The Craps Odds Bet

The odds bet in craps is a wager that players can add to their established pass or come bet. The bet appeals primarily because it is the only wager in craps that pays at true odds, with no house advantage.

But adding an odds bet lowers the combined house edge on the two wagers together, not the house edge on the pass or come bet alone.

How the odds bet works

To take an odds bet, a player must first have a pass or come bet. After the come-out roll establishes a point (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10), the player may place an additional odds bet behind the line bet. The odds bet pays out at true odds, depending on the point. If the point is 4 or 10, the odds are 2 to 1. If the point is 5 or 9, the odds are 3 to 2. If the point is 6 or 8, the odds are 6 to 5.

The payout on an odds bet that wins is whatever fraction of the wager is specified by the point rolled. So any behind a 4 or 10 pays 2:1, while an odds bet on a 5 or 9 pays 3:2, and an odds bet behind a 6 or 8 pays 6:5.

Why it matters

The pass line itself has a built-in house edge of 1.41%, or 1.36% for don’t pass. But the odds bet has no house edge — a player’s only risk is losing their additional bet money.

This means that splitting $10 as $5 on the pass line plus $5 in odds carries a lower expected loss than putting the whole $10 on the pass line.

The basic rule of thumb is that 3x-4x-5x odds — three times odds after rolling a 4 or 10, four times odds after a 5 or 9, and five times odds after a 6 or 8 — are common maximum odds limits.

Table limits and bet size

Because the odds bet is an additional wager on top of the basic line bet, every casino has its own limits on how much odds a player can bet. The standard maximum odds limit is three times what’s been placed on the line for rolling a 4 or 10, four times for a point of 5 or 9, and five times for a point of 6 or 8.

But the exact odds allowed is not a universal rule; each game has its own maximum. For a player’s $10 pass line bet, a 3x-4x-5x odds limit means $30, $40, or $50 in additional odds is allowed, depending on the point rolled.

But whatever limit a particular table sets, the odds bet remains an attractive extra wager. A pass line bet has a house edge, but the odds bet does not, meaning that adding odds always lowers the combined loss expectancy. Even on a 6, betting 5X odds at 6:5 payout means the odds wager has no house edge, regardless of the 5x spread.

What to check before you play

Not all craps games offer the odds bet. This is especially true of RNG (random number generation) craps games, often played online. Read the game rules carefully to see if the odds are an available wager.

Because odds on 6 and 8 pay 6:5, bet those odds in multiples of $5, and bet odds on 5 and 9 in even amounts so the 3:2 payout comes out in whole dollars. Also, confirm if every table has the same odds limit, or if higher stakes tables afford more maximum odds.

What not to assume

The odds bet lowers the combined house edge of your line bet plus odds, but the pass or come bet itself keeps its own house edge. The odds bet does have true odds and therefore no house edge when paired with a line bet, but it must be placed after the point is established, not on the come out roll.

The odds payoff varies by what number has been rolled, not by a flat casino rule. A 4 or 10 gets 2:1 odds, 5 or 9 gets 3:2, and 6 or 8 gets 6:5, but the odds don’t change if the table limit is different.

Learn before you lay

Adding odds still puts more money on the table, so size the total to your bankroll. The odds bet is an attractive wager when sized correctly, but not necessarily the right bet for every bankroll.