Dice influencer Bill Collins reveals the secrets of odds bets in craps. Learn from the pro craps player, up your game, and dominate the table with confidence.
As a pro craps player, Bill has spent years perfecting his strategies and mastering the art of dice rolling.
One of his favorite wagers, is also the most advantageous bets in craps: the odds bets. With the lowest house edge, they give players a greater chance of walking away victorious.
In this exclusive article, he will share his insights, tips, and techniques for maximizing your potential at the craps table using odds bets.
Here’s what you will learn:
Get ready to elevate your craps game to the next level.
Free Odds bets are secondary bets that you add to your pass line, don't pass line, come bets, or don't come bets once a come-out point number or initial bet is established.
They reduce the casino's house advantage when added. If that number repeats before the 7 rolls, the main bet and odds bets win. If the 7 rolls first, both bets lose.
Though they are called Free Odds, because they pay off at fair odds, they aren't "free"; you must make a primary bet to make those free odds bets.
And, of course, the free odds aren't free if the bet loses.
Those losing Free Odds chips get raked off the table by the dealer when the losing 7 rolls before those numbers repeat.
Keep in mind
The bigger the Free Odds bet, the more reduced the casino's house advantage is on that line bet.
Single odds added to a pass line or come bet reduces the house advantage from 1.41% to 0.8%.
Single odds added to a don't pass line or don't come bet reduces the house advantage from 1.4% to 0.7%.
Double odds added to a pass line or come bet reduces the house advantage from 1.41% to 0.6%.
Double odds added to a don't pass line or don't come bet reduces the house advantage from 1.4% to 0.5%.
Here are the 4 types of craps odds bets available:
Right-side vs. Dark-side Free Odds Bets Payouts
Taking Free Odds-on right-side bets and laying odds on the dark-side bets have different payouts (check the next section for more details).
Because the odds are more against the right-side player winning his bet after the point is established, while the odds favor the wrong-side player winning his bet after the point is established.
Can You Make Craps Odds Bets Online?
Yes, the free odds are available in many online craps games (we have some on our site). Betsoft and Playtech are the top two providers for online craps, you can check their games in our collection of free craps simulators.
Free Odds won on the pass line or come bet pays true 2-to-1, instead of the usual 9-to-5, for the odds part of the bet when on a point number of 4 or 10.
Free Odds won on the pass line or come bet pays true 3-to-2 for the odds part of the bet when on a point number of 5 or 9.
Free Odds won on pass line or come bet pays true 6-to-5 for the odds part of the bet when on a point number of 6 or 8.
Free Odds won on the don't pass line, don't come bet odds pays true 1-to-2 for the odds part of the bet when on a point number of 4 or 10.
Free Odds won on the don't pass line, don't come bet odds pays true 2-to-3 for the odds part of the bet when on a point number of 5 or 9.
Free Odds won on the don't pass line, don't come bet odds pays true 5-to-6 for the odds part of the bet when on a point number of 6 or 8.
Remember
True Odds are 2-to-1 on a pass line bet on 4 or 10 means that you can expect to suffer two losses for every win on that bet.
First things, you need to keep in mind that there are:
On the 6 or 8, 5 ways to win versus 6 ways to lose means true odds are 5-to-6.
On the 5 or 9, 4 ways to win versus 6 ways to lose means true odds are 4-to-6, which reduces to 2-to-3.
On 4 or 10, 3 ways to win versus 6 ways to lose means true odds of winning are 3-to-6, which reduces to 2-to-1.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
You get a true odd payout without paying a 5% vig on your wager amount. | They don't benefit you unless you win that particular Free Odds bet. They cost you on a loss. |
Free Odds bets increase your winnings by paying off at True Odds, giving the casino zero house advantage on that part of the winning bet. | Big Free Odds bets can't realistically be made on a small buy-in. |
The Free Odds bet reduces the casino's overall house advantage you have to beat to win. | Some casinos severely limit the size of Free Odds bets you can wager, and do not include them in figuring comps. |
Taking Full Odds means that if the allowed Free Odds limit is 10 times your main bet, that's what you bet each time. That takes a more significant buy-in and bankroll to take advantage of the offer without playing on scared money.
Taking Partial Odds is for those on a more limited craps buy-in, where you only take 1x or 2x odds, which lets you play on a smaller scale.
Using the 3-4-5x Odds System is usually the table limits for Free Odds in many casinos because they know that being able to take big Free Odds reduces that casino's house advantage over the player on those particular bets.
(That's 3x odds of 4 and 10, 4x odds on 5 and 9, and 5x odds on 6 and 8.)
Free Odds cannot be made or won on a shooter's opening rolls. It takes a couple of rolls or more to establish Free Odds bets.
If you are working your place bets on come-out rolls and can hit them frequently, you could have already racked a couple of big winning place bets by the time it would take you to establish Free Odds.
The free odds bet in Craps is the only chance of placing wagers without a house edge.
Craps casinos may offer Free Odds to get players to make higher vig even-paying line bets, where the odds favor the house once the point is established. I try not to make line bets of any kind on other shooters.
If I had to, I'd add Free Odds after the point was established to reduce the house advantage. But of course, it's important that you master the game first, so you know exactly how to time your wagers.
Key takeaway: Consider the odds you are comfortable with
Be sure to play within your buy-in so that your buy-in isn't eaten away almost instantly by over-betting on odds right out of the gate.
You should try to get your buy-in to last you through at least betting on 10 different shooters. That will give you a decent chance of catching a shooter on a hot streak, making you some money.
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