Iron Cross Craps Strategy
The Iron Cross strategy is a simple system that helps you pare down the huge range of betting options at the craps table. Though the house edge is always present, you can use this approach to manage the it when you play online craps games.
Read on to learn more about the Iron Cross strategy.
What is the Iron Cross Strategy?
The Iron Cross strategy covers multiple betting options. It ensures that you win on every roll apart from a 7.
If you would like to follow the Iron Cross strategy, place four separate bets:
- Field (a prediction that the next roll will be 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12)
- Place 5 (a prediction that a 5 will be thrown before a 7)
- Place 6 (6 to be thrown before a 7)
- Place 8 (8 to be thrown before a 7)
Placing these four wagers ensures you cover every potential outcome apart from a 7. This strategy will succeed if the shooter throws plenty of numbers before “sevening” out, but it will fail if the shooter quickly rolls a 7.
Note: It is important to choose Place 6 and Place 8 bets, as they pay 6:5. Do not place Big 6 or Big 8 bets, which only pay 1:1 and have a higher house edge.
How does betting the Iron Cross work?
Follow these steps to try out the Iron Cross strategy next time you head to the craps table.
- Tell the dealer that you want to bet on the 5, 6, and 8. Explain how much you want to place on each, such as $10 on the Place 5, $12 on the Place 6, and $12 on the Place 8.
- Place the Field bet yourself. That means you have now covered every number except 7.
- The shooter will then throw the dice. There are 36 potential ways that the dice can land, and six of them result in a 7 (1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, 6-1), so you have a 30 in 36 chance of success.
- If your Field bet wins, you get paid out at 1:1. Your place bets will remain active, so simply take your payout and leave your chip on the field for the next roll.
- If one of your place numbers wins, you will be paid out at 6:5 or 7:5, but your Field bet will lose. Take your winnings from the Field bet and use a portion of them to replace the Field bet.
- Repeat until the shooter throws a 7, then start again.
Sample craps game with the Iron Cross
As an example, you might decide to place these bets when following the Iron Cross strategy:
- $10 on the Field (pays 1:1 if successful)
- $10 on Place 5 (pays 7:5)
- $12 on Place 6 (pays 6:5)
- $12 on Place 8 (pays 6:5)
That means you would initially need to wager a total of $44 to cover every potential outcome apart from a 7. You then continue to wager $44 on each subsequent roll until the shooter throws a 7.
This table provides a hypothetical example of how a round might unfold at a traditional online casino or a live craps casino.
| Result | Outcome | Action Required | Profit/Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Field bet wins; paid 1:1 | Take $10 profit, leave $10 chip on the field | $10 |
| 10 | Field bet wins; paid 1:1 | Take $10 profit, leave $10 chip on the field | $20 |
| 5 | Place 5 wins. paid at 7:5, field bet loses | Take $14 profit, use $10 to replace the lost field bet and keep $4 | $24 |
| 9 | Field bet wins; paid 1:1 | Take $10 profit, leave $10 chip on the field | $34 |
| 3 | Field bet wins; paid 1:1 | Take $10 profit, leave $10 chip on the field | $44 |
| 6 | Place 6 bet wins, field bet loses | Take $14 profit, use $10 to replace the lost fiel and keep $4 | $48 |
| 7 | All bets lose | You lose $44 and the round ends | $4 |
In this example, you end up with an overall profit of $4. You would have earned a larger profit if the shooter had gone on a longer hot streak, whereas you would have incurred an overall loss if the shooter had thrown a 7 earlier.
Advantages of the Iron Cross Strategy
You can unlock a few advantages by following the Iron Cross strategy:
- It brings structure to a craps session, which can give you greater control over your bankroll.
- This strategy is designed to capitalize whenever the shooter goes on a hot streak.
- It focuses on bets with reasonably low house edges.
- You get a boost to your winnings if the field bet pays 2:1 or 3:1 on the 2 and/or the 12.
- The Iron Cross strategy is pretty easy to follow once you get the hang of it.
- Unlike for some systems, such as the Martingale, you do not need a huge bankroll.
Disadvantages of the Iron Cross strategy
However, there are also some drawbacks to this strategy:
- You can suffer a quick and substantial loss if the shooter sevens out on the first or second roll.
- Your bankroll can plummet if the shooter goes on a cold streak.
- You need to remain alert when following this strategy, as it will fall apart if you fail to cover one or more of the four bets after a particular roll.
- This is not a negative progression system, so it does not chase losses.
- No strategy can negate the inherent house edge that casinos take when playing craps.
- The Iron Cross does not cover the craps bets with the lowest house edge—pass/don’t pass and come/don’t come (with odds taken).
Is the Iron Cross strategy worth it?
Once you learn how to play craps, you’ll realize that the Iron Cross strategy is not a particularly effective way to manage the house edge.
Each round is played to a decision, so this is the house edge on each component:
- Field (2.78%)
- Place 5 (4%)
- Place 6 (1.52%)
- Place 8 (1.52%)
That means the Iron Cross has an overall house edge of 2.37%. That is not very attractive compared to placing a pass/don’t pass bet or a come/don’t come bet and then taking odds.
For example, let’s say you place a pass bet, and the casino then allows you to wager 3x that amount at true craps odds behind your existing pass bet. In that case, your overall wager will have a house edge of just 0.36%, which is far more appealing than an Iron Cross bet. There are better ways to win at craps.
However, it is easy to see why the Iron Cross strategy is popular. It is a simple, optimistic system that succeeds when the shooter goes on a hot streak, so you can join in the table’s celebrations whenever a 7 is not thrown.
If you would like to try the Iron Cross system, consider playing free craps in demo mode with virtual credits, which have no monetary value. That will allow you to test it out and determine whether it appeals to you before risking your own money.
