Mastering Come and Don’t Come Bets: Advanced Craps Strategy

For many Canadian players, the initial Pass Line bet is just the entry point into the high-energy world of craps. Once you’ve mastered the basics, the next step to becoming a savvy player at any online gambling portal is understanding Come and Don’t Come bets.

These wagers are essentially “games within a game.” They allow you to establish your own personal points even after the main shooter has already set theirs. At Winner Online, we’ve found that these bets are the key to covering more of the table while keeping the house edge at its absolute minimum.

What is a Come Bet?

A Come Bet functions almost identically to a Pass Line bet, with one major difference: it can only be placed after the shooter has established a point on the come-out roll.

How the Come Bet Works

When you place your chips in the “Come” area of the digital table, the very next roll of the dice acts as a mini “come-out” roll just for your bet:

• 7 or 11: Your Come bet wins immediately (Even Money).
• 2, 3, or 12: Your Come bet loses immediately.
• 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10: This number becomes your “Come Point.” Your bet is moved to the box corresponding to that number. To win, that number must be rolled again before the shooter rolls a 7.

What is a Don’t Come Bet?

As you might expect, the Don’t Come bet is the polar opposite of the Come bet. It is the “Dark Side” version of the wager, where you are essentially betting that a 7 will appear before the point number is repeated.

How the Don’t Come Bet Works

After the main point is established, you place your wager in the “Don’t Come” bar. The next roll determines the outcome:

• 2 or 3: You win immediately.
• 12: This is usually a “Push” (a tie), and your money is returned.
• 7 or 11: You lose immediately.
• 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10: This becomes your point. You are now hoping the shooter rolls a 7 before they roll that specific number again.

Why Use These Bets?

You might wonder why you would bother with these instead of just sticking to the Pass Line. The primary reason is coverage. By placing a Come bet on every roll, you can eventually have three or four different numbers working for you simultaneously. If the shooter gets on a “hot streak” and rolls several different numbers before a 7, you could collect multiple payouts in a single round.

Furthermore, these bets carry some of the lowest house edges in the entire gambling portal:

• Come Bet House Edge: ~1.41%
• Don’t Come Bet House Edge: ~1.36%

Adding Odds to Come and Don’t Come Bets

The real power of these wagers is unlocked when you “Take” or “Lay” odds. Just like with a Pass Line bet, once your Come bet moves to a specific number, you can place an additional Odds Bet behind it.

• Come Odds: You are taking odds. This bet has zero house edge and pays out at true mathematical odds (e.g., 2:1 on a 4 or 10).
• Don’t Come Odds: You are “laying” odds. You must wager more than you stand to win (e.g., laying $10 to win $5 on a 4 or 10), but you have the mathematical advantage once the point is set.

In the 2026 Canadian market, many live and digital craps games allow for 3x, 4x, or even 5x odds on these bets. Utilizing this feature is the most effective way to dilute the overall house edge of your session.

Strategic Tips for Canadians

• The Three-Point Molly: A famous strategy where you have a Pass Line bet and two Come bets active at once, all backed by full odds. This keeps you in the action on almost every roll without exposing your bankroll to the high-risk “Proposition” bets in the center of the table.
• Watch the “Off” Status: On a new come-out roll, Come bet odds are usually “OFF” (inactive) by default, though your base Come bet is still working. On most portals, you can toggle these to “ON” if you want your odds to stay active during the come-out.
• Don’t Come is Conservative: If the table feels “cold” (lots of quick 7s), switching to Don’t Come bets can protect your bankroll while others are losing on the Pass Line.

Come and Don’t Come bets turn a standard round of craps into a multi-layered strategic experience. By mastering these transitions, you can enjoy some of the best odds available on any Canadian gambling portal. Keep exploring Winner Online for more tips on how to dominate the dice.