Craps A to Z: "D" is for Don't

© 2001 by Larry Edell

Have you ever gotten the feeling that the table just isn't going well? Lots of short rolls and seven outs and you see your pass or place bets go down the drain. Rather than leave, why not switch to the Don't side and see if you can recoup some of your losses? But with a now-limited bankroll, which is better, the Don't Come or the Don't Pass?

Let's find out!

With the Don't Come you are betting flat bets and then adding odds, which will win you less than your bet. Of course, you can bet flat bets only on the Don't Come to preserve your bankroll. The advantage of the Don't Come bet is that your risk is spread out over several bets, while with the Don't Pass, if you lose one number (the point) you lose it all.

The advantage, however, of the Don't Pass is that once you are past the come out and the point is established, the odds are heavily in your favor. Then you can add odds if you want if the point is a favorable one, like the four or ten. However, those odds will still pay less than a flat bet.

On both the Don't Come and the Don't Pass, your odds payoff is the exact opposite from the pass or come line. On the don't side, you always have to bet more to win less. For example, with a $10 flat bet on either the Don't Come or Don't Pass, you will receive the following odds payoffs playing at a 2X odds table:

Many Crapshooters believe that adding odds on the don't side not only dilutes your advantage, but also uses up your bankroll at a faster rate, so let's look at flat betting with a combined don't pass and don't come bet.

If you place a $10 Don't Pass bet and want to place a $10 Don't Come bet, you have to go through another come-out with your Don't Come bet. If the seven hits while your $10 is in the Don't Come, you lose your Don't Come and win your Don't Pass. However, if you take temporary odds (use the above chart) on the Don't Pass and then make a Don't Come bet, the seven (or the point) can't hurt you.

So, this is what we will do if the table turns cold:

1. Bet $10 don't pass
2. When point is established, take odds as per the above chart
3. Make a don't come bet
4. When the don't come is established, remove the don't pass odds
5. Make a second don't come bet
6. Make no other bets
7. Wait for a decision on all three bets

By combining the Don't Pass bet with the Don't Come bet, you get the maximum advantage with the minimum risk.

So, if you wondered what was the best way of betting from the don't side, now you know!

And, as always, good luck at the tables!