Lay Bet in Craps
A Lay Bet in craps is the opposite of a Place Bet in which you bet against the shooter. A lot of the entertainment value at a craps table is betting on a hot-handed shooter, so Lay Bets aren’t overly popular, and yet, they can offer a relatively low house edge.
Craps remained niche until John H. Winn standardized the table in 1907 and introduced the Don’t Pass Bet. While craps almost owes its consistent place at casinos to this ability to bet against the shooter, its popularity centres on backing the shooter and seeing them go on a hot run.
The core of the game is the shooter needing to hit seven or 11 for an instant Pass Line win, or four, five, six, eight, nine, or 10 on their first roll. Then, on any of those numbers that’s not a seven, they just have to hit that number again to win the Pass Bets.
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A Lay Bet in craps is a bet that the shooter will not hit a specific number before they roll a seven. Lay Bets can be placed on any of the box numbers (four, five, six, eight, nine, or ten) and you can place multiple Lay Bets. The appeal lies in the lower house edge, which is true of many dark side bets, and that it’s a multi-roll bet.
Understanding Lay Bets in Craps
What is a Lay Bet?
The Lay Bet differs from the more common Place Bet in that you are betting the shooter will roll a seven before the chosen number. A Lay Bet on a four means you are betting that a seven will be rolled before any four appears.
A Lay Bet in craps joins the other dark side or against-the-shooter bets of Don’t Pass and Don’t Come. On the Don’t Pass Line, the bet wins if the Come Out Roll is a two or three, going to a standoff on a 12. Don’t Come wagers can be placed on each roll backing that the Come Out Roll or Point won’t be made before crapping out.
How Lay Bets Work
Unlike in most table games, to place a Lay Bet, you’ll need the help of a croupier. Not only do you have to say that you want to “lay the nine,” for example, but you also need to give the croupier the correct amount, per the odds, and the commission. Some tables charge a five percent commission on every Lay Bet, others on only winning bets.
So, you need to know the odds. A Lay Bet on six or eight has odds of 6:5; on five or nine it’s 3:2; and for four or ten Lay Bets in craps, the odds are 2:1. These payout ratios are read as Bet:Win. So, when you call “lay the nine,” you’ll need to give a multiple of three and then add on five percent of your wager.
E.g. A 30-coin bet to win 20 coins (plus your bet back) with a “lay on nine” would also need 1.5 coins for the commission, making a 31.5 bet.
Types of Lay Bets
You can place a Lay Bet on any of the Point Numbers (four, five, six, eight, nine, and ten) and can place multiple Lay Bets in each round. It’s possible that you’ll win multiple Lay Bets if a seven is rolled promptly. The risks of each number occurring is relayed in the odds. Fours and tens carry the least risk.
Strategy for Lay Bets
When to Place a Lay Bet
Every roll of the dice is completely random, so there isn’t a truly optimal situation to place a Lay Bet. However, people do recognize hot and cold shooters. If they’re hot, you might want to avoid Lay Bets – especially as the payouts aren’t as high as backing the shooter. For bankroll management, should you need a top-up after some losses, Lay Bets can offer a more likely shot at a return than right-side bets.
Advanced Lay Bet Strategies
In short game sessions, like with low volatility slots, the preference would go to larger stakes on Lay Bets, making the most of the better probability of a win. In long sessions, Lay Bets at smaller sizes are probably best mixed in with a grander strategy that leans on table circumstances.
Calculating the House Edge
The house edge varies between when commission is taken and on which number gets your Lay Bets. The shortest house edge is for a Lay Bet on four or ten (1.67-2.44%), followed by five or nine (2.00-3.23%), and then six or eight (2.27-4.00%). By comparison, Pass and Don’t Pass (paying 1:1) have a house edge of 1.41 and 1.36 percent, respectively.
Risk Management with Lay Bets
To minimize losses, avoid craps tables that charge Lay Bet commissions on every bet – only go to those that charge on wins. Even then, you have to bet a lot to get a decent return, and that return is always less than your stake. So, many prefer to play the Don’t Pass or Don’t Come.
FAQs
What is the difference between a Lay Bet and a Don’t Pass Bet?
A Lay Bet is on a specific number not to occur before the next seven, while a Don’t Pass Bet backs the shooter crap out on the Come Out Roll.
Why are Lay Bets considered lower risk than some other bets in Craps?
Lay Bets are considered lower risk than some other bets in craps because they pay out at below even odds, relaying their increased probabilities of winning.
Can you place Lay Bets on all numbers?
You can place Lay Bets on numbers four, five, six, eight, nine, and ten.
What is the house edge on a Lay Bet?
The house edge on a Lay Bet ranges from 4.0 percent to 1.67 percent depending on the commission and number selected.
How do Lay Bets work in online craps games?
In most online craps games, there will be two betting zones above the numbers on the table. On the top row of these, if you hover over it, you’ll see it indicate that it’s for Lay Bets and the odds.