Betting Overlays in Craps

An Overlay is when you bet directly against a Point. Unlike the Don't Pass or Don't Come, where the dice determines the Point, you get to pick which Point you want to bet against. The dealer will put your Overlay behind the Point you picked and put a lammer on it that says 'Lay'. You get paid True Odds for an Overlay but must pay a commission. Once you have decided to Overlay a Point, you win when the 7 is rolled and lose if that Point is rolled.

Overlays
Overlay	Pays	Wins	Loses
6 or 8	5:6	7	When Point Rolls
5 or 9	2:3	7	When Point Rolls
4 or 10	1:2	7	When Point Rolls

* All bets have a 5% commission fee on winnings

Overlays are not contract bets
You cannot turn OFF Overlays

Overlays

5% Commission on the Winnings of an Overlay Bet in Craps

Overlays get paid True Odds, which have no advantage for a casino, so they charge a 5% Commission on how much your bet wins. This is different from the 'buy' which charges a 5% commission on the bet itself, not its winnings. For every $20 you would win on your Overlay you pay $1 for commission.

How Do You Bet an Overlay in Craps?

When you want to make an Overlay you say it using the term "No ___(Point)___" and you add the cost of commission in with the bet. E.g. If you want to Overlay the 10 for $40 + $1 commission, you'd say "Can I have a $41 No 10?”, If you wanted to Overlay the 5, you could say “$31 No 5”. You should know how much you want to bet including the Vig.

Overlay bets are set up behind each of the six poinits. — How to bet an overlay

Where Are Your Overlays on the Craps Table?

Like most other bets on the Dont's, Overlays are put behind the Point they are betting against. To distinguish an Overlay from a Don't Come bet, the dealers put a lammer on top of the bet that says 'Lay'. This tells you, the Boxperson, and any other dealer that the bet is not a Don't Come Bet but an Overlay. Overlays are placed in a general area behind each Point relative to the players place on the table.

Up close overhead view of the boxes behind the place bets and the craps table rail. There are 16 colored spots that correspond with each other. — Placement of an overlay

What Does an Overlay Pay at the Craps Table?

An Overlay pays True Odds but you need to pay a commission in order to make the bet. Because they are True Odds you need to bet them in correct increments and while making the bet include the commission that you’ll be paying.

You Must Pay a 5% Commission on it's Winnings

Overlays are essentially the opposite of a Buy on a Place Bet. Where you pay a 5% Commission on the amount of a Buy on a Place Bet, for an Overlay, you pay 5% Commission on what that Overlay is going to win. For every $20 you would win on your Overlay you pay $1 for commission.

Overlays Must Win at Least $20

The minimum commission you must pay for an Overlay is $1. $1 is 5% of $20. The minimum amount you need to win is going to be $20 in order to pay the minimum commission of $1. Regardless of the Point you are going to Overlay, the minimum the Overlay is going to win must be $20.

Overlay the 6 and 8

True Odds for the Don't Side on the 6 and 8 are 5:6 or “$5 for every $6”. Therefore you must bet an Overlay in increments of 6. At the same time, your Overlay must win at least $20. The minimum you can Overlay the 6 or 8 for is $24 because $24 wins $20. When you include the cost of commission the bet total is $25. You would make that bet by telling the dealer “I would like a $25 no 6 (or 8)”. If you would like to keep the bet up after it wins you would have to drop $1 for commission.

$24 behind the point six with a lay button on top. Bubble reads $25 total bet cost — $25 No Six

$24 behind the point six paid $20. Two purple dice show 2-5. — $25 No Six

Overlay the 5 and 9

True Odds for the Don't Side on the 5 and 9 are 2:3 or “2 for every 3”. You must bet an Overlay in increments of 3 and it must win at least $20 so the minimum you can Overlay the 5 or 9 for is $30 because $30 wins $20. When you include the cost of commission the bet total is $31 and you would bet it by telling the dealer “I would like a $31 no 5 (or 9)”. If you would like to keep the bet up after it wins you would have to drop $1 for commission.

$31 behind the point five with a lay button on top. Bubble reads $31 total bet cost. — $31 No Five

$31 behind the point five paid $20. Two purple dice show 2-5. — $31 No Five

Overlay the 4 and 10

True Odds for the Don't Side on the 4 and 10 are 1:2 or “1 for every 2”. You must bet an Overlay in increments of 2 or anything that’s an even number. The minimum it must win is $20 so the Overlay must be at least $40 because $40 wins $20. When you include the cost of commission the bet total is $41 and you would bet it by telling the dealer “I would like a $41 no 4 (or 10)”. If you would like to keep the bet up after it wins you would have to drop $1 for commission.

$41 behind the point four with a lay button on top. Bubble reads $41 total bet cost. — $41 No Four

$41 behind the point four paid $20. Two purple dice show 2-5. — $41 No Four

Overlays Payment Calculators

Check the payment for Overlays against any Point.

Check the payment for all the bets on the craps table here.