4/3/03:
Bruisin' The Old Billfold

Dear Mark,
I know most of the craps bets and associated odds, but I have a question that has been bugging me. Reference the following craps scenario: Suppose I come to a table and the point is six. I make a Come bet and the shooter rolls an eight. I like the action and take the max odds on my come bet. Next, the shooter rolls his/her six and the dealers pay the line. Correct me if I am wrong, but now the dealer will turn off my odds on my eight. If the shooter rolls a seven my odds are returned and I lose my come bet. If the shooter rolls an eight, my odds are returned but I am paid for my initial Come bet. Any other point and my odds are back on. My question is: can I ask that my odds remain on during a Come out roll? Darrin H.

Yes, Darrin, but first a quick primer for those unacquainted with the slight differences between Pass Line and Come bets. A Come bet is exactly like a Pass Line bet, with the exception that you can make a Come wager on every roll of the dice after the shooter¹s point has been established, and, incidentally, it is placed on a different part of the layout. A new series of rolls begins when the shooter makes his point or the dice pass to a new shooter after the seven flaunts its ugly face. Almost, if not all, players commence their wagering at this point by making a Pass Line wager, with odds off on their Come bets, if they happen to have made any. Come bet odds are routinely cut off during a come out roll, and are automatically put back in action once a new point has been established, unless, of course, the bettor instructs the dealer otherwise. The logic is that you are rooting for the seven, so you can be paid on your Pass line bet. You can¹t make any moolah winning one and losing the other, -- "like breathing out and breathing in" which would happen if you left your odds on. But you can have your odds working if you happen to be making a singular Come wager. All Odds wagers can be on or off at your discretion. Just tell the dealer on the come out roll that you want your "odds working." Or, if you want to halt odds action temporarily on a Come bet, just tell the dealer "odds off." The dealer will mark the odds off with a marker. If you want to remove the odds completely on a Come bet, tell the dealer to "take your odds down," and this removes your odds from the layout.

Dear Mark,
Last week you mentioned different combination possibilities in video poker once you have a high pair (Two pair every six times, 3-of-a-kind every nine times, etc.). Does a low pair produce the same result as a high pair? Vincent L.

Aye, Vincent, the same would hold true for a low pair. However, do not forget that the high pair packs more punch, as you would automatically get your money back. Then, there are scenarios where you would toss aside a low pair for a chance at a better hand. Example: You are dealt a Queen, King, and Ace of Hearts, and a pair of deuces. By keeping the deuces and going for two pair every six times, 3-of-a-kind every nine times, etc. you¹ll be cruisin' for a billfold bruisin.'

Gambling quote of the week: "Nothing is as obnoxious as other people's luck." F. Scott Fitzgerald