Craps Place Bets: Edges by Number
Last reviewed: June 2026
Place bets let you wager directly on any of the six point numbers — 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 — without waiting for a shooter to establish a point, but the house edge varies so dramatically between numbers that treating them as a single category is a mistake.
A place bet wins if your chosen number rolls before a 7, and loses if a 7 appears first. That is the entire proposition. Unlike a Pass line bet, you do not need to wait for the come-out roll to set a point, and unlike a Come bet, a winning place bet stays active on the same number automatically — you do not have to re-establish it. That convenience is part of the appeal, and it explains why place bets on 6 and 8 are among the most popular wagers at any craps table.
The three tiers of place bets
The six place numbers break into three pairs, and each pair has a different payout and a different house edge. The math behind those differences is worth understanding.
| Number(s) | Ways to roll | Ways a 7 rolls | True odds against | Payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 or 8 | 5 out of 36 | 6 out of 36 | 6:5 | 7:6 | 1.52% |
| 5 or 9 | 4 out of 36 | 6 out of 36 | 3:2 | 7:5 | 4.00% |
| 4 or 10 | 3 out of 36 | 6 out of 36 | 2:1 | 9:5 | 6.67% |
The house edge figures are exact fractions: Place 6/8 is exactly 1/66, Place 5/9 is exactly 1/25, and Place 4/10 is exactly 1/15. Those fractions make the math tractable: on Place 6, you expect to lose one dollar for every $66 you put through action over time.
Why 6 and 8 are the best place bets
The 6 and the 8 are each made by five different dice combinations. (For 8: 2+6, 3+5, 4+4, 5+3, 6+2.) A 7 can be made six ways. So the true odds against rolling a 6 before a 7 are 6:5 — for every five times the 6 wins, the 7 is expected to win six times.
The casino pays 7:6 on a winning place bet on 6 or 8. That is close to — but not quite — the true 6:5 odds, which is where the 1.52% edge comes from. Bet $6, win $7. If you bet in $6 multiples the payout is always a whole dollar amount; bet $12 and collect $14, bet $18 and collect $21. Always size Place 6 and Place 8 bets in multiples of $6 to avoid rounding losses.
At 1.52%, Place 6 and 8 are almost as efficient as the Pass line (1.41%), and considerably better than most other wagers you will encounter at a craps table. If you want action on a specific number without buying in for full free odds, Place 6 and Place 8 are the most defensible options.
Why 5 and 9 are marginal
The 5 and 9 can each be rolled four ways. True odds against rolling either before a 7 are 6:4, which simplifies to 3:2. The table pays 7:5 — a shade worse than true odds, producing a 4.00% edge. That is nearly three times the edge on Place 6 or 8, and for this reason many craps players with a math-first approach skip Place 5 and 9 entirely or treat them as occasional bets rather than standing wagers.
Bet Place 5 or 9 in multiples of $5 to keep the payouts clean.
Why 4 and 10 are poor value
The 4 and the 10 can each be rolled only three ways. True odds against rolling either before a 7 are 6:3, or 2:1. The table pays 9:5 — not 2:1. That gap is large: on a $10 bet you collect $18 when you should collect $20. The edge works out to exactly 1/15, or 6.67%.
To put that in perspective, 6.67% is more than four times the edge on Place 6 or 8, and it approaches the territory of the field bet and some of the trap bets that craps educators typically tell beginners to avoid. The alternative for players who specifically want a 4 or 10 position is a buy bet, where you pay a 5% commission to receive true 2:1 odds. Whether that is better depends on when the casino collects the commission — on every bet or only on wins — but the math is often closer to fair than the 9:5 place payout.
Working and off: the come-out default
By default, place bets are OFF on the come-out roll. That means if a 7 rolls on the come-out — which wins for Pass line bettors — your place bets are not at risk and do not pay out either. Most players leave this default in place because the come-out roll is the one moment where a 7 helps the majority of the table.
You can instruct the dealer to turn your place bets ON for the come-out at any time. This is sometimes done by players who have no money on the Pass line and want continuous action. Say “my place bets are working” before the come-out roll.
Comparing place bets to come bets
Come bets travel: when you make a Come bet, the next roll moves it to a number, then it must be won on that number in a subsequent roll. A Come bet that reaches a number is technically paid at true odds if you take odds behind it, making it mathematically equivalent to a Pass line bet with free odds. However, if the shooter sevens out before your Come bet number repeats, you lose — and you cannot simply leave a Come bet on a number the way you can with a place bet.
Place bets by contrast are standing wagers: they remain on the same number indefinitely until they win, until you remove them, or until the shooter sevens out. Neither bet type is universally superior; the choice depends on whether you want the flexibility of standing wagers or the slightly lower baseline edge available on the Pass/Come line.
Practical strategy guidance
- Place 6 and 8 in $6 multiples. At 1.52% these are the only place bets that compete with Pass line play for low-edge positioning.
- Place 5 and 9 at 4.00% are marginal. They are not catastrophic, but there is no mathematical reason to prefer them over better-value bets unless you want action on those specific numbers.
- Avoid Place 4 and 10 at 6.67% unless the table offers favorable buy-bet terms. The 9:5 payout does not adequately compensate for the 2:1 true odds on those numbers.
- You can always take a place bet down or reduce it before a roll — something you cannot do once a Come bet is in transit.
For context on how 1.52% fits into the broader landscape, see best and worst casino bets or explore the full craps betting map at craps optimal strategy.
Frequently asked
Do place bets pay at true odds? No. The payouts are close for 6 and 8 (7:6 vs. true 6:5) but diverge significantly for 4 and 10 (9:5 vs. true 2:1). Only free odds bets pay at exactly true odds with 0% edge.
Can I remove a place bet at any time? Yes. Unlike Pass line bets — which cannot be taken down once a point is established — place bets can be removed, reduced, or turned off by the player at any time. This is one advantage place bets hold over the Pass/Come structure.
Why is the Place 4/10 edge 6.67% and not lower? Because the 9:5 payout is far short of the true 2:1 (or equivalently 10:5) odds against rolling a 4 before a 7. The gap — $1 per $5 unit — divided by the expected handle per bet resolves to exactly 1/15, which is 6.67%. This is a common source of confusion; the figure is not around 4–5%, it is 6.67%.
Are place bets the same as buy bets? Related but different. A buy bet on 4 or 10 pays true 2:1 odds in exchange for a 5% commission. Depending on when the commission is collected, the house edge on a buy bet on 4 or 10 can be lower than 6.67% — making it the better choice for those specific numbers if the table conditions are right.
Sources & further reading
- Wizard of Odds — Craps house edge by bet type
- Craps for beginners — LearnTheOdds overview
- Craps dice probability — how the 36-outcome probability table drives every edge calculation
Educational explanation only. No real-money gambling happens on LearnTheOdds.
Responsible gambling: Play for entertainment, not income — the math favors the house over time. Set limits, never chase losses, and if it stops being fun, take a break. 21+. Need help? Call 1-800-MY-RESET (1800myreset.org).