Placing the Six and Eight in Craps
Place six and place eight have a house edge of 1.5 percent, just a smidgen more than a line wager and still a pretty good bet. Players who bet don’t pass and don’t come sometimes place
Basil Nestor is the author of the new Playboy Complete Guide to Casino Gambling. This wonderful book teaches players how to avoid sucker bets and win more when playing gambling games. He is also the author of The Smarter Bet Guide series for video poker, slots, craps, and many other books about gambling. Basil's website is www.smarterbet.com the six and eight as a short-term craps hedge. It’s not a bad bet, and it’s the only hedge I recommend (if you are inclined to play a hedge strategy).
The best way to make this hedge bet is to be sure the combined total of the six and eight is not greater than the don’t wager. Let’s say $30 is on the don’t and the point is 5. You would place $12 on six and $12 on eight. If the shooter suddenly rolls 7, then the net win (after losses) will be $6. It’s not ideal, but, hey, that’s gambling and you’re ahead. If the shooter rolls the point it won’t affect the place bets and you would have lost the don’t wager anyway. If the shooter rolls 6 or 8 a few times, the dealer will be giving you money. Just remember that the 7 is more likely than the point. Don’t be greedy. Take the place bets down after they win once or twice. The wager on the don’t will usually win in the end and then you can savor multiple victories.
Place bets on 6/8 are also fine by themselves or in conjunction with pass and come wagers.