The come bet carries a 1.41% house edge — one of the lowest on the craps table. Take maximum free odds behind it and that combined edge drops even further, making come bet strategy one of the most mathematically sound approaches in any casino.
Why Does the Come Bet House Edge Matter?
Every wager on the craps layout has a built-in cost. The come bet's flat 1.41% edge matches the pass line exactly. For context, a proposition bet in the center of the table can carry a house edge above 10%. Starting with come bets means starting cheap.
The flat come bet pays 1:1 even money. That simplicity is a feature. It keeps the math clean and lets you focus on the one decision that actually moves the needle: whether to take odds.
How Does Taking Odds Change the Math?
Free odds — the supplemental bet placed behind a traveling come bet — pay at true mathematical odds with zero house advantage. The casino has no edge on that portion of your wager whatsoever.
Payouts depend on the come point the bet travels to:
- 4 or 10: odds pay 2:1
- 5 or 9: odds pay 3:2
- 6 or 8: odds pay 6:5
Because the flat bet still carries 1.41% but the odds portion carries 0%, the more you load onto odds relative to your flat bet, the lower the combined effective house edge becomes. Taking larger odds doesn't change your probability of winning a given roll — it changes how much of your total money is working at zero edge.
One practical note: come bet odds must be verbally requested from the dealer each time. Unlike pass line odds, which you place yourself, the dealer handles the placement. Players who forget to ask are effectively playing at a higher blended edge than necessary.
Come Bet vs. Pass Line — What's Actually Different?
Mechanically, the two bets are identical. The pass line is placed before the come-out roll; the come bet is placed after the point is established. Both carry 1.41% on the flat wager. Both can be backed with free odds.
The strategic difference is timing and coverage. A pass line bet is committed to one specific point. A come bet lets you start building coverage on additional box numbers mid-round. See our full breakdown on the Come Bet vs Pass Line — Same Edge, Different Timing page for the exact sequencing.
What Is the Three Point Molly and Why Do Players Use It?
The Three Point Molly combines a pass line bet with two active come bets, each backed with maximum odds. The goal is to cover three box numbers simultaneously at the lowest possible combined house edge.
Once all three positions are established, you stop making new bets and simply let the round play out. If one bet wins, you replace it with a new come bet to stay at three numbers. It's a disciplined, low-variance approach that keeps most of your money on the zero-edge odds portion. The Three Point Molly: Cover Three Numbers at the Lowest Edge page walks through the full sequence step by step.
What About Betting Against the Shooter?
The Don't Come bet is the mirror image of the come bet. It wins when a 7 is rolled before the come point repeats, and loses on a 7 or 11 on the first roll. The house edge is comparable to the come bet, and players can lay odds behind it — also at true odds. It's mathematically similar, but socially it means rooting against everyone else at the table. If that friction concerns you, our Don't Come vs Come Bet — Fading the Shooter Explained page covers the full trade-off.
Common Strategy Mistakes to Avoid
- Skipping odds entirely. Leaving the zero-edge portion of your bet on the table is the single easiest way to raise your effective cost per wager.
- Doubling bets after losses. Martingale-style escalation hits table maximums quickly and can erase a session bankroll before a recovery roll arrives.
- Over-covering the table. More come bets mean more exposure to a seven-out. The Three Point Molly exists precisely to cap that risk at three numbers.
For a ranked comparison of every low-edge wager on the layout — not just come bets — the best low house-edge bets at a craps table page lays them out in order with exact percentages.
Where Can You Practice Come Bet Strategy?
Real-money online craps is legally available in New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, and Connecticut. Licensed operators in those states offer both RNG and live-dealer craps tables where come bets and free odds work exactly as described here. Check state availability before depositing.
For a broader overview of rules and how the come bet fits into the full game, start with Come Bet Craps — Rules, Odds and Strategy Explained. Casino.org's come bet explainer is also a solid reference for confirming the basic mechanics.
Must be 21+ (18+ in some states). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.