Odds: the best bet in the house
Chapter 2: The core game · Lesson 6 of 21 · 9 min read
The one bet with no house edge, and how it shrinks the cost of your Pass bet.
Once a point is set and you have a Pass bet, you may add a second bet behind it, called taking the odds. It wins if the point is made and loses on a 7, exactly like your Pass bet. The difference is how it's paid: at true odds, the exact ratio of losing to winning chances.
| Point | Ways to make it vs 7 | Odds pay | Max at 3-4-5x (on a $10 Pass bet) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 3 vs 6 | 2 : 1 | $30 (wins $60) |
| 5 or 9 | 4 vs 6 | 3 : 2 | $40 (wins $60) |
| 6 or 8 | 5 vs 6 | 6 : 5 | $50 (wins $60) |
Because the payout matches the true chance exactly, the Odds bet has a house edge of zero. It's the only bet in the casino with no edge, and it's why the casino doesn't print it on the layout. You just have to know it exists.
The maximums at a "3-4-5x" table are set so a winning odds bet always pays 6× your flat bet. Some casinos allow 10× or even 100×.
Why it matters: your Pass bet still costs 1.41% of the flat bet, but now more of your money is riding at 0%. Averaged over everything you bet, the edge drops (figures as published by the Wizard of Odds):
| Odds taken | Edge per dollar bet (Pass + Odds) |
|---|---|
| None | 1.41% |
| 1× | 0.85% |
| 2× | 0.61% |
| 3-4-5× | 0.37% |
| 10× | 0.18% |
| 100× | 0.02% |
One honest caveat. Odds lowers the edge per dollar bet, but it doesn't cut the dollars you expect to lose, which are still 1.41% of your flat bet. What it changes is that you get far more action for the same expected cost, and bigger swings. In practice, "perfect" craps means a small flat bet with as much odds as you're comfortable with.
Odds bets can be taken down or reduced at any time, though there's never a math reason to. Bet sizes matter. Use multiples of $2 on 5/9 and $5 on 6/8, because real casinos don't pay out fractions of a dollar.
Show the math: Why Odds has zero edge, and the 0.374% figure
Odds on 4: win 1/3 of the time, paid 2:1. EV = (1/3)(2) − (2/3)(1) = 0. Similarly 5: (2/5)(3/2) − 3/5 = 0, and 6: (5/11)(6/5) − 6/11 = 0.
Combined edge = expected loss ÷ expected total wagered. Per $1 of Pass: expected odds wagered = P(4 or 10) × 3 + P(5 or 9) × 4 + P(6 or 8) × 5 = (6/36)3 + (8/36)4 + (10/36)5 = 100/36 ≈ 2.778. Combined edge = (7/495) / (1 + 100/36) = 0.374%.
With flat N× odds: (7/495) / (1 + N × 24/36). N = 1: 0.848%; 2: 0.606%; 10: 0.184%; 100: 0.0209%.
Taking odds
Interactive practice table. Try this in the app (free, play money).
Same flat bet, more action
Interactive practice table. Try this in the app (free, play money).
The point is 4. You have $10 on Pass and $30 in Odds. The shooter rolls a 4. How much do you win in total?
- $40
- $55
- $70
- $90
Show answer
C: $70. Pass pays even money ($10); Odds on 4 pays 2:1 ($60). Total $70.
What is the house edge on the Odds bet?
- 1.41%
- 0.37%
- 0%
- It depends on the point
Show answer
C: 0%. It pays exactly true odds, so its EV is zero for every point.
The point is 6. Which odds amount gets paid in full at a real table, with no rounding down?
- $12
- $22
- $25
- $33
Show answer
C: $25. 6:5 needs a multiple of $5. $25 pays exactly $30. On the others the casino rounds the payout down, so you'd be giving away part of that 0% edge.
Taking odds lowers which of these?
- Your expected dollar loss per round
- The house edge per dollar you bet
- Your swings
- The chance the shooter sevens out
Show answer
B: The house edge per dollar you bet. Expected dollar loss is unchanged (it comes from the flat bet). Edge per dollar falls and swings get bigger.