CRA 309: Don’t Come House Edge

The Don’t Come house edge is about 1.36% when 12 pushes on the first roll, the same basic edge as Don’t Pass. It is a Don’t Pass-style bet made after a table point already exists. It loses immediately on 7 or 11, wins on 2 or 3, pushes on 12, then wins if 7 comes before its Don’t Come point.

Quick Facts

• Don’t Come house edge is about 1.36%.
• It is made after a table point is established.
• First-roll 2 or 3 wins.
• First-roll 7 or 11 loses.
• First-roll 12 usually pushes.
• If a number rolls, the bet moves behind that number as a Don’t Come point.
• Lay odds on Don’t Come have 0% house edge.

Plain Talk

Don’t Come is the Don’t Pass idea inserted into the middle of a hand.

It starts in the Don’t Come box. The next roll acts like its own come-out roll for that bet. If it survives and moves to a number, the Don’t Come bettor wants 7 before that number repeats.

That makes it strong after it travels, but uncomfortable on the first roll because 7 and 11 beat it immediately.

For beginner mechanics, read Don’t Come Bet Explained. For the full game path, start with the craps guide. For edge rankings, use craps house edge.

The Wizard of Odds craps basics lists Don’t Come edge, the Wizard of Odds craps appendix shows expected-return math, and the Massachusetts craps rules are useful for formal table procedure.

How It Works

The Don’t Come bet begins after the table point is on.

After it travels, the bet wins if 7 rolls before that number.

That post-travel position is why the bet has good math.

Craps Table Example

The table point is 10. You place $15 in the Don’t Come box.

The next roll is 6. Your bet travels behind the 6 as a Don’t Come 6.

Now you want 7 before 6. There are six ways to roll 7 and five ways to roll 6. If 7 arrives first, your $15 flat bet wins $15. If 6 arrives first, it loses.

You may lay odds against the 6. True odds against 6 require laying $6 to win $5, so a common lay might be $30 to win $25.

The flat Don’t Come bet has about 1.36% house edge. The lay odds portion has 0% house edge but adds more exposure.

From the Casino Side:

Don’t Come bets require clean dealer placement. They sit behind numbers, often near other players’ Come bets, Place bets, odds, and lay odds. The dealer must know exactly which chips belong to which player.

The boxman watches because wrong-side bets can create disputes. New players may not understand why their Don’t Come loses on 11, pushes on 12, or wins when the table groans at a seven-out.

Surveillance cares about timing. A Don’t Come bet must be in the Don’t Come area before the roll. Late placement after dice movement is not acceptable.

From a casino-management view, Don’t Come is low-edge but still useful because it adds decisions and often comes with lay odds, dealer attention, and longer player engagement.

Common Mistakes

• Thinking Don’t Come is active before the table point is on.
• Forgetting that first-roll 7 loses for Don’t Come.
• Thinking 12 always wins instead of pushing.
• Confusing Don’t Come points with the main table point.
• Laying odds in the wrong amount.
• Not knowing whether odds are working on come-out situations.
• Letting the social discomfort of “wrong betting” override the math.

Hard Truth

Don’t Come is strong after it travels, but the casino gets paid for the doorway you must pass through first.

FAQ

What is the Don’t Come house edge?

About 1.36% when 12 pushes.

Is Don’t Come the same as Don’t Pass?

Mathematically, it is very similar. The difference is timing: Don’t Come is made after a table point exists.

Does Don’t Come lose on 7?

It loses if 7 rolls while the bet is still in the Don’t Come box. After it travels to a number, 7 wins.

Does 12 win on Don’t Come?

Usually no. On most layouts, 12 pushes for Don’t Come just like Don’t Pass.

Can I take lay odds on Don’t Come?

Yes. Once the bet travels to a number, you can usually lay odds behind it.

Is Don’t Come better than Come?

By house edge, yes slightly: about 1.36% versus about 1.41%. The difference is small.

Why do players dislike Don’t Come bettors?

Because Don’t Come bets often win when 7 appears and many other players lose.

Deeper Insight

Don’t Come has one of the strangest emotional profiles in craps.

On the first roll, it fears 7. After it travels, it wants 7. That reversal confuses beginners and creates social noise at the table.

The math is not confusing. The first roll is the cost gate. The traveled stage is the advantage stage. The house edge is the weighted average of those phases, with the 12 push preventing the player from having too much value.

The bet is not magic. It still has negative expected value. But among standard craps bets, it is one of the better-priced options.

The mistake is using good edge as an excuse to overload the table. A player can place multiple Don’t Come bets, lay odds behind each one, and expose a large amount to repeated point hits. Good percentage. Real risk.

Formula / Calculation

Don’t Come House Edge ≈ 1.36%
RTP ≈ 98.64%

Expected Loss = Total Amount Wagered × House Edge

For a $15 flat Don’t Come bet:

Expected Loss = $15 × 1.36% ≈ $0.20 per resolved flat bet

After travel:

P(7 before 4) = 6 / (6 + 3) = 66.67%
P(7 before 5) = 6 / (6 + 4) = 60.00%
P(7 before 6) = 6 / (6 + 5) = 54.55%

With lay odds:

Flat Don’t Come Bet: about 1.36% house edge
Lay Odds: 0% house edge
Combined edge: lower percentage, higher dollars at risk

Formula Explanation in Plain English

Don’t Come becomes favorable after it moves behind a number because 7 is more likely than that number. But the first-roll rules and the 12 push keep the full bet slightly negative for the player.

Related Reading

Use Don’t Come Bet Explained for basic mechanics, then compare with Come Bet House Edge and Don’t Pass House Edge. For the wider math, read craps odds and craps house edge. To test flat and odds exposure, use the expected loss calculator and variance simulator.