Betting Against the Table in Craps: The Don't Pass Bet
By Matty Dice ·
Most people at a craps table are cheering for the shooter. A few are quietly betting that the shooter will fail. They're playing the Don't Pass, sometimes called the "dark side", and mathematically it's one of the best bets in the casino.
How Don't Pass works
The Don't Pass bet is placed before the come-out roll and is close to the mirror image of the pass line:
- Come-out roll of 2 or 3: Don't Pass wins.
- Come-out roll of 7 or 11: Don't Pass loses.
- Come-out roll of 12: a push (tie). This "bar 12" rule is what gives the house its edge. Some casinos bar the 2 instead.
- A point is set: Don't Pass wins if a 7 is rolled before the point, and loses if the point is rolled first.
Why it's a strong bet
Once a point is established, the odds are on your side: a 7 is more likely than any point number. The house edge on Don't Pass is about 1.36%, slightly lower than the pass line's 1.41%. You can also lay odds behind a Don't Pass bet, which, like taking odds on the pass line, has no house edge. Because you're the favorite, laying odds means risking more to win less (for example, risking $6 to win $5 against a point of 6 or 8).
Don't Come
The Don't Come bet works the same way as Don't Pass, but you can place it on any roll after the point is set. The next roll acts as its own come-out roll.
Table etiquette
Betting against the shooter is perfectly legal, but it isn't always popular. A few tips:
- Keep your celebrations quiet when the shooter sevens out; the rest of the table just lost.
- Many dark-side players skip shooting themselves, or bet the pass line when it's their turn to roll.
- Stand toward the ends of the table rather than right next to the shooter.
Try both sides
Our craps practice roller tracks pass line wins and losses. Every pass loss (apart from a come-out 12) would be a Don't Pass win, so it's an easy way to see how often each side comes out ahead. And if you want to stack the odds in your favor on the right side, read whether you should always take max odds.