Definition
Pass Line Bet
Also known as Pass Line, Front Line, Do Bet
By Abhinav VasudevanReviewed Editorial policy
In short
The pass line is the fundamental craps bet, backing the shooter to win. It carries a 1.41% house edge and is the prerequisite for the zero-edge odds bet placed behind it.
The pass line is the bet almost everyone at a craps table is making. It backs the shooter, and the whole table usually wins or loses together, which is why craps is the loudest game on a casino floor.
How it resolves
Placed before the come out roll:
- 7 or 11 → wins immediately
- 2, 3 or 12 → loses immediately
- 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 → becomes the point
Once a point is set, the shooter rolls until either the point repeats (pass line wins) or a 7 appears (seven out, pass line loses).
The house edge is 1.41%, which comes from the come out roll being slightly unfavourable: eight ways to win against four ways to lose sounds good, but the point phase favours the house enough to more than compensate.
The odds bet behind it
Once a point is established you may place an additional wager behind the pass line. This odds bet pays true odds with no house edge at all:
| Point | Odds paid |
|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 2:1 |
| 5 or 9 | 3:2 |
| 6 or 8 | 6:5 |
This is the single best bet available in any casino, and it can only be reached through the pass line.
Because the odds bet is free of margin, adding it dilutes your overall edge. At a table allowing 5x odds, backing a £10 pass line with £50 odds drops the blended house edge from 1.41% to about 0.33%.
The practical implication: if you are going to bet £60 at craps, betting £10 on the pass line and £50 in odds is dramatically better than betting £60 on the pass line alone.
Don’t pass
The mirror bet, betting against the shooter, has a marginally lower edge of 1.36%, because the 12 on the come out is a push rather than a win.
It is mathematically slightly better and socially unpopular, since you are winning when the rest of the table loses. The difference is 0.05%, which is not worth the atmosphere unless you are playing alone.
Common questions
How does a pass line bet work?
Placed before the come out roll. Seven or eleven wins immediately, two, three or twelve loses, and any other number becomes the point. The shooter then rolls until the point repeats, which wins, or a seven appears, which loses.
Why should I take odds behind the pass line?
Because the odds bet has no house edge at all, so adding it dilutes your blended edge. At a table allowing 5x odds, a £10 pass line backed with £50 odds drops the overall edge from 1.41% to about 0.33%.