• Craps Lay Bet Vigilant
• Craps Buy Bet Vig
• Craps Lay Bet Vigilante

The craps survey is a very good start, but does not (and cannot always) include highly detailed information such as 'vig on win' vs. 'vig on bet occurance' for buy and lay bets. Most local places are fair and lenient, that is 'vig is paid only if bet wins.' Unlike baccarat, the commission is paid after each winning bet, either by the player handing in the amount from his stack of chips, or by having the vig deducted from the winnings. In table poker, the vigorish, more commonly called the rake, is a fraction of each bet placed into the pot.

There are many different bets you can make on the craps table. This often confuses new players but in actual fact craps is not that complicated. In this section we outline all of the possible betting options and show you where those bets go on the table.

The Craps Table

Below is an example of a craps table. The image shows a half table layout as seen on the Microgaming online craps game. Tables at other casinos might look slightly different but the layouts are very similar.

The Different Bets

Pass Line

The most common craps bet. The Pass Line bet is made on the come out roll and wins if a 7 or 11 is rolled. If a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled the bet loses. If any other number is rolled the point is established. If the point is rolled before a 7 the bet wins. If a 7 is rolled the bet loses. Pays even money.

Pass Line Odds

Also known as 'Taking the Odds', the Pass Line Odds bet is an extra bet that can be made after a Pass Line bet is made and the point is established. In most cases this can be a multiple of your Pass Line bet. The bet wins if the point is rolled before a 7. This is one of the few best in the casino that has no house edge. The point determines the pay out with the most common being 2 to 1 (4 or 10), 3 to 2 (5 or 9) and 6 to 5 (6 or 8).

Don't Pass Line

The opposite bet to the Pass Line Bet. The Don't Pass bet wins if the come out roll is a 2 or 3 and loses if the come out roll is a 7 or 11. If a 12 is rolled this is a push. In the case of a push or if the point is established the dice continue to be rolled until either a 7 or the point is rolled. The bet wins if a 7 is rolled and loses if the point is roll. Wins pay even money.

Don't Pass Odds

Also known as 'Laying The Odds', this be is the opposite to Taking the Odds and wins if a 7 is rolled before the point. In most cases this bet can be a multiple of your Don't Pass bet. The pay out depends on the point with the most common being 1 to 2 (4 or 10), 2 to 3 (5 or 9) and 5 to 6 (6 or 8).

Come

The same as the Pass Line Bet with the exception that it can be made at any time after the point is established. The bet wins if a 7 or 11 is rolled and lose if a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled. If any other number is rolled this becomes your point. You win if your point is rolled before a 7. Pays even money.

Don't Come

The opposite of the Come bet and can be made at any time after the point is established. Wins if a 2 or 3 is rolled and loses if a 7 or 11 is rolled. If a 12 is rolled the bet pushes. If a point is established you win if a 7 is rolled before your point. Pays even money.

Place Bets

Craps Lay Bet Vigilant

A bet made on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 that can be made at any time. Wins if the number is rolled before a 7. This bet is the same as the odds bets but with lower pay outs. The standard pay outs are as follows 9 to 5 (4 or 10), 7 to 5 (5 or 9) and 7 to 6 (6 to 8)

Place Bets To Lose

A relatively rare betting option found at some land based casinos but quite common online. This bet is the opposite of the Place Bets. The bet can be made at any time and wins if a 7 is rolled before your number. Pay off are usually 5 to 11 (4 or 10), 5 to 8 (5 or 9), 4 to 5 (6 or 8).

Buy Bets

These bets are similar to the Place Bets with different pay offs. A Buy Bet can be placed at any time on any of the points. This bet wins if the point is rolled before a 7. Pay offs are the same as the odds but casinos take a 5% vig on the bet. Wins pay 2 to 1 (4 or 10), 3 to 2 (5 or 9) and 6 to 5 (6 or 8).

Craps Buy Bet Vig

Lay Bets

The opposite to the Buy Bet. A Lay Bet can be placed on any point and wins if a 7 is rolled before the point. Due to the fact that a 7 being rolled is more likely the casinos take a 5% commission on the amount that can be won. Pay off are 1 to 2 (4 or 10), 2 to 3 (5 or 9) and 5 to 6 (6 or 8).

Big 6 and 8

A bet on Big 6 or Big 8 wins if a 6 or an 8 is rolled before a 7. These bets pay even money and should be avoided as you can make the same bet on the Place 6 or 8 and get better pay offs.

Field Bet

The Field betting areas is a big section on the craps table. A bet placed on the field wins if the next roll is a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11. If the next roll is a 3, 4, 9 or 11 you win even money. If a 2 or a 12 is rolled you win 2 to 1.

Hardways

There are four possible hardways bets (2-2, 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5). Hardways bets can be made at any time and win if the selected hardway rolls before a 7. The bet loses if a 7 is rolled or if the total is rolled with a different combination. Hardways 6 and 8 pay 9 to 1. Hardways 4 and 10 pay 7 to 1.

Any 7

Wins if a 7 is rolled and loses if any other number is rolled. Pays 4 to 1.

Any Craps

Wins is a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled and loses on any other number . Pays 7 to 1

Two Craps or Aces

Also known as Snake Eyes. Wins if a 2 is rolled and pays 30 to 1.

Twelve Craps or Two Sixes

Wins if a 12 is rolled and loses on all other numbers. Pays 30 to 1

Three Craps or Ace Deuce

Wins if a 3 is rolled and loses on all other rolls. Pays 15 to 1

Eleven or Six Five

Wins if 11 is rolled and loses on all other rolls. Pays 15 to 1

Craps Lay Bet Vigilante

Horn Bet

The Horn Bet is actually four bets in one. You are placing one betting unit on 2, 3, 11 and 12. If 3 or 11 is rolled wins pay 3.75 to 1. If 2 or 12 is rolled wins pay 7.5 to 1. Any other number rolled and the bet loses.

Since the topic of Lay betting versus DP/DC betting has attracted some interest on Dice Coach's 'experts speak' thread, I thought I'd take a minute and focus specifically on the Lay Bet and ask the question - what the heck is the point?
Lay bets, as I'm sure most of you know, are exactly the opposite of Buy bets. You can Buy the Four for $20 plus $1 vig and win $40. Or you can Lay the Four for $40 plus the $1 vig and win $20. Okay, you win $39 and $19 net because of the juice, but you get the idea.
The house doesn't really care which way you wager - as long as they get their commission. But a lot of players dislike betting 'more' to win 'less,' which gets us to what I believe is the most common use of the Lay bet - as a hedge to get a flat bet established. After all, a $40 Don't Come bet that wins pays you $40 - not $20. The problem is getting that $40 DC bet established without getting whacked by the seven or eleven. Most folks who use something like a $41 No Four to hedge a $20 DC bet don't worry so much about the eleven - it's the seven that kills you most of the time. So you'll see them combine that $41 lay bet with a $20 DP or DC, and once the DP/DC is established they take down the 41 Lay bet and the DC becomes their dominant point.
Let's step up to the table in Heavy's Perfect World Casino and see if we can draw an example for you that even the famous gaming author could understand. Come out roll - dice are about to go out. You drop $20 on the DP and toss $41 on the table and tell the dealer '$41 No Four.' He sets he Lay bet up. The shooter tosses the seven. You lose $20 on the DP but win net $19 for the $41 No Four. You re-set your $20 DP and the shooter tosses again - five is the point. Now you take down the $41 No Four and you have $20 established on the five that's going to pay you even money if and when the shooter sevens out. Simple hedge betting.
Let's say you get to the table and there's already a point established and you'd like to get some action on the Don'ts. You can still lay $41 against the four or ten to hedge a $20 DC just like we did above. Or, you might want to take another approach - like laying against the point. Let's say the point is still Five. You toss $31 on the table and tell the dealer you'd like to Lay $31 No Five. Why? The odds are roughly 3 to 2 against the shooter making his pass so this isn't a bad bet. And your exposure is less than when laying the four or ten - you save $10 on the Lay. So, we'll Lay $31 No Five and play $20 on the DC. Next toss the shooter rolls the six and your DC travels to the six. Take your $31 Lay bet against the five down and the six becomes your primary Don't bet.
But wait a minute. The six is a pretty easy number to repeat, right? Do you really WANT a Don't bet on the six? The answer is - absolutely. You're going to win that bet five out of six times. But if you're really concerned about the possibility of LOSING that bet you can always use a PLACE bet as a hedge against the number repeating. Place the six for $18. Now you're guaranteed at least a $1 win regardless of what happens with the six. A buck is a buck is a buck.
Are their people out there who just like Lay betting and will use them like yours truly uses Buy bets? Sure. Am I one of those people? Absolutely not. Put me in the 'don't like risking more to win less' category.
Some people do confuse Laying Odds with Lay Betting. They are two completely different animals. Laying odds is adding Free Odds to your Don't Pass or Don't Come bet. It's just the opposite of the Free Odds bet on the right side. For example, instead of taking $10 odds to win $12 on the six or eight come bets - you'd lay $12 odds to win $10 on the don't come bets on the six or eight. For those of you who are still learning the Don'ts - here's a number that will work for any Free Odds lay bet you wish to make. Once your DP or DC is established you Lay $30 odds. That will pay $15 on the four or ten, $20 on the five or nine, or $25 on the six or eight and will be correct bet on a $5 3/4/5x odds game.
Questions? Thoughts? Do you use Lay bets on a regular basis? If so, how do you use them? War stories welcome.