Playing the 4 and 10 in Craps: Place vs. Buy
Place 4/10 · Buy 4/10 · Commission · Pressing rules
The 4 and 10 pay more than other Place numbers because each has only three combinations. That higher payout does not make them better bets. At common rules, a Place 4/10 carries a 6.67% house edge; a properly priced Buy bet may cost substantially less.
Ask “Place or Buy?” before betting
A $5 Place 4 wins $9. A Buy 4 pays true odds of 2 to 1, less the casino’s commission. The better choice depends on the wager size, how the vig is rounded, and whether it is charged up front or only after a win.
Why 4 and 10 behave alike
There are three ways to roll 4, three ways to roll 10, and six ways to roll 7. Once a Place or Buy bet is working, the chosen number wins one-third of resolved number-versus-7 decisions and 7 wins two-thirds. Other totals are neutral and the bet remains.
| Example | Win result | Loss result | Expected loss per decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5 Place 4 or 10 | +$9 | −$5 | About $0.33, or 6.67% of $5 |
| $20 Buy, $1 vig only on win | +$39 | −$20 | About $0.33, or 1.67% of $20 |
The Buy example is not universal. A commission charged before the outcome or rounded unfavorably can materially increase the cost. Some tables automatically treat qualifying 4/10 wagers as Buy bets; others require the player to ask.
How to make and manage the bet
- Place chips in the Come area and tell the dealer “Buy the 4” or “Place the 10.”
- Confirm the commission timing and minimum Buy amount.
- Know the working status. Place and Buy bets are commonly off on the come-out unless called on.
- After a win, say “same bet,” “press,” “take me down,” or the exact new amount.
- Check the payout before the next roll if something looks wrong.
A point being made does not automatically end the bet
A Place or Buy bet normally remains on the layout until it loses to 7, the player removes it, or house procedure says otherwise. When a point is made, the next roll becomes a come-out; the bet is commonly off for that roll. Confirm rather than assuming.
Pressing the 4 or 10
Pressing increases the next payout and the amount the next 7 can take. A winning payout is your money—not the casino’s—so define the schedule before play. A conservative rule might collect the first payout and press only a fixed portion of a later one. It changes volatility, not expectation.
Do not choose 4 or 10 because either has appeared recently or seems due. Compare the complete Place bet guide, Buy bet guide, and our audit of Buy versus Place on 5 and 9.
Find the commission threshold before choosing Buy
For the same W-dollar number bet, Place 4 or 10 wins 1.8W. A Buy wins 2W before commission, or 2W − c after a c-dollar win fee. A win-only Buy therefore pays more than Place when c is less than 0.2W. At a $20 wager, any win fee below $4 clears that payout threshold; a $1 fee produces $39 instead of the Place bet’s $36.
Expected cost gives a stricter test when the commission is charged on every decision. The Place bet loses W/15 on average per number-versus-7 decision. A win-only Buy loses c/3 on average because the fee is collected only on the one winning branch out of three. If the same c is charged whether the number wins or 7 appears, the expected cost is c per decision.
With $20 on the number and a $1 fee, Place has about $1.33 expected loss per resolved decision, a win-only Buy about $0.33, and a Buy charged $1 on every decision about $1. At $5 with a whole-dollar fee on every decision, the Buy’s $1 expected cost exceeds the Place bet’s roughly $0.33 cost. This is why the table’s minimum, rounding, and fee timing belong in the decision—not merely the 2-to-1 headline payoff.
One Buy win followed by seven
Assume $100 initially, a $20 Buy 4 and a $1 commission charged only on a win. Sending $20 leaves $80 in the rack. A 4 pays $40 gross profit less the $1 fee, so collecting $39 puts $119 in the rack while $20 remains exposed. Taking it down then returns $139 total; leaving it working and later losing to 7 leaves $119. The sequence gain after that win and loss is $19.
For the same rolls, a $20 Place 4 pays $36 and leaves the rack at $116 while $20 remains working. A subsequent 7 leaves $116, a $16 sequence gain. This comparison assumes both bets worked on the same rolls and no other action. It does not mean the Buy fee is free or that every two-decision sequence profits; two losing decisions would cost $40. Confirm the actual commission before using the figures.
