Craps • Bet comparison
Buy Bets vs. Place Bets in Craps: 4 and 10 Payouts
A Buy 4 or 10 pays true odds, but the commission changes what reaches your bankroll. Here is the comparison in actual dollars on the Lucky Penny table.
Updated October 14, 2026
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What is the difference?
A Place bet on 4 or 10 pays 9 to 5. A Buy bet on the same number pays 2 to 1 before a commission, usually called the vig. Both bets are trying to do the same thing: hit your chosen number before a seven. The different payout is what you are comparing.
On Lucky Penny Gaming, the Buy option is available on 4 and 10. Its vig is 5% of the Buy wager, charged only on a win and rounded up to the next whole practice credit. The profit is credited to your available bankroll; the original winning wager stays on the number for the next roll. You can remove an eligible Place or Buy stack when betting is open.
| Bet on 4 or 10 | $10 win profit | $20 win profit | When 7 comes first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place, pays 9 to 5 | $18 | $36 | Lose wager |
| Buy, pays 2 to 1 before vig | $20 less $1 = $19 | $40 less $1 = $39 | Lose wager |
Follow a $20 bet all the way through
Suppose you put $20 on the 4 and a working roll hits 4. A Place 4 credits $36 profit to your available bankroll and leaves $20 on the 4. A Buy 4 earns $40 gross profit less $1 commission, so $39 reaches your bankroll and $20 stays on the 4. If you then take down the winning stack, that adds the $20 stake back: $56 altogether for Place or $59 for Buy. A later seven can still lose a stake you leave working.
That $3 difference is real on this particular practice table. A $10 bet produces a smaller $1 difference because whole credit commission rounding matters more at lower amounts. You can compare the same numbers for 10.
Casino tables do not all charge the vig the same way. Some take it when you place the Buy bet, and some use different minimums or rounding. Check the table sign before assuming this example applies elsewhere.
When should you use each?
If you are learning, start with one number and one wager size. Place 4, record what a winning roll pays, then try Buy 4 for the same amount. You will see the Buy payout and vig as separate parts of the result. There is no reason to increase your wager simply because one option has the higher win profit.
Neither choice predicts whether 4 or 10 will appear. The wager still loses if seven comes first. Bet size and the table's vig rule matter more than a slogan that one bet is always better.
- Pick 4 or 10 and compare equal wager amounts.
- Compare net profit after the vig, not the headline 2 to 1 payout.
- Keep the original wager separate from profit when checking the result.
Try it at the table
Use practice credits to see how the rules work one decision at a time. There is no real-money wagering or cash prize.
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