Craps Strategy Guide: Pass Line, Place Bets, and Dice Control
Master the craps table with clear guidance on pass line basics, place bets, odds, proposition bets, and bankroll discipline for Pocket Arcade Craps.
Play Craps Strategy Guide nowThe come-out roll and the point
Every round in craps begins with a come-out roll. If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, pass-line bets win immediately — this is called a natural. If they roll 2, 3, or 12, it's craps and pass-line bets lose. Any other total (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) becomes the point, and the shooter's job becomes rolling that number again before rolling a 7.
The moment a point is established the dynamics of the game shift. A 7 was your friend on the come-out roll; now it's your enemy. The puck on the table flips to "ON" and sits on the point number. Every roll until the point hits or a 7 appears is part of the same round, so sessions can last a single throw or dozens of rolls.
This structure is everything in craps. The pass line is essentially a two-phase bet: survive the come-out, then survive the point phase. Understanding those two phases tells you why every other bet on the table exists — they are either supplements to that main storyline or completely independent side wagers.
Pass line and don't pass: which side to be on
The pass line wins when the shooter wins: naturals on the come-out and points made before a seven-out. The don't-pass line wins when the shooter loses: craps on the come-out (with the bar-12 push removing the house edge concern) and a 7 before the point in the point phase. Both bets pay even money and carry nearly identical house edges — about 1.4% for pass and 1.36% for don't pass.
Most players bet pass because it aligns with the shooter and the rest of the table, making the experience feel collaborative. Don't-pass players win when everyone else loses, which can feel socially awkward at a live table. In Pocket Arcade Craps that social dynamic doesn't matter — choose the side that fits your strategy, not the room's mood.
Neither side has a significant mathematical edge over the other. The real variable is volatility and tempo: pass-line betting tends to produce longer rounds and slower bankroll swings; don't-pass betting can resolve quickly on come-out naturals. New players should start with the pass line to learn the flow before experimenting with the dark side.
Place bets on six and eight
Once a point is set you can place individual numbers independently of the pass line. Place bets on 6 and 8 pay 7:6 — a slightly worse return than true odds, but a house edge of only 1.52%, making them among the best bets on the layout. A $6 place bet on the 8 returns $7 when 8 rolls; you keep your wager and collect the profit.
Six and eight are the most frequently rolled point numbers after 7 — there are five ways to make each of them with two dice. By contrast, 4 and 10 can only be rolled three ways, and they pay 9:5, but the increased payoff barely compensates for the lower probability. Starting with place bets on 6 and 8 gives you action on rolls that will actually happen.
A disciplined approach: bet pass line, wait for the point to be established, then place the 6 and 8 (if they are not the point). You now have three ways to profit from a single round. Take down your place bets before a come-out roll when there's no point, since place bets lose to the 7 even when the pass line would win from a natural.
Field bets and proposition bets
The field bet covers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12 in a single wager. It resolves on every roll and pays even money for most numbers, with 2:1 on 2 or 12. Despite covering seven numbers, the field loses more often than it wins — 5s, 6s, 7s, and 8s (twenty combinations) beat the field's sixteen. The house edge is roughly 5.6%, making it a costly habit over time.
Proposition bets — Any Seven, Any Craps, and Yo (11) — sit in the center of the table and pay large multiples. Any Seven pays 4:1 on a 7; Any Craps pays 7:1 on 2, 3, or 12; Yo pays 14:1 on an 11. These bets are settled on the very next roll and reset. The house edge on each is well above 10%. They exist to generate excitement and revenue for the house in equal measure.
Use proposition bets sparingly and intentionally. Betting Yo once on a come-out roll for a modest stake is a reasonable thrill — building a strategy around them is not. In Pocket Arcade Craps, sticking to pass line and place bets will keep your balance healthy far longer than chasing long-shot props.
Come bets and don't-come bets
A come bet placed during the point phase acts like a mini pass-line bet that starts fresh. The next roll is its personal come-out: a 7 or 11 wins immediately, craps loses, and any other number becomes that bet's own point. Come bets let you simultaneously have action on multiple numbers during a hot shooter's run.
Don't-come bets mirror don't-pass in the same way. They win when the shooter throws craps and lose to naturals, then reverse their win condition once a point is set. Both come and don't-come carry house edges similar to their pass-line counterparts, so they are legitimate strategic tools, not sucker bets.
The risk with come bets is that a 7 that ends the round (a seven-out on the point phase) wipes them all out at once. If you have a pass-line bet and two come bets all pointing at different numbers, a single 7 clears the table. Build come-bet exposure slowly and consider your total stake relative to your balance before placing a third or fourth working bet.
Bankroll discipline and session goals
Craps moves faster than almost any other casino game. Multiple bets resolve on a single roll, and it is easy to have $200 in action before you've thought carefully about maximum loss. Set a session limit before you start — a number you are genuinely comfortable losing — and treat it as a hard ceiling, not a soft suggestion.
Winning sessions almost always end because you had a target and hit it. Decide on a win goal too: if your balance climbs 50% above starting, consider locking in profits by dropping to minimum pass-line-only betting. Letting a winning session turn into a loss through overexposure is the most common mistake disciplined players avoid.
In Pocket Arcade Craps, with a starting stack of 1,000 points, a reasonable session pattern is: bet 25 on the pass line each come-out, add 25 place bets on 6 and 8 once the point is set, and keep props below 5% of your current stack. This pacing gives you dozens of rounds to learn the table before facing an early bust.