A Don’t Come bet is the wrong-way version of a Come bet. You make it only after the table point is established. The next roll acts as the bet’s personal come-out: 2 or 3 wins, 7 or 11 loses, 12 usually pushes, and 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 sends the wager behind that number. After it travels, 7 before the number wins.
The difficult part is timing. Seven hurts the bet first, then helps it after the bet moves.
The Short Answer
- A main table point must be on before you can make a Don’t Come bet.
- Place the flat wager in the Don’t Come area before the roll closes.
- On its first roll, 2 or 3 wins; 7 or 11 loses; 12 usually pushes under bar-12 rules.
- A box number becomes that wager’s individual Don’t Come point.
- The dealer moves the bet behind the number to show that the player is betting against it.
- After travel, 7 before the number wins; the number before 7 loses.
- The flat bet pays even money.
- Optional lay odds are paid at true odds and carry no built-in house edge by themselves.
- The standard bar-12 flat bet has an exact house edge of
3/220, or about 1.36%.
Compare it with Don’t Pass Bet Explained and the right-side Come Bet Explained.
When You Can Make the Bet
The Don’t Come area is active only when a table point already exists.
Suppose the shooter establishes 8 as the main point. Before the next roll, you place $15 in the Don’t Come box. That wager now begins its own sequence independently of the Pass Line point.
The main point remains 8, but your Don’t Come wager can travel to 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. It can even travel to the same number as the main point. Each Don’t Come wager has its own contract.
Formal rules, including the Massachusetts rules for craps and mini-craps, document the recognized wagers and handling framework. Individual properties may differ on odds limits, barred numbers, minimums, and removal procedure.
First-Roll Results
The first roll after placing a Don’t Come bet works like a personal Don’t Pass come-out.
| First roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 2 or 3 | Wins even money |
| 7 or 11 | Loses |
| 12 | Pushes under the common bar-12 rule |
| 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 | Bet travels behind that number |
This is the phase that creates confusion. A player betting against the shooter may expect 7 to be good immediately, but it is not. The Don’t Come wager must first survive its opening roll.
Some games bar 2 rather than 12. That rule changes which craps number pushes, but the standard house edge remains the same because 2 and 12 each have one dice combination. Always read the table sign.
What Happens After the Bet Travels
Once the dealer moves the flat bet behind a number, only that number and 7 decide it.
| Don’t Come number | Ways to roll number | Ways to roll 7 | Chance 7 arrives first | Chance number arrives first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 3 | 6 | 66.67% | 33.33% |
| 5 or 9 | 4 | 6 | 60.00% | 40.00% |
| 6 or 8 | 5 | 6 | 54.55% | 45.45% |
Other totals are nondecisions for that specific wager.
If your Don’t Come bet is behind 5:
P(7 before 5) = 6 / (6 + 4) = 60%
P(5 before 7) = 4 / (6 + 4) = 40%The player is favored after travel. The casino edge comes from the entire cycle, especially the opening-roll treatment and the barred number.
Why the House Edge Is 1.36%
There are 36 equally likely two-dice combinations on the opening roll.
Immediate outcomes
- 2 or 3 wins:
1 + 2 = 3combinations. - 7 or 11 loses:
6 + 2 = 8combinations. - 12 pushes:
1combination. - Box numbers travel:
24combinations.
For traveled bets, expected value depends on the point group.
| Point group | Opening combinations | Expected value after travel |
|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 6 | (6 - 3) / (6 + 3) = 1/3 |
| 5 or 9 | 8 | (6 - 4) / (6 + 4) = 1/5 |
| 6 or 8 | 10 | (6 - 5) / (6 + 5) = 1/11 |
Combine the immediate results and traveled-point values:
EV = 3/36 - 8/36
+ (6/36 × 1/3)
+ (8/36 × 1/5)
+ (10/36 × 1/11)
EV = -3/220
EV ≈ -0.013636Therefore:
House edge = 3/220 ≈ 1.36%On a $15 flat wager, the theoretical loss per completed Don’t Come contract is approximately:
$15 × 1.3636% ≈ $0.20That is an average across many decisions, not the amount you will lose each time.
Lay Odds Behind a Don’t Come Bet
After the wager travels, the player may usually lay odds. Because the player is betting on the more likely 7, the amount risked is larger than the possible profit.
| Number opposed | True lay-odds ratio | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | Lay 2 to win 1 | Risk $40 to win $20 |
| 5 or 9 | Lay 3 to win 2 | Risk $30 to win $20 |
| 6 or 8 | Lay 6 to win 5 | Risk $30 to win $25 |
The odds portion is paid at true odds, so its expected value is zero before practical rounding or table-limit effects. It does not remove the house edge from the flat Don’t Come bet. It adds a fairly priced wager and increases the amount at risk.
Do not confuse lay odds behind a Don’t Come bet with a standalone Lay bet. A standalone Lay bet usually involves a commission. Don’t Come odds normally do not.
Worked Example: One Don’t Come Bet
The main table point is 8. You place $15 in Don’t Come.
The next roll is 5. The dealer moves your $15 flat bet behind 5. You lay $30 odds to win $20.
The shooter rolls 4, 9, and then 7.
| Component | Amount risked | Net win |
|---|---|---|
| Don’t Come flat bet | $15 | $15 |
| Lay odds against 5 | $30 | $20 |
| Total | $45 | $35 |
If 5 had appeared before 7, both the $15 flat wager and $30 odds would have lost.
The wager was favored after moving to 5, but the payout on the odds was smaller than the amount risked because the player held the more likely side.
Worked Example: A 7 Can Win and Lose Don’t Come Bets at the Same Time
This is one of the most important procedure details.
Suppose you have:
- $10 Don’t Come behind 4;
- $10 Don’t Come behind 6;
- a new $10 Don’t Come wager still sitting in the Don’t Come box for its first roll.
The shooter rolls 7.
| Position | Result |
|---|---|
| Don’t Come behind 4 | Wins |
| Don’t Come behind 6 | Wins |
| New Don’t Come in the box | Loses |
The same 7 settles different contracts differently. Traveled wagers are already in the number-versus-7 phase. The new wager is still in its personal come-out phase, where 7 loses.
A crowded layout can therefore produce a large wrong-side payoff while a fresh Don’t Come chip is collected.
Multiple Don’t Come Bets Create a Number Ladder
A player may make a new Don’t Come bet after each roll and build positions behind several numbers. This can look attractive because one 7 may win several traveled bets at once.
The risk is less visible:
- each new wager must survive 7 or 11 on its opening roll;
- a box number can repeat and knock off one traveled position;
- lay odds multiply the capital exposed;
- the player may have several different odds amounts to track;
- the table can resolve positions quickly during a seven-out.
Example exposure:
| Position | Flat bet | Lay odds | Total at risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Against 4 | $10 | $20 | $30 |
| Against 5 | $10 | $15 | $25 |
| Against 6 | $10 | $12 | $22 |
| New wager in Don’t Come | $10 | $0 | $10 |
| Total | $40 | $47 | $87 |
Calling the strategy “four $10 bets” hides the actual $87 exposure.
Use the craps bankroll risk guide before building several positions.
Dealer Procedure and Chip Placement
Don’t Come bets require careful handling because the chips sit behind the box numbers, often close to dealer working stacks and other players’ wagers.
The dealer must track:
- which player owns each flat bet;
- the number opposed;
- whether odds are present;
- the odds amount and correct payout ratio;
- changes, reductions, or removals requested before the roll;
- the status of a new wager still in the Don’t Come box;
- settlement order on a seven-out.
Players should not reach into dealer-controlled areas. State the request clearly and let the dealer place or adjust the chips.
A useful call is specific: “Thirty dollars odds on my Don’t Come five,” rather than “Put more behind it.”
Can You Remove a Don’t Come Bet?
Unlike a Pass Line or Come flat bet after travel, a wrong-way flat bet is commonly allowed to be reduced or removed because the player is giving up a favorable position. House rules and procedures can vary, so ask the dealer or supervisor before acting.
Removing the bet does not retroactively improve the original decision. It simply ends the remaining contract. Repeatedly placing Don’t Come bets, surviving the dangerous first roll, and then removing them after travel would surrender the favorable phase that partly offsets the opening disadvantage.
Lay odds can generally be added, reduced, or removed before a roll within table limits and procedure.
Don’t Come Versus Other Common Bets
| Bet | When made | First-roll 7 | After number established | Flat house edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Line | Come-out | Wins | 7 loses | About 1.41% |
| Don’t Pass | Come-out | Loses | 7 wins | About 1.36% |
| Come | Point on | Wins | 7 loses | About 1.41% |
| Don’t Come | Point on | Loses | 7 wins | About 1.36% |
The slight edge difference comes from the Don’t-side push on 12 under bar-12 rules.
Lower house edge does not automatically make Don’t Come easier to play. It requires more phase awareness and is socially less popular at many tables because the player benefits from seven-outs.
From the Casino Side
The casino does not fear Don’t Come action. The wager is priced into the rules. The operational concern is accurate booking and settlement.
Key controls include:
- accepting the wager before the dice are out;
- moving the flat bet to the correct number;
- separating multiple players’ positions;
- placing odds in a consistent location;
- paying true odds without confusing them with commission Lay bets;
- collecting a new Don’t Come wager when 7 rolls;
- paying traveled positions on the same 7;
- resolving claims about removed, reduced, or missing odds.
Surveillance review is easier when chip placement is clean and dealer calls are specific.
Common Mistakes
- Making the bet when no main point is established.
- Believing first-roll 7 wins because the wager is on the Don’t side.
- Forgetting that 11 also loses on the opening roll.
- Treating 12 as a win instead of a push under bar-12 rules.
- Confusing the table point with the individual Don’t Come number.
- Confusing lay odds with a commission Lay bet.
- Counting only flat wagers and ignoring odds exposure.
- Reaching behind the numbers to adjust chips.
- Gloating when 7 clears the right-side players.
- Assuming the 1.36% edge prevents short-term losses.
Hard Truth
The Don’t Come bet is not difficult because its probability is mysterious. It is difficult because one number changes meaning depending on where the chip is in its contract.
FAQ
Is Don’t Come the same as Don’t Pass?
The rules are parallel, but Don’t Pass starts on the table come-out. Don’t Come starts later, while a main point is already active.
What happens if 7 rolls immediately?
A new Don’t Come wager loses. Seven becomes favorable only after the bet travels behind a box number.
What does the flat bet pay?
Even money.
What do the odds pay?
True lay odds: lay 2 to win 1 against 4 or 10, 3 to win 2 against 5 or 9, and 6 to win 5 against 6 or 8.
Why is the house edge lower than Come?
The Don’t side usually pushes on 12 instead of losing, producing an exact flat-bet edge of 3/220, about 1.36%.
Can several Don’t Come bets be active?
Yes. Each can travel to a different box number, and a player can have a fresh wager in the Don’t Come box at the same time.
Is Don’t Come a good beginner bet?
It is mathematically reasonable but procedurally advanced. Learn the Pass Line, Don’t Pass, Come, point puck, and odds placement first.
Does betting Don’t Come hedge a Pass Line bet?
It can offset some outcomes, but overlapping opposite bets can lock in costs, create pushes, and complicate exposure. A hedge does not automatically create positive expected value.
Related Reading
Review the craps guide, Don’t Pass Bet, Come Bet, and Odds Bet. Use craps dice combinations to verify the point races and the craps odds calculator to compare flat bets and odds. For session-level risk, continue to craps variance and the variance simulator.