Place bets
Chapter 3: More ways to bet · Lesson 9 of 21 · 6 min read
Bet a number directly, without waiting for a Come bet to travel, and learn which numbers are cheap.
A Place bet lets you pick a number and bet it will roll before a 7. No come-out, no travelling. You hand the dealer chips and say "place the 6". The bet stays up after each win until a 7 takes it, or until you take it down.
The catch is that place bets pay slightly less than true odds. That shortfall is the house edge:
| Place | True odds | Pays | Bet in multiples of | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 or 8 | 6:5 | 7:6 | $6 | 1.52% |
| 5 or 9 | 3:2 | 7:5 | $5 | 4.00% |
| 4 or 10 | 2:1 | 9:5 | $5 | 6.67% |
Place 6 and 8 are good bets, nearly as cheap as the Pass Line (1.52% vs 1.41%). The 5/9 is meh, and 4/10 is expensive. The next lesson shows a cheaper way to bet the 4 and 10.
Rules to know:
- Place bets are off on the come-out roll unless you say "working". A come-out 7 doesn't take them, and a come-out 6 doesn't pay them.
- You can take them down, turn them off for a while, or press them (add winnings to make the bet bigger) between rolls.
- Use the right multiples. $6 on the 6 wins $7, but $5 on the 6 only wins $5 at most casinos, because the payout is rounded down. That raises your edge. The simulator warns you when your amount isn't a full-pay unit, and tells you what the bet would actually pay.
Show the math: Place-bet edges
Place 6: wins with P = 5/11 and pays 7/6. EV = (5/11)(7/6) − (6/11)(1) = (35/66 − 36/66) = −1/66 ≈ −1.515%. Place 5: P(win) = 4/10, pays 7/5. EV = (2/5)(7/5) − 3/5 = 14/25 − 15/25 = −1/25 = −4.00%. Place 4: P(win) = 3/9, pays 9/5. EV = (1/3)(9/5) − 2/3 = 9/15 − 10/15 = −1/15 ≈ −6.67%.
Place the 6 and 8
Interactive practice table. Try this in the app (free, play money).
The 4 costs more than you think
Interactive practice table. Try this in the app (free, play money).
What does a $12 Place bet on the 8 win?
- $12
- $14
- $10
- $7
Show answer
B: $14. 7:6 means $7 for every $6: $12 wins $14.
Which Place bet has the lowest house edge?
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 10
Show answer
C: 6. 6 and 8: 1.52%. Then 5/9 at 4%, then 4/10 at 6.67%.
By default, what happens to your Place 6 if a 7 rolls on the come-out?
- It loses
- It wins
- Nothing, it's off
- It's moved
Show answer
C: Nothing, it's off. Place bets are off on the come-out unless you call them working.
Why bet $6 rather than $5 on Place 6?
- Table minimum
- $5 gets paid even money, a higher edge
- No reason
- To get 2:1
Show answer
B: $5 gets paid even money, a higher edge. 7:6 needs $6 units. A $5 bet is usually paid $5, and the edge jumps to about 9.1%.