What is the pass line?
If craps had only one bet, this would be it. The pass line is the spine of the game - the bet that defines winning and losing for the shooter and nearly everyone around the table.
How the pass line works
Place chips on the pass line before the come-out roll. A 7 or 11 wins even money instantly; a 2, 3 or 12 loses. Any other total becomes the point, and your bet stays up: it wins if the point is rolled before a 7 and loses on a seven-out. The bet can't be removed once a point is set - it rides until the round resolves.
Why it's such a good bet
The pass line wins 49.29% of decisions - nearly a coin flip - and pays even money, netting a house edge of just 1.41%. Very few casino bets anywhere are cheaper. Better still, once a point is set you can back the bet with free odds, which pay true odds with zero house edge and shrink the house's take on your total action even further.
Right bettors and table culture
Pass line players are called 'right bettors,' and since most of the table bets this way, everyone tends to win and lose together - that's where craps' famous cheering comes from. Betting the other side, don't pass, is marginally better mathematically (1.36%) but quieter socially. On Craps.now, the pass line is the natural first bet of every $500 session.
Related questions
What is don't pass?
Don't pass is the mirror of the pass line - a bet that the shooter loses. It wins even money on a come-out 2 or 3, pushes on 12, loses to 7 or 11, and after a point is set it wins if the 7 arrives first. At a 1.36% house edge, it's slightly better than the pass line.
What are odds bets?
Odds bets are extra chips placed behind your pass, come or don't bet after a point is set. They pay true odds - 2:1 on the 4 and 10, 3:2 on the 5 and 9, 6:5 on the 6 and 8 - so the house edge on them is exactly zero. It's the only bet like it in the casino.
What is the come-out roll?
The come-out roll is the first roll of a new craps round. For pass line bettors, a 7 or 11 wins instantly, a 2, 3 or 12 (craps) loses, and any other total - 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 - becomes the point that the shooter then tries to repeat before rolling a 7.
What are the best craps bets for beginners?
Start with the pass line - one chip, even money, a house edge of just 1.41%. Back it with an odds bet, which has zero house edge, and if you want more action, place the 6 or 8 at a 1.52% edge. Ignore the shiny proposition bets in the middle of the table.