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The Pass Line Bet: Craps 101
Craps is one of the more exciting games you can play in the casino. It is an easy game, but only after you have taken the time to learn the basics.
Craps is often confusing to players as they don't understand the various values and impact that the dice roles have. The rolls are always made with two dice resulting in a roll of between 2 and 12. This is of course coupled with the layout of the craps table which is often seen as confusing since it is designed to mirror the opposite ends of the table. This configuration merely allows more players to use the table without having to change positions.
Basic craps play is dominated by the single bet which can be placed on only one section of the table, this basic bet is the pass line bet. All the other sections of the table layout can be ignored for now as we are looking only at the pass line bet. The additional bets and options are what tend to confuse many players as they do not understand the seemingly random bets placed.
The pass line bet is placing a bet on the person who is rolling the dice. You are betting that his rolls will come up a winner. You are not acutally playing, but merely observing until it is your turn to roll. You are not in fact not betting on the skills of the player or a strategy, but rather the person's luck in throwing the dice.
You and the other bettors are basically betting against the house or casino in hopes of winning. This is one of the reasons why there is so much bonding and camaraderie around the craps table.
The pass line bet is actually very simple and is the basic bet found on the craps table.
The bettor places his chips on the pass line area of the table. This is a series bet. The bettor must wait for the shooter to finish rolling to determine whether he will win or lose. This could occur on the first roll or require multiple rolls before an outcome is finally made.
The initial roll made by the shooter is the come-out roll. This first roll has a slightly different set of rules and determines one of three possible outcomes: pass line wins, pass line loses or established the shooter's point.
The comeout rolls are broken down as follows:
Pass Line Win: The shooter rolls either a 7 or 11 which ends the rolling and wins for all the pass line bettors ending the round.
Pass Line Lose: The shooter rolls either a 2, 3 or 12 which ends the rolling and loses for all pass line betttors ending the round.
Point: The shooter rolls either a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 which sets the shooter's point for the following rolls.
If the shooter neither wins nor loses on the come-out roll and established a point the round continues. The shooter must then continue to roll until he either hits his number, winning for the pass line bettors, or rolls a seven, losing for all the pass line bettors.
This is one of the elements that can be confusing to new craps players. On the come out roll a seven is desirable and wins the set. Once a point has been established though a seven is bad and is actually a loss for the shooter.
These are the basics that you need to know to play craps. While there are numerous other bets and strategies that can be employed, this basic understanding will allow you to follow the action on the table and possibly even wager a few dollars yourself.
