The Easy Approach to the Pass Line in Craps

Published: July 17, 2014

The most basic bet in all of craps is said to be the pass line bet, and while that can be true from one perspective in the sense that you can get an idea of what most other bets are about if you learn to play it, it's also the most complicated bet in the game at the same time. If you want to learn to play craps on a deep level, however, it's necessary for you to learn how to use this bet even if it doesn't end up being your favorite wager. We have an easy approach that you can use to learn it.

The pass line bet has two stages. The first stage is the come out roll which is the first roll of a new shooter or the first roll of a new shooter's turn at the pass line. On this initial roll, the bet can come to an end if certain number are rolled. If you get a 7 or an 11, then you win right away. On the other hand, if you get a 2, 3 or 11, then you lose right away. The other six numbers; 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10; are called the place numbers, and getting any of them takes the game to a new stage.

When you roll one of the place numbers, you use that number as what's known as the point. Your goal in this second stage is to try to roll the point before another seven rolls. You'll roll over and over again until one of these two numbers comes up. Once one of them does, the pass line bet is over, and you'll go back to another come out roll for a new turn at the bet.

The above is all there is to know about the pass line bet. All other wagers in craps are based on the ideas that you have in the pass line bet. You can also bet the odds along with your pass line bet to lower the house advantage down from it's average 1.41 percent level. During the second stage, you can add an additional wager to your point number in what's known as taking the odds, and this wager has a zero percent house advantage, so your average house edge comes down. That's a little more advanced of a strategy, but it's the natural continuation once you've learned how to do the pass line bet.