Place bets — only the 6 and 8 are worth it.
A Place bet is the simplest "bet a number rolls before a 7" wager — make it any time, take it down any time. But the payouts are shaded against you, and how badly depends entirely on the number. Place 6 and 8 are smart. Place 4 and 10 are a leak. Here's the exact math.
1 · What a Place bet is
Bet a number before a 7You "place" a number — 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 — and you win if that number rolls before the next 7. You can do it any time the point is on, for any of those numbers, and you can take the bet down or turn it "off" whenever you like. There's no come-out phase; it's live immediately.
Sounds great — the catch is the payout. Each number is paid less than true odds, and the size of that shortfall is the house edge. It is completely different per number.
2 · Every Place number, ranked
Same bet type, wildly different edges| Place bet | True odds | Pays | House edge | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place 6 / Place 8 | 6 : 5 | 7 : 6 | 1.52% | Smart |
| Place 5 / Place 9 | 3 : 2 | 7 : 5 | 4.00% | Marginal |
| Place 4 / Place 10 | 2 : 1 | 9 : 5 | 6.67% | Skip |
Read it like a chart, not a menu: 6 and 8 are in the smart tier with the Pass Line; 4 and 10 are sucker territory.
3 · Why 6 & 8 are special
The math, in one paragraphA 6 (or 8) can be made 5 ways out of 36; a 7 is made 6 ways. So the true odds of a 6 beating a 7 are 6:5 against. Place 6 pays 7:6 — almost true odds. Work the expected value: over 11 decisive rolls you win 5 (×7/6) and lose 6 (×1), netting −1/66 ≈ −1.52%. That's it. It's the only proposition-style number priced close enough to fair to belong in a disciplined game. Always Place 6 and 8 in multiples of $6 so you collect the full 7:6.
4 · Buy bets & the 4/10 fix
There is a less-bad way to play the 4 and 10A Buy bet lets you pay a small commission (traditionally 5%) to be paid true odds instead of the shaded Place payout. On the 4 or 10, buying drops the effective edge from 6.67% to roughly ~4.76% (and lower still where the casino takes the commission only on a win). It's an improvement — but it's still well above a Come bet with free odds (~0.37%). Buying is a patch on a bet you shouldn't be reaching for in the first place.
5 · Place vs. Come
The lower-edge alternativePlace bets are convenient — instant, no come-out, take them down any time. But for getting numbers working, a Come bet with max free odds blends to about 0.37%, beating even Place 6/8's 1.52%. The honest summary:
- Place 6 / 8 — fine; the only Place numbers a disciplined player touches.
- Place 5 / 9 — marginal; prefer a Come bet.
- Place 4 / 10 — skip; Buy if you must, Come bet if you're thinking clearly.
Where Place fits in an overall plan is covered in strategy basics.
6 · FAQ
Place bet questionsWhat is a Place bet in craps?
What's the edge on Place 6 and 8?
Why are Place 4 and 10 bad?
Are Place bets better than Come bets?
See which Place numbers pay on a real table.
Place 6 and 8, skip the rest — it lands faster when you watch it. On LiveRoll craps is free, no signup, no real money, and every roll is a live MLB pitch rather than an RNG.
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