The trade
A place bet pays a short price and takes no commission. A buy bet pays true odds and charges 5% of your wager. Which is better depends on how short the place price is.
Every buy and lay, computed
| Bet | Payout | True odds | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy 4 | 2:1 less 5% | 2:1 | 5.00% |
| Lay against 4 | 1:2 less 5% | 1:2 | 1.67% |
| Buy 5 | 3:2 less 5% | 3:2 | 5.00% |
| Lay against 5 | 2:3 less 5% | 2:3 | 2.00% |
| Buy 6 | 6:5 less 5% | 6:5 | 5.00% |
| Lay against 6 | 5:6 less 5% | 5:6 | 2.27% |
| Buy 8 | 6:5 less 5% | 6:5 | 5.00% |
| Lay against 8 | 5:6 less 5% | 5:6 | 2.27% |
| Buy 9 | 3:2 less 5% | 3:2 | 5.00% |
| Lay against 9 | 2:3 less 5% | 2:3 | 2.00% |
| Buy 10 | 2:1 less 5% | 2:1 | 5.00% |
| Lay against 10 | 1:2 less 5% | 1:2 | 1.67% |
Why some references say 4.76%: both numbers describe the same bet. This page divides the expected loss by the wager alone (a 5% commission on a winning bet is 5.00% per unit wagered); the commonly quoted 4.76% divides by wager plus commission (20/21 of 5.00%). The money leaving your pocket is identical — only the denominator differs, and we state ours.
The rule that follows from the numbers
Buy the 4 and the 10. Placing them costs 6.67% because the 9:5 payout is a long way short of the 2:1 true odds. Paying 5% to collect the full 2:1 reduces that to 5.00%, which is a substantial saving.
Do not buy the 6 or the 8. Placing them already costs only 1.52% because 7:6 is close to the 6:5 true odds. Paying a 5% commission to improve a good price turns it into 5.00%, more than three times worse.
The 5 and 9 sit between: placing costs 4.00% and buying costs 5.00%, so placing remains the better option.
Commission timing
One detail worth asking about: some houses charge the commission up front on every bet, others only on winners. Charging on wins only is meaningfully better for the player, because you pay nothing on the bets that lose. The figures above assume the standard up-front charge, so a casino that bills on wins only is better than this table suggests.
Lay bets
A lay is the mirror: you bet that a 7 arrives before the number, paying commission for the privilege. Laying against the 4 or 10 at 1.67% is the cheapest lay, and all of them require you to risk more than you stand to win, because you are the favourite.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Should I buy the 4 and 10?
- Yes. Buying costs 5.00% against 6.67% for placing them, a clear saving.
- Should I buy the 6 and 8?
- No. Placing them costs 1.52% and buying costs 5.00%, so the commission makes a good bet worse.
- What is the commission?
- 5% of the wager. Some casinos charge it up front on all bets, others only on winning bets. Ask, because the difference is real.
- What is a lay bet?
- The reverse of a buy: you back the 7 to arrive before the number, paying 5% commission. Laying the 4 or 10 is the cheapest at 1.67%.
Every figure on this page is computed from the 36 outcomes of two dice using exact rational arithmetic, then checked against published reference values before publication. Where a number depends on a house rule, the rule is named. Payouts vary between casinos, so read the felt before you bet.