Betting The Pass Line
When the "shooter" rolls a 7 or 11 on the first throw (The “Come-out”
roll) it is refer to as a "natural" and an automatic win. On the
other hand, if 2, 3 or 12 rolls, it is called, "craps" and you
lose your “Pass Line” bet. Any other number (4, 5,
6, 8, 9, or 10) becomes your "Point." You win if the "Point" repeats
before 7 rolls, and you lose if 7 show before your "Point." Is
made. Place these bets in the area marked "Pass Line" on the layout.
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.&C
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.
Betting
The Don't Pass Line
This is the reverse of betting the "Pass Line." You lose on a "natural"
7 or 11, and win if a 2 or 3 rolls (12 is a "standoff," no one wins).
If the dice roll 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 it becomes your "Point" and
you win if 7 rolls before your "Point" is repeated. You lose if
your "Point" is made before 7 rolls. Place these bets in the area
marked "Don't Pass Line" on the layout.
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
on 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.
Come
Bets
The simplest explanation of "Come" bets is that you're betting
with the dice, exactly as on the "Pass Line," except that "Come"
bets are made any time after the "Come-out" roll. You win on "naturals"
7 or 11, and you lose on "craps" 2, 3 or 12. Any other number
becomes your "come-point" and you win if your "come- point" is
made before 7 rolls. You make these bets in the area marked "Come"
on the layout.
A come bet is identical to a pass line bet, with one exception:
A come bet may be made on every throw of the dice once the shooter
has established a point. A come bet is made by placing the amount
of chips you wish to wager in the designated come area of the
craps layout.
After you have placed a come bet, the very next roll of the dice
becomes the come-out roll for that wager. Thus if the shooter
rolls a 7, you will win even though pass line betters will lose.
If an 11 is rolled, you will win while the line bets will not
be affected. Conversely, should one of the craps numbers come
up you will lose, but the line bets will be unaffected.
Should the shooter throw one of the box numbers on the first roll
of the dice after you've made a wager on the come, this number
becomes an established point for your come bet. To win this bet,
your come point must be repeated before a 7 is rolled.
Once a point has been established for your come bet, the dealer
will move the chips you have wagered, to the corresponding numbered
box on the craps layout to await a decision for that point. When
you win a come bet, the dealer will pay you off by placing your
original wager, along with your winnings, in the come section
of the layout. If you do not immediately retrieve your chips,
they will be in action on the next roll of the dice as a new come
bet.
To make an odds wager on a come point, hand the dealer the appropriate
amount of chips and tell him that you wish to take the odds on
that point.
Don't
Come Bets
The reverse of betting the "Come." You lose on a 7 or 11, and win
on a 2 or 3 (12 is a "stand-off"). Here you win if 7 rolls before
your "come-point" is repeated, and lose if the "come-point" is made
before a 7 is rolled. Place these bets in the area marked "Don't
Come" on the layout.
Don't come bets can be placed on every throw of the dice after a
point has been established. After you have placed a don't come bet,
the very next throw of the dice becomes the come-out roll for that
wager. Thus if the shooter rolls a craps number of 2 or 3, you will
win while don't pass line betters will not be affected. If a 7 is
rolled, you will lose and wagers on the don't pass will win. You
also will lose if an 11 is thrown, although this number will not
have a bearing on don't pass wagers. A roll of 12 is a stand-off.
Proposition
Bets
These are all one-roll bets that are decided on each roll of the
dice.
| Pay
Offs |
Odds |
| Any
Seven |
4
to 1 |
| Any
Craps (2,3 and 12) |
7
to 1 |
| Eleven
(YO) |
15
to 1 |
| Hi-Lo
(2 and 12) |
30
to 1 |
| Horn
Bet (2, 3,11 and 12) |
7
to 1 (2 or 12) 3 to 1 (3 or 11) |
|
Hardways
There are four Hardway bets: 4, 6, 8 and 10. Hardway bets pays
as follows:
Hard 4 & 10: 7 to 1 per dollar bet.
Hard 6 & 8: 9 to 1 per dollar bet.
To win on a Hardway bet, the dice must show a pair before the
number 7 is rolled or any other combination of the Hardway number
is rolled. For example, if you have a hard 6, the number must
be rolled as 3 & 3, before any combination of a 6 (4/2; 5/1;
2/4; 1/5) is rolled
These bets all carry a hefty house edge and are not recommended.
Place
Bets
You may make a "Place Bet" any time on any or all of the following
numbers: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. If the number you have "placed"
rolls before a 7 you win and are paid as follows:
Point: 4 or 10: $9.00 for each five dollars wagered.
Place bets on 4 and 10 carry a house advantage of 6.6%.
Point: 5 or 9: $7.00 for each five dollars wagered.
Place bets on the 5 and 9 carry a house advantage of 4%.
Point: 6 or 8: $7.00 for each six dollars wagered.
Place bets on the 6 and 8 are paid off at 7-to-6 on correct
odds of 6-to-5, which gives the casino an advantage of 1.51% on
these wagers. To insure that you receive the full 7-to-6 payoff
on the 6 and 8, you must make your bet in multiples of six, such
as $6, $12, $18, and so forth.
Big 6 and Big 8 bets are the same as placing the 6 and 8, except
that these bets pay even money, thus giving the house an edge
of 9.1%.
You cannot take the odds on place bets. To make a place bet on
the 6 or 8, hand your chips to the dealer and ask him to "place
the six" or "place the 8.
Buy
And Lay Bets
Buy bets are usually made on the 4 and 10. Lay bets are usually
made on the 4, 5, 9 or 10. A buy bet wins if the number rolls
before a 7. A Lay bet wins when 7 roll before the number. Five
percent (5%) is charged for these types of bets.
Field
Bets
This is a one-roll bet that may be made on any roll. If 3, 4,
9, 10, or 11 rolls, you win even money. If 2 or 12 is rolled you
will win at a ratio of 2 to 1 (some casinos will pay 3 to1 on
the number 12).If any other number rolls you lose. This bet is
placed in the area marked "Field" on the layout.
| As
a reminder, any bet where the casino has an advantage
is a bet that theoretically will cost you money. Even
so, if you make only those wagers that carry a small
house edge, your chances of leaving the craps table
a winner after a short playing session are reasonably
good. I recommend that you make only the following
bets, which are the six best wagers in the game of
craps: |
| Pass
line bets with full odds |
| Come
bets with full odds |
| Don't
pass bets with full odds |
| Place
bets on 6 |
| Place
bets on 8 |
| Don't
come bets with full odds |
|
|
