Craps

Passline Bet

A passline bet is an even money bet. This means that the amount you bet is the amount you stand to win. The player rolling the dice is referred to as “the shooter.” Prior to the shooter rolling his “come out roll” (first roll), the other players in the game are given the opportunity to make a passline bet on the shooter’s come out roll. For these other players to win these passline bets, the shooter’s come out roll must reveal a 7 or an 11 (these rolls are referred to at the Craps table as a “natural”); a natural automatically doubles the passline bet value(s) of the other players.

If the shooter’s come out roll results in a 2, 3, or 12, referred to as “craps,” the passline bets are lost. In the event that any other number is rolled (1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10), that number becomes the “point number” and the shooter then hopes to roll that point number again for the win before he rolls a 7. If a 7 is rolled, the passline bets lose.

Here’s an example:

The shooter’s come out roll shows a 3 and a 5, resulting in a total of 8. Eight then becomes the point, and the dealer will indicate this by placing a marker on the number 8. If the shooter rolls an 8 again before a 7 or an 11 is rolled, the passline bets win.

Don’t Passline Bet

The “don’t passline” bet is simply the reverse of passline bet, so that these bets gamble against the dice. Some Craps players refer to don’t passline bets as “betting wrong,” and consequently, a passline bet is called “betting right.” When you make a passline bet, you are betting to roll a 7 or 11 on the first roll, which would result in a win on that bet. But when you make a don’t passline bet, you are betting to roll a 2, 3, or 12. If it is a come out roll, a winning don’t passline bet will double your wager. If any other number is rolled, it will serve as the point, but this time, you hope that the point will not be rolled again before a 7. If a 7 is rolled, the don’t passline bets win.

Other Craps Bets

Other Craps bets that you will encounter at the live and online Craps tables include field bets, hardways bets, proposition bets, big 8 bets, big 6 bets, and dozens of others. The easiest bets for beginners include the passline and don’t passline bets. Advanced players are able to also incorporate a variety of other bets for a more comprehensive Craps betting strategy. If you’re looking to take your craps play to the next level and become an advanced player, we suggest reading through our craps strategy guide. Having a system in place the next time you hit the craps table will help you secure long term profits and curb back any potential losses.

Online Craps: The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that Craps is an easy game to learn, but a difficult game to master. Start out with simple bets at low values and work your way up to higher stakes and varied betting systems to get the best results as you learn. Craps is one of the oldest and most popular casino games in both land-based and online casinos. If you’re new to Craps, you will quickly realize for yourself why the game is so loved and well-reputed among land and online casino patrons, alike.