In craps, is placing odds on your come bet really effective?

Question

I recently learned that in craps you can place odds on a come bet after it travels to what ever number is rolled next.

Obviously placing odds is great (best bet in Vegas), but it takes 3 rolls minimum to win that bet (and thus seems more likely that you'll 7 out), where as I could just place on the 6 & 8 or take odds on the pass line.

So is placing odds worth the wait?

Answer 1

An odds bet behind the come bet pays fair odds.  2 to 1 on 4 and 10, 7 to 5 on the 5 and 9, 6 to 5 on the 6 and 8.  It takes two rolls to win the odds bet since you have to roll to establish a point, not three.

The place bet does not give true odds( ie 6 to 5 on the  6 and 8).  It only takes one roll to win on the place bet.

The odds come bet is the best.

Answer 2

The odds bet is the best bet in the casino, period. It is the only bet where the house has no advantage. When combined with a pass line, don't pass line, come or don't come bet, the house's combined edge can drop close to nothing. So no, the odds bet is never a bad bet.

I understand where you're coming from though, and a lot of "experts" have opinions similar to yours. To win a come bet with odds, you must throw a number twice, whereas with a place bet, you must only throw it once.

The problem with that idea is that the only way you can justify that it even makes a difference how many times the number must be thrown is if you make the assumption that each throw is dependent on another, and if you do not throw the 7 in one particular throw, then it is MORE likely the 7 will come up the next throw. This is obviously not true. You do not have the numbers covered as often when you play the come bet, but you're still getting better odds when those points are up, and will come out further ahead (or less far behind, as is the case with most casino bets) in the long run by making come bets with odds rather than placing numbers.

That being said, in a practical sense a lot of people would rather just place the 6 and 8 than play come bets for other reasons. For one, you get to pick which numbers your playing for, rather than relying on the luck of the shooter. Also, if you're playing near the table minimum, it's going to cost you less money to put up those place bets rather than two come bets with odds.

At the end of the day, I'll just tell you that statistically, you're ALWAYS going to come out better making come bets rather than place bets, but if you'd rather play the place bet's it's not exactly a bad play. If you're playing with larger bets (if you have the budget for a pass line and two come bets with 5x odds) then you should lean towards the come bets. If you're playing with a smaller budget, the place bets are the better choice.

Answer 3

yes, mathematically, placing odds on the come bet is the only way to make up the money you lose when the 7 takes down all the come bets.

however, the don't come is a much better bet, since you win all outstanding don't come bets on the 7.

Answer 4

Places a bet on the come line is a near must in craps, as well as covering 6 and 8 that you mention above.

The reason they choose 7 in craps is because it is the most likely roll.

Answer 5

<<<In craps, is placing odds on your come bet really effective?>>>

(1) It is effective in reducing the house edge. That is good for you, the player, and bad for the house.

(2) It is effective in increasing the amount you are putting at risk on any given roll. That is good for the house and bad for you, the player,

(3) If you count the pass/come bet and the odds bet as separate bets, it is effective in decreasing the percentage of the bets you will win. That is good for the house and bad for you, the player.

<<<Obviously placing odds is great (best bet in Vegas)>>>

I agree.

<<<but it takes 3 rolls minimum to win that bet (and thus seems more likely that you'll 7 out)>>>

That's not quite right.

If the first roll is a 7 you do not 7 out, you win even though you have not put out an odds bet yet.

If the second roll is a 7 the come bet and the pass line bet offset, effectively creating a push on those two bets. If you had put out an odds bet after the first roll that bet would lose, but you can wait to put odds on the pass line bet until you have a come bet active if you choose.

So, while it is true that you cannot make an odds bet on a come bet until the third roll, a 7 on the first roll is a win and a 7 on the second roll can be a push, meaning there is no way to lose money on a 7 until the third roll.

<<<I could just place on the 6 & 8 or take odds on the pass line.>>>

You could. If you do you effectively

(1) increase the house advantage

(2) increase the amount you are putting at risk on a given roll

(3) decrease the percentage of bets you win.

In doing so you have the same disadvantages that you had with odds bets, and you turned the one advantage of odds bets into a disadvantage by increasing the house edge.

<<<So is placing odds worth the wait?>>>

Absolutely.

Just remember that if you are going to stay at a craps table for a while you are going to hit some cold steaks. If you risk too high a percentage of your funds at one time a single cold streak can wipe you out. So, if your funds are limited you probably should strictly limit the number of bets you have active at any given time.

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A couple of comments on other responses.

I disagree with those who advocate placing the 6 and 8. While the odds on those bets are better than most of the other odds on the table, the are still worse than pass, don't pass, come, don't come and free odds bets. If you want more action you are better off with a second come bet instead of placing the 6 and 8.

There is also an obvious error in the sentence "An odds bet behind the come bet pays fair odds. 2 to 1 on 4 and 10, 7 to 5 on the 5 and 9, 6 to 5 on the 6 and 8." A place bet on 5 or 9 pays 7 to 5. An odds bet on 5 or 9 pays 3 to 2.