Craps buy and lay bets: true odds for a 5% fee

• Buying the 4 or 10 beats placing them, which costs 6.67%.
• Placing the 6 and 8 at 1.52% is cheaper than buying them.
• Ask whether the commission is taken up front or only on a win; it changes the edge a lot.
• A $20 buy on the 4 with a $1 fee is the common way to make the commission round.

Glance the pips — compare in one second.

1. 1Hard 4

   One of three ways to roll a 4

   =4

2. 2Easy 4

   1-3 or 3-1

   =4

3. 3Seven

   Six ways — the buy loses, the lay wins

   =7

4. 4Seven

   Another of the six

   =7

5. 5Anything else

   No decision; the bet stays up

   =8

On a $20 buy of the 4, the fee is $1. If the 4 rolls, you are paid $40 at 2 to 1. At many casinos you only pay the $1 on a win; at others you pay it when you make the bet.

On a lay of the 4, you risk $40 to win $20, and the 5% fee is $1 of the win.

1. 1

   Step 01

   Drop chips in the come area

   Tell the dealer "Buy the 10" with the amount.

2. 2

   Step 02

   Pay the fee

   Ask if the vig is due now or only on a win.

3. 3

   Step 03

   Wait for a decision

   Your number wins; a 7 loses.

4. 4

   Step 04

   Take it down any time

   Buy and lay bets can be removed between rolls.

Dark-side players, who bet against the shooter, use lay bets once a point is set. A lay on the 4 or 10 wins two times in three.

The bet stays up until a 7 or the number rolls, so one lay can last many rolls.

Picture a $20 buy on the 10 left up for a long session. The 10 rolls three ways and the 7 six ways, so for every three wins you expect six losses.

At 2 to 1 the three wins pay $120 and the six losses cost $120. The game is even before the fee, and the $1 vig on each win is the only cost. That is why the edge is so low.

Buying the 6 or 8

Their place bet already pays 7 to 6 at a 1.52% edge, lower than any buy. Place them instead.

Buying small amounts

A $1 minimum fee on a $5 buy is a 20% charge. Use amounts where 5% is at least $1.

Not asking about the fee

Up-front commission nearly triples the buy edge. One question to the dealer tells you which rule applies.

Leaving lays up forever

A lay on the 6 or 8 wins only six times in eleven. Treat it like any other bet with a limit.

• Craps place bets →Placing numbers without a fee.
• Craps odds bet →The free-odds bet behind the line.
• Craps don’t come →Another dark-side bet.
• Craps payouts chart →Every bet on the layout.

Tap a resort — each row opens that casino’s White Gambling page (hours, game mix, floor facts). Venues with this game in official counts, sorted high to low.

Browse all Las Vegas casinos →

A 90-second guide cannot cover every table moment. Tap a group, then a question — answers are short paragraphs, not one-liners.

1. Wizard of Odds — Craps Not from a registry (Reference source, not an official registry)?The gaming industry’s standard reference for casino-game math, by actuary Michael Shackleford. Not an official registry; our calculators compute these numbers independently. · accessed Oct 14, 2026Rules, odds and house edge
2. Wizard of Odds — Craps appendix 1 Not from a registry (Reference source, not an official registry)?The gaming industry’s standard reference for casino-game math, by actuary Michael Shackleford. Not an official registry; our calculators compute these numbers independently. · accessed Oct 14, 2026Rules, odds and house edge
3. Nevada Gaming Control Board · accessed Oct 14, 2026Approved games and gaming revenue reports
4. National Council on Problem Gambling — Help and resources Not from a registry (Reference source, not an official registry) · accessed Oct 14, 2026Free, confidential help: call or text 1-800-GAMBLER