Vegas Local Travel Guide

What Is a Come Bet in Craps — And When Should You Use It?

Look, craps can feel intimidating, right? All those numbers, the shouting, the constant ding of slot machines echoing dimly in the background – it’s a whirlwind. Most people, when they first walk up to a craps table, zero in on the Pass Line. It’s the easiest to understand, the most fundamental, and, honestly, perfectly fine for a good time. But what if I told you there’s another bet, similar in spirit but with some interesting strategic advantages, that can really elevate your game? We’re talking about the Come Bet.

Here’s the thing: mastering the Come Bet isn’t just about knowing where to put your chips. It’s about understanding the rhythm of the game, managing your bankroll, and knowing *when* to deploy it. It’s a tool, and like any good tool, it’s only useful if you know how to wield it effectively. This isn’t rocket science, but it takes a little more thought than just tossing a twenty onto the Pass Line and hoping for the best.

Understanding the Craps Table & The Basic Pass Line Bet

Before we dive headfirst into the Come Bet, let’s quickly set the stage. If you’re completely new to craps, this is your crash course. The table is a big, felt-covered rectangle with dizzying array of numbers and words. The game starts with a ‘Come Out’ roll. If a 7 or 11 is rolled, Pass Line bets win. If a 2, 3, or 12 (craps) is rolled, Pass Line bets lose. If any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) is rolled, that number becomes the ‘Point’. The shooter then continues to roll until they either hit that Point again (Pass Line wins) or roll a 7 (Pass Line loses – this is called a ‘Seven Out’). Simple enough, right? The house edge on the Pass Line bet is pretty low, around 1.41%.

What many don’t know is that the entire game essentially revolves around that 7. It’s the most frequently rolled number, appearing on average once every six rolls. It’s both your best friend and your worst enemy, depending on where your bets are positioned. My first real attempt at leveraging Come Bets, back in October 2023 at the Bellagio, ended up being a frustrating exercise in futility because I wasn’t really grasping the dance with the 7. I was trying to ‘press’ my bets on the come line, escalating my wagers after each hit, thinking I was being smart. The problem? I was doing it too aggressively, and didn’t account for the variance, getting wiped out by a single seven-out at a critical moment. Instead of building a steady bankroll, I blew through about $350 in an hour trying to chase that big win, missing out on a planned $75 per person dinner at Bacchanal later that night. It taught me a hard lesson about bankroll management and not confusing ‘aggressive’ with ‘reckless’ when it comes to proposition bets in craps.

What Exactly *Is* a Come Bet?

Alright, let’s get to the star of the show. A Come Bet is, essentially, a Pass Line bet placed *after* a point has already been established. Think of it as joining a mini-Pass Line game mid-stream.

Here’s how it shakes out:

1. **A Point is Established:** Someone has already rolled the dice, and a point (say, an 8) is on. The dealer has the ‘ON’ puck on the 8.
2. **You Place Your Bet:** You put your chips in the ‘COME’ area of the table. This is usually a large rectangular box near the middle of the table.
3. **The Next Roll is Your “Come Out” Roll:** The *very next* roll of the dice becomes the “come out” roll for your Come Bet.
* If a 7 or 11 comes up, your Come Bet wins immediately.
* If a 2, 3, or 12 comes up, your Come Bet loses immediately.
* If any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) comes up, *that number* becomes the “Come Point” for your specific bet. The dealer will move your chips from the “COME” area to that specific number box (e.g., the 6 or 9).
4. **Resolving Your Come Point:** Once your chips are on a Come Point number, the game continues.
* If your Come Point number is rolled again *before* a 7, your Come Bet wins. The dealer pays you, and your chips remain on that number unless you tell them to take it down.
* If a 7 is rolled *before* your Come Point number, your Come Bet loses.

See? It mimics the Pass Line, but crucially, it happens when an existing point is already active. This is where the strategy begins to get interesting.

Another thing worth mentioning: like the Pass Line, you can back your Come Bets with “Odds.” This is the best bet in craps, as it has zero house edge! Once your Come Bet moves to a number, you can place additional chips *behind* your original bet, usually 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or even 10x the amount of your original Come Bet, depending on the casino’s rules. These “Odds” pay true odds (e.g., 2:1 on a 4 or 10, 3:2 on a 5 or 9, 6:5 on a 6 or 8). Always, always take odds! It lowers the overall house edge of your total wager significantly.

Last March, during a buddy’s bachelor party at the MGM Grand, I made the rookie mistake of attempting a Come Bet strategy without fully understanding the odds. I figured, hey, it’s craps, just throw some chips out, right? Total disaster when I tried to treat it like a simple pass line bet, ended up consistently missing my numbers and watching my $200 craps bankroll evaporate in about 45 minutes, especially after a couple of $18 poolside beers at Wet Republic had already dulled my judgment. The consequence was me sitting out the next few rolls, feeling pretty sheepish, while my buddy Mark was cleaning up on the same table, cheering for those Come bet wins. What I learned? Always, *always* do your homework, even on a ‘fun’ bet. Don’t be that guy.

When to Strategically Use the Come Bet

Alright, so you know what it is. Now, for the million-dollar question (or at least, the $100 bet question): when should you actually use this thing? This isn’t just about tossing chips randomly; there’s a method to the madness.

1. To Establish Multiple Numbers

This is probably the most common and powerful use of the Come Bet. Because you can make a Come Bet *after* the point is established, it allows you to get action on multiple numbers simultaneously.

Imagine this: The shooter establishes the Point as a 6. You place a Pass Line bet, and you’ve taken odds on it. Now, you roll your Come Bet. Let’s say the next roll is a 9. Your Come Bet now moves to the 9. You take odds on that 9. The next roll is a 5. You place *another* Come Bet. That one moves to the 5. Now you have chips on the 6 (the main point), the 9, and the 5. You’re covering three different numbers. This spreads your risk and increases your chances of hitting *something* on each roll. If a 7 comes out, all your Come Bets and your main Pass Line bet lose. But if the shooter rolls like a machine and avoids the 7, you can collect on multiple numbers.

This is a fantastic strategy when you sense a ‘hot’ shooter – someone who is consistently hitting numbers without rolling a 7. Personally, I lean toward getting at least two or three Come Bets out there, especially if the shooter has been on a good run for a while.

2. To Take Advantage of a Shooter Who Avoids the 7 But Hits Many Other Numbers

This ties into the first point. Sometimes a shooter isn’t hitting the *same* number repeatedly, but they’re just not rolling a 7. They might hit a 4, then a 10, then a 5, then an 8. If you only have a Pass Line bet, you’re just waiting for that one specific point. With Come Bets, every time a new number is rolled (that isn’t a 7, 2, 3, or 12), you’re either getting paid on an existing Come Point or establishing a *new* Come Point, which can then pay you. It maximizes your exposure to those productive, non-7 numbers.

3. To “Hedge” Your Pass Line Bet (Carefully!)

Some players use Come Bets more defensively, though I wouldn’t recommend it too often. If you have a Pass Line bet out there and the shooter is just taking forever to hit their point, you might place a Come Bet to get action on another number. If that Come Bet wins, it recoups some of your potential losses if the main Pass Line bet eventually sevens out.

However, the mistake most people make is trying to over-hedge. You can quickly spend too much protecting against losses and end up losing even more. My advice? Don’t confuse intelligent betting with panicked betting.

4. When the Table Appears to Be “Choppy” or “Fickle”

I’ve found that when the dice are behaving erratically – hitting all sorts of numbers but not establishing a strong rhythm on one specific point – Come Bets can shine. Since each Come Bet effectively has its own ‘come out’ roll, you’re constantly refreshing your chances. If a shooter rolls a 4, then a 9, then a 5, then a 10, you can have a full array of numbers covered without waiting for a single point to resolve. This strategy is less about consistency and more about capitalizing on scattered hits.

Funny enough, I dealt with a similar situation during CES week this past January 2026 at The Cosmopolitan. The tables were packed, energy was high, and I saw a couple from Ohio I met at the pool absolutely crushing it with a disciplined Come Bet strategy. They were picking up payouts seemingly every other roll while I, after what I’d blown on my last trip, was only playing roulette. I just had to watch.

Don’t Use a Come Bet When…

Just as crucial as knowing when to use it, is knowing when to abstain.

* **When you’re first learning craps:** Stick to the Pass Line and taking odds. Keep it simple. Add Come Bets once you’re comfortable with the flow of the game, the payouts, and managing your chips. Otherwise, it can feel like a chaotic mess. My advice is to head to a Downtown casino like the Downtown Grand for their lower minimums (often $5-$10) to practice your Come Bets without breaking the bank like you might at Bellagio.
* **When the shooter is obviously ‘cold’:** If the shooter keeps sevening out quickly, or hitting nothing but craps numbers on the come out roll, putting out Come Bets just speeds up your demise. Wait for a new shooter, or at least a new cycle, before deploying this strategy. You don’t want to throw good money after bad. My friend Sarah went last March and she kept throwing down Come Bets on a cold table at the Flamingo, thinking she could “will” it to turn hot. She lost her entire $500 bankroll in less than an hour and was pretty bummed, even after catching Piff the Magic Dragon later that night.
* **If you’re under-bankrolled:** Each Come Bet represents another wager you’re making. If your bankroll is thin, spreading your money across too many Come Bets can leave you vulnerable to a quick seven-out that wipes you out entirely. A $25 table minimum means you could have $25 on the Pass Line, then another $25 on a Come Bet which moves to a number, and then if you want max odds on that, you might have another $100 out there. That’s $150 on just one set of bets. Multiply that by two or three active Come Bets and your bankroll shrinks alarmingly fast. Quick thing to know: Super Bowl Weekend (early Feb) and March Madness (mid-March) mean higher table minimums everywhere, so if you’re trying to play on a budget, these times can be brutal.

Final Thoughts on the Come Bet

The Come Bet is a fantastic tool for any craps player looking to add an extra layer of strategy and excitement to their game. It allows you to maximize your table coverage, capitalize on diverse rolls, and, crucially, take advantage of free odds bets. It transforms you from a passive observer of the point into an active participant on almost every roll. I mean, the energy at a craps table, especially when you’ve got multiple Come Bets out and the whole table is cheering for numbers, is just electric. There’s a noticeable buzz in the air, a mix of cigarette smoke and expensive perfume, that just draws you in.

Remember the cardinal rule: practice makes perfect. Start small. Observe. When you’re playing at a busy table and focusing on your Come bets, make sure to clearly state your bets to the Stickman and Dealer; a good crew at a place like Venetian or Wynn will appreciate it and avoid miscommunications on payouts. Once you feel the rhythm of the game, slipping in a Come Bet or two will feel natural. Don’t be afraid to ask the dealer for clarification – they’re there to help, and honestly, a $10 tip (or even $5 for an hour of careful guidance) is a small price to pay for understanding the nuances of the game better. Overheard a local at the sports book at Bally’s say that a good tip ensures good service, and that definitely extends to craps dealers who can help guide you when you’re learning.

Ultimately, craps is a game of probability and variance, but smart betting strategies, like judiciously using the Come Bet, can certainly tip the scales a little further in your favor while ensuring you have a blast at the table. Even if you’re stuck at a $15 table, the excitement of making those Come Bets and watching your chips spread across the board is half the fun. Oh, and bonus hack: casino loyalty cards for comps are worth it, even if you’re just playing lower limits at craps; those points can get you free meals or show tickets later, especially if you’re logging a lot of time at properties like MGM Grand or Caesars Palace.