Playing 4 Keeps

Lesson Seven
Place Bets
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Making a Place Bet is simple enough. You get to choose the number (4-5-6-8-9-10) that you wish to bet at any time during the game. It is kind of like choosing your favorite candy in a candy store. The difference is that you may not find the Place Bet to be as sweet. The reason for this is the exposure to risk and the House Advantage. The casino takes a larger advantage over Place Bets which affects the payout. Place Bets are paid off at House Odds. So that you can picture what I mean, I have provided a table with the House Odds later in this lesson.

A Place Bet is made with the dealer. You call out your Bet(s) to the dealer and place your chips down on the layout in the Come field. An example of what you would say would be: “Place the 6 and 8 for six dollars each.” The dealer then takes the chips and specifically places your bet. The bet is located in the number’s box according to your position at the dice table.

Making a Place Bet is more involved because of the House Odds. As a result, you must know the House Odds. Place Bets are made in multiples prescribed by the House Odds. You need to make your Place Bet(s) in the appropriate unit, in order to be paid correctly on the bet. Take a moment to review the House Odds for each box number and note the unit bet for each box number.

Box Numbers for Place Betting
4 – 5 – 6 – 8 – 9 – 10

Box Numbers 4-5-6-8-9-10

Let’s Make a Place Bet 

I will demonstrate how to make the play by Place Betting the six and eight. The minimum unit for a six or eight Place Bet is $6 each. Why $6? Look at the House Odds again. Placing the 6 or 8 pays $7 to every $6 bet. So, to comply with the correct House Odds for the correct payout, the Place Bets on the 6 or 8 must be made in multiples of six.

Place Bets may be made when the dice are in the middle. (When the dice are held by the stickman in front of the boxman.) Usually, a Place Bet is made following the Come Out Roll and any time thereafter, until the 7-out.

6 and 8 Place Bets $12 each

$6 Six and Eight Place Bet

Betting with the correct unit and selecting the correct amount of chips for each Place Bet, is preferred. However, it is not always necessary. The dealer will make change for the bet and give any excess amount back to the player.

When it is your turn to make a bet, state your Place Bet to the dealer. At the same time, put the cheques down on the layout, in the Come Field. Here is an example of what you would say: “Place the 6 and 8 for six dollars each.” The dealer will take it from there. The dealer picks up your cheques totaling $12, and places six dollars on the 6 and six dollars on the 8. Next, you wait for an outcome.

• Your Place Bet wins when either the 6 or 8 rolls. The payout is paid $7 to your $6 bet, expressed as House Odds, 7:6. The dealer pays the Bet and places the winnings in front of you to pick up. The winning Place Bet remains up, in action, unless you call it off or ask for it to be taken down. You could say to the dealer, “My 6 and 8 is off, thank you.” or “Take my 6 and 8 down, thank you.”

• Your Place Bet loses when a seven rolls in dice mode. The dealer removes all of the Place Bets at that time and the game is over.

• During a Come Out Roll, in craps mode, all Place Bets are “Off”. They are not working, unless you call your Place Bets “On”. (This is not recommended) During a Come Out Roll, Place Bets are “safe” because they are Off, not working. However, because the Place Bets are Off, on a Come Out roll, if the corresponding Place Bet number rolls, the bet will not be paid.
• The Place Bet stays up after winning, unless you instruct the dealer to remove the Place Bet. Say, “Take down my 6 and 8, please.”

• With a Place Bet in action, it can win or lose on the next roll of the dice. Excepting, of course, during a Come Out, roll when the bet is Off automatically.

• In this example, any other number rolled will not have influence on the Place Bets if rolled. Only 6, 8, or 7 have influence with regard to this Place Bet.

• A Place Bet is Off or not working on Come Out rolls. It cannot win or lose on a Come Out roll. (craps mode)

Making Money with Place Bets

Because a Place Bet stays up after winning, unlike a Come Bet, the bet tends to be favored by more players. Additionally, after a Place Bet wins, instead of taking the profit, you can tell the dealer to Press the Place Bet. This means to add the profit to the bet, by increasing the Place Bet by one unit, usually. With larger Place Bets, you must specify how much you wish to Press the Bet.

So, what would pressing a bet look like? Let’s say you just won a Place Bet on the 6. Instead of taking the $7 profit, you will tell the dealer, “Press the 6” as he comes to pay you. The dealer will keep $6 for the Press and pass you $1. You now have a $12 Place Bet on the 6. Six dollars of the Bet is your original Place Bet and six dollars is reinvested profit pressing the bet.

When a six rolls again, the Place Bet wins again. This time dealer will pay you $14. The Place Bet has two $6 units in action and is paid 7 to 6 in House Odds. Thus you receive 2 x 7 or $14.

6 or 8 Place Bet Payout 7:6 – $7 paid to $6 bet.

Payout for a 6 and 8 Place Bet

Happy? You have options here. You could ask the dealer to take the Place Bet down and lock up $21 dollars profit. Plus you would have your original $6 Place Bet back in hand. Yes, happy!

Another option would be to continue to gamble with the Place Bet. You could take the $14 profit and continue to play with a $12 Place Bet on the 6.

A third option allows you to Press the Place Bet on the 6 by one unit, adding six dollars to the bet. You ask the dealer to Press the bet by one unit, $6 and you receive $8 profit. Now you have an $18 Place Bet on the 6.

Yet another move you could gamble with would be to Parlay the profit by adding $12 to the Place Bet. The dealer returns $2 to you. With the Parlay added to the original bet, you now have a $24 Place Bet on the 6.

Ah, gee wiz, just when this Place Bet stuff seemed like a fun and simple way to make money, there are complicated options. The message here is that you have multiple options when playing Place Bets. It is recommended that you fully understand the Place Bet prior to investing your cash. The vigorish on these Bets is fairly steep, making the rate of return challenging for the investment.

Place Bets Are Player Controlled 

You are in control of all Place Bets at all times. This means you can make the bet, change the bet, call the bet off or on, and take the bet down. If you call a Place Bet Off, out of action, it is up to you to let the dealer know when you want the Place Bet back On, or back in action working. 

The Other Numbers to Place Bet

In the table of House Odds below, you can see for yourself how the odds payout for each box number and the unit you should use to make a Place Bet on that number. There are additional ways of Place Betting. One way is to bet all the box numbers, (4-5-6-8-9-10). This is called Betting Across. Another way is to bet just the inside numbers (5-6-8-9). Still, another way is to pick just the outside numbers, (4-5-9-10). Your decision should be made base on the trending numbers rolled.

Note: Place Betting all six box numbers increases the risk with a greater exposure to the House Advantage. Place Betting is only recommended after you have a thorough command of the game.

Review Place Betting

• To make a Place Bet the player chooses the number(s) to bet.
• A Place Bet may be made any time during a game.
• The Place Bet is paid House Odds.
• A Place Bet is made in units that correspond to the House Odds payoff.
• The player controls all Place Bets.
• Place Bets may be increased or decrease at the player’s discretion.
• There are numerous way to play a Place Bet.
• The player should be knowledgeable about all options for Place Betting.
• Know the House Odds for each box number.
• The House Advantage over any Place Bet, is considerably more than for a Pass Line Bet. That means Place Betting is more aggressive and risky.

In Lesson Eight, we will cover the rest of the bets on the Craps Layout. In the meantime, lock in the knowledge that you have gained to this point. You have been exposed to the majority of information for playing Craps. If you are unsure about any particular lesson, now is a good time to go back and review. When it comes to understanding a complicated concept, invest the time to review.

Lesson 8

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