The Secrets of Laying the Fives and Nines

Pssst...! Wanna know a secret?

How about the secret of laying the fives and nines?

You won't see a lot of bettors laying the five or nine, as most of the lay bets go behind the fours and tens. Plus, the 5% vig (on winnings) charged on lay bets seems to reserve lay bets only for the 4's and 10's.

Wanna know the secrets that craps pros use to make money laying the fives and nines?

Let's find out!

The key to profits lie in asking the dealers for something that is not normally available. For example, when you lay the five or nine for $45 you win $30 at 2:3 odds -minus the $2 vig, so you only get $28 back. Since 5% of $30 is $1.50, you might try asking the dealer if you can pay $1 vig instead of $2 for the same bet. That extra dollar is certainly better off in your pocket than the casino's!

You can also try to lay the five and nine for $56 plus $1 vig. A $56 bet will return $38, which is $2 short of the $40 limit (bet $60, get $40) which starts the $2 vig. Remember, all you have to do is ask the dealer if you can make a lay bet for a certain amount. The worst that can happen is that he'll say no. The whole purpose of betting this way is to maximize your profits by getting as close to the $2 vig limit while still only paying $1. To do this, you need to get your lay bet payoff in the $35 to $40 range.

You have to be careful about the way you word your bets. For example, if you lay the nine for $56 plus $1 vig, you can't say "$57 no nine", as they might charge you an extra dollar. Make sure they know that you want the bet to be for $56 plus $1 vig.

You should also be able to split your lay bets. Instead of laying the nine for $54, for example, ask the friendly dealer if you can lay $27 each against the five and nine, and still only pay $1 vig. This will give you an extra chance because you can win both numbers together, but you can't lose them both at the same time.

The next time you try laying numbers, try to get a better bet than advertised. You have nothing to lose by trying this. You'll gain extra money, increased comps, and the satisfaction that you are getting the very best bet that you can make!

Pssst...! Now you know the secrets of laying the fives and nines!

The Crapshooter © 2005 by Larry Edell

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