Field and Big 6/8
Chapter 3: More ways to bet · Lesson 12 of 21 · 5 min read
Why seven numbers beat four only on paper, and why Big 6/8 is just a worse Place 6/8.
The Field is a one-roll bet. Win if the next roll is 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12; lose on 5, 6, 7 or 8. Most winners pay even money, but 2 and 12 pay extra.
It looks generous: seven winning numbers against only four losing ones! But count ways, not numbers. The four losers (5, 6, 7, 8) are the four most common totals: 20 ways out of 36. The winners have only 16.
| Field variant | 2 pays | 12 pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| This app's default | 2:1 | 2:1 | 5.56% |
| Better tables | 2:1 | 3:1 | 2.78% |
Because it settles on every roll, the Field's cost piles up fast. That idea gets its own lesson (14).
Big 6 / Big 8 sits in the corner. It wins if the 6 (or 8) rolls before a 7, the exact same thing as Place 6/8, but it pays only even money instead of 7:6. That pushes the edge from 1.52% to 9.09%, which the simulator labels a Sucker bet. There's never a reason to bet Big 6/8; place the number instead. (Atlantic City removed it altogether.)
Show the math: Field and Big 6/8
Field (2:1 on 2 and 12): EV = [1 × (2+3+4+3+2) + 2 × 1 + 2 × 1 − 20]/36 = (14 + 4 − 20)/36 = −2/36 = −5.556%. With 3:1 on 12: (14 + 2 + 3 − 20)/36 = −1/36 = −2.778%.
Big 6: P(win) = 5/11, pays 1:1. EV = 5/11 − 6/11 = −1/11 = −9.09%.
Seven numbers, four numbers
Interactive practice table. Try this in the app (free, play money).
Big 6 vs Place 6
Interactive practice table. Try this in the app (free, play money).
How many of the 36 combinations win a Field bet?
- 7
- 16
- 20
- 18
Show answer
B: 16. 2 (1) + 3 (2) + 4 (3) + 9 (4) + 10 (3) + 11 (2) + 12 (1) = 16.
Big 8 and Place 8 both win when...
- 8 rolls before 7
- 8 rolls next
- 8 rolls as a pair
- Any even number
Show answer
A: 8 rolls before 7. It's the same event; only the payout differs (1:1 vs 7:6).
Which has the higher edge?
- Field paying 3:1 on 12
- Field paying 2:1 on 12
- Equal
- Place 8
Show answer
B: Field paying 2:1 on 12. 2:1 on 12 → 5.56%; 3:1 on 12 → 2.78%; Place 8 → 1.52%.