Iron Cross Betting System in Craps
Playing craps offers a lot of opportunities to win with the big selection of options you can bet on. You can do more than just hoping for each roll to show your chosen number. In fact, you can strategize your game session by using one of the oldest betting strategies in the book – that is, the Iron Cross betting system.
This betting system takes advantage of the field bet and place bet. Level up your basic craps strategy, and know the ins and outs of Iron Cross before you place your bets on the table.
How Iron Cross Works
The Iron Cross system was originally made as a hit-and-run system, it was not designed for long-term bets. The longer you stay at the table, the house edge and your chances of losing your bankroll rises. Therefore, this betting strategy is advisable for people making short-term bets like for bettors who play craps just before leaving the casino.
Like the D’Alembert betting system, Iron Cross is simple. Here’s what you have to do:
Place a Field Bet and Place Bet After the Come-Out Roll
The field bet covers numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Meanwhile, the place bet covers the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. In the place bet, the only numbers not covered by the field bet are 5, 6, and 8. In order not to exhaust your wagers, you have to put your place bets only on 5, 6, and 8. When you place your wagers on the field bet and place bet, it will cover all of the numbers except 7.
Simply put, you will only be betting on four wagers– field bet, 5, 6, and 8. It is recommended to start with small wagers to get the feel of the game first. With four wagers, you will win only one of your wagers at a time, but the chance of getting a win on a roll is 30 out of 36. When you win your wagers, all you have to do is replace them and maintain having four wagers on the table.
Understand the Payout
When the dice rolls on your field bet, you get to take home a full payoff, and your three place bets stay in place. When your field bet wins on 3, 4, 9, 10, or 11, you get an even-money payout. For example, when you put US$5 on the field bet, and the dice rolls out a 4, you win US$10. But you gain only a US$5 profit to your US$10 win since you wagered $5 beforehand.
On the field bet, when the dice rolls out a 2, your wins are doubled. You are supposed to win US$10, but since 2 is a special number in which your wins are multiplied by two, you get to win US$20. When the dice rolls out a 12, your wins are tripled, giving you US$30.
On the other hand, winning place bets is different as you also lose in the field bet. When the dice rolls out a 5, 6, or 8, you win US$12 but lose US$5 from the field bet. You also get back the US$5 you placed in one of the place bets, so your profit is US$2. But when luck is not on your side, and the dice rolls out a 7, you lose all of your wagers on the table.
Avoid the 7
The Iron Cross is also known as “no 7 system.” If a 7 appears, all of your four wagers lose. Most likely, a 7 will come out once in every six rolls. Your chances of losing on a roll are 6 out of 36. When you do get a 7, just start over, and place four wagers again to keep playing. This betting strategy is for people who are comfortable with placing multiple bets and are willing to risk losing multiple times in just one roll of the dice.
Maximize the Use of Iron Cross
You can use the original version of the Iron Cross and be happy with the basic strategy. But if you want to explore the system a little more, there are different variations for this strategy.
Three and Done
With this version of the Iron Cross, you have to wait until your field bet wins three consecutive times before you pull out your field bet. When your field bets are gone, you can either pull out your place bets and be done for the night or keep your place bets in play and keep collecting your wins until the dice rolls out a 7 – just then will your game session end.
Press Till Done
In this Iron Cross variation, you will do exactly what the name tells you to: press until you are done. Each time your place bets win, you raise (press) your wager. For example, the dice rolls out an 8. Your place bet wins, and from $5, you will raise your wager to $10. You will keep raising your wager for up to three consecutive rounds during which the 7 does not come out yet. When you have pressed your bets three times, place a wager on the field bet once, and then stop. By then, your place bets will still be in play until the dice rolls out a 7.
Unbeatable Iron Cross
Unbeatable is an overstatement as surely this system cannot guarantee that you will always win. But the name has been making a lot of players try out this strategy. Basically, what you do is when the come-out roll and point have been established, you place your bets as is using the original Iron Cross strategy.
The Unbeatable Iron Cross part comes into play when the Pass Line wins and when you “feel” that a 7 will turn up soon. In this case, you hold off placing new bets. Let your current bets play for themselves until all your bets have lost. This system is really not “unbeatable” because the previous rolls of the dice have nothing to do with the dice’s future outcomes, despite what most players believe.
Whichever variation of Iron Cross you use, take note that taking home big wins is still not a guarantee. But when you get the hang of the betting system – whether the original or any of the spinoffs – chances are you have better opportunities of raking in winnings.
Advantages
Craps is an enjoyable game, but you could have a better experience when the Iron Cross betting system is applied. This betting system, like the 1-3-2-6 Betting System, is used by many players because of its advantages.
Firstly, you have high chances of winning with this tactic because you have wagers on 11 out of the 12 possible dice roll outcomes. Your dice odds of 30-6 largely affect your chances of winning.
Then, you also have an opportunity to double or triple your payout when the dice lands on a 2 or a 12. The fact that you get paid every time the dice does not land on a 7 is a great advantage.
Lastly, even with a 2.76% house edge, you can still gain some wins. It is not that hard to have a winning streak in Iron Cross. The probability of getting a 7 is once on every six rolls. So you can still have fun and earn some bankroll boost.
Disadvantages
Unfortunately with this strategy, your bets are scattered into four different wagers. The house edge also varies depending on where you place your bets:
- Place bet 6 and 8: 1.52%
- Place bet 5: 4%
- Field bet: 5.56%
When using the Iron Cross, the casino clearly has the advantage. Having multiple bets gives an overall mid-range house edge of 2.76% which is higher than the 1.41% Pass Line house edge. The house edge can go higher, the longer you stay. When you get unfavorable bets in the long run, the house edge can be pushed to 3.87%.
If you are a happy-go-lucky player, you will find this strategy fun and interesting especially with the multiple variations the Iron Cross provides. But if you are a serious player looking to reap more profits within a long betting session, the strategy may not be for you. You will be dealing with a betting system with a mid-range house edge which can be risky. Your chances of a winning streak are high, but with a house edge up to 3.87%, your bankroll may not last long.
With the Iron Cross’ advantages and disadvantages considered, it is up to you to decide if the Iron Cross betting strategy is worth trying. For more game strategies and tips, visit HappiStar Tips today.
Share this page
