If you’ve just finished reading our page about the pass line bet, the most common
bet placed at the craps table, you’re just about ready to learn all about free
odds, the best bet placed at the craps table!
Free odds are a little different than other bets at the craps table. It’s not a bet marked on the board anywhere, rather, it’s a process of backing up
other bets you’ve already made on the table. Pass line bets, come bets, and their counterparts, don’t pass and don’t come bets are the only ones you are
allowed to back with free odds. These bets all have a negative expectation, just like every other bet in the casino. But when you back these bets with
‘free odds’ (which just means increasing the bet size by placing some more chips behind your bet), the portion of your bet that was placed as free odds,
is paid back as a fair bet. The house edge on the odds portion of your bet is effectively zero percent.
This is why you need to place a negative expectation bet before the free odds bet, or the casinos would actually be gambling with their money for once.
This is as close as they get however, so we have to take advantage. Most dealers in Vegas are kind enough to notice if you’ve forgotten to place odds
behind your bets, but you should try to make a habit of it.
You can’t place your free odds bet right away, but after a point has been set, go ahead and back up your pass line bet. If you’re playing at a land-based
casino you will likely need to take your free odds bet (which will have a maximum limit, set as a multiple of the bet you’re backing) by placing chips
directly behind the bet you’re backing on the felt. If you are playing craps online, your free odds bet may need to be placed differently.
We’ve mentioned free odds after talking about the pass line bet, but before talking about all of the other bets. This is because they are simply that
important, and if you read about them in the context of the hundred other bets you can place, that importance may not be so obvious. Keep reading though,
because you need to know all about the other bets on the table. Remember, you can place free odds on other bets too,
including the don’t pass and the come and don’t come bets.
If you are looking for other great games to play be sure to try online baccarat and
online keno.
