A lay bet in craps is a wager placed against the shooter, betting that a seven will be rolled before a specific number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) is rolled. This type of bet is considered a “dark side” strategy, as it opposes the more common bets that favour the shooter.
Lay bets are typically placed after a point number has been established. Although they can be placed on the opening roll, this is generally not recommended. The bet is a winning one if a seven is rolled before the chosen number. Conversely, it loses if the chosen number appears before a seven.
One of the key aspects of laying the odds is that it offers true odds with no house edge, meaning the payout reflects the actual probabilities of the outcomes. However, casinos often set limits on the amount you can lay, usually expressed as a multiple of your original “Don’t Pass” or “Don’t Come” bet.
lay bets offer payouts based on true odds, which reflect the actual probability of winning the bet. For a lay bet on the numbers 4 or 10, the payout is at odds of 1:2, meaning if you wager £20 and win, you would receive £10 in profit.
For lay bets on 5 or 9, the odds are 2:3; thus, a £30 bet would yield a £20 profit if successful. When betting on 6 or 8, the odds are 5:6, so a £30 wager would result in a £25 profit upon winning. It’s important to note that players must also account for the vig (commission) of typically 5% on their winnings, which is calculated only on the profit and not the total bet amount. For example, if you win a £25 profit from a lay bet on 6 or 8, you would owe £1.25 in vig.
