Understanding Pass Line and Don’t Pass Odds
The Pass Line is the most basic and widely recommended bet in craps because it combines a relatively low house edge with simple mechanics. On the come-out roll, a shooter rolling 7 or 11 wins Pass Line bets immediately; rolling 2, 3, or 12 loses (12 is a push on Don’t Pass in some houses but a loss on Pass). Any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) becomes the point. Once a point is established, the shooter must roll that number again before rolling a 7 for Pass Line bets to win. The raw Pass Line house edge—including the entire sequence of outcomes—is roughly 1.41% when no odds are taken. That means on average you lose $1.41 for every $100 wagered in the long run.
Don’t Pass is the “opposite” bet: you win on come-out 2 or 3, lose on 7 or 11, and 12 is usually a push (house rule dependent). After a point, you win if a 7 is rolled before the point. Don’t Pass has a slightly lower house edge—about 1.36%—because ties on 12 are pushes and some probability asymmetries favor the 7 slightly. The best mathematical advantage for either of these bets comes when the casino offers free odds: after the point is established you can place an additional “odds” bet behind your Pass or Don’t Pass that pays true odds (no house edge). Casinos typically offer odds at multiples like 2x, 3x, 5x, 10x, etc. The combined house edge for Pass Line + maximum allowed odds approaches zero as the odds fraction increases. For example, with 3x odds the combined house edge falls below 0.5% and with 10x odds it approaches a few tenths of a percent. Practically, the recommended approach for mathematically minded players is to make the base Pass/Don’t Pass bet and then take as much free odds as your bankroll and table limits allow, because those odds have no inherent house edge and dilute the impact of the Pass Line’s built-in edge.
How Come Bets Work and Their Odds
Come bets operate like a Pass Line made after a point has already been established. If you place a Come bet, the next roll acts as a come-out for that particular wager: 7 or 11 wins the Come, 2, 3, or 12 loses (12 often a push depending on house rules), and other numbers establish a “Come point” for that specific bet. Once a Come point is set (say a 6), your Come bet is resolved by rolling a 6 again before a 7. Each Come bet can be backed by free odds once its point is established, identical to Pass Line odds. This flexibility makes Come bets popular for players who want multiple independent bets across different numbers without changing the table’s main point.
Probability-wise, Come bets inherit the same per-number probabilities as Pass Line bets but apply them to their own micro-point. The house edge on the Come bet itself mirrors the Pass Line base edge—about 1.41%—before odds. Adding the free odds behind Come bets again reduces the effective house edge proportionally. One practical nuance is bankroll management: players often place multiple small Come bets and max odds on each, creating diversified exposure across several numbers. For example, placing $5 Come bets on 6 and 8 with 5x odds spreads risk and offers favorable payouts because 6 and 8 have better true odds (5:6 payout on place later, etc.). Remember that each Come bet is independent—winning or losing on one does not affect another.
A strategic wrinkle: bettors sometimes use Come bets to “ride” a hot shooter without switching to Don’t Pass (which would bet against the shooter). Because each Come bet acts independently, you can build a layered portfolio of odds behind several active Come points. However, every Come base bet still carries the base house edge until diluted by odds, so the more base units you lay down relative to odds, the greater the casino’s expected cut. Optimal play for value-oriented players is small base Come bets with as much odds as table limits and bankroll permit.
Place Bets: Probabilities and Strategy
Place bets allow you to bet on specific numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) being rolled before a 7, but they differ from Pass/Come mechanics because they pay fixed payouts set by the casino instead of true odds unless you use odds behind Pass/Come. When you “place” a number, you’re wagering directly on that number’s probability of being rolled first. Payouts vary: common casino payouts for place bets are 9:5 on 4 and 10, 7:5 on 5 and 9, and 7:6 on 6 and 8 (exact payouts can vary—some casinos pay 7:6 on 6/8, which is more player-friendly than 6:5). These payout structures create different implicit house edges: place 6 and 8 are typically the best-value place bets because they are rolled more frequently (5 combinations each out of 36).
To understand the math, compare true odds vs. payout odds. For example, the true chance of rolling a 6 before a 7 is 5/11 (because with outcomes relevant to 6 and 7, there are 5 ways to roll 6 and 6 ways to roll 7), which implies fair payout of 6:5. A casino paying 7:6 or close to that is essentially fair; paying only 6:5 inflates the house edge. Practically, place 6 and 8 have house edges often below 2%, whereas place 4 and 10 can have edges above 4% depending on payout. Players looking for lower volatility than Pass/Come with fewer roll-to-roll swings sometimes prefer place bets on 6 and 8 for steady returns. Another tactic is “laying” a number—that is, betting that a 7 will come before the number—which is the inverse place bet and often has different payout math and vigorish.
Place bets are also useful for portfolio diversification at the table: combining a Pass Line with place bets on 6 and 8 can provide both the free-odds benefit and consistent wins on frequently rolled numbers. However, be mindful that place bets do not benefit from free odds and thus typically carry a higher house edge than the Pass Line + odds combo. Risk-tolerant players might use heavier place darts when the shooter is hot, but value players should prefer maximizing free odds behind Pass/Come first, then consider place bets as complementary bets primarily on 6 and 8.
Proposition Bets: High Risk, High House Edge
Proposition bets (prop bets) are the short-term, one-roll or specific-outcome wagers at the center of the craps table—things like Any 7, Any Craps (2, 3, or 12), Hardways (hard 4, 6, 8, 10), Horn bets, and specific double or single-roll combinations. These bets are seductive because of their large payouts and immediate resolution, but they come with some of the highest house edges in the casino. For instance, Any 7 typically pays 4:1 on a 6/36 probability (one-roll chance of 7) which yields a house edge around 16.67%. Any Craps often pays 7:1 or 8:1 depending on venue; because craps (2,3,12) have a combined 4/36 chance, payout structures dramatically affect house edge, but it generally remains high—around 11-12% at typical payouts.
Hardways are bets that a double (like two 3s for a hard 6) will be rolled before the number is made the easy way or a 7 appears. Their payouts are lucrative, for example 9:1 on a hard 6 or 8, but the probability of a hard 6 hitting before a 7 or easy 6 is low, so their house edge often exceeds 9%. Horn and Whirl bets split a single wager across multiple one-roll propositions, which can be fun but usually produce worse expected returns than concentrating on a single lower-house-edge bet.
Because prop bets resolve quickly, variance is extremely high. That makes them attractive for entertainment, quick swings, and the excitement they add to a session. From a pure expectation perspective, prop bets are typically suboptimal if your goal is to preserve bankroll or maximize long-term returns. However, you can still use them judiciously: set a strict small portion of your gambling bankroll for prop-bet entertainment (e.g., 5-10%), and avoid using them to chase losses from lower-house-edge bets. Recognize also that many casual players accept these bets for the thrill and social dynamics of craps; mathematically, treat them like a tip, not an investment.
