A come-out roll is the first roll of a new craps decision cycle, made while no point is established and the puck is OFF. For a standard Pass Line bet, 7 or 11 wins immediately, 2, 3, or 12 loses immediately, and 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 establishes the point.
Plain Talk
The come-out roll is the starting state of craps.
It determines whether the line bet:
- wins immediately
- loses immediately
- moves into the point phase
The same dice total can mean something different after the point is established. A 7 on the come-out roll is a Pass Line winner. A 7 after the point is a seven out and ends the shooter’s hand.
That change of meaning is one of the main reasons craps looks more complicated than it is.
For the full structure, read Craps, Pass Line, Don’t Pass, and The Point.
Standard Come-Out Results
| Dice total | Combinations | Pass Line | Don’t Pass | Next table state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 6 | Wins | Loses | New come-out roll |
| 11 | 2 | Wins | Loses | New come-out roll |
| 2 | 1 | Loses | Wins | New come-out roll |
| 3 | 2 | Loses | Wins | New come-out roll |
| 12 | 1 | Loses | Usually pushes | New come-out roll |
| 4 | 3 | Point becomes 4 | Point becomes 4 | Puck ON 4 |
| 5 | 4 | Point becomes 5 | Point becomes 5 | Puck ON 5 |
| 6 | 5 | Point becomes 6 | Point becomes 6 | Puck ON 6 |
| 8 | 5 | Point becomes 8 | Point becomes 8 | Puck ON 8 |
| 9 | 4 | Point becomes 9 | Point becomes 9 | Puck ON 9 |
| 10 | 3 | Point becomes 10 | Point becomes 10 | Puck ON 10 |
Some casinos use “bar 2” rather than “bar 12” on Don’t Pass. Players should verify the layout and posted rules.
The Puck and Table State
The dealer puck is a visual state marker.
- OFF means no point is established. The next valid opening roll is a come-out roll.
- ON means a point is established. The puck is placed on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10.
The puck helps players, dealers, floor supervisors, and surveillance understand the current decision state.
A clear puck position matters because many wagers behave differently depending on whether the table is ON or OFF.
Pass Line on the Come-Out Roll
A Pass Line bet is placed before the come-out roll.
It has three possible opening paths:
Natural win
7 or 11 wins immediately.
There are 8 winning combinations:
- six ways to roll 7
- two ways to roll 11
Immediate win probability:
8 / 36 = 22.22%
Craps loss
2, 3, or 12 loses immediately in standard rules.
There are 4 losing combinations:
- one way to roll 2
- two ways to roll 3
- one way to roll 12
Immediate loss probability:
4 / 36 = 11.11%
Point established
4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 establishes the point.
There are 24 point combinations:
24 / 36 = 66.67%
The Pass Line wager remains on the layout. It now wins if the point repeats before 7 and loses if 7 appears first.
Don’t Pass on the Come-Out Roll
Don’t Pass is the opposite-side line wager, but it is not a perfect mirror because of the bar number.
Under common bar-12 rules:
- 2 or 3 wins
- 7 or 11 loses
- 12 pushes
- 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 establishes the point
After the point is set, Don’t Pass wins if 7 appears before the point repeats.
The push on 12 is important. Without it, the Don’t Pass side would have too much advantage on the opening roll.
Why Seven Changes Meaning
During the come-out phase, 7 is part of the natural 7-or-11 win condition for Pass Line.
After a point is established, the goal changes:
- Pass Line wants the point repeated before 7.
- Don’t Pass wants 7 before the point repeats.
The dice have not changed. The contract of the wager has changed.
This is similar to a game entering a new state. The roll must be interpreted according to the state active when it occurred.
Worked Pass Line Example
A player places $20 on the Pass Line.
Example A: Natural
The shooter rolls 11.
- Pass Line wins $20
- original $20 wager is returned
- the next roll begins a new come-out cycle
Example B: Craps
The shooter rolls 3.
- Pass Line loses $20
- the dealer clears the wager
- the next roll is another come-out roll
Example C: Point
The shooter rolls 6.
- 6 becomes the point
- the puck moves ON to 6
- the $20 Pass Line wager remains
- the wager wins if 6 repeats before 7
- the wager loses if 7 appears first
Taking Odds After the Point
Odds are not placed before the point exists because there is no point number to support.
After a point is established, a Pass Line player may be allowed to place an odds wager behind the line. The odds bet pays at true odds:
| Point | Pass Line odds payout |
|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 2 to 1 |
| 5 or 9 | 3 to 2 |
| 6 or 8 | 6 to 5 |
Example:
- $20 Pass Line
- point is 6
- player takes $50 odds
If 6 repeats before 7:
- Pass Line wins $20
- $50 odds win $60 at 6 to 5
- total winnings are $80, plus wagers returned
The odds wager does not remove the house edge from the flat Pass Line bet, but it reduces the blended edge across the total amount wagered.
Which Bets Are Working on the Come-Out?
This is a procedural question, not a universal answer.
Line bets
Pass Line and Don’t Pass are designed for the come-out roll.
Place bets
Place bets are often OFF by default on the come-out roll unless the player asks to have them working. House rules and player instructions matter.
Come bets
A Come bet normally requires a point to be established at the table. It then receives its own mini come-out treatment: 7 or 11 wins, 2, 3, or 12 loses, and a box number travels.
Hardways
Hardway bets are often OFF on the come-out by default, but procedures vary.
Proposition bets
Many one-roll proposition bets remain active because they settle on the next roll regardless of point state.
Players should never assume. Ask the dealer whether a wager is working before the dice are sent.
Come-Out Roll Versus Come Bet
The names sound similar but refer to different things.
- Come-out roll: the table’s opening roll while the puck is OFF.
- Come bet: a wager placed after the table point is ON that creates its own point-like sequence.
A Come bet uses the next roll as its personal opening decision. The table itself remains in the point phase.
This distinction prevents many settlement disputes.
Multiple Come-Out Rolls
A come-out cycle can end immediately and restart.
Example sequence:
- Come-out roll is 7 — Pass Line wins.
- Next roll is another come-out roll.
- Roll is 11 — Pass Line wins again.
- Next roll is another come-out roll.
- Roll is 5 — point becomes 5.
There is no rule that a point must be established on the first opening roll. Naturals and craps results settle the line wager and create another come-out roll.
When the Shooter Changes
A shooter normally continues rolling until sevening out after a point has been established.
The shooter does not lose the dice merely because a come-out 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12 appears. Those results settle line bets, but the shooter generally continues into the next come-out roll.
A seven out is specifically a 7 rolled while a point is ON.
The Come-Out Roll and the Fire Bet
Some side bets track points made by the shooter. The come-out roll matters because it establishes the point that may later count toward the side-bet sequence.
However, side-bet rules vary significantly. A player should verify:
- which points qualify
- whether points must be unique
- whether the bet is locked after the first roll
- how many points trigger each payout
- when the shooter’s sequence ends
Do not assume all Fire Bet or similar layouts use the same paytable.
Common Dealer Procedure
Exact procedures vary, but a typical sequence includes:
- Confirm the puck is OFF.
- Accept permitted wagers.
- Announce or visually confirm bets are set.
- Send the dice to the shooter.
- Call the result.
- Settle losing and winning one-roll wagers.
- If a point is established, move the puck ON to that number.
- Confirm bets that are working or off.
- Continue the roll cycle.
The crew must settle in the correct order and protect all wagers from accidental movement.
From the Casino Side
The come-out roll is a table-state control point.
The boxperson, base dealers, stickperson, floor supervisor, and surveillance may need to determine:
- whether the puck was OFF
- whether the roll was valid
- which bets were working
- whether a player called a wager working in time
- whether odds were placed only after the point
- whether the correct bar rule was applied
- whether payouts matched the layout
Most come-out disputes are procedural, not mathematical.
Examples include:
- a place bet player thought the wager was working
- a hardway player expected action on the come-out
- a late wager was accepted or rejected
- the puck position was unclear
- a player confused a Come bet with the table’s come-out roll
Clear dealer calls and visible puck placement prevent many problems.
Common Misunderstandings
“Seven is always bad in craps.”
No. Seven wins Pass Line on the come-out and loses Pass Line after a point is established.
“A new shooter means the point is automatically on.”
No. A new shooter begins with the puck OFF and must establish a point.
“Every first roll by a shooter is the only come-out roll.”
No. Naturals and craps results can create several consecutive come-out rolls.
“Odds can be placed before the come-out.”
No standard Pass Line odds wager exists until a point number is established.
“All bets are off on the come-out.”
No. Line bets and many one-roll bets are active. Other wagers depend on house rules and player instructions.
The Mathematics of the Opening Roll
Two fair six-sided dice have 36 equally likely ordered combinations.
| Category | Combinations | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Pass natural: 7 or 11 | 8 | 22.22% |
| Pass craps: 2, 3, or 12 | 4 | 11.11% |
| Point established | 24 | 66.67% |
| Total | 36 | 100% |
Point-establishment combinations break down as:
- 4: 3 combinations
- 5: 4 combinations
- 6: 5 combinations
- 8: 5 combinations
- 9: 4 combinations
- 10: 3 combinations
The more ways a point can be rolled, the easier it is to repeat before 7. That is why 6 and 8 have different odds payouts from 4 and 10.
Why the Pass Line Has a House Edge
The Pass Line’s opening wins and losses do not tell the full story. The point phase must also be included.
For each point, the wager competes against 7:
| Point | Ways to make point | Ways to roll 7 | Chance point wins before 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 in 3 |
| 5 or 9 | 4 | 6 | 2 in 5 |
| 6 or 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 in 11 |
Combining the opening and point phases produces the standard Pass Line house edge of approximately 1.41% under common rules.
The come-out roll is therefore only the first part of the calculation.
Practical Bankroll Example
A player makes ten separate $15 Pass Line decisions.
Total flat-bet action:
$15 × 10 = $150
At an approximate 1.41% house edge:
$150 × 0.0141 = $2.12 expected loss
Actual results may be far above or below that amount. Adding odds changes total money at risk and variance, while lowering the blended edge on total action because the odds portion pays at true odds.
Hard Truth
The come-out roll is not a special lucky roll. It is a rule state. The dice are interpreted differently because the wager’s contract is different before and after a point is established.
Quick Checklist
Before the come-out roll, confirm:
- Is the puck clearly OFF?
- Is the wager Pass Line, Don’t Pass, place, hardway, or proposition?
- Is the wager working on the come-out?
- Does Don’t Pass bar 12 or bar 2?
- Are late bets still being accepted?
- Has the shooter received both dice correctly?
- If a point is established, where will odds be placed?
FAQ
Is every roll with the puck OFF a come-out roll?
It is the opening roll of a new Pass Line decision cycle. Consecutive naturals or craps results can produce several come-out rolls.
Can 7 be good in craps?
Yes. A 7 on the come-out wins Pass Line. A 7 with a point ON is a seven out for Pass Line.
Does 12 always push on Don’t Pass?
Many tables use bar-12 rules, but some use bar 2. Check the layout and house rules.
Are place bets automatically working?
Often they are off on the come-out unless called working, but procedures vary by casino.
When can I take odds?
After a point is established on a Pass Line or Don’t Pass wager, subject to table limits and house rules.
Does the shooter change after a come-out 7?
Normally no. A come-out 7 settles line bets, and the same shooter continues. The dice pass after a seven out with a point ON.
Deeper Insight
The come-out roll is best understood as state management.
| Table state | Puck | Main objective for Pass Line | Meaning of 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Come-out phase | OFF | Win on 7 or 11, or establish point | Immediate winner |
| Point phase | ON a box number | Repeat point before 7 | Seven out, line loses |
Formula Summary
| Metric | Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Total dice outcomes | 6 × 6 | 36 ordered combinations |
| Immediate Pass win chance | 8 ÷ 36 | 7 or 11 |
| Immediate Pass loss chance | 4 ÷ 36 | 2, 3, or 12 |
| Point establishment chance | 24 ÷ 36 | 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 |
| Expected flat-bet loss | Pass Line Action × 1.41% | Approximate long-run cost |
Related Reading
Continue with Pass Line, Don’t Pass, The Point, Seven Out, Odds Bet, Come Bet, and Hardway Bet. For a complete game explanation, use Craps. To compare wager mathematics, open the Craps Bet Comparison Tool.