Can I remove my odds from a come bet?

Hello Frank,

I just finished reading with great interest your latest book Cutting Edge Craps. I particularly enjoyed the chapter "The Captain's Greatest Roll." I can tell by your words how much you admired the man. He seemed like he was a "Great Gent."

I have a question about come bets. Once the come bet has been assigned a number, you advise taking full odds on that come bet number. And you could do that about two or three times.

My question is this. The come bet is a contract bet; but during your rolls, you seem to be hitting numbers other than where your come bets are assigned. If you're not that confident you'll be able to roll long enough to win those bets with the 4x or 5x odds, can you ask the dealers to return your odds bets to you in an attempt to save $$ if you seven out?

Thanking you in advance,
L.F.

Dear L.F.:

The Captain was the greatest craps player of all time and I admired everything about him. He was a "great gent" and introduced many new concepts into the game over the years, including controlled shooting and the 5-Count.

Now to your question: Yes, you can take the odds off your come bets at any time. If you are a random roller, the percentages of the game will play out over time. Since the come bet in and of itself is the best bet on the rightside of the table (along with the pass line bet), even not taking odds still makes this a comparatively worthwhile wager.

I am giving you a free 30-day subscription to my private members-only website at www.goldentouchcraps.com. We have over 5,000 members on this private site and the conversations are interesting, enlightening and fun.

All the best in and out of the casinos!

Frank Scoblete

Get the Edge! Join Frank Scoblete in Las Vegas, October 21, 2011 for Advantage-Play Friday.