odds first, then employing place/buy/lay for specific numbers, and avoiding sucker bets (proposition bets, one-roll craps/yo, hardways) will lower your long-term loss rate.

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Bankroll Management and Table Selection

Even the lowest-house-edge strategy will suffer if bankroll management and table selection are poor. First, set a session bankroll that you can afford to lose and define a unit size that allows meaningful odds usage without quickly depleting funds. A common guideline is to set a base unit that is 0.5–2% of your session bankroll; this preserves room to take odds multiples (2x, 3x, 5x) without overexposure. Avoid betting a large percentage of your bankroll on a single shooter or a single roll; craps is high-variance, and prudent units help you weather cold streaks.

Table selection matters: seek tables with low minimums and liberal odds (e.g., 3x, 5x, or 10x) so you can scale odds relative to your base bet. High-minimum tables often force you into betting patterns that make odds impossible or unaffordable. Also look for tables where the dealers and players allow a steady pace that suits your strategy—if a table is dominated by noisy proposition-bet players, variance tends to spike and the atmosphere can be distracting.

Finally, define stop-loss and stop-win rules. Decide in advance when to quit a session—whether after a percentage gain, a time limit, or a preset loss threshold. This prevents emotional chasing and helps lock in gains when the table is hot. Keep betting patterns consistent, avoid one-roll temptations (proposition bets and any “sucker” exotic wagers), and focus on low-edge bets plus odds. Over many sessions, disciplined bankroll control combined with mathematically sound betting choices is the most reliable way to reduce the casino’s long-term edge and preserve your bankroll for continued play.