Craps Flat Bets With Odds

Pass, don’t pass, come, and don’t come have a house edge of 1.4 percent. That’s pretty low, but the table below shows what happens when odds are added to the equation.

Remember,Basil Nestor is the author of the new Playboy Complete Guide to Casino Gambling. This wonderful book teaches players how to avoid sucker bets and win more when playing gambling games.  He is also the author of The Smarter Bet Guide series for video poker, slots, craps, and many other books about gambling.  Basil's website is www.smarterbet.com  the actual house edge on the flat bet doesn’t change. If you put $120 on the pass line, it will always be fighting against a 1.4 percent house edge regardless of the odds allowed. But what if you don’t put $120 on the pass line? If you wager $60 on the line and take $60 in odds (1x), then the average house edge on the combined bet drops to 0.85 percent. $20 on the line and $100 in odds (5x) will bring the house edge down to 0.33 percent.

Putting less on the line and more in odds always lowers the overall house edge. Of course, luck is luck. Don’t confuse a lower house edge with an altered probability of any number appearing on the dice. A 7 is always the favorite.

This leads to an interesting objection from some players because odds is a separate wager. If you put a reduced amount on the line or come, it means you’ll win winning less money if the dice tumble the right way on the come-out.

Flat Bets Combined With Odds