The Pass Line bet is the basic “right-way” craps bet. You win immediately on 7 or 11 on the come-out roll, lose immediately on 2, 3, or 12, and if a point is set, you win if that point repeats before a 7. It pays even money and has about 1.41% house edge.
Quick Facts
- You place it before the come-out roll.
- Come-out 7 or 11 wins.
- Come-out 2, 3, or 12 loses.
- Come-out 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 becomes the point.
- After a point, the point must roll again before 7.
- It pays 1:1.
- You can add an odds bet after the point is established.
Plain Talk
The Pass Line is the main bet most new craps players learn first. It follows the shooter. When the table cheers for the shooter, they are usually cheering for Pass Line players and related bets.
The bet has two phases.
First is the come-out roll. That is the roll that starts a new round. Some numbers finish the bet immediately. Other numbers create a point.
Second is the point phase. If the point is 6, the shooter needs to roll 6 again before rolling 7. If 6 appears first, Pass Line wins. If 7 appears first, Pass Line loses.
This page is about the base Pass Line bet. For the fair extra bet behind it, read Odds Bet Explained. For the full math, read craps house edge and craps odds.
External references such as the Wizard of Odds craps basics guide, the Wizard of Odds Pass Line derivation, and the Massachusetts craps rules all describe the same core structure: come-out result first, point decision second.
How It Works
Pass Line Come-Out Roll
| Come-out roll | Result for Pass Line |
|---|---|
| 7 or 11 | Wins immediately |
| 2, 3, or 12 | Loses immediately |
| 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 | Becomes the point |
Pass Line After the Point
| Event | Result |
|---|---|
| Point repeats before 7 | Pass Line wins |
| 7 rolls before the point | Pass Line loses |
| Any other number rolls | Nothing happens to the Pass Line bet |
The bet pays even money. A $10 winning Pass Line bet wins $10 profit. The original $10 is returned with the win.
Once a point is established, many casinos allow odds behind the Pass Line. The odds bet pays true odds:
| Point | Odds payout |
|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 2:1 |
| 5 or 9 | 3:2 |
| 6 or 8 | 6:5 |
That odds bet is why serious low-cost craps discussions start with Pass Line plus odds. The base bet has house edge. The odds portion does not.
Craps Table Example
You buy in for $200 at a $10 minimum table.
You put $10 on the Pass Line. The shooter rolls 9 on the come-out. The dealer marks 9 as the point. Your $10 Pass Line bet stays where it is.
You now place $20 odds behind the Pass Line. The shooter rolls 5, then 6, then 9.
Your result:
| Bet | Amount | Payout | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Line | $10 | 1:1 | $10 |
| Odds behind 9 | $20 | 3:2 | $30 |
| Total profit | $40 |
The table pays you $40 profit and returns your original $30 in wagers. If a 7 had rolled before the 9, both the $10 line bet and $20 odds bet would have lost.
From the Casino Side:
Dealers care about clean timing. The Pass Line must be placed before the come-out roll. Once the dice are out, late money can create arguments, especially when the result is 7, 11, 2, 3, or 12.
The base dealer watches the line bets on their side. The stickman controls the dice and calls the roll. The boxman or floor watches larger action, odds limits, disputes, and whether a player is trying to past-post a winning line bet.
For the casino, the Pass Line is not scary. It is low edge, but it is also simple, fast, and often becomes the anchor for more action: odds, come bets, place bets, hardways, and tips.
Common Mistakes
- Putting the Pass Line bet down after the dice are already moving.
- Thinking Pass Line wins on every 7.
- Forgetting that 7 is bad after a point is established.
- Confusing Pass Line odds with “craps odds” in general.
- Betting too large on the base line and leaving no bankroll for odds.
- Saying “same bet” without knowing whether the odds are included.
- Judging the bet by one seven-out.
Hard Truth
The Pass Line is a good beginner bet, not a magic shield. It lowers the price of learning craps, but the dice still do not owe you a point.
FAQ
Is the Pass Line the best craps bet?
It is one of the best beginner bets. The Don’t Pass has a slightly lower edge, and odds bets have 0% edge, but Pass Line is easier socially and procedurally.
What does the Pass Line pay?
It pays even money. A $10 Pass Line winner earns $10 profit.
What numbers win on the come-out roll?
7 and 11 win immediately for Pass Line.
What numbers lose on the come-out roll?
2, 3, and 12 lose immediately.
What happens when a point is made?
The dealer marks the point. Your Pass Line bet now wins if that point repeats before 7.
Can I remove a Pass Line bet?
In most live craps games, a Pass Line bet is a contract bet once placed. After a point is established, it generally must stay until it wins or loses.
Should I take odds behind the Pass Line?
If your bankroll can handle the variance, odds improve the combined price because the odds portion has 0% house edge. It still increases the money at risk.
Deeper Insight
The Pass Line edge comes from the whole two-stage structure, not just one roll. The come-out roll is actually favorable to the Pass Line because 7 and 11 have more combinations than 2, 3, and 12. But once a point is established, the 7 has more combinations than every point number.
That second phase pulls the overall bet into negative expectation.
This is the part beginners miss. They remember the come-out 7 as good. Then a point is established, a 7 rolls, and they feel cheated. Nothing changed except the phase of the game.
The Pass Line is also a table-speed tool. It gives beginners a clean way to participate without shouting dealer-controlled center bets every roll. If you want the lowest-cost beginner path, combine a table-minimum Pass Line bet with modest odds and avoid adding random proposition bets.
Use the craps odds calculator for payout checks and the variance simulator to see why a good bet can still swing hard.
Formula / Calculation
For a resolved Pass Line decision:
House Edge = -Player EV / Initial Stake
Using the standard Pass Line result distribution:
Pass Line House Edge ≈ 1.41%
Expected loss example:
$10 Pass Line bet × 1.41% ≈ $0.14 theoretical loss per resolved decision
Formula Explanation in Plain English
The Pass Line does not lose 14 cents every time. A $10 bet wins or loses $10. The 14 cents is the long-term average cost of making that $10 bet repeatedly under standard rules.
Adding odds behind the Pass Line can lower the combined percentage on total money in action because the odds part is paid at true odds. It does not make the base Pass Line bet positive.
Related Reading
Use the craps guide for the full table flow, then read craps odds and craps house edge to understand why the Pass Line is low-cost but still negative. Next, compare it with Don’t Pass Bet Explained and learn how the zero-edge add-on works in Odds Bet Explained. For cost planning, use the expected loss calculator.