Craps is an exciting casino game that involves rolling dice. The aim is to win more money than you lose.
Playing craps is easier when you understand its rules and odds. In this article, we’ll cover some of the fundamentals of this popular casino game and explain some common bets.
Pass line bet
Pass line bets are one of the most popular betting options in Craps. Whether you’re new to the game or an experienced player, it’s essential that you understand its rules and how it operates.
A pass line bet is an initial wager placed just before the shooter rolls their come-out roll. If they roll a 7 or 11, your stake is even money; if they roll 2, 3 or 12, then you lose your wager. Should any number other than 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 come up during play, that number becomes known as the shooter’s “point”.
Casinos often allow players to place odds behind their Pass line bet by placing up to some predetermined multiple of that original bet, behind the point. This additional bet wins if no 7s come up before the point is established (the point is made).
These additional bets pay at true odds and may offer you a greater payoff than the Pass line bet. Unfortunately, they cannot be made independently from the Pass line bet, meaning the house retains an edge in both.
Placing a pass line bet is easy: just place it in the box straddling the outer border of the Pass line on the craps table. Alternatively, you can bet in “Pass Bar,” located at the bottom of the craps table.
Once your Pass bet is in place, the dealer places a puck in the center of the Pass line and flips a button on “On” side of puck. This signals the start of point round where dice are passed clockwise to next shooter for new roll.
On this point round, the dealer places a marker on the point number and then rolls again until either 7 or 11 comes up. When the seven is rolled, it counts as a win for Pass Line bets and the dice are passed to the next shooter.
No-Crap Craps follows the same pass line rules as standard craps, with two additional points to consider: 2-or-3 and 11-or-12. These new numbers treat all bets on these point numbers just like place, buy, and lay bets on 4 or 10.
Odds on Pass Line Bets
If a 4, 5, 6, 8, or 10 is rolled on the come-out roll, that point is established and known as “seven out.” Unfortunately for Pass line bettors, this presents an advantage since there are more ways to make 7 and lose than there are to make the point and win.
To avoid this disadvantage, some casinos allow Pass line bets to be placed in an “Odds bar,” a separate area from the pass line after a point has been established. This allows true odds payouts but comes at the same disadvantage as a Pass line bet.
