Understanding what is the pass line in craps starts with the come-out roll, the first throw of a new round.
A chip on the pass line backs the shooter to roll a natural 7 or 11 for an instant 1:1 win, accepts a loss on 2, 3, or 12, and then chases the established point number until either that total hits again or a 7 wipes the bet out.
What Is the Pass Line in Craps on the Come-Out Roll?
On a new round, the shooter places chips on the pass line and rolls the come-out. That first roll decides whether the bet wins instantly, loses at once, or moves into the “point” stage, where the number to chase is set.
The pass line bet sits near the rail for a reason; it tells the dealer and other players that this wager backs the shooter for the whole sequence. On the come-out roll:
- Natural winners: A total of 7 or 11 on the dice wins immediately at even money. There are 8 winning combinations out of 36 possible outcomes here, which gives the pass line a strong first push before the point is set.
- Craps losers: Totals of 2, 3, or 12 lose the pass line at once. That group covers 4 combinations out of 36, so the house gains back some of the edge created by those natural winners.
- Point numbers: Any other total, usually 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, becomes the point. The pass line bet then shifts into a second phase where the shooter tries to roll that point again before a 7 appears, setting up the long-run house edge that later sections will unpack.
Odds, Payouts, and House Edge
A pass line bet in a live casino pays even money: a 10-dollar chip wins 10 dollars, but the house still holds about a 1.41 percent edge on the flat pass line under standard rules with no odds, a common figure in casino math guides.
Over 1,000 identical 10-dollar wagers, that edge implies an average loss of around 141 dollars and an RTP near 98.59 percent. On the come-out roll, 7 and 11 win, 2, 3, and 12 lose, and any other total sets a point.
Once a point exists, the race between that number and a 7 decides the outcome. Points of 4 and 10 are made about one-third of the time before a seven-out, 5 and 9 around 40 percent, and 6 or 8 roughly 45 percent; that mix of wins and losses generates the 1.41 percent edge.
What Is the Don’t Pass Line vs the Pass Line?
On the come-out roll for don’t pass, 2 or 3 wins, 7 and 11 lose, and 12 usually pushes under US casino rules. Making 12 a push stops it from being a perfect mirror of the pass line, but slightly lowers the house edge for don’t pass.
Once a point is marked, the don’t pass bet wins if a 7 appears before that point repeats. Across enough decisions, it produces a house edge of around 1.36 percent on the flat bet alone, slightly lower than the flat pass line. Adding don’t odds works like pass line odds and further trims the combined edge while increasing swings, using the same point odds applied in reverse.
Over 1,000 wagers at 10 dollars each, pass line play implies an average loss near 141 dollars, while the same action on don’t pass trends closer to 136 dollars.
Using True Odds Behind the Pass Line
Once the point is set, many players push a second chip or stack behind the original wager. That add-on is the free odds bet behind the flat pass line stake. The odds portion pays true mathematical odds on each point — 2:1 on 4 or 10, 3:2 on 5 or 9, and 6:5 on 6 or 8 — so that slice of the wager carries a 0 percent house edge.
The house edge on the combined position still sits above zero, because the flat pass line part holds its usual 1.41 percent, but it shrinks as the odds multiple rises. Common odds structures include:
- Single odds: Odds bet can match the flat stake only, such as 10 dollars flat and 10 dollars odds, which cuts the combined edge to about 0.85 percent.
- Double odds: Odds can be up to twice the flat bet, so a 10-dollar pass line stake can support 20 dollars in odds, bringing the combined edge down to roughly 0.61 percent.
- 3x–4x–5x odds: The most common structure in many real money mobile casinos, with 3x allowed on 4 and 10, 4x on 5 and 9, and 5x on 6 and 8, concentrating more money on frequent points and dropping the edge toward 0.40 percent on fully backed bets.
- High multiple odds (up to 10x or higher): Found at selected properties, these versions let experienced players risk larger stacks at true odds, pulling the combined edge close to 0.20 percent but with sharp swings on every point.
How Craps Pass Line Compares With Other Bets
The pass line sits near the low end of the house edge scale, yet it shares the layout with wagers that carry far steeper odds against the player. The table below sets the craps pass line alongside several regular options and gives a sense of how risk and reward differ.
Bet type House edge % Typical payout on main hit Example exposure per roll | Pass line 1.41 1:1 10 dollars flat | Don’t pass 1.36 1:1 10 dollars flat | Come 1.41 1:1 10 dollars per new come bet | Place 6 or 8 1.52 7:6 12 dollars place bet | Field (2 pays 2x, 12 pays 3x) 2.78 1:1 on most wins 10 dollars per roll |
Payout data here draws on regulator-approved rules for craps generated on Interblock terminals in Washington from March 2024 and standard craps odds tables from Wizard of Odds. All percentage figures here assume standard Las Vegas-style payout schedules; local rule tweaks can shift edges slightly.
In practice, that spread means a player staking 10 dollars over 1,000 decisions would expect roughly 141 dollars in long-run loss on a flat pass line, around 152 dollars on a constant place 6 strategy, and close to 278 dollars on a pure field habit at 2.78 percent edge.
By contrast, a one-roll prop such as Any Seven usually carries a house edge of about 16.67 percent, which shows how sharply risk jumps once you leave the main line bets.
Short sessions might break those patterns for a while, yet the long sample math leans steadily toward the percentages shown here.
How Pass Line Play Works in Different Casinos
In a busy pit, the pass line stretches along the edge of the layout, while online RNG tables show the same bet in a fixed band at the bottom of the screen, with bet sliders or chip icons controlling stake size and minimum wagers around 0.50 to 1 dollar.
In both formats, rules for wins, losses, and odds on the pass line match the standard math, so once players learn the sequence in one setting, the same logic applies in the other.
Table limits shape how the pass line plays. A 15-dollar minimum with 3x–4x–5x odds creates an effective minimum exposure of 75 dollars on strong points such as 6 and 8 when players back their bets fully.
On a quieter 10-dollar table before prime time, a flat bet with single odds keeps that exposure near 20 dollars, which softens swings for smaller bankrolls.
Pass Line Bet in Craps Strategy
Strategy around a pass line bet centers on stake sizing, odds usage, and how many extra bets to bring into each round. A structured plan replaces impulse decisions with fixed rules, so the pass line stays steady while other wagers come and go.
- Fix pass line size as a session fraction: Pick a flat stake equal to 1 or 2 percent of the total bankroll, such as 5 dollars on the line for a 250-dollar session.
- Add odds under clear rules: Decide in advance when to back the pass line with odds, such as always taking full odds on points of 6 or 8 and half odds on 4 or 10. On a 5-dollar flat bet at 3x–4x–5x, that pattern caps total risk per point between 20 and 30 dollars instead of letting spur-of-the-moment stacks grow unchecked.
- Limit extra bets around the layout: Set a hard cap on non-pass bets, for example, one place bet or one hardway at a time. A player with 5 dollars on the line, 15 dollars in odds, and a single 6-dollar place bet on 6 risks 26 dollars, which sits far below the totals that show up when every proposition and horn square carries chips.
- Use simple stop points: Tie the pass line plan to a fixed stop-loss and a soft target for leaving the table. Sliding off a game once half the bankroll is gone or after doubling the starting stake avoids chasing losses through larger pass line bets or reckless odds.
Using Pass Line Bets in a Structured Plan
Craps tables pull in energy, side bets, and quick chatter, yet the line closest to the rail stays simple: one stake, one shooter, one sequence of rolls. Treating that bet as home base keeps decisions grounded when point numbers bounce around.
Fixed bet sizes, clear rules for odds, and a limit on extra wagers create a steady rhythm without turning every roll into a spur-of-the-moment gamble.
If gambling starts to seem hard to control, contact the National Council on Problem Gambling at 1-800-522-4700 for confidential help.
