Lay bets, and Lay vs Buy vs Place
A Lay bet is the opposite of a Place bet: it wins when a 7 rolls before your number. What Lay bets pay, how the commission works, and how Lay, Buy and Place compare.
A Place bet says your number will roll before a 7. A Lay bet says the opposite: a 7 comes first. It’s the Don’t side, on any number you like, any time.
How Lay bets work
Pick a number: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. Your Lay bet wins if a 7 rolls before that number, and loses if the number rolls first. Every other roll does nothing.
Lay bets are always working, even on the come-out, so a come-out 7 wins them.
What they pay
A 7 is more likely than any single number, so a Lay bet is the favorite, and it pays less than you bet. It pays true odds, less a 5% commission on the win:
| Lay bet on | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 1 to 2 | 1.67% |
| 5 or 9 | 2 to 3 | 2.00% |
| 6 or 8 | 5 to 6 | 2.27% |
For example, lay $40 against the 4. If a 7 rolls first, true odds pay $20, less the commission, so you win $19. At a PlayCraps table, the commission is taken only when the bet wins, and it’s at least $1.
Lay vs Buy vs Place
These three bets all hang on one number and a 7. Place and Buy root for the number. Lay roots for the 7.
| Wins when | Pays | Commission | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place | The number rolls before a 7 | Less than true odds | None |
| Buy | The number rolls before a 7 | True odds | 5% of the bet, when it wins |
| Lay | A 7 rolls before the number | True odds | 5% of the win, when it wins |
What each one costs on every number:
| Bet | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Place 6 or 8 | 7 to 6 | 1.52% |
| Buy 6 or 8 | 6 to 5 less 5% commission | 2.27% |
| Lay 6 or 8 | 5 to 6 less 5% commission | 2.27% |
| Place 5 or 9 | 7 to 5 | 4.00% |
| Buy 5 or 9 | 3 to 2 less 5% commission | 2.00% |
| Lay 5 or 9 | 2 to 3 less 5% commission | 2.00% |
| Place 4 or 10 | 9 to 5 | 6.67% |
| Buy 4 or 10 | 2 to 1 less 5% commission | 1.67% |
| Lay 4 or 10 | 1 to 2 less 5% commission | 1.67% |
The pattern: place the 6 and 8, and buy the 4, 5, 9, and 10, as long as the bet is big enough that the $1 minimum commission is no more than 5%. Laying the 4 or 10 is the cheapest of the lay bets, since that’s where the 7 is the biggest favorite: 2 to 1.
Questions
What is the opposite of a Place bet in craps?
A Lay bet. A Place bet wins when its number rolls before a 7. A Lay bet wins when a 7 rolls before its number.
What’s the difference between a Lay bet and Don’t Pass?
Don’t Pass has to get through the come-out, where 7 and 11 lose. A Lay bet skips that: you pick the number and you’re the favorite from the start. In exchange, Lay pays a commission and Don’t Pass doesn’t. If you play the dark side, Don’t Pass or Don’t Come with lay odds is cheaper.
Why does a Lay bet pay less than I bet?
Because you’re the favorite. There are six ways to roll a 7 and three ways to roll a 4, so a 7 comes first twice as often. Paying 1 to 2 is what makes that fair, before the commission.
Can I take a Lay bet down?
Yes, any time. Lay bets, Buy bets, and Place bets are all yours to take down between rolls.
Is there Lay in crapless craps?
No. Crapless craps has no Don’t side, so there are no Lay bets.
Next: the one-roll bets in the middle of the table, in the Field and proposition bets. Play money only: nothing is wagered or paid out.