What free odds actually are
Once a point is established, you may place an additional wager behind your Pass Line or Don't Pass bet. That extra wager pays true odds: exactly the probability of the event, with no deduction. The house takes nothing.
This is not a rounding statement. The expected value is precisely zero, which is why the table below shows the payout and the true odds as identical columns.
Payouts by point
| Bet | Payout | True odds | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odds on 4 (pass) | 2:1 | 2:1 | 0.00% |
| Odds on 4 (don't) | 1:2 | 1:2 | 0.00% |
| Odds on 5 (pass) | 3:2 | 3:2 | 0.00% |
| Odds on 5 (don't) | 2:3 | 2:3 | 0.00% |
| Odds on 6 (pass) | 6:5 | 6:5 | 0.00% |
| Odds on 6 (don't) | 5:6 | 5:6 | 0.00% |
| Odds on 8 (pass) | 6:5 | 6:5 | 0.00% |
| Odds on 8 (don't) | 5:6 | 5:6 | 0.00% |
| Odds on 9 (pass) | 3:2 | 3:2 | 0.00% |
| Odds on 9 (don't) | 2:3 | 2:3 | 0.00% |
| Odds on 10 (pass) | 2:1 | 2:1 | 0.00% |
| Odds on 10 (don't) | 1:2 | 1:2 | 0.00% |
Notice the symmetry: the darkside payouts are the inverse of the frontline ones, because after the point is set the darkside bettor is the favourite and must risk more to win less.
Why the casino offers it
Because you cannot bet it on its own. Free odds require a line bet first, and that line bet carries its normal edge. The house is content to take zero on the second wager because it is guaranteed its 1.41% on the first.
What it does to your combined edge
Odds do not reduce the 1.41% on the Pass Line itself. What they do is add money at 0% to your total action, which pulls the average down. On a table allowing 10x odds, a player taking maximum odds faces a blended edge on total money wagered far below the line bet alone. This is the entire reason experienced players ask about the odds multiple before they sit down.
Finding the multiple
Tables advertise odds as a multiple of the line bet: 2x, 3x, 5x, 10x, or the common 3-4-5x structure, which allows 3x on 4 and 10, 4x on 5 and 9, and 5x on 6 and 8. 3-4-5x is designed so that the maximum win is always seven times the line bet regardless of the point, which simplifies the payout for the dealer.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the house edge really exactly zero?
- Yes. Not rounded to zero, exactly zero. The payout equals the true probability, so expected value is 0 for every point on both sides of the line.
- Can I bet odds without a line bet?
- No. Free odds are only available as a backup to an existing Pass, Don't Pass, Come or Don't Come bet. That restriction is why the casino can afford to offer them.
- What does 3-4-5x odds mean?
- You may take 3x your line bet on points 4 and 10, 4x on 5 and 9, and 5x on 6 and 8. The structure makes the maximum win a flat 7x the line bet on any point.
- Should I always take maximum odds?
- Take as much as your bankroll comfortably supports. More odds means more variance in both directions, so the right amount is a bankroll question, not a mathematical one.
Every figure on this page is computed from the 36 outcomes of two dice using exact rational arithmetic, then checked against published reference values before publication. Where a number depends on a house rule, the rule is named. Payouts vary between casinos, so read the felt before you bet.