Don’t Pass is the main craps wager against the Pass Line. On the come-out roll, it wins on 2 or 3, loses on 7 or 11, and usually pushes on 12. If 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 becomes the point, Don’t Pass wins when 7 rolls before that point repeats.
The bet is sometimes called the “dark side” or “wrong side” because most players are cheering for the shooter. Those are social labels, not rule violations.
One wager with two phases
The easiest way to understand Don’t Pass is to separate the come-out roll from the point cycle.
Phase 1: the come-out roll
| Dice total | Don’t Pass result | Number of combinations |
|---|---|---|
| 2 or 3 | Wins | 3 of 36 |
| 7 or 11 | Loses | 8 of 36 |
| 12 | Pushes under “bar 12” | 1 of 36 |
| 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 | Establishes the point | 24 of 36 |
A push returns the flat wager with no win or loss. Most casino layouts use Don’t Pass bar 12, which means 12 cannot win for the Don’t Pass bettor on the come-out roll. Some rules use bar 2 instead. The house edge is the same because 2 and 12 each have one combination.
Phase 2: after a point is established
Once the point is on, the result becomes a race between the point and 7:
- if 7 rolls first, Don’t Pass wins;
- if the point repeats first, Don’t Pass loses;
- other totals do not settle the flat wager.
This reversal is the feature that confuses many new players. Don’t Pass dislikes 7 on the come-out roll but wants 7 after the point is set.
Why the point phase favors Don’t Pass
Seven is the most common total with two dice because it has six combinations. Every point has fewer combinations:
| Point | Ways to roll the point | Ways to roll 7 | Probability Don’t Pass wins the point cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 3 | 6 | 6 ÷ 9 = 66.67% |
| 5 or 9 | 4 | 6 | 6 ÷ 10 = 60% |
| 6 or 8 | 5 | 6 | 6 ÷ 11 = 54.55% |
The point phase therefore favors the Don’t Pass side. The come-out phase compensates the casino: 7 or 11 has eight winning combinations for Pass Line, while 2 or 3 has only three immediate winning combinations for Don’t Pass. Bar 12 removes the remaining one-combination advantage that would otherwise make the wager player-favorable.
The exact house edge
Across the complete bet, the probabilities are approximately:
- Don’t Pass win: 47.9293%
- Don’t Pass loss: 49.2929%
- Push on 12: 2.7778%
For a one-unit flat bet paid at even money:
Expected value = probability of winning − probability of losing
Expected value = 0.479293 − 0.492929 = −0.013636
The negative value is 1.3636% of the initial flat wager, normally rounded to a 1.36% house edge.
A $10 Don’t Pass bet therefore has a long-run expected cost of about:
$10 × 0.013636 = $0.13636 per resolved initial wager
That does not mean each $10 bet loses 14 cents. A bet normally wins $10, loses $10, or pushes. The 14-cent figure appears only as an average across many bets.
Don’t Pass has a slightly lower house edge than Pass Line, which is about 1.41%. The difference is only around five cents per $100 initially wagered. It is real, but too small to turn craps into a positive-expectation game.
Laying odds behind Don’t Pass
After a point is established, a casino may allow the player to add an odds wager behind the Don’t Pass flat bet. Because the player is betting on 7 against the point, this is called laying odds.
The odds wager is paid at true odds:
| Point | Amount risked to win $10 | Equivalent payout |
|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | $20 | 1 to 2 |
| 5 or 9 | $15 | 2 to 3 |
| 6 or 8 | $12 | 5 to 6 |
The player risks more than the possible profit because 7 is more likely than the point. That does not make the payout unfair. It matches the true probability of the race.
For example, with a $10 Don’t Pass flat bet and point 4, the player might lay $20 odds:
- if 7 rolls first, the flat bet wins $10 and the odds win $10;
- if 4 rolls first, the player loses the $10 flat bet and $20 odds bet;
- other rolls continue the cycle.
The odds portion has zero house edge when paid at true odds. The original flat wager still carries its 1.36% edge. Adding odds lowers the edge as a percentage of the combined amount at risk, but it also increases the dollars exposed on the point cycle. Odds Bet explains that distinction.
Can the bet be removed?
Before a point is established, casino procedures determine when wagers are closed for the come-out roll. After the point is on, Don’t Pass is generally treated as a contract bet in the player’s favor, meaning the player may usually remove or reduce the flat wager because the point phase favors 7. Rules and local procedures can vary, so the dealer’s instruction and the posted game rules control.
Odds wagers are normally removable or adjustable within the table limit. A verbal instruction such as “take down my odds” should be given clearly before the dice are out.
Washington’s published craps game description is an example of a regulator-issued rules document covering line wagers and the structure of the game. Exact table procedures remain jurisdiction- and property-specific.
How the dealer reads the layout
The Don’t Pass area is positioned near the rail, usually above or next to the Pass Line. A player places the flat wager in the marked Don’t Pass section before the come-out roll.
After a point is established:
- the flat wager remains in its original area;
- lay odds are placed in a separate position associated with that wager;
- the dealer must distinguish the flat amount from the odds amount;
- payouts are settled according to the point-specific ratio;
- the push rule on 12 applies only to the come-out resolution, not the point cycle.
Clear chip placement matters because a $30 stack could represent a flat bet, lay odds, or a combination depending on its location. Players should not reach into the layout while the dice are moving.
Don’t Pass is not the same as Don’t Come
The two wagers use similar logic at different times.
- Don’t Pass is placed before the shooter’s come-out roll and follows the table’s main point cycle.
- Don’t Come is placed after a point already exists. The next roll becomes that wager’s private come-out roll; if it travels to a number, that number becomes the Don’t Come point.
Both generally use the same immediate win, loss, and bar-number structure, but their timing and chip positions differ.
The social issue is separate from the mathematical definition
Most craps tables build a shared atmosphere around the shooter making the point. A Don’t Pass bettor benefits from seven-out after a point, so celebrating loudly can antagonize other players even though the wager is legitimate.
The practical etiquette is simple: place the bet clearly, avoid commenting on the shooter, and let the dealer settle it. The articles on why players avoid the Don’t Pass line and why the wager remains unpopular examine that culture. This glossary page is about the rules and math.
What the term does and does not imply
Don’t Pass is:
- a low-edge craps line wager;
- an even-money flat bet;
- a bet that changes its relationship with 7 after the point is set;
- eligible for true-odds wagers where the rules allow them.
It is not:
- a guarantee of winning because 7 is common;
- a bet against the casino;
- prohibited or unethical;
- automatically better for a particular player’s budget;
- immune to large short-term swings when lay odds are added.
A lower percentage edge does not eliminate risk. A large lay-odds wager can lose much more dollars on one resolution than a small flat bet, even though the odds portion is mathematically fair.
Related reading
Start with the Craps overview and Pass Line. Then read True Odds vs Casino Payouts, Come-Out Roll, The Point, and Seven Out.