The Ultimate Guide to Pass and Come Bets in Craps: Odds & Strategies Explained

Welcome back to our Craps Learning Series! So far, we’ve covered how to play craps and all the bets you can make. Now, let’s break out the calculators! In this post, we’ll dive deep into the odds behind Pass and Come bets. We’ll examine what these bets pay versus their odds, and which ones give you the best chance of winning. By the end, you’ll know which bets carry more risk and which ones you should avoid if you want to maximize your chances at the craps table!

🔍 What We’ll Cover:​

• Odds of Rolling Each Value
• Pass & Come Line Odds & Math – The Details
• Summary of Pass and Come Bets

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💥 Odds of Rolling Each Value​

To understand craps odds, we need to first know the probability of rolling each possible outcome with two dice. With 36 possible combinations (6 faces on each die), here’s the breakdown:

• Note: 7 is the most likely roll, with 6 possible combinations and a 16.67% chance.
• The 7 is the only value that doesn’t depend on the first die rolled. A seven can be made with any combination of the dice.

For each bet, we’ll walk through the odds of winning and the expected profit/loss over 36 rolls, assuming a $10 bet each time. We’ll also assume that each combination gets rolled once.

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💥 Pass and Come Line Odds and Math – The Details​

Now, let's get into the nitty-gritty of Pass and Come bets. These are some of the most popular bets in craps, but the math behind them can be tricky because they involve multiple rolls.

Initial Roll​

On the initial roll, here’s how things break down:

• Pass & Come Bets: You win if a 7 or 11 is rolled, lose if a 2, 3, or 12 is rolled.
• Don’t Pass & Don’t Come Bets: You win if a 2 or 3 is rolled, lose if a 7 or 11 is rolled. A roll of 12 is a push (no win or loss) in most casinos, though some treat it as a loss.

Here are the odds:


Note: The odds of winning after the initial roll are tied to the establishment of a “point.” The odds of this happening are the same for both Pass and Come bets.

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Subsequent Rolls​

Once a point is established, we move to the subsequent rolls. Here’s a breakdown of the odds for each possible point (the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10):

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Calculating the Odds of Winning the Bet​

To find the total odds of winning a Pass or Come bet, we multiply the probability of establishing the point by the probability of winning once the point is set. Here's how it works for each point:


Total Probability (Pass / Come): 0.2706 or 27.06%

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For Don’t Pass / Don’t Come Bets, we reverse the probabilities and perform the same calculations. The results look like this:


Total Probability (Don’t Pass / Don’t Come): 0.3962 or 39.62%

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🎯 Summary​

• Pass / Come Bets: 49.28% chance of winning
• Don’t Pass / Don’t Come Bets: 47.95% chance of winning

Over the long term, Pass / Come bets are slightly advantageous for players. However, if a 7 or 11 doesn’t come up on the Come Out Roll, these bets can become much harder to win as the point is established. Keep in mind that the Don't Pass / Don't Come Bets will push 2.78% of the time as well if a 12 is hit on the Come Out Roll.

While the math behind craps is complex, it’s designed to maintain a house edge while keeping the game exciting. Next time, we’ll explore the rest of the bets, which are much easier to calculate!

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💬 How Do You Play Craps?​

Got questions about the math behind Pass, Come, Don’t Pass, and Don’t Come bets? Join the conversation and let's all work to learning the funnest game at the casino together!!

Hi Chris and thanks for another interesting article regarding the game of craps.

I especially found the section "pass and Come Line Odds and Math" interesting. Its just a bit unclear to me why we only win if a seven or 11 is rolled but i will read it again later and try to figure it out.

Thank you, Chris.
This one clarifies things very well, including the question I had in the previous part.
From now on, if I ever get the chance to try craps, I'll stick to betting on the Pass consistently.

Sunz of Beaches said:

Hi Chris and thanks for another interesting article regarding the game of craps.

I especially found the section "pass and Come Line Odds and Math" interesting. Its just a bit unclear to me why we only win if a seven or 11 is rolled but i will read it again later and try to figure it out.

Click to expand...

You win on a Pass or Come bet when the initial roll is a 7 or 11 - otherwise you lose if a 2, 3, or 12 are rolled. If any oher number is rolled that becomes your point & it must be rolled again BEFORE another 7 to win.

Is that clearer??

najisami said:

Thank you, Chris.
This one clarifies things very well, including the question I had in the previous part.
From now on, if I ever get the chance to try craps, I'll stick to betting on the Pass consistently.

Click to expand...

Hold that thought now Sami - technically your odds are better betting against the shooter because of the push on 12 - technically it evens out the odds so that both bets are essentially a wash - but let's be honest - who wants to cheer against the shooter???

You had me going for a minute till I figured out we were talking about each die counted separately.
We always called out the ways to make your number, come on baby give me a 6 and a one, a five and a two, a four and a three, etc. 😉
Then you had me going with the word funnest, happy I had no money on it because I would have bet it wasn't a real word 🤣
I also have always believed the 12 on the first roll was a loss, never heard of a tie before.
But street games in the alley up against a garage door are a little different than casinos, lol.
still it was very cool seeing the odds, and it will change my thinking while in a casino.
The camaraderie in craps would definitely keep me from betting against the shooter, no matter the odds 😊

After reading through all three articles, I think the way to play is bet on the Pass Line while figuring out what is going on. I don't really understand the idiosyncrasies of the game enough to trust myself betting on other areas. Betting on a specific number (like "snake eyes") looks to be a sucker bet.

Thank you for this interesting information!

This was a really useful breakdown of the math behind Pass and Come bets. I’m still learning craps, but the Pass Line seems like the most sensible place to start once you understand how the point works. The numbers definitely make the strategy easier to understand.