In the game of Craps, betting on the odds is a way to make additional wagers after certain types of bets have been established. These additional wagers are known as “odds” bets and they pay true odds, which means the house has no edge on these bets. Here’s how to bet the odds in Craps:
### Understanding the Basics
Before you can bet the odds, you need to understand the basic bets in Craps:
1. **Pass Line Bet**: This is the most common bet in Craps. You win if the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll (the first roll of a new round), and you lose if the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12. If the shooter rolls any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10), that number becomes the ‘point’.
2. **Don’t Pass Bet**: This is the opposite of the Pass Line bet. You win if the shooter rolls a 2 or 3, and lose if the shooter rolls a 7 or 11. If a 12 is rolled, it’s a push (neither win nor lose). Any other number becomes the point.
3. **Come Bet**: Similar to the Pass Line bet, but it can be made after the point has been established.
4. **Don’t Come Bet**: Similar to the Don’t Pass bet, but it can be made after the point has been established.
### Betting the Odds
Once a point has been established from a Pass Line, Don’t Pass, Come, or Don’t Come bet, you can then bet the odds:
1. **Pass Line Odds**: If you have a Pass Line bet and the point is established, you can place additional chips behind your original bet. This is called taking odds. The odds bet wins if the point is rolled before a 7, and it pays true odds. The true odds are:
– 6 or 8 point: 6 to 5 odds
– 5 or 9 point: 3 to 2 odds
– 4 or 10 point: 2 to 1 odds
2. **Don’t Pass Odds**: If you have a Don’t Pass bet and the point is established, you can place additional chips behind your bet. This is called laying odds. The odds bet wins if a 7 is rolled before the point, and it also pays true odds. The true odds are the same as for Pass Line odds but in reverse (i.e., you lay the amount to win the odds).
3. **Come Odds**: After a point has been established and you have a Come bet, you can take odds on that bet. The process is the same as taking Pass Line odds, and the true odds are the same as well.
4. **Don’t Come Odds**: After a point has been established and you have a Don’t Come bet, you can lay odds on that bet. The process is the same as laying Don’t Pass odds, and the true odds are the same.
### Placing the Odds Bet
To place the odds bet, you simply put the additional chips behind your original bet (for Pass/Come bets) or in front of your bet (for Don’t Pass/Don’t Come bets). The dealer will often help you by placing a special odds bet marker on top of your chips to indicate that they are odds.
Remember that the odds bet can be removed or increased at any time before a new roll, but once the dice are rolled, the bet stands.
### Key Points
– The odds bet is the best bet in Craps because it has no house edge.
– There is usually a limit to how much you can bet on the odds, but it’s often quite high.
– Some casinos may require you to make a minimum bet on the Pass/Don’t Pass or Come/Don’t Come line before you can take or lay odds.
Always check the specific rules and betting limits at the table where you’re playing, as they can vary from one casino to another.