Craps can be an intimidating game for the beginner. The table seems to have about a hundred different kinds of bets. Critical to the understanding of craps is that it is a game of rounds. The first roll in a round is called the come out roll. Sometimes the outcome of a round will be determined on the come out roll. In particular a 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12 on the come out roll immediately ends a round. If any other total is rolled (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) that number is called the point. The dealer will place a white puck on an area of the table to designate what the point is, in case you forget. If a point is rolled the dice will be rolled continuously until the same point is rolled again or a 7.

The odds bet is the best wager you can make in the game of craps, because the house has no built-in advantage. Some casinos permit players to make double odds, and even greater odds wagers. The odds bet not only has no house edge associated with it, but has no official designated space on the craps table. to take the odds, you must place the appropriate amount of chips behind your pass line bet in the open area of the craps layout.

Once the shooter establishes a "Point" your "Don’t Pass" bet stays in action, win until the shooter rolls a 7 or make his/her "Point". a "Don’ Pass" bet wins if the shooter fails to make his "Point", but loses if the shooter does make the "Point". You can take odds on a "Don’t Pass" bet.

The correct payoff for odds bets varies from point number to point number, depending on the odds of a 7 being rolled before a particular point is repeated. The payoff formula is the same whether you take single odds, double odds, or more. Correct odds payoffs are as follows: Points 4 and 10 pay 2-to-1 Points 5 and 9 pay 3-to-2 Points 6 and 8 pay 6-to-5 As an example, suppose you bet $1.00 on the pass line and establish a point of 4 in a casino that offers double odds. You now have the option of taking the adds for an additional $2.00. (You can wager a lesser amount or choose not to take any odds at all)