When I talk to place bet players, most of them seem confident that the best place bet is the 6 or 8. This bet pays 7:6, that is when you bet $30, you’ll win $35. Some people place bet both numbers together, increasing their chances of winning, but at the same time, exposing their money to more risk.

If the seven rolls, you’re out $60 (2 x $30), which means you have to win twice more just to get ahead. The seven should roll six times in 36 rolls, and the combination of the 6 and 8 should roll ten times (five times each). So, in 36 rolls, you should win 10 times (at $35) and lose six times (at $60). This turns out to be a net loss of $10 ($350-$360).

Are there any other numbers that we can bet on which could provide a more profitable win than the six and eight? Let’s take a look at the four and ten, with its standard 9:5 odds.

In 36 rolls, the four and ten combination should roll six times (three each), the same amount as the seven. By betting $25 on both the four and ten, you should win six times (6 x $45) and lose six times (6 x $50), resulting in a net loss of $30 ($270-$300). However, there are some special circumstances surrounding these numbers. The four and ten can be “bought” for a 5% commission. Plus, some casinos only charge this “vig” if you win. And finally, that 5% commission is usually only $1 on a $25 bet (instead of $1.25) to obtain true odds, or 2:1 (instead of 9:5) for your bets. This means that if you buy the four and ten and win one of them, you’ll get $50 (at 2:1) instead of $45 (at 9:5).

As previously mentioned, by placing the 6 & 8 you might lose $10 in 36 rolls. By buying the 4 & 10, you should win six times if either the four or ten hit, at 2:1 odds (6 x $50 = $300). You might also lose six times if the seven rolls, losing both of your bets (6 x $50 = $300), resulting in an exactly even proposition. If you play in a casino that only collects the vigs when you win (Binions Horseshoe in Las Vegas is one), you’ll only lose $6 in vigs for six …

When you play craps, you probably know the house odds for most numbers on place bets. For example, the odds on the six and eight are 7:6 (bet $6, get $7), the odds on the five and nine are 7:5 (bet $5, get $7) and the odds on the four and ten are 9:5 (bet $5, get $9). But, when you want to add odds to your pass or come bets, the payoff is different. This is because they are true odds, which means that the casino has no advantage on these odds bets. Here is an easy way to remember what the true odds for your bets should be.

The odds for the numbers six and eight are the same, as are the odds for five and nine, and, four and ten. If you just subtract one from the smaller of these numbers and relate it to six (the number of times a seven rolls) you get the true odds.

For example, to get the true odds for the four or ten, just subtract one from four to get three. So the true odds of the four or ten are 6:3, or 2:1. To get the true odds for the six or eight, subtract one from six to get five. So the true odds for the six or eight are 6:5. And finally, to get the true odds for the five or nine, subtract one from five to get four, so the odds are 6:4, or 3:2.

If you have $10 on the come or pass line and your point is a five or nine, subtract one from five to get four. The true odds is 6:4, or 3:2 (bet $20, get $30). So for double odds you can add $20 odds to your $10 flat bet and win $10 from the flat portion and $30 from the odds portion, for a total of $40.

If the point is four or ten, subtract one from four to get three. The true odds is 6:3, or 2:1 (bet $20, get $40). On double odds, you can add $20 to your flat $10 bet and win $10 on the flat portion and $40 to the odds portion, for a total of $50.

The six or eight is a little different. If you subtract one from six you get five, which means the true odds are 6:5. If you have a flat …