Pass Line

The pass line bet is the fundamental bet in craps—a round of craps can’t begin unless at least one person (the shooter) has made a pass line bet (or a don’t pass line bet—see Wrong Betting). Betting on the pass line is a bet that the shooter will win, either by rolling a natural on the come-out roll or by making the point in subsequent rolls.

To make a pass line bet, place the chips that you want to bet onto the area of the layout that reads “Pass Line” (marked in light green in the diagram).

Though many casinos allow you to make a pass line bet at any time, you should only bet on the pass line just before the shooter’s come-out roll. If the shooter has already made his come-out roll, you’re much better off making a come bet than a pass line bet.

Winning pass line bets are paid out at even money, meaning that you’ll win exactly as much as you bet. For example, a $5.00 bet would win $5.00 (in addition to keeping the original $5.00).

The house edge on the pass line is a very low 1.41%. This means that you can expect to lose 1.41% of the total amount you wager on the pass line. For example, if you wager a total of $100.00 on the pass line during the course of an evening, you can expect to lose a total of $1.41 on those wagers.