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Odds Are Everything
These days you'll find fierce competition for the player's dollar,
particularly at craps. Many casinos allow you to make odds bets
of double, triple, 5, 10, and even 100 times the amount of your
pass-line bet. They generously offer this betting to get your
business. So what does this mean for you?
If you get $5 on the pass line with 100-times odds, you can
wager $500 behind it. As the amount allowed odds increases,
the house advantage decreases considerably. The following chart
shows what the house advantage is with the amount of odds offered.
|
House Advantage |
| Note: the house
advantage diminishes as the odds increase. If you're prepared
to play at 100-times odds, the house advantage reduces to
practically nothing. |
Single Odds |
0.8 percent |
|
Double odds |
0.6 percent |
|
Triple odds |
0.5 percent |
|
5-times odds |
0.3 percent |
|
10-times odds |
0.2 percent |
|
20-times odds |
0.1 percent |
|
100-times odds |
0.02 percent |
100-to-1 odds?
Odds of 10 times or 100 times sound really good for the player;
however, think about what kind of bankroll you need to play at
that level. A $10 pass-line bet with 10-times odds would require
you to bet $100. A $25 bet required $250 on the odds. Imagine
what happens when you are allowed 100-times odds on those types
of wagers!
Odds Bets
Taking odds on pass-line and come bets are the best bets anywhere
in the entire casino. Why? Because the casino has zero advantage,
or edge, over the player when adding odds to these original bets.
The casino will pay you the true odds when you win an odds-type
bet at craps. Remember that you can make an odds wager on the
pass line and on the don't pass line after a point has been established.
Also, you'll want to take odds on a lay bet and on a don't-come
bet after the bet has been moved to a number.
|
Craps Payout Odds |
| By looking at the payout odds versus the house
edge for the various bets in craps, the wise player should
be able to ascertain which bets to make regularly, and which
to avoid. |
|
Bet |
Payout Odds |
House Edge |
| Pass-line bet |
1 to 1 |
1.4% |
| Single odds |
1 to 1 |
0.8% |
| Double odds |
1 to 1 |
0.6% |
| Don't pass-line bet |
1 to 1 |
1.4% |
| Single odds |
1 to 1 |
0.8% |
| Double odds |
1 to 1 |
0.6% |
| Come bet |
1 to 1 |
1.4% |
| Pass-line point 4 or 10 w/odds |
2 to 1 |
0% |
| Pass-line point 5 or 9 w/odds |
7 to 5 |
0% |
| Pass-line point 6 or 8 w/odds |
7 to 6 |
0% |
| Field bet 3, 4, 8, 10, or 11 |
1 to 1 |
5.5% |
| Field bet 2 or 12 (double) |
2 to 1 |
5.5% |
| Field bet 2 or 12 (triple) |
3 to 1 |
2.8% |
| One-roll bet any 7 |
4 to 1 |
16.67% |
| One-roll bet any craps (2, 3, or 12) |
7 to 1 |
11.11% |
| One-roll bet any 2 or 12 |
30 to 1 |
13.89% |
| One-roll 3 or 11 |
15 to 1 |
11.11% |
| Don't pass-line point 4 or 10 |
1 to 2 - 5% vig |
2.44% |
| Don't pass-line point 5 or 9 |
2 to 3 - 5% vig |
3.23% |
| Don't pass-line point 6 or 8 |
5 to 6 - 5% vig |
4.00% |
| Big 6 or Big 8 |
1 to 1 |
9.09% |
| Hardways 6 or 8 |
9 to 1 |
9.09% |
| Hardways 4 or 10 |
7 to 1 |
11.11% |
| Place 4 or 10 |
9 to 5 |
6.67% |
| Place 5 or 9 |
7 to 5 |
4.00% |
| Place 6 or 8 |
7 to 6 |
1.52% |
If you look at the "Craps payout odds" chart, you will
see that you have to wager more to get less on the don't-pass
bets. For example, you must bet $2 to win $1 on the don't pass
4 or 10; $3 to win $2 on don't pass 5 or 9; and $6 to get $5 on
6 and 8 numbers.
Are the odds "on" or "off"?
Come-bet odds are always temporarily off during the come-out
roll, and are automatically put back on once a point is established
because players hate to lose their entire bet when a winning 7
is thrown. Remember, the dice don't know you have a bet working,
so they're just going to follow the laws of probability. You can
tell the dealer, "Odds work on the come-out," and the
dealer will place a special "on" button on your bets.
That way, if the shooter does throw a point number, you'll be
paid even money for your come bets and true odds on your odds
bet. Most players accept the common procedure of odds being "off"
on the come-out roll
The main marker that is used to tell everyone whether the odds
are on or off is called the puck. The puck is white on one site,
with ON printed in bold letter; the other side is black and is
painted with the word OFF. The puck is handled by the dealers
at the end of the table. After a point is established, the dealers
will first turn the puck to the white side, and then place it
on the point the shooter established.
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