Q I'm new to craps, and I mostly play the pass line with come bets. How many come bets should I make? I've heard that it is best to make two come bets after a pass-line bet (all with full odds). This
Basil Nestor is the author of the new Playboy Complete Guide to Casino Gambling. This wonderful book teaches players how to avoid sucker bets and win more when playing gambling games. He is also the author of The Smarter Bet Guide series for video poker, slots, craps, and many other books about gambling. Basil's website is www.smarterbet.com will give the casino less than a 1% chance of winning. Is this true? Sometimes I'm tempted to make three or four come bets when the shooter is rolling a lot of numbers.
A Strictly speaking, there is no "best" combination of
come bets because each roll of the dice is independent; each bet has an equal chance of winning or losing. Thus the casino's overall advantage (about 1%) is the same for one bet or multiple bets. What is not the same is the total amount of money at risk and the overall affect of volatility on your
bankroll. In other words, you'll probably win a lot more or lose a lot more if you make more come bets (assuming that you don't reduce the amount wagered per bet). So the "best" number of bets is really a personal choice.
Also keep in mind that a 1% casino advantage does not mean the casino has a 1% chance of winning. In fact, the casino has a 50.7% chance of taking your come bet. Your chance of winning is 49.3%. The difference is 1.4% (the house edge). So the best strategy is to go easy on your bankroll, and don't put too much money on the table at any one time. Increase bets only when you're winning. Exit the table when you reach your win-goal or stop-loss limit.
What is a good win-goal or stop-loss limit? That depends on the size of your bankroll.
Enjoy the game!
Basil Nestor