Craps bet guide · Reviewed August 18, 2026
A Place bet wins when your selected 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 rolls before 7. It is a flexible standing bet: you can normally make, change, call off, or remove it between rolls. Place 6 and 8 carry the lowest standard house edge in the group at 1.52%.
Sam’s verdict
Place 6 and 8 have long been my preferred way to add controlled number action because the payout is close to true odds and the wager can be removed. That flexibility does not predict rolls or guarantee a session result. It lets you choose how much money remains exposed.
How a Place bet works
- Your selected number rolls first: the bet wins and commonly remains working unless you change it.
- 7 rolls first: the bet loses.
- Any other total rolls: nothing happens; the bet continues.
A Place bet is separate from the table point. You may place the point itself, although players with Pass Line plus Odds often already have that number covered. Place bets are commonly off on a new game’s come-out unless the player calls them working and the dealer confirms with an ON marker. Always check house procedure.
Payouts, correct multiples and house edge
| Place number | Standard profit payout | True odds | House edge | Useful wager multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 9 to 5 | 2 to 1 | 6.67% | $5 |
| 5 or 9 | 7 to 5 | 3 to 2 | 4.00% | $5 |
| 6 or 8 | 7 to 6 | 6 to 5 | 1.52% | $6 |
The house edge comes from the difference between the true odds and the casino payout. A $30 Place 6 win pays $35 rather than the $36 true-odds profit. The missing dollar across the probability of winning and losing produces an edge of about 1.52%.
| Wager | Calculation | Profit | Total returned |
|---|---|---|---|
| $20 Place 4 | $20 ÷ 5 × 9 | $36 | $56 |
| $10 Place 5 | $10 ÷ 5 × 7 | $14 | $24 |
| $18 Place 8 | $18 ÷ 6 × 7 | $21 | $39 |
| $30 Place 6 | $30 ÷ 6 × 7 | $35 | $65 |
Correct multiples matter: a crew may accept an improper amount and round the payoff under house procedure, but you should not assume how breakage will be handled. Ask for the nearest properly payable amount.
How to place the bet at a live table
- Wait until the dice are in the center and the dealer is ready.
- Get the dealer’s attention.
- Put the chips in the Come area or apron where that dealer prefers.
- State the number and amount clearly: “Eighteen dollars on the eight, please.”
- The dealer moves the chips into the correct number box and positions them to identify your table location.
Do not reach into the dealer’s working boxes or toss chips into established stacks. If the dealer asks you to place chips in a different pickup area, follow that instruction for subsequent bets.
The diagram preserves an important live-table detail: chips that appear crowded are organized by player position. The dealer uses each chip’s location in the upper or lower Place-bet strip to distinguish ownership. Let the crew control those stacks.
Reading player positions in a crowded number box
The original CrapsPit diagram showed eight player positions around one end of the table. Positions nearest the stickperson map toward one side of each Place strip; positions nearest the base dealer map toward the other. A dealer can therefore track one player on 9 and 10, another on 6 and 8, and another on 5, 6, and 8 without labeling every stack.
That mapping also explains why a player should not “help” by moving chips. Shifting one stack a few inches can make it appear to belong to a neighboring position or convert its apparent meaning from Place to Buy, Lay, Come, or Don’t Come. If something looks wrong, point to your rail position and ask the dealer to verify the wager verbally.
When a number rolls, the dealer commonly settles contract/Come wagers and then Place wagers in a defined order, moving through player positions. Do not shout an instruction the instant the dice stop. Wait until the dealer reaches your stack and say “same bet,” “press to thirty,” “take down the five,” or another precise call.
Placing the point
Some layouts and crews allow a player to indicate a Place bet on the current point by centering chips on the back edge of the Pass Line. The old CrapsPit lesson correctly warned that a shifted stack can resemble a flat Pass wager or Pass Odds. The clearer method is to call the Place bet and have the dealer position it in the numbered box. House procedure controls.
Same bet, press, regress, off and down
| Call | What you are requesting |
|---|---|
| Same bet | Pay the profit and leave the original amount working. |
| Press | Increase the working wager, often using some or all of the profit. |
| Regress | Reduce the wager and return the difference. |
| Take it down | Remove the wager completely and return the chips. |
| Off | Leave the chips positioned but make them temporarily inactive. |
| On / working | Reactivate an off wager or request action on a come-out. |
After a win, wait until the dealer approaches your position, then state the instruction. Crews follow an organized payment sequence, but the exact order and default treatment of silence can vary. “Same bet, please” is clearer than assuming the dealer knows your intent.
Taking a wager down returns the chips to your rack. Calling it off leaves the wager located on the layout under an OFF marker so it can be reactivated without rebuilding the stack. An OFF marker may remain until you call it back on.
Inside, outside and across
| Call | Common meaning at a $5 base | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Inside | $5 each on 5 and 9; $6 each on 6 and 8 | $22 |
| Outside | $5 each on 4, 5, 9, and 10 | $20 |
| Across | $5 each on 4, 5, 9, 10; $6 each on 6 and 8 | $32 |
Point treatment can change the intended amount. If you already cover point 6 with Pass plus Odds, “$16 inside excluding the point” commonly means $5 on 5, $6 on 8, and $5 on 9. Do not rely on shorthand until you know the crew’s convention; naming the exact numbers is always valid.
What happens when the table point changes?
If the shooter makes the point, your Place bets normally stay positioned but are off for the next come-out. If a new point is a number you already placed, you can leave both exposures, take the Place bet down, or move it to another number. There is no universal requirement to avoid covering the point twice; it is a bankroll choice.
Worked table sequence
- The point is 10. You ask for $5 on 5, $6 on 6, $6 on 8, and $5 on 9: $22 inside.
- A 6 rolls. The $6 Place 6 wins $7. You call “same bet,” collect $7, and leave $6 working.
- Another 6 rolls. You call “press.” The dealer can add $6 to make the wager $12 and return the remaining $1.
- A 9 rolls. The $5 Place 9 wins $7 and stays at $5 after your same-bet call.
- The shooter makes point 10. Your Place bets stay on the layout but are normally off for the next come-out.
- The new point is 9. Because you also have a Pass Line wager on 9, you move the $5 Place 9 to 4.
- Your $12 Place 6 wins again for $14. You collect the profit and leave $12 working.
- A 7-out later collects all working Place bets. Earlier hits did not make the seven more or less likely.
Sam’s legacy cold/choppy/hot progression
An older CrapsPit page described a session-management method using two $6 Place bets on 6 and 8. Its mechanics are preserved here because they show specific stop and press choices. The labels do not identify a predictive table condition; independent rolls do not become hot, cold, or due.
| Legacy label | Original operating rule | What it actually changes |
|---|---|---|
| Cold | Keep $6 on 6 and $6 on 8 until the first hit or six rolls; then call them off or take them down. | Limits the duration of exposure after one collected win or a six-roll window. |
| Choppy | If a win arrives within three rolls, restart the count; after three wins within those windows, press the next win. Stop after six rolls without a win. | Creates conditional stop and press rules based on recorded results. |
| Hot | Leave the 6 and 8 working for the roll, press every other win, add coverage after made points, then add/buy 4 and 10 after inside numbers are covered. | Raises total exposure as the roll continues. |
Taking money down can reduce what a later 7 removes. Pressing and expanding coverage can increase both potential payouts and the amount lost on 7. Neither approach changes the house edge of each individual Place wager.
What the legacy progression looks like in dollars
Start with $6 each on 6 and 8, so $12 is exposed. Under the old “cold” rule, a first hit pays $7. Calling both wagers down returns the $12 principal and locks the $7 profit. Leaving both up after that hit still exposes $12; one additional hit produces another $7, while 7 removes the $12. The stop rule changes how long the money remains exposed, not the next-roll probability.
Under the “choppy” rule, a hit inside three rolls restarts the short count. After three qualifying wins, the next win is used to press. If six rolls pass without either number, both bets come down. This is a recordkeeping system with clear triggers, which some players find easier than making an emotional decision after every roll.
Under the “hot” rule, repeated wins and made points expand the amount working. Pressing every other win can move a $6 wager to $12, while adding 5 and 9 increases total inside exposure from $12 to $22. Adding or buying 4 and 10 takes the base across exposure to $32 or more. The progression’s risk grows precisely when a long roll makes the player feel most confident.
Bankroll and exposure
House edge describes expected cost per resolved amount; it does not cap the size of a single loss. A $6 Place 6 has a favorable comparison to many other bets, but $32 across loses the full $32 when 7 arrives before another number pays. Presses can make the next seven-out larger than the profits already collected.
- Choose the maximum total you will allow across all Place numbers.
- Track money returned to the rack separately from chips still working.
- State press amounts explicitly; “press” can be interpreted differently by amount and house custom.
- Do not keep wagers working on a come-out merely because the previous game lasted a long time.
Place versus Buy
Buying a number pays true odds but charges commission. Buy 4 or 10 is often better than placing it when commission is charged only after a win. Place 6 or 8 is usually better than buying it. Commission timing and rounding can change the crossover, so use the dedicated Buy bet comparison.
Place-bet questions
Does a winning Place bet come down?
It commonly stays up and working while the profit is delivered. Call “take it down” if you want both the original wager and profit returned.
Can I place a number before a point exists?
Many tables accept the wager but treat it as off for the come-out unless you call it working. Dealers may prefer that new Place bets wait until a point is established.
Is Place 6 always better than Pass Line?
They are different sequences. Place 6 has a 1.52% edge on that standing wager; Pass Line has about 1.41% on the flat contract and can add true Odds. Place offers removal and number selection, while Pass includes come-out results.