Many online craps players venture into Place bets simply because the betting area is prominently displayed on the layout and attracts attention. However, very few of the Place bets are worth wagering on. This article will explain which ones and why. But before that a simple understanding of Place bets is required.

Place bets are wagered on totals of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. The player has to locate the chips on the area just below the boxes displaying the Place bets. The leading software providers display a text message indicating the name of the bet as the cursor is moved over the betting area. Players must ensure that the text reads Place before clicking to locate the counters. This practice is important because there is another online craps bet called Buy, which is located near the Place bet. Players would not inadvertently want to make the wrong wager.

A Place bet can be laid before any roll, including the come out roll. A Place bet on a particular number will win if that number is rolled before a 7. It will lose if a 7 is rolled before that number. If neither that number nor a 7 is rolled then the Place bet is carried forward to the next roll. Place bets on different numbers offer different payouts and have different house edges and this is crucial to understanding these bets. For the sake of convenience the six Place pets are put into three groups. In online craps a 4 can be rolled in three ways and so can a 10. Therefore these are in one group. Similarly 5 and 9 are grouped together and 6 and 8 are grouped together.

A 4 or 10 can be rolled in three ways, whereas a 7 can be rolled in six ways. Therefore the mathematical odds for the Place bet on 4 or 10 winning are 2 to 1. Online craps games usually pay out 9 to 5 on this bet. Online casino games offer less than the mathematical payout because they need to cover their cost. This advantage to the online casino, called house edge, can be mathematically computed and is expressed as a percentage. For the Place bets on 4 or 10 the house edge is 6.67%. One way of understanding this is that in the long term for every $100 wagered on this bet the online casino will earn $6.67. Even online slot games offer a house edge of between 5% and 6%. Therefore the Place bet on 4 or 10 is not worth making.

A 5 or 9 can be rolled in four ways, whereas a 7 can be rolled in six ways. Therefore the mathematical odds for a Place bet on 5 or 9 are 3 to 2. Online craps games usually offer a payout of 7 to 5 on this bet. The house edge is 4.00%. Though this is less than that for online slots, the latter games offer payouts running into thousands per coin wagered, whereas this Place bet offers a payout of only 3 to 2. Therefore this Place bet is also avoidable.

A 6 or 8 can be rolled in five ways, whereas a 7 can be rolled in six ways. Therefore the mathematical odds for a Place bet on 6 or 8 are 6 to 5. Online craps games usually offer a payout of 7 to 6 on this bet. The house edge is 1.52%. This is an attractive house edge and online craps players going for the Place bet should wager only on 6 or 8.