Lay Bets
| Updated: Getting to Know Craps Lay Bets
Understanding the different types of bets is one of the most crucial aspects of playing casino craps. Among the many wagers available is the Lay bet, which is used to bet against certain numbers. Some players avoid it because they are unfamiliar with how it works, but it can be a useful option for those who understand its rules, payouts, and commission.
The game of craps may seem complex and confusing to novice players, but learning a few basic bets can help them start playing with greater confidence. Along with the Pass and Don’t Pass bets, which cover opposing outcomes, players can wager on various other results. Such wagers are part of more advanced craps strategies, and to use them correctly, players need to understand their basic rules, payouts, and built-in house advantage.
The Lay bet is a relatively simple wager that can be placed at any time. One notable feature is that it may take multiple throws of the dice to be resolved. When you place this wager, you bet that 7 will be rolled before a specific number. Unlike most bets in this game, winning Lay bets pay true odds before the commission is deducted. A 5% commission, typically calculated according to the potential winnings, must therefore be considered.
Having explained what Buy Bets are, this Craps Guide will now turn players’ attention to Lay Bets, which are the opposite of Buy Bets.
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Basics of the Lay Bet
The Lay bet is a relatively straightforward wager in craps and offers several potential advantages. It is often described as the opposite of the Buy bet, where you wager that a specific number will be rolled before 7. With a Lay bet, players may lay the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10, and they can choose to lay one or more of these numbers.
If 5 is laid, for instance, you are betting that the shooter will throw 7 before 5. You win if the dice produce 7 before they produce 5. If 5 is rolled first, however, the wager loses. The payout is based on true odds, but casinos charge a 5% commission to create a house advantage. Although the fee is relatively low, it turns an otherwise even-money proposition in the casino’s favor.
One notable aspect of a Lay bet is that you risk more than you can win because 7 is more likely to be rolled than any number that can be laid. For instance, if you lay 4 or 10 for $10, the potential payout before the commission is $5. If you find this concept difficult to understand, the following sections explain the odds and payouts in more detail.
Playing with the Lay Bet
The Lay bet is sometimes referred to by players as a “No” bet because, when they lay a number, they are betting that it will not appear before 7 is rolled. Like many other wagers in craps, the Lay bet is not a self-service bet, so players cannot position the chips for it on the table themselves. Instead, they must leave their chips in the Come area of the layout and ask the dealer for assistance. After the chips have been positioned on the table, they are topped with a Lay button indicating the type of wager. Online players can place a Lay bet by putting chips on the corresponding box of the layout.
Lay bets can be placed at any time during the game. Players can lay one or more of the following numbers: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. Once they choose a number, they are betting that 7 will appear before that number on a subsequent roll of the dice. If the shooter throws 7 before the laid number, the bet wins and the player receives the corresponding payout. If the laid number appears first, the bet loses.
This bet is independent of the come-out roll and is not resolved until either 7 or the laid number is rolled. Previous rolls do not affect the probability of future outcomes, so apparent short-term trends should not be treated as reliable indicators. For example, a player may choose to lay 9, but whether 9 has appeared recently does not change the odds of the next roll.
Another notable aspect of this wager is that the player can turn it on or off at any time. If you decide that you no longer want an active Lay bet on 9, you can ask the dealer to turn it off, and an “Off” button will be placed on top of your chips. In online craps, you can remove or reinstate your Lay bet through the game interface. This option allows players to remove the wager before it is resolved.
Lay Bet Payout and House Edge
The Lay bet is one of the few wagers in craps with a payout based on true odds. This means that the payout reflects the mathematical probability of winning, rather than paying less than the true odds. However, casinos charge the previously mentioned 5% commission to create a house advantage. This fee reduces players’ winnings over the long term.
Lay Bet Odds
Each number that can be laid is less likely to be rolled on any throw of the dice than 7. The number 7 has the highest probability of appearing because it has the largest number of possible combinations. There are six possible ways to throw 7: the two dice can show 1-6, 6-1, 2-5, 5-2, 3-4, or 4-3. In contrast, there is only one possible combination for 2, which occurs when both dice land on 1.
The possible ways to roll any of the numbers that can be laid are fewer than the combinations for 7. There are three ways to throw 4 or 10, four ways to throw 5 or 9, and five ways to roll 6 or 8. These combinations determine the true-odds payouts for winning Lay bets. The casino’s advantage comes from the commission rather than from reducing these payouts below the true odds.
The odds for this wager can be calculated from the number of possible dice combinations. For 4 or 10, six combinations produce 7 and three produce the selected number, so the true-odds payout is 3:6, or 1:2. For 5 or 9, the payout is 4:6, which simplifies to 2:3. For 6 or 8, it is 5:6. These figures show that 7 is more likely to be rolled than any individual number that can be laid. In other words, players are more likely to win a Lay bet than to lose it, but the payout is lower than the amount risked.
Lay Bet Payout
As mentioned above, payouts for winning Lay bets are based on true odds and therefore depend on the selected number. When 4 or 10 is laid, the payout is 1:2. If 5 or 9 is laid, the payout is 2:3, while a winning Lay bet on 6 or 8 pays 5:6. Because 7 is more likely to be rolled, players need to risk more money than they can win. This concept may be difficult to understand at first, but the calculations are relatively straightforward.
For example, suppose you decide to lay 9 for $9. Two rolls later, 7 appears and you win. How much will you receive if the payout is 2:3? If 3 in the ratio represents the $9 wager, 2 represents $6, which is the gross win before commission. In this case, you would receive the $6 win along with the returned $9 wager, for a total of $15 before commission.
Some players avoid this bet because they find it difficult to calculate their potential winnings. In fact, the calculation is relatively simple. If your Lay bet on 9 is $100, divide the $100 wager by 3, which is approximately $33.33, and multiply the result by 2. The gross win would be approximately $66.67. However, the casino will not pay the entire amount because it deducts a commission from the winnings.
Lay Bet Commission and House Edge
Lay bets pay according to the true odds, which would not give either side a mathematical advantage before fees. Casinos therefore charge a commission to create a house edge. This is why the true-odds payout on a Lay bet comes with a 5% commission based on the intended winnings. The commission is also called a “vig,” short for vigorish, or “juice.”
Using the example above, a winning $100 Lay bet on 9 would produce a gross win of approximately $66.67. After applying the 5% commission, the net win would be approximately $63.33. The commission is about $3.33. At land-based casinos, accepted bet multiples and rounding practices may affect the final amount, while online games may calculate payouts to the nearest cent.
When the commission is taken only on winning bets, the house edge for a Lay bet on 4 or 10 is 1.67%, for a Lay bet on 5 or 9 it is 2%, and for a Lay bet on 6 or 8 it is 2.27%. The house edge refers to the percentage of each wager that the casino expects to retain on average over time. If your wagers total $100, for example, and the house edge is 1.67%, the theoretical average loss is $1.67. When the house edge is higher, the expected loss also increases. With an edge of 4%, the theoretical average loss is $4 per $100 wagered.
Are Lay Bets a Good Option in Craps?
Lay bets are not the most popular wagers in craps, and some players find them confusing. The payouts can seem unusual because the potential winnings are lower than the amount risked. Still, these bets are relatively easy to place because they can be made at any time, including before the come-out roll at the beginning of a new round. As explained above, Lay bets are independent of the come-out roll and other wagers on the craps table.
Another advantage is that players can place their Lay bets whenever they want and can generally remove them before they are resolved. Most brick-and-mortar casinos allow players to turn Lay bets on and off without an additional charge, although individual table rules may vary. Before the commission is applied, this type of wager pays according to true odds. Casinos create their advantage by charging a 5% commission based on the potential win.
Overall, this wager can be considered as part of a craps strategy because the player is more likely to win than to lose, although the amount risked is higher than the potential payout. As explained above, 7 is the most frequently rolled total. Players can lay different numbers while placing other bets, such as Pass/Don’t Pass or Come/Don’t Come. These wagers also have relatively low house edges, especially when supported by Odds bets. The Pass Line and Come bets carry a house edge of 1.41%, while the Don’t Pass and Don’t Come bets have a house edge of approximately 1.36%. Buy bets and Place bets on 6 or 8 may also offer a lower house advantage than many other wagers.
Different combinations of these wagers are possible, but players should remember one important point before playing craps for real money. They cannot eliminate the house advantage, so they are expected to lose over the long term. Choosing bets with lower house edges can reduce theoretical losses, but it cannot guarantee a profitable session.
Conclusion
Craps is a fast-paced game that is easier to approach with a basic understanding of its rules, bets, and probabilities. The number 7 plays a central role because it is the easiest total to roll. Lay bets use this probability by allowing players to wager that 7 will appear before a selected number. In return for this greater likelihood of winning, the potential payout is lower than the amount risked, and the casino charges a commission.
Players must understand that winning a specific amount with a Lay bet requires them to risk a larger sum. This is one of the essential features of these wagers, along with the 5% commission. Casinos charge this fee on the intended payout of a winning Lay bet to create a house advantage where none exists in the true-odds payout itself. Even after the commission, players may find Lay bets a lower-house-edge option than many proposition bets, which can also be placed at any time. Proposition bets are generally resolved with a single roll of the dice and have a much higher house edge.
Some players prefer placing Lay bets after spotting apparent trends. However, previous rolls do not influence future dice outcomes, so players should not rely on streaks as a proven winning strategy.