Odds
Understanding Free Odds and Their Advantage in Playing Craps for Profit
Most people already know craps offers the best odds of any casino game you can play. However, many of them can’t really explain exactly why that is, or which bets you can place on the craps table with the potential of making the most money.
Because the craps table is a place of organized chaos, many people simply assume the game is too complicated for them to learn and never really delve into the game enough to figure it out. Below is a detailed explanation which shows you why playing the craps table, and more specifically the free odds, is clearly your best bet in any casino.
Craps Offers You True Odds
Craps is the only casino game which allows you the ability to place a bet where you are betting on the actual mathematical odds of outcome; a bet where you and the casino are completely equal in your chance of winning. Simply put, your true odds bet on the number six, based on the mathematical odds of rolling a six before a seven, are six to five.
There is a small caveat however for your being able to place a bet at “true odds,” and that is that in order for you to place an odds bet, you first must have what is called a “flat” bet the pass line and the point number must be set. While the house does have about a 1.4% advantage on this bet, the bet allows you the ability to place true odds bet, also known as a free odds bet, “behind the line”– a small price to pay for the privilege in my opinion.
The Math Behind the Odds
In order to understand what free odds bets are, and why they pay the amounts which they do, you first must understand a bit about the math which creates the odds. The true odds bet is one which is based on the odds of rolling a specific number versus the odds of rolling a seven. For example, with a point of 4, you can roll a 4 in three different combinations: 1+3, 3+1, and 2+2. To roll a 7, you can roll it in six different combinations: 1+6, 6+1, 2+5, 5+2, 3+4, and 4+3. This gives you odds of 6 to 3, or 2 to 1, of rolling a 7 before a 4 is rolled.
Craps Dice Combinations
| Number Rolled | Combinations of Rolls for that Number | True Odds | Dice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 35 to 1 | 1+1 |
| 3 | 2 | 17 to 1 | 1+2, 2+1 |
| 4 | 3 | 11 to 1 | 1+3, 3+1, 2+2 |
| 5 | 4 | 8 to 1 | 1+4, 4+1, 2+3, 3+2 |
| 6 | 5 | 6.2 to 1 | 1+5, 5+1, 2+4, 4+2, 3+3 |
| 7 | 6 | 5 to 1 | 1+6, 6+1, 2+4, 4+2, 3+4, 4+3 |
| 8 | 5 | 6.2 to 1 | 2+6, 6+2, 3+5, 5+3, 4+4 |
| 9 | 4 | 8 to 1 | 3+6, 6+3, 4+5, 5+4 |
| 10 | 3 | 11 to 1 | 4+6, 6+4, 5+5 |
| 11 | 2 | 17 to 1 | 5+6, 6+5 |
| 12 | 1 | 35 to 1 | 6+6 |
Here are all the craps odds you need to remember:
Point of 4 or 10 – Odds are 2 to 1
Point of 5 or 9 – Odds are 3 to 2
Point of 6 or 8 – Odds are 6 to 5
The Free Odds Bet
Once the point has been set, and you have your initial bid on the pass line, then it is time to place your “free odds” bet. To do this you place your bet, in multiples of your initial bet, in the area directly behind the pass line. Generally if you placed $5 on the pass line, you can bet up to $10 as an odds bet. However, many casinos allow you to place bets of 10 or even 100 times your initial bet amount. Each table should list the “Table Odds” for you so that you know how much you are allowed to bet behind the line, if they do not then you are free to ask the dealers at the table.
For your $50 free odds bet, your winnings on a point of 4 or 10 will be $100, for a 5 or 9 it will be $75, and for a point of 6 or 8 it will be $60. As you can clearly see, your odds payout is the best for a point of 4 or 10 and the least for a point of 6 or 8.
Standard Place Bet Odds
Comparing the payout of a free odds bet to that of a standard place bet shows you why free odds bets are more advantageous to you than place bets. A standard place bet pays you the following odds:
Point of 4 or 10 – Odds are 9 to 5 (Casino edge of 6.66% over free odds bet)
Point of 5 or 9 – Odds are 7 to 5 (Casino edge of 4% over free odds bet)
Point of 6 or 8 – Odds are 7 to 6 (Casino edge of 1.5% over free odds bet)
Playing craps offers you the best odds in the casino; the free odds bet in craps clearly offers you the best bet you can place in the game of craps. This makes the free odds bet the best bet you can make in any casino.
