Craps Pass Line Strategy: The Best Bet on the Table

Craps intimidates new players with its complex layout and noisy atmosphere, but the core strategy is straightforward: find the lowest house-edge bet and stick to it. The Pass Line — the most basic bet in craps — has a house edge of just 1.41%, placing it among the best available wagers in the casino.

The Pass Line Explained

Place a Pass Line bet before the Come-Out roll. If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, you win immediately (even money). If they roll 2, 3, or 12 (craps), you lose. Any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) becomes the 'Point'. The shooter must then roll that Point number again before rolling a 7 for the Pass Line to win. Rolling a 7 before the Point ('Seven Out') loses the Pass Line bet.

Free Odds: The Zero-House-Edge Bet

Once a Point is established, you can place an additional 'Odds' bet behind your Pass Line wager. The Odds bet pays at true mathematical probability (no house edge): 2:1 on 4 or 10, 3:2 on 5 or 9, 6:5 on 6 or 8. Casinos typically allow 2x, 3-4-5x, or higher Odds multiples.

With 3-4-5x Odds taken, the combined house edge on the total Pass Line + Odds bet drops to approximately 0.37% — one of the lowest effective edges in any casino game.

Don't Pass: The Dark Side

The Don't Pass bet is the reverse of Pass Line — you are betting against the shooter. Its house edge is 1.36% (slightly lower than Pass Line due to the 12 being a push, not a loss). Don't Pass + Laying Odds also reaches very low combined edge. Social convention discourages active Don't Pass betting (you are betting against the table), though mathematically it is equally valid.

Craps Strategy Summary

Pass Line + maximum Odds is the recommended approach. Avoid proposition bets ('Any Seven', 'Hardways', 'Horn Bets') which carry house edges of 9–16%. The complexity of craps is in the layout — the strategy is simple: Pass Line, take Odds, and ignore everything else.