What Is a Lay Bet?
A Lay bet is the mirror image of a Place bet. Instead of betting that a specific number rolls before the 7, you bet that the 7 rolls before a specific number. You pick any point number — 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 — and win when the 7 shows. The number hitting first means you lose.
Because the 7 has more ways to roll than any other number, you're mathematically favored on every Lay bet. The casino compensates by collecting a 5% commission (called the vig) on your potential winnings. That vig is what creates the house edge.
Lay bets are standing bets — they stay active roll after roll until a 7 or the target number hits, or until you take them down. Unlike Don't Come bets, they're completely independent and don't go through a come-out phase.
Payouts & Vig by Number
Every Lay bet pays at true odds — but minus a 5% vig on the win amount. The table below shows exactly what you risk, what you win, and what the vig costs on a standard $40 lay:
| Number | Ways to Win (7) | Ways to Lose | True Odds | Lay $40 → Win | Vig | Net Win | House Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 6 | 3 | 1:2 | $20 | $1 | $19 | 2.44% |
| 5 or 9 | 6 | 4 | 2:3 | $26.67 | $1.33 | $25.34 | 3.23% |
| 6 or 8 | 6 | 5 | 5:6 | $33.33 | $1.67 | $31.66 | 4.0% |
Vig is on the win, not the wager. You pay 5% of what you stand to collect, not 5% of what you put up. On a Lay 4, you risk $40 to win $20, and the vig is $1 (5% of $20) — not $2. This matters: it's better than a flat vig on the total stake.
Most casinos collect the vig upfront when you place the bet. A handful collect only on a win. If your casino takes vig only on wins, the house edge drops slightly — Lay 4/10 becomes 1.67%. Always ask the dealer which method the table uses.
How It Works at the Table
Lay bets are dealer-placed — you don't put chips on the layout yourself. Instead, toss your chips to the dealer and announce the number you want to Lay: "Lay the four, please" or "Give me a lay on the nine." The dealer will position your chips in the number box with a button indicating it's a Lay bet, and collect the vig from your stack.
Lay bets are always working — including on the come-out roll. If a 7 shows during the come-out, your Lay bet wins. This is the opposite of Place bets, which are typically off on come-out. If you don't want your Lay active during come-out, tell the dealer "lay bets off."
You can call your Lay bet down at any time — before or after the shooter establishes a point. Say "take me down on the eight" and the dealer returns your chips plus any vig collected (if your casino takes vig upfront).
For the full sequence of how bets are handled at the table, see the Table Flow guide.
50,000-Roll Simulation
The simulation runs Lay 4/10 — the best Lay bet by house edge (2.44%). Each decision resolves when either a 7 or the target number rolls; all other rolls are ignored. Because the 7 wins roughly two-thirds of decisions, you'll see a high win rate but small individual wins relative to risk.
Strategy & When to Use Them
Lay 4 and 10 First
If you're going to Lay any number, start with 4 and 10. The 2.44% house edge is the lowest of any Lay bet and competitive with Pass Line flat (1.41%) once you consider that Lay 4/10 has a higher win rate per decision. The 4 and 10 each have only three ways to roll — making the 7 a two-to-one favorite — so you win more often than you lose, even if the amounts are asymmetric.
Pairing with Don't Pass
Lay bets work well alongside Don't Pass when the shooter has established a point you don't want to Lay Odds on. For example: if the point is 8 and you don't want to expose Lay Odds on 8 (4.0% edge), you can add a standalone Lay 4 instead to diversify your dark-side coverage.
Using the Removability Advantage
One of Lay bets' genuine advantages over Don't Come bets is that they can always be taken down. A Don't Come bet, once it travels to a number box, is locked in — you can remove it, but it's considered bad form, and the table expects you to leave it working. Lay bets carry no such expectation. If you've read the table as cooling down, you can pull your Lays cleanly with no social friction.
Avoid Lay 6 and 8
The 4.0% edge on Lay 6 and 8 is the worst of the Lay bet family. You're still mathematically favored to win individual bets (the 7 has six ways vs. five for 6 or 8), but the vig eats into thin margins. If you want exposure against 6 and 8, Don't Pass Lay Odds attached to those specific points has zero edge on the odds portion — a much better approach when you can set it up that way.
Lay bets are not zero-edge. They're often described as "the best bets on the table" by recreational players because the win rate feels high. But the vig ensures every single number carries a positive house edge. The most edge-efficient dark side play remains Don't Pass + Lay Odds at 0.27%.
Lay vs. Other Dark Side Bets
| Bet | House Edge | Standalone? | Removable? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don't Pass + Lay Odds | 0.27% | No | Odds yes, flat no | Lowest edge overall |
| Don't Pass flat | 1.36% | Yes (come-out) | No (after point) | Best flat dark side bet |
| Don't Come flat | 1.36% | Yes (mid-hand) | Yes (unusual) | Mid-hand Don't Pass equivalent |
| Lay 4 or 10 | 2.44% | Yes | Yes | Best standalone Lay bet |
| Lay 5 or 9 | 3.23% | Yes | Yes | Mid-tier Lay |
| Lay 6 or 8 | 4.0% | Yes | Yes | Weakest Lay — avoid if possible |
| Doey-Don't | 2.78% | Yes | Partial | Hedges come-out, loads odds |
The key practical difference between Lay bets and Don't Pass/Don't Come: Lay bets require no come-out phase. You can place a Lay 10 mid-point without having survived a Don't Pass come-out. That flexibility has a cost — the vig — but it means you can target specific numbers immediately.
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