Last session we discussed the basic or “line” bet in craps, including how to properly place odds, which is called a bet “behind the line” or an “odds bet”.
In this session, we will discuss a bet which is almost exactly the same as the line and odds bet but is made just a little differently.
For this discussion, let’s assume we are shooting at a table which has allows bets of from $5 to $5000, and has maximum odds posted of 10X.
Prior to the first roll, you have placed $5 on the pass line. The shooter has the dice for the come out roll and rolls a 6. You reach down and place $10 (but can bet up to $50) behind the line for your odds.
What next? Do you wait to see if you win or lose your pass line bet?
Not necessarily, there is another bet which also gives the casino a minimal edge and which allows you to place odds on it which pays true odds, thus lowering the casino’s advantage even more.
If you notice, just above the box containing the word “Pass” or “Pass Line” is another, smaller box marked “Don’t Pass”, which is the opposite of a Pass bet. Above that is a much bigger box with the word “Field”, and the numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12. Usually the 2 and the 12 are circled. This is for Field bets, which will be explained in another section. The box we are concerned with today is above the Field box and has the word “Come” in it.
A Come bet is basically the same as the Pass bet, but on the next roll of the dice.
Let’s go back to our table and our bets.
Remember, the shooter hit a 6 on his first roll, and you put $10 odds behind your $5 Pass line bet. Before the shooter rolls again, you now take another $5 chip and place it in front of you in the box marked “Come”. By doing this you are betting that whatever the next number rolled is, that number will be repeated before a 7 rolls, just like on the come out roll. And, just like the come out roll, if the shooter hits an 11, you receive $5 on your $5 bet. A 2, 3, or 12, and the casino takes your money. A 7 and you get paid $5 on your come bet but, of course, lose your $5 Pass line bet as well as the odds on the pass line.
Confused? Let’s try to clear it up a little.
Assume the shooter, on the second roll, throws a 9. The dealer then takes the $5 chip you placed in the Come box and move it up onto the box containing the number 9 at the top of the table. He places it in a certain position, indicating to him and the rest of the employees whose bet it is. That $5 chip now means you are betting $5 that the shooter will roll a 9 before he rolls a 7, and your Pass line bet wins if a 6 is rolled before a 7.
You are also allowed to place odds on the Come bet, just like on your pass line bet. These also pay true odds so the casino has no advantage over you on this. Again, just like on the pass line odds, you can bet up to the maximum odds specified by the table, in this case 10X.
The Come bet can be repeated over and over, until the pass line point is hit or a 7 is rolled, and if a table is hot, will provide the majority of your winnings with the best odds.
