Should You Always Place the Max Odds Bet in Craps?
By Matty Dice ·
Ask a seasoned craps player for one piece of advice and you'll often hear "always take the odds". The odds bet is unusual: it's the only wager in a casino that pays at true odds, meaning the house has no edge on it at all. But does that mean you should always bet the maximum?
How the odds bet works
You can only make an odds bet after a point has been established on a pass line (or come) bet. You place extra chips behind your pass line wager. If the shooter hits the point before a 7, the odds bet pays according to how hard that point is to make:
| Point | Ways to roll | Odds bet pays |
|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 3 | 2 to 1 |
| 5 or 9 | 4 | 3 to 2 |
| 6 or 8 | 5 | 6 to 5 |
Because those payouts exactly match the true chances of hitting each point before a 7, the expected value is zero. The casino makes its money on the pass line bet you had to place first.
How much can you take?
Each casino sets its own limit, usually written as a multiple of your pass line bet. Many tables allow 2x odds; others advertise "3-4-5x" (three times on 4/10, four times on 5/9, five times on 6/8), and some go to 10x or even 100x. Check the placard on the table or ask the dealer.
The case for max odds
The more of your total bet that sits on the odds, the lower the house edge on your combined wager. A pass line bet alone has an edge of about 1.41%. With 2x odds the combined edge drops to roughly 0.61%, and with 3-4-5x odds it falls to around 0.37%. If you're going to have money on the table anyway, putting it on the odds is the most efficient way to do it.
The case against
- Variance goes up. Max odds means bigger swings. A few seven-outs in a row can drain a bankroll quickly.
- Bankroll matters more than edge. If max odds would force you to bet more than you're comfortable losing, lower your odds rather than your fun.
- Smaller pass line, more odds. A good compromise is to bet the table minimum on the pass line and add as much odds as your budget allows.
Bottom line
Taking odds is always a good bet mathematically, and taking more is better than taking less, as long as you can afford the swings. Practice the flow of a game with our online craps roller before you take your bankroll to the table, and read about betting the Don't Pass if you'd rather play the other side.