Come Bet in Craps: Rules and Payouts

Here's how a come bet works. You place it after the shooter sets a point. Roll a 7 or 11? You win. Hit craps (2, 3, or 12)? You lose. Any other number moves your bet to that spot on the table. Once your bet lands on a number, you're rooting for that number to hit again before someone rolls a 7.

The house edge sits at 1.41%, and you can tack on odds bets with zero house advantage. That's why sharp players love this bet. We'll walk through exactly how it plays out, what you'll get paid, and why it stacks up better than place bets.

What is a come bet in craps?

You can only make a come bet once the shooter's got a point number going. Next roll decides everything: 7 or 11 wins immediately, craps (2, 3, 12) loses, and any point number moves your chips to that box. From there, you need your number to come up before a 7 does.

Think of it like having your own mini pass line bet that kicks off mid-round, after the point's already set. The come line sits in the center of the craps layout, clearly marked, and placing chips there signals you're jumping into the action mid-round.

The 1.41% house edge is what pulls players in. That figure puts it among the best wagers available at any casino table game. Experienced players often stack multiple come bets during a single shooter's turn, giving themselves several numbers to root for at once.

How the come bet works

It's easier than it sounds once you watch a few rolls. Here's what happens from bet to payout.

1. Wait for the point to be established

Every round starts with the come out roll. First roll can do three things: win on 7 or 11, lose on craps, or set a point with 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10.

You can't make a come bet until there's a point on the board. Until then, stick with the pass line.

2. Place your chips on the come line

Look for the large section labeled "COME" near the middle of the table. When you're ready to bet, drop your chips there. The dealer leaves them alone until the dice decide what happens.

3. Watch the next roll

Next roll goes one of three ways:

• Instant win: A 7 or 11 pays even money immediately.
• Instant loss: A 2, 3, or 12 (craps) takes your bet.
• The bet travels: Any point number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) moves your wager to that box.

4. Your bet moves to the point number

When a point number hits, the dealer moves your chip to that number's box. Now you're waiting for that specific number to repeat before a 7 shows up.

If your number hits first, you win. If a 7 rolls before it does, you lose. The waiting game can last one roll or twenty, depending on how the dice fall.

Come bet payouts and craps odds

Once you see the payouts, you'll get why math nerds love this bet.

Flat come bet payouts

The base come bet pays 1 to 1. Bet $10, win $10. You get the same payout whether you win right away on 7 or 11, or your number hits later.

Odds payouts by point number

After your come bet moves to a number, you can add an odds bet behind it. This extra bet pays true odds. Zero house edge. The casino makes nothing on the odds portion of your bet.

The 4 and 10 pay the most because they're the hardest to roll. There are only three ways to roll a 4 or 10, but five ways to hit 6 or 8. That's why 4 and 10 pay more.

Taking odds on your come bet

Adding odds crushes your house edge over time. Once your come bet sits on a point number, tell the dealer you want to "take odds" and hand over your additional chips.

The dealer puts your odds bet just behind your original chips in the point box. Keeping them separate shows which bet has a house edge (the flat bet) and which doesn't (the odds).

Most tables allow odds bets of 3x, 4x, 5x, or even higher multiples of your original come bet. Load up on odds, and you'll shrink the house edge. At a table with 3-4-5x odds, taking full odds knocks the house edge down to about 0.37%.

Tip: The odds bet is the only wager in the casino with no built-in house advantage. Max odds every time your bankroll can handle it. The math checks out.

What does working mean in craps?

When a bet is 'working,' it's live for the next roll. When it's 'off,' your bet just sits there. Can't win or lose until you flip it back on.

Come bet odds on the come out roll

Here's a detail that confuses new players. Odds on come bets automatically go off during new come out rolls unless you say otherwise. Your flat bet stays live, but the odds go quiet.

Here's why. A 7 on the come out roll would wipe out all your odds bets sitting on point numbers. The casino assumes you'd rather protect that money unless you say otherwise.

Turning your odds on or off

You control this completely. Tell the dealer "odds working" to keep them active during come out rolls, or "odds off" to pause them temporarily. Some players prefer the protection. Others want maximum action on every single roll.

Come bet vs pass line bet

The come bet and pass line work the same way. Same mechanics, same house edge. The only real difference is timing.

The pass line gets you in at the start of a round. Come bets let you establish additional points during the same shooter's turn. Many players combine both, using the pass line first and then stacking come bets to have multiple numbers working at the same time.

Come bet vs place bet

Place bets let you hit specific numbers too, but they don't pay as well.

• House edge: A come bet with odds beats a place bet on the same number. Place bets on 6 or 8 carry a 1.52% edge. Place bets on 5 or 9 sit at 4%. And 4 or 10 climb to 6.67%.
• Flexibility: Place bets can be removed or reduced anytime. The flat portion of a come bet is a contract bet and stays locked until it resolves.
• Payout structure: Place bets pay fixed amounts (7 to 6 on 6/8, 7 to 5 on 5/9, 9 to 5 on 4/10). Come bets pay even money on your flat bet, then true odds on whatever you add.

The trade-off is clear. Come bets with odds beat place bets over time, but place bets let you pull your money whenever you want. Which approach fits better depends on how you like to play.

What is the don't come bet in craps

The don't come bet flips the script. You're betting against the shooter instead of with them.

On the first roll after placing a don't come bet:

• Win: 2 or 3
• Push: 12 (your bet stays, nothing happens)
• Lose: 7 or 11

Once your bet moves to a number, you're rooting for a 7 to hit first. House edge drops to 1.36%, a hair better than the regular come bet.

If you're playing don't pass, the don't come bet fits right in. That's the dark side strategy. Just know that cheering for a 7 while everyone else groans can feel socially awkward at a live table.

Why the come bet fits a smart craps strategy

The come bet ranks among the best wagers in any casino game. Low house edge plus zero-edge odds bets? That's why smart players build strategies around this bet.

When a shooter's hot, stacking come bets means you're cashing in on every number they hit. You're not sitting on the sidelines anymore. You've got action on multiple numbers at once.

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