Multi-Roll Bets in Craps

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Written by Boris Atanasov
Boris Atanasov
With more than 4+ years of experience in the iGaming industry, Boris Atanasov writes exciting content about slots, video poker, roulette and blackjack.
, | Updated: September 25, 2025

Craps is a fun, social casino game in which all players usually win or lose together. While most novices and seasoned players alike tend to place their money on the Pass Line, a handful of craps fans dare to try something different and more complex: the so-called multi-roll bets.

Indeed, there’s more to craps than the classic Pass and Don’t Pass bets, which revolve around the number 7 and the craps numbers. Most casinos offer at least 30 types of bets, and to make the most of the game, players should learn how to use them to improve their chances of winning. One category of bets is known as single-roll bets – they are the simplest to place because they are resolved on the very next roll of the dice.

Multi-roll bets, on the other hand, may take two or more rolls to win or lose. They are much more engaging, but placing them requires experience, heightened concentration, and a deeper knowledge of the game.

Basics of the Multi-Roll Bets

1Some Multi-Roll Bets Can be Placed at Any Time

Because of the wide variety of wagers, craps can seem like one of the most complicated games on the casino floor, especially to people seeing it for the first time. However, many of these wagers are actually quite simple once you learn the basics of the game. A major challenge is understanding those wagers that cannot be settled with a single roll of the dice.

These wagers, known as multi-roll bets, are often harder to follow during play. In most cases, several rolls are required before their outcome can be determined. Players should keep a few things in mind before they try Place or Lay bets in a real-money game. First, these wagers do not have to be placed at the start of a round – that is, when a new shooter takes the dice. Instead, some multi-roll bets can be placed at any time, which is far more convenient than waiting for the come-out roll to put your chips on the table.

2The May Remain Active For the Next Come-Out Roll

Sometimes the shooter makes the point before the multi-roll bet is resolved. Depending on the casino’s rules, these wagers may remain active for the next come-out roll, or they may be considered “not working.” Usually, they are paused until the new shooter establishes a new point. In addition, some multi-roll bets can be removed or adjusted in size during the game.

3Multi-Roll Bets Offer Much Better Odds

It is also important to note that, compared with single-roll bets – which are easier to make and are resolved on the next roll of the dice – multi-roll bets offer much better odds. They usually cover larger groups of numbers, so the chances of winning with five or six numbers are higher than when you bet on a single number. The house edge is also typically much lower than the edge players face with a single-roll wager. Lastly, players should take the commission charged on certain bets into account – the fee is generally equal to 5 percent of the winnings.

Multi-Roll Bets in Craps Explained

Place Bets
blank Buy Bets
blank Lay Bets
blank Hard Way Bets
blank Big 6 and Big 8 Bets

Place Bets

A Place bet is a wager on a single number, and it can be placed only after a point has been established. Using it, players can wager on any of the point numbers – 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. However, when playing in a brick-and-mortar casino, they are not allowed to do this on their own. To make a Place bet, players should place their chips on the Come bet field and tell the dealer which number they wish to wager on. For instance, to bet on 8, they should put down their chips and call out “Place it on the 8” or “Thirty on 8”.

When a Place bet is made, it wins if the point number appears before the shooter throws a 7. It loses if the shooter tosses a 7 first. The payout is slightly lower than the true odds, so it varies depending on the number. Players in live, land-based casinos should bear in mind that Place bets on 4, 5, 9, and 10 must be made in $5 units, whereas bets on 6 and 8 must be made in $6 units. This ensures the payout can be calculated precisely.

  • Place bet on 4, 10 – 9:5
  • Place bet on 5, 9 – 7:5
  • Place bet on 6, 8 – 7:6

Some casinos also offer “Place bets to lose,” which are the opposite of Place bets. These wagers win if a 7 appears before the chosen number, and the payouts are as follows:

  • Place bet on 4, 10 to lose – 5:11
  • Place bet on 5, 9 to lose – 5:8
  • Place bet on 6, 8 to lose – 4:5

Buy Bets

Buy bets are very similar to Place bets, but they pay at the true odds minus a small 5% commission. When players make a Buy bet, they leave their chips on the table and call out the desired number to the dealer. With this wager, players “buy” a specific number, betting that it will be rolled before a 7 appears. Buy bets cannot be made on the come-out roll; they are available only after a point has been established. If a 7 is rolled before the number, the bet loses.

If the shooter makes a point before the Buy bet is resolved, the wager remains on the table and is considered “not working” until a new point is established. Because of the 5% commission, also known as vigorish or vig, the minimum Buy bet is usually the table minimum plus the commission. While some casinos take this commission on all Buy wagers, others charge it only on bets that win – reducing the house edge. Here are the payouts for this wager, depending on the number players choose to bet on:

  • Buy bet on 4, 10 – 2:1 minus 5% of the bet amount
  • Buy bet on 5, 9 – 3:2 minus 5% of the bet amount
  • Buy bet on 6, 8 – 6:5 minus 5% of the bet amount

Lay Bets

Lay bets are interesting because they are essentially the opposite of Buy bets. They can be placed after the come-out roll once a point has been established or even before that. With a Lay bet, players wager that the shooter will roll a 7 before a specific number. This is a service bet, which means the dealer takes the player’s chips and places them on the chosen number – 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10.

If that number appears before a 7 is rolled, the Lay bet loses. If a 7 appears first, however, the bet wins, paying out at the true odds. Because it is the exact opposite of a Buy bet, the payouts are also reversed. Moreover, the 5% commission is charged only on the amount of the winnings:

  • Lay bet on 4, 10 – 1:2 minus 5% of the winnings
  • Lay bet on 5, 9 – 2:3 minus 5% of the winnings
  • Lay bet on 6, 8 – 5:6 minus 5% of the winnings

Interestingly, winning Lay bets pay less than the money wagered, as is clear from the payouts above. For instance, if a player lays $40 on 4 and wins, the 1:2 payout returns $20. The commission will be $1 based on the $20 payout rather than the $40 bet. However, some casinos require the vig to be taken upfront, so the player must bet $41 to win $20.

Hard Way Bets

Rolling a total the “hard way” means rolling identical numbers on both dice. Players can wager on this outcome, and the bet is known as Hard Way betting, or Doubles. Players may place this bet only on certain numbers: 4, 6, 8, and 10. Natural totals such as 2 and 12 are not included in this category.

This bet wins only when the chosen number appears as a double rather than as a combination of different numbers – a Hard 10, for instance, wins only if the dice show 5-5, and a Hard 8 wins only when the shooter throws 4-4. All other combinations are referred to as the “easy way.” Hard Way bets cannot be made on the come-out roll, so players must wait for a point to be established. These bets lose when a 7 is rolled first or when the same total is produced in a non-double combination.

If you bet on a Hard 8, for example, you lose if the shooter throws any 7, 5-3, or 6-2 before rolling 4-4. When the bet does win, it pays slightly less than the true odds. No commission is charged, but the house edge is quite high compared to classic craps wagers such as Pass or Come bets.

  • Hard 4/10 – 7:1
  • Hard 6/8 – 9:1

Big 6 and Big 8 Bets

Experienced craps players usually avoid the Big 6 and Big 8 bets because they are widely considered “sucker bets.” The reason is their high house edge of more than 9%. With these options, players bet that the shooter will roll a 6 or 8 before a 7 appears. The wagers can be placed by the players themselves without assistance from the dealers, and they may be made at any time – before or after the come-out roll.

The Big 6/8 area has a dedicated box on the betting layout, located next to the Pass Line and Don’t Pass fields. The bet loses if a 7 is rolled before a 6 or 8; it wins if 6 or 8 appears first. The bet pays even money (1:1), while the true odds are 6:5.

Comparison Between the Multi-Roll Bets in Craps

1Advantages of Multi-Roll Bets

Compared with the standard Pass and Don’t Pass wagers in craps, multi-roll bets are a bit more complicated to place, but they are also very engaging to play. Some offer excellent odds and a relatively low house edge. Nevertheless, beginners should practice multi-roll bets in RNG games online, where they can play multiple rounds for free.

2Complete Multi-Roll Bets Table

However, to compare these bets and determine which are worthwhile and which should be avoided, players need to know when they can be placed, their payouts, true odds, and much more.

Bet Allowed Wins Loses True Odds Payout House edge
Place 4/10 After the come-out roll 04/10/19 7 02:01:00 09:05:00 6.67%
Place 5/9 After the come-out roll 05/09/19 7 03:02:00 07:05:00 4.00%
Place 6/8 After the come-out roll 06/08/19 7 06:05:00 07:06:00 1.52%
Buy 4/10 After the come-out roll 04/10/19 7 02:01:00 2:1 – 5% vig 4.76%
Buy 5/9 After the come-out roll 05/09/19 7 03:02:00 3:2 – 5% vig 4.76%
Buy 6/8 After the come-out roll 06/08/19 7 06:05:00 6:5 – 5% vig 4.76%
Lay 4/10 Any time 7 04/10/19 01:02:00 1:2 – 5% on winnings 1.67%
Lay 5/9 Any time 7 05/09/19 2:3 2:3 – 5% on winnings 2.00%
Lay 6/8 Any time 7 06/08/19 05:06:00 5:6 – 5% on winnings 2.27%
Hard 4/10 After the come-out roll 4/10 as a pair 7, 4/10 as non-pair 08:01:00 07:01:00 11.11%
Hard 6/8 After the come-out roll 6/8 as a pair 7, 6/8 as non-pair 10:01:00 09:01:00 9.09%
Big 6/8 Any time 06/08/19 7 06:05:00 01:01:00 9.09%

3Always Take a Look at the Rules and Payouts

The rules for some of these bets can vary across casinos, so before risking their money, players should review all rules and payouts. The house edge for Buy bets, for example, may be much lower if the commission, or vig, is charged only on the winnings rather than on the amount wagered. The standard 4.76% casino advantage drops to 1.67% for the numbers 4 and 10, to 1.96% for the numbers 5 and 9, and to 2.22% for the numbers 6 and 8.

As we can see, the Big 6 and Big 8 are not good options; most players prefer making Place bets on 6 and 8 because they pay more. With the same odds of 6:5, Place bets on 6 or 8 pay 7:6, while the Big 6/8 pays only even money. The house edge is also significantly lower – just 1.52% compared with 9.09% for the Big 6/8.

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