Betting on the 6 and 8 in Craps
By Matty Dice ·
After the pass line, the most popular bets at a craps table are place bets on the 6 and 8. They hit often, pay reasonably well and carry one of the lower house edges of any bet on the layout. Here's why players like them and how to use them.
Why 6 and 8?
With two dice, 6 and 8 can each be rolled five different ways out of 36. Only 7 (six ways) comes up more often. That means a bet on 6 or 8 wins 5 times for every 6 times a 7 shows, which is the closest to even of any point number. See the full breakdown in our two-dice probability chart.
How place bets on 6 and 8 pay
A place bet on 6 or 8 pays 7 to 6. To get the full payout, bet in multiples of $6: a $6 bet wins $7, a $12 bet wins $14, and so on. The bet wins whenever its number is rolled and loses when a 7 is rolled. Place bets are usually "off" on the come-out roll unless you ask the dealer to turn them on.
The house edge is about 1.52%, only slightly higher than the pass line, and far better than most proposition bets in the middle of the table.
Avoid the Big 6 and Big 8
Many tables have a "Big 6" and "Big 8" box in the corner. They win on the same numbers but pay only even money, which raises the house edge to about 9.1%. There's no reason to use them when a place bet on the same number pays better.
A simple starting strategy
A common, conservative approach for new players:
- Bet the table minimum on the pass line.
- When a point is set, take odds behind it.
- Place the 6 and 8 (if one of them isn't already the point) in multiples of $6.
This keeps your money on the bets with the lowest edges while giving you plenty of action, since 6 and 8 hit often. It can help your bankroll last longer and keeps the game simple enough to follow.
Practice first
Try a few hundred rolls on our free craps dice roller and count how often 6 and 8 appear before a 7. It's a quick way to get a feel for the game before you put real money down.