The Best Bets in Craps: Pass Line, Odds and the Lowest House Edge
By Halfonred Editorial · · 3 min read
Figures checked against the rules of the live table.
A craps layout looks crowded, but most of the noise is expensive one-roll bets. Underneath it is the pass line with free odds — one of the lowest house edges anywhere in a casino. This guide covers the bets on the Halfonred table and ranks them by what they actually cost.
How a round works
The first roll is the come-out roll. A 7 or 11 wins for the pass line; 2, 3 or 12 loses. Any other number — 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 — becomes the point. The shooter keeps rolling until they either repeat the point, which wins for pass, or roll a 7, which loses. Don't pass is the mirror image, except that a 12 on the come-out pushes instead of winning.
Pass line and don't pass
The pass line carries a house edge of 1.41%. Don't pass is slightly better at 1.36%. The difference is small enough that most players choose based on whether they want to win with the table or against it. Both pay even money.
Free odds: the only zero-edge bet in the casino
Once a point is set, you can back your pass bet with an odds bet. It pays at true odds, so the house has no edge on it at all. That makes it the most valuable bet in the building, and the reason it is not printed on the layout.
| Point | Odds pay | Max odds on this table |
|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 2 to 1 | 3× your line bet |
| 5 or 9 | 3 to 2 | 4× your line bet |
| 6 or 8 | 6 to 5 | 5× your line bet |
With 3-4-5× odds, a winning maximum odds bet always pays six times your line bet, whichever point is set. Combining a pass line bet with full odds drops the overall house edge on the money you put on the table to about 0.37%. Don't pass players can lay odds too; laying the maximum brings the combined edge below 0.3%. The 3-4-5x odds guide walks through the payouts with worked examples.
The practical strategy: keep the line bet small and put more behind it as odds. Your total risk per round is the same, but more of it sits on the bet the house has no edge on.
Place 6 and place 8
A place bet on 6 or 8 wins if that number rolls before a 7 and pays 7 to 6. Six and eight each have five ways to roll against six ways for a 7, so true odds are 6 to 5. The short payout gives a house edge of 1.52% — close to the pass line, and a good choice if you want action on those numbers without waiting for a point. Bet in multiples of $6 so the 7-to-6 payout comes out even.
The field
The field is a one-roll bet on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12. Most pay even money; on this table, 2 pays double and 12 pays triple. It looks like it covers a lot of numbers, but the missing 5, 6, 7 and 8 are the most common rolls. The house edge is 2.78%. That is reasonable for a one-roll bet, but about twice the pass line.
Ranking the bets
| Bet | House edge |
|---|---|
| Odds behind pass or don't pass | 0% |
| Don't pass with max odds (combined) | Under 0.3% |
| Pass line with 3-4-5× odds (combined) | About 0.37% |
| Don't pass | 1.36% |
| Pass line | 1.41% |
| Place 6 or 8 | 1.52% |
| Field (2 pays double, 12 triple) | 2.78% |
Dice have no memory, and no betting pattern changes these numbers. The edge is fixed by the bet you choose — choose the cheap ones and your money lasts longer.