The Come Bet: Creating Multiple Points on the Table

The point is 8. You've got $10 on the Pass Line with $20 in Odds. The shooter rolls a 5. Nothing happens to your Pass Line bet — that's still waiting on the 8. But if you'd also had a Come bet working, that 5 would have just become your second active point. Now two numbers can win you money, and only the 7 can take them both away.

That's the power of the come bet craps: it lets you build positions across multiple numbers without touching the high-edge bets in the center of the table. Every Come bet functions like its own miniature Pass Line wager — same odds, same house edge, same ability to take Odds behind it. Except you can place them after the point is already established, stacking the table with chances to win.

The Come bet is the tool that turns a simple Pass Line strategy into a multi-point system. If you're comfortable with the Pass Line bet, the Come bet is the natural next step.

How Come Bets Work

A Come bet can only be placed after the come-out roll, once a point has been established. You drop your chips in the Come box, and the very next roll becomes a personal come-out roll — just for that bet.

If the next roll is 7 or 11: Your Come bet wins immediately. Even money.

If the next roll is 2, 3, or 12: Your Come bet loses immediately.

If the next roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10: That number becomes your "come point." The dealer moves your chips from the Come box to that number on the layout. Your bet now lives there until either the come point or a 7 is rolled.

Once your come point is established, you can take Odds on it — just like Odds on the Pass Line. Hand your chips to the dealer and say "Odds on my Come." They'll place them, slightly offset, on top of your come point chips.

The Catch: What Happens When the 7 Hits

Here's where the Come bet gets tricky — and where you need to pay attention.

You have $10 on the Pass Line (point is 8) and a $10 Come bet that traveled to the 5. The shooter rolls a 7. Your Pass Line loses $10. Your Come bet on the 5 also loses $10. That's $20 gone in one roll.

But suppose you had just placed a new Come bet in the Come box, and the shooter rolled a 7 on that same roll. The Come bet in the box would win $10 (because 7 wins on a Come bet's "come-out roll"), partially offsetting your other losses.

This interplay — where active Come points lose on a 7 but fresh Come bets in the box win on a 7 — is what makes multi-point Come betting a natural hedge. It doesn't eliminate the risk of a seven-out. But it softens the blow.

A Session with Come Bets: Watch the Table Fill Up

Here's how a typical multi-point Come sequence plays out. You're at a $10 table with $200.

Roll 1 (come-out): Shooter rolls 6. Point established. You have $10 on the Pass Line. You take $20 Odds behind it.

Roll 2: You place a $10 Come bet. Shooter rolls 9. Your Come bet moves to 9. You take $20 Odds on the 9. Now you have two active points: 6 (Pass Line) and 9 (Come).

Roll 3: You place another $10 Come bet. Shooter rolls 4. Come bet moves to 4. You take $20 Odds on the 4. Three active points: 6, 9, and 4.

Roll 4: Shooter rolls 6. Your Pass Line wins! $10 flat + $24 Odds (6:5 on $20) = $34 profit. The puck moves off. But your Come bets on 9 and 4 stay active.

Roll 5 (new come-out): Shooter rolls 10. New point is 10. You place $10 on the Pass Line with $20 Odds. Your Come bets on 9 and 4 are still working.

Roll 6: Shooter rolls 9. Your Come bet on 9 wins! $10 flat + $30 Odds (3:2 on $20) = $40 profit.

Roll 7: Shooter rolls 7. Seven-out. Pass Line loses ($30). Come bet on 4 loses ($30). But you've already collected $74 in winnings from the two hits.

Net result for this shooter: +$14. Not spectacular — but profitable, despite the seven-out, because you had multiple points collecting wins along the way.

Come Bet Payout Odds

The Come bet itself pays even money — same as the Pass Line. The real value, again, comes from the Odds:

The house edge on the flat Come bet is 1.41% — identical to the Pass Line. The Odds carry 0% house edge. Combined, a $10 Come bet with $30 Odds (3x) has an effective house edge of about 0.47%.

For the complete breakdown of how Odds bets eliminate the house edge, see Taking the Odds in Craps: The Only Bet with No House Edge.

Come Bet Strategy: How Many Points Is Right?

The more active Come points you have, the more numbers can win for you on any given roll. But each active point is also exposed to the seven-out. Balance is everything.

One Come bet + Pass Line (2 points): Conservative. Two numbers working, moderate exposure. Good for smaller bankrolls or tentative sessions.

Two Come bets + Pass Line (3 points): The classic setup. Enough coverage that most rolls produce a result, without overloading your exposure. This is the foundation of the 3-Point Molly strategy.

Three or more Come bets + Pass Line (4+ points): Aggressive. You'll win something on almost every roll that isn't a 7 — but when the 7 does come, it wipes all of them. Only for well-funded bankrolls.

The 3-Point Molly in Action

The most popular Come bet strategy is simple: maintain a Pass Line bet plus two Come bets at all times, each with Odds. Once three points are active, stop placing new Come bets and just collect wins.

If one of your Come bets wins, replace it immediately. The goal is to always have three points working. This approach gives you steady exposure across the most likely numbers while keeping the house edge at its absolute minimum through Odds.

Bankroll requirement: To run a 3-Point Molly at a $10 table with 2x Odds, you need about $90 in play at any given time ($30 in flat bets + $60 in Odds). A $300 bankroll gives you roughly three full cycles of exposure — enough to survive a cold stretch and capitalize on a decent roll.

Come Bets vs. Place Bets: Which Is Better?

Players often ask: "Why bother with Come bets when I can just place the 6 and 8?"

The answer is math. Come bets with Odds are cheaper than Place bets.

Place bets let you pick your numbers. Come bets assign them randomly. But the Come bet's house edge is less than a third of the Place bet's edge. Over a long session, that difference adds up to real money.

The trade-off: Place bets give you immediate action on a specific number. Come bets require a roll to "travel" to a number, and during that travel roll, you're exposed to the 2, 3, and 12 (instant losses). Some players find that travel-roll risk frustrating. But the math consistently favors the Come bet approach.

Common Mistakes with Come Bets

Forgetting about Odds on Come bets. Many players take Odds on the Pass Line religiously but forget to do the same on their Come bets. The Come point is governed by the same probabilities — skipping Odds there is leaving money on the table.

Stacking too many Come bets on a short bankroll. Three active Come points with Odds can mean $90+ on the table. If the 7 shows, all of it vanishes. Make sure your bankroll can absorb two full seven-outs before you build a multi-point position.

Confusing the Come bet with the Pass Line. The timing is different. Pass Line bets go down before the come-out. Come bets go down after the point is set. Placing a Come bet during the wrong phase will get your chips politely returned.

Panicking when the 7 wipes active Come bets. This is the cost of doing business. You will lose multiple Come bets to a single seven-out. It stings. But across a full session, the wins on individual Come points more than compensate — as long as you had Odds working and kept your bet sizes disciplined.

Not replacing Come bets after a win. If you're running a 3-point system and a Come bet wins, replace it on the very next roll. Gaps in your coverage mean missed opportunities.

Try It Yourself

Experiment with come bets in our free craps simulator. Place a Pass Line bet, then add Come bets one at a time. Watch them travel to different numbers. Take Odds on each. See how the table fills up with active points — and how a seven-out resolves them all at once. The visual experience of seeing multiple positions working simultaneously is the fastest way to understand why Come bets are such a powerful tool.

Run 30 shooters with just a Pass Line bet. Then run 30 with the 3-Point Molly. Compare your total wins, total losses, and bankroll swings. The data tells the story better than any article can.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a come bet and a pass line bet? Timing. The Pass Line bet is placed before the come-out roll. The Come bet is placed after the point is set. Both work identically once a point is established — they win if their point hits before a 7, and they pay even money plus true Odds.

Can I take odds on a come bet? Yes. Hand your Odds chips to the dealer and tell them which Come point you want Odds on. The Odds pay at the same true rates as Pass Line Odds — 2:1 on 4/10, 3:2 on 5/9, 6:5 on 6/8 — with zero house edge.

What are the best numbers to hit for come bets? You don't get to choose — the dice decide. But 6 and 8 are the most favorable come points because they have a 45.45% chance of hitting before the 7, the highest of any point number.

How does placing multiple come bets affect my chances? More active come points mean more numbers can win on any roll. It also means more exposure to the seven-out. The sweet spot for most bankrolls is two Come bets plus one Pass Line bet — three active points with manageable risk.

Is there a foolproof come bet craps strategy? No strategy eliminates the house edge. Come bets with Odds offer one of the lowest combined edges available (under 0.5%), but variance still produces losing sessions. Discipline and bankroll management matter more than any betting system.

How can I practice come bet strategies without risking money? Our free craps simulator lets you place Come bets, take Odds, and watch the results over dozens of shooters — all with virtual chips. It's the best way to develop a feel for multi-point play before risking real money.

Final Thoughts

The Come bet is the Pass Line bet's versatile sibling. Same odds, same house edge, same ability to take Odds — but with the flexibility to create multiple active points and fill the table with winning positions. Used disciplined, with Odds on every come point and a bankroll that can handle the occasional seven-out wipeout, Come bets turn a one-dimensional Pass Line strategy into a multi-point system built for the long game.

The players who consistently leave the table ahead aren't the ones making the flashiest bets. They're the ones with three points working, Odds on all of them, and the patience to let the math play out.

Related articles:

• The Pass Line Bet: Craps' Most Fundamental Wager Explained
• The 3-Point Molly: A Balanced Pass and Come Strategy
• Taking the Odds in Craps: The Only Bet with No House Edge