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Pass Line Bets
When it is your turn to throw the craps dice, you must determine whether to bet the pass line or the don't pass line. Most shooters, as well as most of the other craps players at the table, will bet the pass line, as it is the basic wager of craps. The pass line wager is an even money bet that wins if you either roll a total of 7 or 11 on the come-out roll, or if you throw a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 on the come-out roll and repeat that number before you roll a 7. The pass line bet loses if the come-out roll is a 2, 3, or 12 (known as "craps") or when a 7 is rolled before the established point number is repeated.
If you successfully complete a pass, - that is, if you repeat an established point number before throwing a 7-, you get to roll the dice again. Only when you seven-out will the stickman push the dice to the next player in succession. Once you have established a point, if you roll a number other than your point or a 7, it is disregard as far as pass line bets are concerned, although these additional rolls do affect other bets that can be made at the craps table. As an example, suppose you have established a point of 8 on the come-out roll. If you next throw a 3, then a 5, a 9, and a 10, these numbers will be ignored for pass line bets. But if you then roll 7, you will lose your pass line wager, since the 7 came up before your point number. Out of 990 decisions at the craps table you can expect to lose 14 decisions more than you win.
That makes the house advantage at craps 1.41%. In other words, out of every $100 that you wager at the craps table, you can expect to lose $1.41. Of course this is in the long run. You can win because in the relatively short time you will be playing, there will be fluctuations in this house edge, so at times things will be going in your favor at the craps table. A pass line bet can be made at any time during a shooter's roll, even after he has established a point. However, a bet placed on the pass line after a point has been established is a very poor wager, since you have missed the opportunity to win on the come-out roll when the shooter throws a 7 or an 11. The only way you can now win is if the shooter repeats his point before he sevens-out.
Don't Pass Bets
As you've seen, a pass line bet is simply a wager that the shooter will win. But you also can bet that the shooter will fail to make a pass and thus lose. The don't pass line bet wins when he shooter throws a craps of 2 or 3, but not 12, on the come-out roll, or when he rolls a 7 before repeating his established point number. This wager loses when the come-out roll is a 7 or 11, or when the shooter repeats his point number before rolling a 7.
The don't pass line bet is the exact opposite of a pass line with one exception: Although a roll of 12 on the come out loses for pass line betters, it is not a winning number for don't pass bettors. It is a stand-off and nether wins nor loses. The reason for this is simple: If don't betters were permitted to win in this situation, they would have an advantage over the house. So by barring (disallowing) the number 12 on the come-out roll, the casinos retain a small edge. Some casinos bar the number 2, but the effect is exactly the same. Unlike a pass line wager, a don't pass bet can be removed after a point number has been established on the come-out roll.
This is because once a point is established you have an advantage over the house, thus the casino has no objections to your taking down the bet. Of course you should never do this. After going up against an 8 to 3 house edge on the come-out roll, you will have an overall average advantage of 18.8 after a point has been established.
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