How the game works
The Don’t Pass bet is a wager that the shooter will lose. In the industry, we call this “playing the Dark Side.” While 95% of the table is cheering for the shooter to hit their numbers, you are betting that the 7 will show up first. Mathematically, it is slightly better than the Pass Line, but it requires a thick skin—you win when everyone else at the table loses.
The basic rules
- Place your bet on the “Don’t Pass Bar” before the come-out roll.
- On the come-out roll: A 2 or 3 wins even money. A 7 or 11 loses. A 12 is a “push” (you get your money back).
- If a point is established (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10), your bet stays on the layout.
- During the point phase: You win even money if a 7 rolls before the shooter repeats their point number. You lose if they hit the point.
- Unlike the Pass Line, you are allowed to remove or reduce a Don’t Pass bet at any time because you have the mathematical advantage once a point is set.
A typical hand/round
You place a $25 chip on the Don’t Pass. The shooter throws a 10. The dealer moves the puck to “ON” for the 10. You are now the favorite; there are six ways to roll a 7 and only three ways to roll a 10. You wait through three rolls of 6s and 8s. Finally, the shooter rolls a 7. The dealer clears the losing Pass Line bets, and pays you $25 for your Don’t Pass wager. You collect your profit while the rest of the table groans.
What’s different at different tables
The house edge is a fixed 1.36%. The only difference you will see is the “Bar” rule on the felt. Most casinos “Bar 12,” but some older properties or specific regions “Bar 2.” This is simply the house’s way of ensuring they don’t lose their advantage on the come-out roll. The real value is found in “Laying Odds”—once the point is set, you can bet more money at true odds, further diluting the house’s tiny 1.36% edge.
Where to go next
Check the Craps Probabilities to see why the 7 is so dominant, or read the Craps Dont Come guide to see how to scale your Dark Side play.
In Detail
Don’t pass is the dark-side classic: less cheerleading, slightly better math, and a decent chance someone thinks you cursed the shooter.
This page is about the core wrong-way line bet. On the surface, that may sound like one small corner of craps, but in a real casino it touches the three things that decide whether a player survives the table: the written rule, the payout, and the way the bet feels when chips are already in action. Craps is dangerous for beginners because a bet can feel smart, social, or lucky while still being badly priced.
The math that matters: Two dice create 36 equally likely ordered combinations. The shape of the game comes from that grid: 7 has 6 combinations, 6 and 8 have 5 each, 5 and 9 have 4 each, 4 and 10 have 3 each, 3 and 11 have 2 each, and 2 and 12 have only 1 each. Don’t pass is about 1.36% house edge versus pass line at about 1.41%. The difference is small, but real over long play. Expected value is the grown-up way to price a bet: $EV=\sum(P_i\times W_i)-\sum(P_j\times L_j)$. If the payout is smaller than the true probability deserves, the difference is the house edge.
What it means on the felt: This bet suits players who care more about price than applause. The emotional part is harder than the math. A player who understands this subject does not need to act like a robot. You can still enjoy the noise, the shooter, the stick calls, and the little rush when the dice leave the hand. The point is to know when you are paying for entertainment and when you are making a lower-cost decision.
Casino-floor truth: Craps is built to move. The table crew wants clear bets, fast decisions, and clean payouts. The layout also nudges attention toward action. The safest-looking move is not always the cheapest move, and the loudest bet is almost never the best one. Good craps play is not about predicting the next roll. It is about refusing to overpay for it.
The mistake to avoid: Do not switch sides because the table feels hot. Feelings do not change dice combinations. Also, never judge this topic by one lucky hit or one ugly loss. Short sessions are noisy. The math only shows its face over repeated decisions, which is exactly why casinos are patient and players are usually not.