Craps Strategy- Playing the Pass and Come properly

Hello all! I know, I know, its been  forever since my last post.  SORRY!!  Been too many interesting developments I've been dealing with, but that's another post......on to the subject at hand!

The Passline and Come bets are very often played improperly, I see it ALL the time.  First, let me explain what these bets are.  The Passline bet means you are betting with the shooter.  When the shooter successfully either rolls a 7 or 11 on his come-out roll or makes his point, then everybody with a bet on the Passline wins even money for that bet.  The Come bet is essentially the same as the Passline bet except that you place that bet after a point has been established by the shooter.  Then, if the shooter rolls that Come point again before a 7, you win even money on that bet.  For example, let's say you're playing a $5 minimum bet table and you put a $5 bet on the Passline for the come-out roll.  OK, the shooter is coming out and rolls a 6, thereby establishing 6 as his point (designated by the dealer placing a large button saying "ON" above the 6 on the layout).  If you do nothing else, and the Shooter rolls a 6 again before a 7, then you would win $5.  Now, using the same example, let's say after the Shooter establishes the 6, you place a $5 bet in the Come section of the table.  OK, now the Shooter rolls  a 9.  So, now the dealer moves your 2nd bet up and places it over the 9, designating that as your number.  If the dealer now rolls either a 6 or a 9, then you would win that respective bet, $5 each.  In the event you win the Come bet, your winnings and the original bet would be picked up and placed in front of you by the dealer. In this scenario, you would have two numbers working for you until they are hit again, or a 7 is rolled.  I know, I know, only even money so they don't seem to be working too hard for you.  Don't worry, we're gonna fix that, read on.

Once a point is established via the Passline or the Come bet, ALWAYS take the Odds bet.  This is the best bet in the entire casino.  When you place odds behind your Passline or Come bet, that pays true odds if you win the bet, thus cutting the house edge tremendously.  It's very important to place the correct amount also, but don't worry, you can always ask the dealer what the proper amount is.  OK, using the above scenario, if the Shooter establishes a 6 for his point, and you want to take advantage of the odds bet, how much should you place behind your initial $5?  Well, there are 5 ways to throw a 6 (1-5, 2-4, 3-3, 4-2, 5-1), and 6 ways to throw a 7 (1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, 6-1).  That means the true odds would be a payout of $6 for every $5 wagered, which is exactly what you will be paid if you place the odds bet and the shooter throws a six.  What that means is you should place your odds bet in $5 increments up to the maximum the House allows.  Some casinos allow you to place up to TEN TIMES YOUR BET when taking odds.  Best bet in the house, and this is also why you should NEVER place more than the minimum bet on the passline unless your willing and can afford to back it up.  What I mean is, why would you put $10 on the passline unless you're willing to place more than $50 behind as your odds bet (if the house allows 10x odds)?  If you have a limited bankroll, which most of us do, you're far better off placing the minimum $5 bet on the passline and using the other $5 as part of your odds bet as it will pay more if it hits.  The most common mistake I see at the craps table is when someone places, say, $10 on the passline when the minimum is $5 and doesn't take the odds or only places 1X his initial bet behind the line.  He'd be far better off betting $5 on the line and using the other $5 as his odds bet as he will be paid more behind the line, up to 2-1 depending on the point, instead of just even money.


OK, so now let me break down the point numbers for you and show you how much each odds bet would pay.  True odds are determined by how many possible ways there are to roll each number vs. how many ways there are to roll a 7 (always remember, 6 ways to roll a 7).


4:   Pays 2-1 (3 ways to roll: 1-3, 2-2, 3-1 for a ratio of 3-6 or 1-2)


5:   Pays 3-2 (4 ways to roll: 1-4, 2-3, 3-2, 4-1 for a ratio of 4-6 or 2-3)


6:   Pays 6-5 (5 ways to roll: 1-5, 2-4, 3-3, 4-2, 5-1 for a ratio of 5-6)


8:   Pays 6-5 (5 ways to roll: 2-6, 3-5, 4-4, 5-3, 6-2 for a ratio of 5-6)


9:   Pays 3-2 (4 ways to roll: 3-6, 4-5, 5-4, 6-3 for a ratio of 4-6 or 2-3)


10: Pays 2-1 (3 ways to roll: 4-6, 5-5, 6-4 for a ratio of 3-6 or 1-2)


Using this payout chart, you can place odds in any amount on 4 or 10, bet an even amount for odds on 5 or 9, and bet in multiples of 5 for your odds bet on 6 and 8.  If you do that, you will be paid at true odds, if you don't, the House will round down.  Remember, if in doubt, always ask the dealer and they will tell you the proper denominations to bet odds.


There are many ways you can use this information to cut the House Edge and give yourself a better chance to make a little dough.  My personal strategy is to try to have 3 numbers working for me.  I will place a Passline bet, and after a point is established, bet the Come until I have 2 Come numbers working in addition to the Passline number, of course taking odds on each.  That's how I do it, and it has done well for me.  I don't win every time, and neither will you, the absolute number 1 rule in the Casino is THE HOUSE WILL ALWAYS WIN IN THE LONG RUN.   What I'm trying to help you do is cut the House Edge so that it's possible for you to be successful in the short term.  If it were possible to win every time, the game would not exist, but let the House win the majority of their money from the idiots who want to donate and play the bets that give the House the biggest edge.

I hope this information helps you all out.  Have fun with it, develop your own strategy, and hope to see you soon at the table.  Be sure to follow my blog for more useful tips/strategies, and please leave me some feedback as well as questions or suggestions on other craps or poker related subjects you'd like me to discuss.  Until next time.........

WORK HARD, PARTY HARDER!!