Craps is a popular dice game at casinos, and there are many different types of bets that can be placed on the craps table. In this post, we will focus on the come bet, which is a widely-used wager at the table due to its favorable odds and low house edge.
We will cover how the come bet works, whether it is a good bet to place, the odds of winning, and other important information about come bets.
1.41%
House
Advantage
48.59%
Chance to
Win
Good Bet?
How the Craps Come Bet works
The come bet is similar to the pass line bet, but with one key difference: it can only be placed after a point is established. Otherwise, you’re simply making a pass line bet.
The rules for the come bet are the same as for the pass line: a roll of 2, 3, or 12 loses the bet, while a roll of 7 or 11 wins the bet with an even money payout. With a roll of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, your come bet travels to the corresponding number. Your bet is “stuck” on that number until it hits, or until a 7 is rolled.
Think of it as a unique come out roll each time you place chips on the come.
When making a come bet, it is as if you are making a separate pass line bet on each roll. For example, if you roll any number other than 2, 3, 12, 7, or 11, your money will travel to the number, which can be considered a “secondary” point.
Your chips will then be moved to that number by the dealer, and you can continue making come bets and establishing additional “secondary points”. The shooter must roll these same point numbers in order to win your bet. The bet loses on a 7, even if it is on a new come out roll for the shooter.
If you place a come bet and the shooter hits their point, the come bet will still travel and the bet is ON for every roll. There is no turning it off or pulling it down. Odds can be turned off or taken down at any time, but the “flat” portion of your come bet is always active on the number it travels to.
If you try to place a come bet during a come out roll, the dealer will simply move your chips to the pass line.
Check here if you need help understanding some of this Craps Terminology & Slang.
Learn more about how to play craps here.
Placing Odds on a Come Bet
Odds bets when you play craps are by far the most favorable bet on the table. In fact, craps odds bets are the best bet in the entire casino.
If you simply take even odds on your bet, meaning if the come bet was $10 and you add $10 in odds, you bring the house edge down to 0.85%. If you have the bankroll to place 100x odds on a come bet, you bring the house edge all the way down to 0.02%.
Craps betting with odds can be used as part of an advanced craps betting strategy to maximize your chance of winning.
How to Place an Odds Bet
You can add or remove odds to your come bet anytime. It is nearly identical to a pass line odds bet. They both work the same way, with the exception of how it is placed. Pass line odds are a self-service bet, while come bet odds are managed by the dealer.
To place odds on your come bet, simply place the money on the layout and tell the dealer your bet. i.e. “odds on my 10, please”.
Pro Tip – Add $1 to your odds bet for the dealers! If you win, they will also win, it becomes a tip and they are very appreciative. Dealers typically work on low wage and rely on tips. Making a bet for them gets them in the game and they’ll be looking out for you!
How Much can I Bet With Odds
Odds need to be the table minimum bet or more, but not to exceed the table maximum odds. Note “maximum odds“. This is different from the table maximum bet. The casino will openly display those maximums at the table, usually on the same card that displays the table minimum.
You can find some casinos that will offer 100x odds. Others will allow far less and one common structure is 3-4-5.
3x odds on the 4 and 10
4x odds on the 5 and 9
5x odds on the 6 and 8
If you want to place maximum odds on a $10 table with 3-4-5 odds allowed, it would be $30, $40, or $50 for those odds. This is in addition to the $10 you already bet as the “flat”
Pro Tip – Do not bet more than the table minimum on your come bet UNLESS you want to place odds that are greater than the maximums outlined above. If it is a $10 table and you want to have $100 in odds on a 6 or 8 for example, you’d need a $20 come bet on a 3-4-5 table.
The come bet pays even money, you get true odds with the odds bet, so you want to maximize the odds portion of the bet.
Should you place a come bet?
There is no definitive answer to this question, as it ultimately depends on your personal betting strategy and risk tolerance. Some players may prefer to place come bets due to their favorable odds and low house edge.
Come betting can be a bit overwhelming to learn at first. But if you can get the hang of it,
Odds of Winning a Come Bet
The chance of winning a come bet is 48.59%.
The flat portion of a come bet pays even odds or 1:1. This means that for every $1 you bet, you will win $1 if you win the bet.
The odds portion of a come bet pays true odds and payouts differ based on the number.
4 or 10 pays 2:1
5 or 9 pays 3:2
6 or 8 pays 6:5
House Edge on Come Bets
The house edge on come bets is 1.41%. This means that, on average, the casino will make a profit of 1.41% on come bets. That is only the flat portion of the come bet, however. The house edge on odds will depend on how much the bet is. Here is the breakdown of house edge with corresponding odds:
- 1x Odds – 0.85%
- 2x Odds – 0.61%
- 3x Odds – 0.47%
- 5x Odds – 0.33%
- 10x Odds – 0.18%
- 100x Odds – 0.02%
Payouts are determined by local gaming commission regulations, most states follow the same payouts as listed above, but these could vary from one jurisdiction to another. The above are from NV.
Come Bets FAQs:
Final Thoughts
The come bet is a popular and strategic option at the craps table, with its favorable odds and low house edge. By understanding how the come bet works and the associated odds and house edge, you can make informed decisions and potentially increase your chances of winning at craps.
Related – Craps Lay Bet
Good luck on the tables!
