How a don’t pass strategy works
You put a flat bet on the Don’t Pass bar before the come-out. On that first roll a 2 or 3 wins, a 7 or 11 loses and a 12 is a push. Any other total becomes the point, and from then on you win if a seven rolls before the point repeats. The bet pays even money.
That is the whole mechanism, and it is the mirror image of the pass line. The house makes up for the mirror with one small rule: the barred 12. Without it the dark side would win on every craps number and the player would hold the edge. With it, Don’t Pass wins 47.93% of decisions, loses 49.29% and pushes 2.78%.
The resulting house edge is 1.364%, the lowest of any flat bet at the table. A craps don’t pass strategy builds everything on that line, then adds laid odds behind it. Our page on the Don’t Pass bet covers the rules in more detail, and this page covers how to play it as a plan.
- Pays
- 1 to 1
- House edge
- 1.36%
- Decided by
- Several rolls
- Can be made
- Come-out
When the don’t is strongest: after the point
The come-out roll is the dark side’s bad moment. Eight of the 36 outcomes are a 7 or 11, which beat you, and only three are a 2 or 3, which pay you. The 12 does nothing. Survive the come-out and the picture turns around, because the seven now wins for you and it rolls more often than any point.
| Point | Don’t Pass wins | Pass line wins |
|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 66.67% | 33.33% |
| 5 or 9 | 60.00% | 40.00% |
| 6 or 8 | 54.55% | 45.45% |
Once a 4 or 10 is set, your flat bet is a two-to-one favorite. That is why the casino lets you remove a Don’t Pass bet after the point, and why you never should: it is the only stage where the bet is ahead. It is also why a new Don’t Pass bet is refused once the point is on.
Don’t Come for more numbers
If you want more than one bet working, the Don’t Come bet repeats the same trick mid-hand. Place it in the Don’t Come bar, and the next roll acts as its own come-out. When it travels behind a number, it gains the same advantage as the Don’t Pass, and you can lay odds on it too.
Laying odds behind the Don’t Pass
Once the point is set you can lay odds. They pay true odds, so the house takes nothing. Because the seven is more likely than the point, you risk more than you win: $20 to win $10 against a 4 or 10, $15 to win $10 against a 5 or 9, $12 to win $10 against a 6 or 8.
| Odds laid | Don’t Pass combined edge | Pass line combined edge |
|---|---|---|
| None | 1.364% | 1.414% |
| 1x | 0.682% | 0.848% |
| 2x | 0.455% | 0.606% |
| 3-4-5x | 0.273% | 0.374% |
| 5x | 0.227% | 0.326% |
| 10x | 0.124% | 0.184% |
Every row favors the dark side. At a 3-4-5x table the don’t pass strategy with full laid odds costs 0.27% of what you wager, about a quarter less than the right side with the same odds. At 10x it drops to 0.12%. No other combination on a standard craps table is cheaper than this one.
Laid odds are not the same as a lay bet. A lay bet against the 4 is a separate wager with a 5% commission on the win, which puts its edge at 2.44% on the 4 and 10. Laid odds exist only behind a Don’t Pass or Don’t Come bet, and they cost nothing.
Bankroll for the dark side
The dark side wins more often and loses bigger. Against a 4 or 10 you lay twice what the odds can win, so full odds behind a $10 bar bet can reach several times the flat. When the shooter hits the point, all of it goes at once. Ask the dealer how laid odds are capped before you size them.
That shape changes how a session feels. You collect a lot of modest wins as shooters seven out, then give back a large chunk when a hot hand runs through several points. Plan for at least four or five of those larger losses per session, and use our bankroll management guide to turn that into a dollar figure.
A lighter version still works. Lay single or double odds instead of the full amount, and the combined edge sits at 0.68% or 0.46%, still cheaper than the pass line with the same odds. The swings shrink and the money at risk against a 4 or 10 falls sharply, which suits a smaller budget far better.
Three rules that keep the math on your side
Keep the flat bet at the minimum. Put extra money into the laid odds, not the flat, because only the flat carries an edge. And stay away from the proposition box in the middle, where a single-roll bet can cost more in one roll than your Don’t Pass costs in a whole hand.
Don’t pass etiquette at a live table
Betting the don’t is legal in every casino and no dealer will refuse it. Other players sometimes call dark-side bettors wrong bettors, and a few will mutter when you win on a seven-out that cleared their chips. The fix is simple: bet quietly, collect quietly and never cheer the seven.
A few more habits help. Keep your hands clear while the dice are in the air, and let the dealer move your Don’t Come bets rather than reaching across the layout. When it is your turn to shoot, some dark-side players switch to the pass line or pass the dice. Our craps etiquette guide covers the rest.
Playing the don’t pass strategy online
Online the social side disappears. Licensed real-money craps in New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia offers Don’t Pass, Don’t Come and laid odds, and nobody at the table can see which side you picked. Live dealer games such as Evolution’s Live Craps settle the bar 12 exactly like a casino pit.
Regulators such as the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement approve each game’s rules, and those rules show the odds limit and how laid odds are counted. Read that page first, because some computer-dealt games cap odds lower than a Las Vegas table. You must be 21 or older and physically in the state to play.
One practical detail decides how this strategy plays online. Some interfaces lay odds as a single button that picks the maximum for you, so the amount at risk against a 4 or 10 can jump without you typing a number. Check the chip total behind your bar before the next roll.