Smarter Bet Guide to Craps
Craps Odds Secrets
The tricky thing about craps odds is that there is no place for the bet on the layout. It’s a bit like an “off the menu” special; odds is available only to people who know enough
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 to ask.
Taking odds on the pass line is easy. Put your chips directly behind the original bet (on the blank space next to the wall) after the point is made. Your bet will be paid or swept away as the dice warrant.
Laying odds on the don’t pass is a little weird. You place the chips next to the original bet, but you heel the stack. That means the bottom chip is off center and the stack slants to one side. The dealer will show you how to do it. Odds bets are heeled when the payoff will be a different amount than the payoff for the flat bet. If the payoff will be the same, then the stack should be bridged instead of heeled. A bridged stack is two stacks with a third perched on top. The dealer will show you how it’s done.
Yes, it’s arcane, but for a house edge of zero percent the hassle is worth it.
Taking and laying odds on the come and don't come require a dealer’s assistance. You do this by putting chips on the layout (preferably on a line that separates betting spaces). Tell the dealer that you want “odds on the four” or whatever. She will pick up the chips and place the wager accordingly.
One of the most important things to remember about taking odds in craps is to do it in multiples that the casino can pay. If the point is 6 and you take $8 odds, the payoff would be $9.60. The casino will only give you $9. To get the full payout you must take odds in multiples of $5 when the point is 6 or 8, $2 for points 5 and 9. And any whole-dollar amount is fine for points 4 and 10.
Do it in reverse when laying odds. Odds on 4/10 should be divisible by two, 5/9 by three, and 6/8 by six.