There are some bets in online craps that have very high house edges and should be avoided. But at the same time there are bets that can compete with online casino games like blackjack and video poker. The Pass Line bet with Free Odds is one of the best bets in online craps. The article first discusses the basic Pass Line bet and then the Free Odds add on.
The Pass Line bet has to be placed before the come out roll. If there is a throw of 7 or 11 in the come out roll the player immediately wins the bet. If there is a throw of 2, 3 or 12 in the come out roll the player immediately loses the bet. If any other number is thrown in the come out roll then that number is established as the point. The dice are rolled again till either 7 or the point is thrown. If the point is thrown before 7 the Pass Line bet wins and if 7 is thrown before the point the Pass Line bet loses. The Pass Line bet pays out at 1 to 1. The house edge for this bet is 1.4%.
The Free Odds bet can reduce the house edge further. This bet comes into play only when the point is established. The bet at most online casinos is equal to the original Pass Line bet. It wins if the point is repeated before 7 and loses if 7 is repeated before the point. The advantage of the Free Odds bet is that it has zero house edge and the payout is equal to the correct odds. In the case of the Free Odds bet the payout depends on the point established. Consider the case when the point is 4 or 10. There are three ways to throw the point and six ways to throw a 7. The correct odds and the payout for the Free Odds portion of the bet are 2 to 1. Consider the case when the point is 5 or 9. There are four ways to throw the point and six ways to throw a 7. The correct odds and the payout are 3 to 2. Consider the case when the point is 6 or 8. There are five ways to throw the point and six ways to throw a 7. The correct odds and the payout in this case are 6 to 5. The Pass Line bets continue to pay out at even money. The house edge for the combined Free Odds Pass Line bet falls from 1.4% to 0.8%.
In land casino craps players are allowed to make a Free Odds bet that is double the original Pass Line bet. The zero house edge component of the combined bet increases and the total house edge falls further. With the double Free Odds bet the house edge is down to 0.6%, which is on par with the best available. Players wagering at online casinos should check the maximum Free Odds bet that is allowable and go for that. The Free Odds options are also available with the Come Bet. It works in exactly the same way as the Pass Line Bet, except that the Come Bet is placed after a come out roll.
