The short answer
Place bet house edges vary wildly: the 6 and 8 carry a low 1.52% edge, while the 4 and 10 carry a brutal 6.67% edge.
The full calculation
A Place bet wins if the number is rolled and loses if a 7 is rolled. The house edge is calculated by the difference between the true odds of those events and the casino’s payout.
Place 6 & 8:
- True Odds: 6 to 5.
- Payout: 7 to 6. $$EV = (5/11 imes 7/6) - (6/11 imes 1) pprox -0.01515$$ House edge: 1.52%.
Place 5 & 9:
- True Odds: 3 to 2.
- Payout: 7 to 5. $$EV = (4/10 imes 7/5) - (6/10 imes 1) = -0.0400$$ House edge: 4.00%.
Place 4 & 10:
- True Odds: 2 to 1.
- Payout: 9 to 5. $$EV = (3/9 imes 9/5) - (6/9 imes 1) = -0.0667$$ House edge: 6.67%.
What this means at the table
If you place $12 on the 6, you expect to lose about 18 cents per resolution. If you place $10 on the 4, you expect to lose 67 cents. Over an hour, betting the 4 and 10 will drain your bankroll more than four times faster than betting the 6 and 8. If you want to “work” the numbers, stick to the 6 and 8; otherwise, you’re better off using Come bets.
Common mistakes around this number
The biggest mistake is betting “incorrect” units. Because the 6 and 8 pay 7:6, you must bet in multiples of $6 (e.g., $12, $18, $30). If you bet $10 on the 6, the casino cannot pay you the fractional $1.66 in profit; they will only pay you $11 (even money), which sky-rockets the house edge to 4.55% instantly. Always bet the right “cap” to get the full payout.
See also
Review the Craps Odds Chart for payout details or learn about Craps Buy Bets for a better way to play the 4 and 10.
In Detail
Place-bet house edge is the table’s honesty test. The bets look similar, but the prices are not even close.
This page is about the cost of placing 4,5,6,8,9,10. On the surface, that may sound like one small corner of craps, but in a real casino it touches the three things that decide whether a player survives the table: the written rule, the payout, and the way the bet feels when chips are already in action. Craps is dangerous for beginners because a bet can feel smart, social, or lucky while still being badly priced.
The math that matters: Two dice create 36 equally likely ordered combinations. The shape of the game comes from that grid: 7 has 6 combinations, 6 and 8 have 5 each, 5 and 9 have 4 each, 4 and 10 have 3 each, 3 and 11 have 2 each, and 2 and 12 have only 1 each. Typical edges: 6/8 about 1.52%, 5/9 about 4.00%, and 4/10 about 6.67%. Expected value is the grown-up way to price a bet: $EV=\sum(P_i\times W_i)-\sum(P_j\times L_j)$. If the payout is smaller than the true probability deserves, the difference is the house edge.
What it means on the felt: This is why many practical players like place 6/8 but avoid placing 4/10 unless buying is available under good vig rules. A player who understands this subject does not need to act like a robot. You can still enjoy the noise, the shooter, the stick calls, and the little rush when the dice leave the hand. The point is to know when you are paying for entertainment and when you are making a lower-cost decision.
Casino-floor truth: Craps is built to move. The table crew wants clear bets, fast decisions, and clean payouts. The layout also nudges attention toward action. The safest-looking move is not always the cheapest move, and the loudest bet is almost never the best one. Good craps play is not about predicting the next roll. It is about refusing to overpay for it.
The mistake to avoid: Do not say “place the numbers” as if all numbers are equal. They are not. Also, never judge this topic by one lucky hit or one ugly loss. Short sessions are noisy. The math only shows its face over repeated decisions, which is exactly why casinos are patient and players are usually not.