Do you have to play the Pass Line?

24 June 2014

By Frank Scoblete

FROM BOB F:

I used to play craps and was always playing the pass line with every shooter. My question is do players have to play either pass line or don't pass when a new roll starts, or can he or she jump into the game after the roll is starting?

If you can do that, have you ever done any kind of study? Since most shooters in craps are bad shooters, if for some reason they get on a run, like let's say they make five points in a row, would it be a good play to play the don't come bet now since most shooters are not controlled shooters?


FRANK RESPONDS:

You do not have to play either the pass line or the don’t pass bets. Some players never play these bets. You are free to bet on any shooter at any time in just about any way that you choose.

During the come-out roll you could, if you wanted, make “place” bets that were working. While the pass and don’t pass are the heart of the game, no one is forced to make them. You can create your own game if you wish.

Now, even if the shooter makes five points in a row, his probability of making point number six is no different than it was before point number one. Now, yes, some points are easier to make than others (6 and 8 as opposed to 4 and 10) but in the context of the overall game the percentages are fixed in stone. The house will take 1.41 percent of everything you wager.

So, no, you can’t predict what a random roller will do since the game is random. The probabilities will hold but that is about all you can expect. Something that came up in the recent past, or something that did not come up in the recent past, has no effect on the future results.

Short answer: Making that don’t will have the same overall expectation after one point or five points. In a random game, you can’t bet your way out of the house edge although many Internet systems seller will attempt to sell you on the idea that you can indeed "hop on trends." That doesn't work, as random games can't be predicted.