Pass Bet Craps

• What Is A Don't Pass Bet In Craps
• Pass Bet Craps Challenge

Let me begin by apologizing to our beginner craps players. I pride myself on being a good teacher, but I overlooked the fact the I have not yet written an article dedicated to the free odds bet. I took it for granted that everyone understood what is mathematically the best bet in the game.

A come-out roll of 2, 3 or 12 is called 'craps' or 'crapping out', and anyone betting the Pass line loses. On the other hand, anyone betting the Don't Pass line on come. The pass line and don’t pass wagers are the most commonly placed bets in craps and also the most straightforward. A shooter will usually have to place one of them before making their come-out roll; and in some casinos, players must make one of them if they also want to place other wagers. The pass line bet is the most common wager used in the game of craps. This is considered a line bet because there is a large line area on the table layout where you can place your chips. The bet itself is simple, you are essentially wagering that the shooter will roll a 7 or 11 on the come out roll to win.

However, recently, I started seeing very basic questions about the free odds bet pop up on the RoadGambler YouTube channel.

Betting on the pass line bet or betting “with the dice” is the most common bet in craps and you will see many players or shooters choosing it. A pass line bet requires you to place chips on the “Pass Line” section of the table. If the shooter’s come out roll is a 7 or 11, you win even money (1:1).

So let’s have a simple discussion about the free odds bet.

For purposes of simplicity, I am only going to discuss free odds on the light side, aka the pass and come side. For the dark side of free odds, see this: https://roadgambler.com/casino/darkside/

Also, the free odds are simply referred to as ‘odds’; so going forward, I will use the term ‘odds’ in lieu of ‘free odds.

WHAT ARE THE FREE ODDS BET?

The odds bet is a bet that can only be made once the player has bet on the pass line or come bet.

It’s mathematically the best bet on the table because the odds pay true odds. That means that, unlike almost every other bet in the casino, the house has no advantage.

Odds bets are usually capped. At most Las Vegas strip properties, the odds bet is capped at a maximum of 3x, 4x, and 5x.

For example, here is a table limit sign at a Las Vegas Strip casino.

Notice that the minimum bet on this table is $15. 3x, 4x, and 5x means that: if the point is 4 or 10, then the maximum odds are 3 times the pass line bet; if the point is 5 or 9, then the maximum odds are 4 times the pass line bet; and if the point is 6 or 8, the maximum odds allowed are 5 times the pass line.

Let’s say that you make a $15 pass line bet. That means that in the above picture since the point is 8 (as marked by the white puck), you can bet $75 worth of odds.

Some casinos will allow more free odds. Notice the sign that says 100x. That means if you bet $5, you can bet up to $500 worth of odds.

WIN-LOSS CONDITIONS OF THE ODDS BET

The odds bet will win if the point assigned to that odds bet rolls before the 7 rolls.

For example, if the point is 8, and the 8 rolls before the 7 rolls, then the odds bet will win. If the 7 rolls before the 8 rolls, then the odds bet will lose.

Odds bets can also be wagered on Come bets after the Come bet point has been established. Be warned that typically if the bettor has a live come bet with odds, and the pass line has just won, then the next roll will be a come out roll for the pass line. In that case, the odds bet attached to the come bet will not be working unless the bettor declares the odds to be working.

HOW TO IDENTIFY AND MAKE THE ODDS BET

In the picture below, the two bets that are behind the pass line bet are the odds bet. To make the odds bet, you just position your chips in the area behind your pass line bet, AFTER THE POINT HAS ROLLED.

If you are playing online, the odds bet is made by dragging chips to the area behind your pass line bet, like this…

PAYOUT ON ODDS BET

The most important thing to know about the odds bet is the payout.

The following are the payouts for each point…

Point is 4 or 10

• Odds will pay 2-1.
• For example, if you bet $10 on the odds, you will be paid $20

Point is 5 or 9

What Is A Don't Pass Bet In Craps

• Odds will pay 3-2.
• For example, if you bet $10 on the odds, you will be paid $15.
• When betting odds on the 5 or 9, always make sure that you bet in even dollar increments. For example, if you bet $5, you will be penalized. True odds payout would be $7.50, but since most casinos do not have 50 cent chips, the casino will round down and pay $7.

Point is 6 or 8

• Odds will pay 6-5.
• For example, if you bet $10 on the odds, you will be paid $12.
• Always bet in $5 increments, or else you will be penalized. The casino will round down from the true odds payout.

FINAL ADVICE

When in doubt about how much to bet, follow this one simple rule about how much to bet on free odds: Bet in $10 increments.

If you bet in $10 increments, you will always have the correct odds bet. Make sure that the $10 increment does not go over the maximum odds allowed.

Play responsibly and enjoy!

Posted in: Casino, Craps, Gambling

Types of Craps Bets

Pass Bet Craps Challenge

This is the most powerful bet in all of craps. In order to play the free odds bet, you must have wagered on the pass line bet or the come bet. If the shooter has not rolled a craps number (2, 3, or 12) or a 7 or 11, then there must be a point number established (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10). Once the point has been established, players can have access to the pass odds bet or come odds bet (also just known as free odds).

Players may wager on the free odds bet in multiples of their original pass/come bet amount. Most casinos allow multiples of 1x, 2x, or 3x. Casinos in Las Vegas for example will allow players to wager 10x, 50x and even 100x odds bets. The rule of thumb is this: The more money you bet on the odds bet, the lower the house edge becomes in your overall pass/come bet that you originally made.

The odds bet itself pays out true odds, meaning there is a 0% (yes zero) house edge. There is not a single game you will ever find at the casino that will offer no house edge. It is as if you are betting head or tails on the flip of a coin. This means totally fair odds. This bet wins when the shooter rolls the point number before a 7.

Remember, the number 7 is the most frequently rolled number. Then 6 and 8 are the next two frequent, followed by 9 and 5, then 4 and 10 with the least frequent of the point numbers. The 6 and 8 pay out 6:5 or $6 for every $5 wagered. 5 and 9 pay out 3:2. 4 and 10 pay out 2:1 odds. Note that these payouts are only for the odds bet. The original Pass/Come line bet will still be paid 1:1 if it wins.

I will explain the bet using the image below. First I made a pass line bet and the shooter rolled a 4 on the come out roll. The number 4 become the point number (noted by the puck that now says 'ON'). Then the dealer moved my chips up to that area of the layout and I made a 1x multiplier free odds bet (so there are two $88 chip stacks now), which gets placed right next to the chips that the dealer moved up there. I will win both bets if the dealer rolls another 4.