Why most craps players don't bet the Don't

Most players do not understand the Don't

You can't bet what you don't understand. You can learn more about the Don't bets in our articles about types of craps bets.

Don't bettors seem out of place

Most craps players are betting the Pass and Come and rooting for their points to be made instead of a seven. Don't bettors not only miss out on this camaraderie, but their goals are in direct opposition to the rest of the table, almost making them seem like an enemy.

Don't bettors might not get to roll the dice

A Don't bettor might already feel out of place by betting contrary to the rest of the table, and rolling the dice when in that position could make the Don't bettor feel even more out of place when (s)he's in the spotlight. So many Don't bettors therefore decline to roll the dice. But by doing so they miss out on one of the main experiences of playing craps in the first place.

The table layout discourages Don't bets

While the Pass Line and Come bets are clearly and brightly marked, the Don't Pass and Don't Come are not so obvious.

Laying odds on the Don't side requires a bigger bankroll

Making the Free Odds bet on the Don't side means you have to lay odds rather than take them, meaning you have to bet more in order to win less, instead of betting less in order to win more. Although the house edge winds up being the same, it still takes more capital to play the Odds on the Don't side. (See our article on Free Odds bets for more on this.)

It's harder to use a system on the Don't side

On the Pass side you can raise or lower your Free Odds bet easily as dictated by whatever system you're using. But on the Don't side, the amount you put on the Free Odds is the amount you're laying in order to win a lesser amount, so it gets complicated.