What Is the Come Bet in Craps? (+ Other Things You Should Know About Betting in Craps)

11/13/23

Craps is one of the most popular table games in the world, and it’s especially loved in many parts of the US. There are several reasons for this, such as the fact that it’s a very easy game to play. So, unlike many other casino games, you don’t need to spend a huge amount of time figuring out what you have to do and how to win.

But despite craps being quite simple to understand, that doesn’t mean that winning is easy in and of itself. You should still take the time to learn the different types of bets available, including the come bet – which you may well have heard of if you’ve ever done some prior online research. It’s also worth knowing when to use each type of bet in craps to maximize your chances of winning, as different scenarios will call for varying strategies.

If you want to learn about the come bet in craps and other types of betting, you’re in the right place. We will cover the craps come bet in significant detail today, along with the other most common bets in craps, to ensure that you’ve got the best chance of winning.

Without further ado, let’s get into the swing of things and learn about the wonderful world of craps betting.

What Is the Best Bet in Craps?

Whether you sit down at a casino table or play craps on your smartphone, knowing the best bets in craps is essential. Though the type of bet you’ll play will probably vary from round to round, you should still look for a unique combination to maximize your chances of winning at craps.

What are we talking about?

Well, you need to think about more than just the odds available. Different bets in craps will result in the casino having a bigger advantage and potentially reducing the amount of your winnings. Nonetheless, odds are still important.

Generally speaking, we recommend the following formula:

Largest odds + smallest house edge = best bet.

This will not always be the same outcome, so you should monitor the game in front of you to ensure that you find the right balance between these two aspects.

See also: How to Play 3 Card Poker

How to Bet Craps

While we shall discuss different options for betting in craps shortly, it’s also worth knowing how to bet when playing craps full-stop. Doing so is incredibly simple, and it shouldn’t take you a huge amount of time to learn the basics.

First and foremost, you’ll bet with chips. This is similar to many other table games that you’ll find at casinos, such as poker. To place a bet in craps, simply put your chips on the board. Where you put your chips depends on what you think has the best possible chance of winning.

In some instances, a dealer can move your chips to another part of the table.

You will find four people on the table when betting craps:

1 x stickman
1 x boxman
2 x dealers

These are in addition to the other players that you’ll be joined by.

The dealers will pay you with chips if you win in craps, while the stickman moves the dice around. As you might have guessed from their name, the stickman is the person with a stick in their hand.

The boxman has arguably the most important role of the craps crew. Their job is to make sure that nobody cheats while playing the game. Boxmen are also responsible for making sure that dealers give players the correct payouts.

Now that you know some more about the basics of betting in craps, let’s look at some of the more specific bets that you should keep in mind. In the sections below, we’ll cover the main ways that you can wager your chips while playing this game.

What Is a Horn Bet in Craps?

The horn bet is one of the easiest bets to understand in craps. When placing a horn bet, you’ll win if the dice total any of the following on the next roll:

But despite this, the amount that you win is not equal for all of these numbers. If the dice total is either 2 or 12, you’ll receive a payout at 30/1. On the flip side, 3 and 11 pay a 15/1 return – which, while not bad at all, is of course, not as good as the 30/1 option.

When should you use the horn bet in craps, then? Well, it simply comes down to what you think your chances are of landing the numbers mentioned above. One thing to consider is that the bet numbers are relatively high because it’s unlikely that they’ll land, so you should keep an eye on previous rounds and use this one when you’ve got a better understanding of what’s going on.

When you use the horn bet in craps, it’s also important to remember that these types of bets have a significant house edge. When landing 2 or 12, the house edge stands at 13.1% – which is much higher than many bets in other table games. The house edge is smaller for 3 or 11, but it’s still relatively high (11.1%). So, this bet is a better option if you wager a higher amount – which also makes it somewhat risky.

What Is a Lay Bet in Craps?

Another commonly-known bet in craps is the lay bet. When you place a lay bet, you wager on the odds of the dealer rolling the dice with a total of 7 appearing before a set point number. The payout will depend on what you choose, with some being higher than others. On top of this, the house edge will also vary based on the type of bet you choose.

Below is a summary of the different numbers’ payouts and house edges:

4 or 10 not appearing before 7: 2.4% house edge and 1:2 payout
5 or 9 not appearing before 7: 3.3% house edge and 2:3 payout
6 or 8 not appearing before 7: 4.1% house edge and 5:6 payout

As you can see from the above, lay bets have a much lower payout than horn bets. The good news, however, is that they’re also more likely to occur.

How Does the Come Bet Work in Craps?

The come bet can only be placed after a designated point, which is where the dealer rolls the dice and sets whichever total appears as the point. It’s actually got a lot of similarities to the lay bet, but at the same time, you will also need to consider a couple of key differences.

Whereas the lay bet is betting on a number NOT appearing before a total of 7 is rolled, the come bet will focus more on which numbers are rolled BEFORE the 7 appears. So, in effect, it’s the reverse of the bet type that we discussed in the previous section.

Don’t Come Bet Craps: When Is It a Good Idea to Avoid Come Betting?

Although the come bet can be an effective way to win when playing craps, it’s not going to work in every situation. Therefore, you need to understand when it’s not a good idea to use this type of bet.

First and foremost, you shouldn’t consider a come bet before the point has been established. The simple reason why is that you’re not allowed to place the wager, and doing so would be pointless anyway.

It’s also a good idea to avoid come bets if you’re not familiar with how to use them effectively. Instead, you should observe for a few rounds before placing wagers that you aren’t familiar with.

What Is the Best Odds Bet in Craps?

When we look at the best odds bet in craps, we should point out that we are specifically talking about “odds bets” – which, like horn and lay betting, is a specific type of bet that you can wager when playing craps.

There are three odds bets that you can place, and the benefit of doing so is that there is a 0% house edge. This is unlike many other bets in craps, though you should also remember that you can only place odds bets after wagering some kind of line bet.

The best odds bet payout is 2/1, and you’ll receive this if you land either a total of 4 or 10.

Meanwhile, you’ll receive a 3/2 payout for landing on 5 or 9. And if you get a total of 6 or 8, the payout is 6/5 instead.

Once you’ve placed a line bet, you might want to start with placing odds bets – as these are quite easy to get used to.

What Is a World Bet in Craps?

Another type of bet in craps that you may not be familiar with is the world bet. This is also known as the whirl bet, so you can use both terms interchangeably. The world bet is one of the more advanced types of betting you can try when playing craps, and it involves combining more than one bet in craps.

When you place a whirl or world bet in craps, you are combining both the horn bet and the any 7 wager. As you may have guessed from the any 7 bet’s name, your objective is to hit a total of 7. The horn bet, meanwhile, is exactly as we explained earlier in this guide.

Each time you wager with a world bet in craps, you can win as much on the any 7 as what your losing total would be on the horn. So, this is a good hedging strategy if you aren’t sure of the outcome for what you see.

The house edge on world bets is quite high at 13.3%. On top of that, you should think about some of the other payouts you’ll receive. These vary as follows:

2 or 12: 26/5 payout
3 or 11: 11/5 payout
7: Breaking even

When you play craps at a casino, it’s also worth remembering that breaking even might be referred to in some cases as a “push”. Again, these mean the same thing – so you can use them interchangeably without worrying too much.

What Is a Fire Bet in Craps?

The fire bet in craps can lead to huge returns, and it’s one of the rarest to win. The bet depends on how many points have been made, and the house edge will also vary depending on what you choose.

Fire bets have the highest payouts from 4-6 points. Getting six points is the highest payout, with the potential of around 999/1. 4 points will often be around 24/1, with 5 points being 249/1. These, however, can vary depending on your pay table. For example, some fire bets pay out 249/1 on 6 points and 2,000/1 on others.

As for 4 and 5 points, 4 points can sometimes be 200/1 or 149/1. Meanwhile, 4 points could potentially be 10/1 or 29/1.

Note that the house edge on fire bets is significant. These often range between 20.73% and 24.86%.

What Is a Buy Bet in Craps?

Buy bets give “true odds” when you place wagers, and you also need to pay a commission of 5% – known as a vig. The house edge for buy bets is 4.76%.

Payouts are 2/1 for 4 and 10, 3/2 for 5 and 9, and 6/5 for 6 and 8.

Conclusion: A Complete Guide on How to Bet on Craps

Craps is an easy game to understand, but there are several types of bets that you need to know about to ensure that you maximize your chances of winning. These bets will vary in terms of payout, and they’ll also range when it comes to your flexibility in placing them.

Placing bets in craps is very simple, but knowing which ones will pay out the best in different scenarios can often be more challenging. Thankfully, you should now have a much better understanding of which ones to place and when.

When placing bets on craps, start with the most simple options before then moving on to more complex stuff. That way, you’ll find the learning curve much easier to manage than would otherwise be the case.