Skip to main content

Don’t Pass Bet

S. Stoynova (editor) |

A Deep Dive Into the Intricacies of the Don’t Pass Bet

Being one of the most exciting and intriguing games, craps continues to be an inseparable part of the gaming collections of interactive and brick-and-mortar casinos. It is considered that the game evolved from an English game called “hazard”. What makes the game of craps so well-liked is that it is one of the most action-packed casino offerings. Being one of the most fast-paced games, craps is often considered as too complicated and confusing, especially if you are a total rookie. At first glance, the rules of the game might seem a bit complicated, but once things fall into place, you can be sure that you will enjoy yourself at the craps table for hours on end.

The sheer number of distinct bets, one can make while playing, typically serve to intimidate those new to craps. In this article, we will focus on the Don’t Pass bet and try to shed some light on this interesting wager type. This way, craps lovers will be able to gain the confidence needed to place the Don’t Pass bet, no matter whether they prefer to play in land-based gambling establishments or at remote casinos.

Don’t Pass Bet Explained

Craps Don’t Pass BetGambling aficionados who have managed to gain some experience in playing craps probably know that placing a Don’t Pass bet is just the opposite to placing a Pass Line bet. In fact, this particular bet is also known as wagering the wrong way or wagering against the dice. This is mostly tied to superstition, specifically the idea that the Don’t Pass bet is a wager “against” the shooter and “for” the house. Essentially, some superstitious craps lovers believe that Don’t Pass bettors are rooting for the house as opposed to fellow players, hence why the Don’t Pass bet is “wrong.”

One of the specific things about the Don’t Pass bet is that it is a self-service wager, meaning that gambling enthusiasts are allowed to position their chips on the respective area of the betting layout themselves. It is worth noting that the Don’t Pass area of the table layout is also known as “black line” and it is placed right next to the pass line.

Another thing you should remember about the flat Don’t Pass bet is that this particular bet is invariably placed prior to the come-out. This, in other words, means that craps lovers are not allowed to make a flat Don’t Pass bet after the point was set.

When it comes to the possible outcomes, craps lovers who are intent on placing a Don’t Pass bet need to know that the most beneficial scenario for them would be the dice rolling on 2 or 3 as this would mean that their bet is a winning one. In the event that a 12 appears, this means that there is a tie and your bet is neither a winning one, nor a losing one. Still, if when the shooter rolls the dice and 7 or 11 come out, this will mean that your bet is a losing one and the game is discontinued.

If you take a closer look at the betting layout, you will notice that there is a field, which is labeled “Bar 12”. Thus, if 12 is rolled during the come-out, there is a push. The “Bar 12” indicates that in our case, 12 is an excluded number, meaning that it is not a winning one and the aim of this is to make sure that the player will not gain an upper hand over the house. Craps lovers may also stumble upon tables that feature “Bar 2”, which will mean that 2 is the excluded or the barred number, and if the shooter throws 2, this means that there is a push or a tie, meaning that you do not win, but also that you do not lose.

The Don’t Pass bet will be a winning one as long as the shooter throws a “seven-out”. In such cases, you will be paid even money. Still, things will change if the shooter makes his point as this would mean that the Don’t Pass bet is a losing one. It is important to note that craps lovers are allowed to place or to increase their Don’t Pass bet only during the come-out.

One of the distinctive traits of this particular bet is that players are allowed to decrease or even to remove their bet at any time and even if the point is already established. The reason for this stems from the fact that when you place a Don’t Pass bet, you will gain a certain advantage over the house when a point is established.

Another important thing craps lovers should also take into account is the fact that as long as they have placed a flat Don’t Pass bet, they are not permitted to place a Put Bet. Now, perhaps, you wonder what does a Put Bet mean. While playing craps, gamblers are allowed to place a late bet, thus skipping the come-out, which is also known as a Put Bet.

Don’t Pass Bet Odds

Craps Don’t Pass Bet Odds Many gamblers who are intrigued by craps consider that this is one of the best casino games because of the low house edge. As it was already mentioned, in craps, the winning Don’t Pass bet pays even money, meaning that your prize will coincide with the amount of the stake you have made. Thus, if you decide to stake $10, for example, and your bet becomes a winning one, you will get another $10.

As it was already mentioned, the house enjoys a greater advantage during the come-out roll. The reason for this stems from the fact that players can lose in eight ways, win in three ways, and the roll can also result in a push.

Still, things change significantly when the point is established as the advantage will pass from the house in the hands of the player. No matter what the set point is, players invariably stand a better chance to win by rolling a 7 than to roll the established point and to experience a loss. But what is even better about the Don’t Pass bet in craps is that gamblers are allowed to decrease the house advantage even more by placing a Don’t Pass odds bet.

Many craps lovers prefer placing Don’t Pass bets because of the low house edge it comes with. The advantage the house will enjoy per bet made is 1.36%, whereas the house edge stands at 1.40% per bet resolved. The advantage the house enjoys per a roll is 0.40%.

Possible Outcomes of the Don’t Pass Bet

Craps Possible OutcomesAvid craps lovers who have decided to place a Don’t Pass bet while playing craps need to know that there are four possible outcomes they can enjoy. Considering the fact that the Don’t Pass bet is the exact opposite of the line bet, this means that when the Don’t Pass bet is a winning one, the line bet will be a losing one and vise versa.

As long as you have decided to place a Don’t Pass bet and the shooter throws 11 or 7 on the come-out roll, this will mean that the bet you have made is a losing one and the game ends straight off. The outcome that will bring you even money is the shooter throwing 3 or 2 on the come-out roll. If this happens, the game will once again end forthwith. The other option is the shooter throwing 12, which will mean that there is a tie and you neither lose, nor win and the game ends.

The game continues as long as a point is established. It is important to note that this will happen as long as one of the point numbers appears. These numbers include 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. In the event that one of these numbers comes out, the game proceeds and if a 7 appears before the point number, this means that the Don’t Pass bet you have made is a winning one. In the event that the scenario is slightly different and the point number comes out first, the Don’t Pass bet you have placed becomes a losing one, meaning that the game comes to an end immediately.

Playing the Don’t Pass Bet

Playing the Don’t Pass BetOnce you have acquainted yourself with all the ins and outs about the Don’t Pass bet, you can proceed to the actual play. Now, let’s go through one possible scenario in order to make sure that everything will fall into place.

Let’s assume that you have decided to place a Don’t Pass bet and you want to wager $5. At the beginning of the game, there is a new shooter and let’s say that on the come-out, he has rolled a 12. As you probably remember, this means that there is a push and that the game should finish straight off. Due to the fact that when you place a Don’t Pass bet and a 12 comes out, which is a tie, the dealer will leave your chips on the same area of the betting layout.

Then, the shooter prepares for another roll. This time, the number that comes out is 7. Unfortunately, when a 7 is rolled out during the initial phase of the game and you have placed a Don’t Pass bet, this means that you lose the stake you have made. So, while the shooter is getting ready for the next roll, you decide to place another $5 Don’t Pass bet.

If we presume that this time, the shooter has rolled 4, this will mean that the point, which is established for this game is 4. Thus, if the shooter rolls a ten, for example, the game will continue due to the fact that this number does not matter to it. Then, another roll is taking place and a 7 comes out. This is definitely great news to you as the 7 has appeared before the established point, meaning that your bet is a winning one. Thus, you will get another $5 for the winning stake you have made.

Laying Odds on Don’t Pass Bet

Craps Laying OddsAn important detail concerning the Don’t Pass bet is that once the point is established, craps lovers are allowed to place an odds bet, or to put it in another way, to lay odds on the specific point which has come out.

It is important to note that gambling aficionados should distinguish the two different bets that include taking and laying odds. When it comes to taking odds, you should remember that players are allowed to take odds only on pass line bets. By taking odds, the gambler simply makes a stake that the shooter will make his point. The payoff the player will get is determined by the point.

Laying odds, on the other hand, is considered as one of the best bets gambling enthusiasts can make. The reason for this stems from the fact that in practice, the edge the house enjoys when you place such a bet is zero. That is namely the reason why this bet is also known as free odds or true odds.

As it was already mentioned, on the come-out, craps lovers are put at a disadvantage due to the fact that there are only three combinations that can make their Don’t Pass bet a winning one and eight combinations that can make their bet a losing one. Still, things definitely change in favor of the bettor who has made a Don’t Pass bet after the point is established, simply because there are more combinations that can result in 7 in comparison with the rest of the points.

Due to the fact that players enjoy a certain advantage, they need to lay odds as long as they are intent on making a bigger stake that the shooter will not succeed in making his point. In the event that the point is 6 or 8, gamblers will be granted $5 for every $6 they have laid. As long as the point is 5 or 9, you will be given $2 for every $3 you lay. And last, if the point is 4 or 10, this will mean that you will be rewarded $1 for every $2 you lay.

Now, perhaps, some of you might wonder how they can lay odds. And the answer to this question is by “heeling” and “bridging” your odds bet. It is important to note that when making an odds bet, the higher denomination chips should be put on the bottom, whereas the chips that have a lower denomination should be placed on the top of your stack.

In the event that you have placed a winning Don’t Pass flat bet and the amount you have won coincides with the size of the payoff, this means that you can bridge your Don’t Pass bet. As long as you want to bridge your bet, you need to place a certain portion of your odds bet right next to your flat bet, thus getting two separate piles. Still, you should keep in mind that the size of this portion should match the amount of your flat bet. Then, the rest of the chips, which have remained from the odds bet should be positioned on the top of these two stacks, thus bridging them.

The other option gamblers have is to heel their odds bet, but you should bear in mind that this is possible only when the payoff for your Don’t Pass odds bet is higher or smaller than the amount of the flat bet you have made. Craps lovers who wish to heel their odds bet need to know that in order to do this, they need to position their odds bet chip stack right next to their flat bet. Then, you simply need to move the stack by leaving the chip that is on the bottom, so that the stack could lean over.

Don’t Pass Bet and Pass Line Bet Compared

craps featuredPlacing a Pass Pine bet is considered as the right way of wagering, whereas placing a Don’t Pass bet is also known as wagering against the dice. In the first place, it should be noted that both the Pass Line and the Don’t Pass bet are self-service bets, which therefore hints that gamblers are allowed to place their chips on the respective area of the betting layout without the assistance of the dealer. It is worth noting that the Pass Line area is also known as front line, whereas the Don’t Pass is known as back line and most importantly, their positions are adjacent on the betting layout. It is worth noting that both bets pay even money.

When it comes to the maximum and the minimum flat bets players can make, you should keep in mind that they coincide. Still, this does not refer to odds bets as there are certain differences gamblers should take into account.

A major difference between the Pass Line bet and the Don’t Pass bet is that the latter can be removed at any time, even when the point is already established. When it comes to the Pass Line bet, however, once a point is established, the bet cannot be removed until a decision is made.

Another difference between the Pass Line bet and the Don’t Pass bet is that the odds bets that can be made after the establishment of the point are called taking odds and laying odds for the line bet and the Don’t Pass bet respectively.

A major difference that might draw your attention as well is the fact that when you place a Don’t Pass odds bet, you are allowed to bridge or to heel your bet. When making a Pass Line odds bet, however, you need to place the chips in one pile.

»