KEY TAKEAWAYS
The craps odds bet is the one casino bet with a 0% house edge. Instead of paying less than the true odds, it pays exactly what the dice probabilities say it should: 2 to 1 when the point is 4 or 10, 3 to 2 when the point is 5 or 9, and 6 to 5 when the point is 6 or 8. Because the casino keeps no edge on it, it is also called free odds, although the name means “no house edge”, not “no risk”.
There is a catch: the odds bet cannot stand alone. It can only be made after a point is established, and only behind a flat bet such as the Pass Line, which does carry a house edge of 1.41%. The odds bet leaves that edge unchanged, but it puts more money in play at 0%, which lowers the average edge on everything you have wagered.
This guide explains how the odds bet works, why its payouts are true odds, how much it lowers the combined edge, and what to check before you use it. Maximum odds and limits vary by casino, so the table sign always decides.
What the Craps Odds Bet Is
An odds bet is an extra wager placed behind a flat bet once a point exists. Behind a Pass Line or Come bet, it wins if the point repeats before a 7. Behind a Don’t Pass or Don’t Come bet, it wins if a 7 arrives first. It is called an odds bet because it is paid at the true odds of that outcome, not at the even-money rate of the flat bet. If the point and come-out roll are new to you, see how to play craps.
The name “free odds” can mislead. “Free” means free of house edge, not free of cost: you still risk your own money, and the odds bet loses when the flat bet loses. What it removes is the casino’s margin on that portion of the wager. Because it carries no edge, it is the cheapest wager available at a craps table, but only as an add-on to a flat bet.
Casinos limit the odds to a multiple of the flat bet, and the limit varies from place to place, with some allowing 3x, 5x, 10x or more. A $10 Pass Line bet with 3x odds allows up to $30 behind the line. The table sign or the dealer tells you the limit, and it is one of the first things worth checking when choosing a craps table.
How the Odds Bet Works Step by Step
The sequence of a bet
First, you place a flat bet on the Pass Line. The come-out roll then decides it: a 7 or 11 wins, and a 2, 3 or 12 loses. Any other total becomes the point. Only once a point is set can you place an odds bet behind your flat bet. The shooter keeps rolling until the point repeats, which wins both bets, or a 7 appears, which loses both.
Why the payouts are true odds
Two dice have 36 combinations, and a 7 can be rolled 6 ways. A point of 4 or 10 has 3 ways, so it repeats before a 7 with probability 3/(3+6) = 1/3. A 5 or 9 has 4 ways, so 4/10. A 6 or 8 has 5 ways, so 5/11. Paying the exact inverse of those chances is what makes the odds bet fair.
| Point | Ways to roll the point | Ways to roll a 7 | Chance point comes first | Odds bet pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 3 | 6 | 33.33% | 2 to 1 |
| 5 or 9 | 4 | 6 | 40.00% | 3 to 2 |
| 6 or 8 | 5 | 6 | 45.45% | 6 to 5 |
Lay odds behind Don’t Pass
A Don’t Pass or Don’t Come bettor wins when a 7 comes first, so the fair payout is reversed and the bettor risks more to win less. The odds bet lays $2 to win $1 on a 4 or 10, $3 to win $2 on a 5 or 9, and $6 to win $5 on a 6 or 8. These are also true odds, so they too carry no house edge.
Worked Example: A $10 Pass Line Bet with 2x Odds
Suppose you bet $10 on the Pass Line and the shooter sets a point of 9. You add $20 odds behind the line, which is 2x odds. If the shooter rolls a 9 before a 7, the flat bet wins $10 at 1 to 1, and the odds bet wins $30, since 3 to 2 on $20 is $30. Your total win is $40. If a 7 comes first, you lose the $10 flat bet and the $20 odds bet, a total of $30.
Now check that the odds bet is fair. A 9 comes first with probability 4/10, or 40%. The odds bet’s expected value is 0.4 × $30 − 0.6 × $20 = $12 − $12 = $0. The flat bet is where the cost sits: 0.4 × $10 − 0.6 × $10 = −$2 once this particular point is set.
Averaged over the whole sequence, including come-out rolls that end the bet at once, the $10 Pass Line bet has an expected loss of about $0.14, because 1.41% of $10 is about 14 cents. The odds bet does not change that figure. It adds more money to the table at no cost, so the percentage on total money wagered falls. These are long-run averages, not a prediction for one roll.
Payouts and House Edge: What Odds Do to the Combined Edge
Each bet has its own edge: the Pass Line carries 1.41%, Don’t Pass 1.36%, and the odds bet 0%. The combined edge depends on how much you bet on odds relative to the flat bet. Because the odds are bet only about two out of three times, once a point is set, the average total wagered per flat bet is 1 + (2/3) × the odds multiple. Dividing the Pass Line’s edge, 7/495 or about 1.414%, by that total gives the combined figure.
| Odds taken behind the Pass Line | Average house edge on total money wagered |
|---|---|
| No odds | 1.41% |
| 1x | about 0.85% |
| 2x | about 0.61% |
| 3x | about 0.47% |
| 5x | about 0.33% |
| 10x | about 0.18% |
These figures assume the same odds multiple on every point. The edge per dollar falls as the multiple rises, but it never reaches zero, since the flat bet always keeps its edge. For the flat bets themselves, see Pass Line versus Don’t Pass, and for the idea behind the percentages, see how the house edge works.
Common Mistakes and Myths About Odds Bets
The first myth is that odds bets improve your chance of winning. They do not. The probability that the point repeats before a 7 is fixed by the dice, and the odds bet only pays you at the fair price for that chance. It adds expected value of exactly zero, never a positive amount.
A second mistake is believing that maximum odds make the game beatable. Maximum odds make the average edge per dollar smaller, but the flat bet still loses 1.41% on average, and the expected dollar loss per round stays the same. What grows is the amount at risk, so the swings get bigger, not the odds of finishing ahead.
A third mistake is building a betting system around odds. Raising bets after losses, or pressing odds after wins, cannot change a fair bet into a profitable one, and the same logic applies as in why the Martingale strategy fails. Finally, some players treat the odds bet as available at any time. It is not: it needs a point first, and it needs a flat bet behind which to sit.
Practical Tips at the Table
Before you play, read the posted odds limit. It is often shown as a multiple of the flat bet, and the multiple varies by casino and sometimes by point. Then work out the real amount at risk: a $10 flat bet with 5x odds puts $50 behind the line, so $60 is at risk on a single point. Compare that with your budget, not with the percentage, and keep the check in view of table minimums and maximums.
Ask the dealer how much to place so the odds pay evenly, because casinos often ask for odds in amounts that match the payout ratio. A smaller odds multiple is a legitimate choice. It still lowers the edge per dollar, and it keeps swings smaller. Set a budget before you play, treat it as the cost of entertainment, and never raise bets to chase losses. Legal age and the rules for casino gambling vary by state and venue.
Where to Learn Next
Once the odds bet makes sense, the next step is to see where craps sits against every other bet. Pass Line with odds is among the cheapest bets on the casino floor, and the lowest house edge games and bets compares it with blackjack, baccarat and roulette.
It also helps to practice computing the real money at risk. A reader who can turn a posted limit such as 5x into a dollar figure, and who knows that the flat bet always keeps its edge, is in a good position to judge any craps table before putting a single chip down.
Frequently Asked Questions
