Ready to Play Craps! As you are quite familiar with the bets and the strategies for Craps you might be knowing that Come Bets are just like a pass line bet and is a better bet to play. The only thing is that this bet is made only after the come out roll. Remember, the pass line bet is made before the come out roll. To make a Come bet you must place the bet on your own by wagering at least the minimum amount of chips allowed at the table.
Making Come Bets is a slightly more advanced way to play craps versus placing numbers. This is because it takes a bit more money to play craps through the Come versus placing, the bet cannot be taken down at the player’s leisure, and the rules that affect Come bets are different than place bets. The Come box, as mentioned is another bet that you as the player can make yourself. To make this bet, a chip(s) is simply placed in the Come box by the player before the shooter rolls the dice.
In order to understand this way to play craps visualize the basics of the pass line bet. As you remember that on the pass line before a point is established a roll of 7 or 11 results in a win. By contrast a roll of 2, 3, or 12 results in a loss. The Come bet works in a similar way. Let’s suppose the number that the shooter rolls is a 5, which becomes the point. You as the player, assuming you had bet the pass line, would take your odds behind the pass line. Then, you would take a 5 dollar chip, assuming that 5 dollars is the table minimum, and put it directly in front of you inside the Come box. If the dealer is not familiar with how you play craps, it would be a good idea to state that you are making a Come bet.
An Example
After all bets are made on the table, the shooter rolls the dice again. Let’s say the roll results in a 6. The dealer will take your Come bet and move it to the 6. Now, you have two bets active, your bet on 5, the point, which is your pass line and odds bet and your bet on the 6. You now have the option to take odds on your Come bet, now the 6. This works exactly the same as your pass line bet with odds. Instead of getting paid the 7:6 from placing a 6, you now get paid 6:5 for making a bet through the Come. Before the shooter rolls again, take another 5 dollar chip and toss it in the Come box and tell the dealer “odds on the 6.” The dealer will set your second chip slightly off the edge of the first.
Winning a Come Bet
Once you make the come bet and your chips are in the come bet area you will win if the shooter rolls a seven or eleven. As soon as the shooter establishes a point number the dealer will pick up your chips and place them in the corresponding point number box which is located across the layout of the table. Specifically, your chips will be placed at the top of the point box. Similar to the pass line bet if the shooter rolls the point number before rolling a seven you will win. The dealer will place your winnings in the come bet area. It is your responsibility to pick up your winnings or they will be assumed as another come bet or worse, another player might pick them up.
Losing a Come Bet
Once you commit to the come bet you may not take the bet down as it is a contract bet much like the pass line bet. You lose the come bet in the same manner as the pass line bet; if a seven is rolled before your come bet number is rolled it results in a loss, no matter how many come bets you have working for you- a seven will kill them all.
Can you make an odds bet on a Come bet?
Yes. You can make an Odd Bet on a Come Bet. The odds bet is similar to the pass line bet. In order to make the odds bet simply toss your chips toward the dealer and say “put odds on that six please.” The odds are the same as the pass line odds in which the four and ten odds payoff is 2 to 1; on the five and nine it’s 3 to 2; and on the six and eight it’s 6 to 5. For example, if the point is four and you have a $5 bet with a $5 odds bet you would win the original $5 if the shooter rolls a four and you would win $10 for your odds bet. The dealer will place your odds bet slightly off center as to indicate the odds bet. If you win look for the dealer to place your winnings in the come bet area and collect your chips. Unlike the original come bet which can not be taken down, the odds on the come bet may be taken down at anytime, the casino advantage goes up if you take down your odds.
Making Several Bets
Making several Come bets is a smart play because it allows for the player to take advantage of a long or hot roll. To make sure you don’t get caught in a streak of “seven outs” You should limit your come bets to no more than two plus a bet on the pass line; this way you have three numbers working for you which are pretty decent as far as chances of hitting the numbers. Remember, if you make a bet on the come line and the shooter immediately hits the point you will need to tell the dealer if you want odds and also if you want the bet “working” on the come out roll otherwise they will have it “off” on the come out roll.
Differences in Place and Come Bet:
| Place bets | COME bets |
| Chosen by the player | Dice choose the number |
| May be taken down at any time by player | Initial bet must remain up but the player can add/remove odds |
| Payout less money i.e. 7:6 for 6 and 8 | Payout more money i.e. 6:5 for 6 and 8 plus 1 to 1 on initial bet |
| Cost less to bet i.e. min $6 for 6 and 8 | Cost more to bet i.e. min $10 for 6 and 8 |
| NOT active on initial “come out” roll | ACTIVE on initial “come out” roll |
Deciding to play craps through the Come Bet depends on multiple factors: the amount in your bankroll, how well the shooter is rolling, and how lucky you feel making the bet. The best way to find out what works best for you is to experiment with different combinations.