Iron Cross Craps Strategy: An In-Depth Analysis

Iron Cross Craps Strategy: What You Need to Know

• The premise of the Iron Cross Craps strategy is that you have only one roll to win, making it a one-hit-and-down setup.
• The Iron Cross Strategy involves placing bets on the 5, 6, and 8, along with a field bet, to cover more potential outcomes.
• This strategy offers frequent wins, but while losses are less common, they can be more substantial.
• The Iron Cross betting strategy works just as well in online craps as it does in a local casino.
• Remember to set a betting limit to manage potential losses, as with all craps betting strategies. The Iron Cross is an exciting approach, but it doesn’t guarantee a win.

The Iron Cross craps strategy involves making use of the Place bets and the Field bet to give you a high chance of winning on every throw of the dice. Given the sheer number of bets and variety of possible strategies, the Iron Cross is one that’s easy to master.

In this article, we’ll review what the Iron Cross is all about and we’ll review the steps, the math, and answer the most important question: is the Iron Cross a good craps strategy to deploy in at the casino?

What is The Craps Iron Cross Strategy?

The craps Iron Cross strategy is popular because it is set up to cash in on a hot shooter. The Iron Cross craps strategy covers multiple numbers, so it produces regular, small wins. In a casino game like craps, where the house holds a small advantage, many players get more enjoyment if they can play longer and get frequent small wins instead of aiming for a unlikely jackpot win.

If that sounds like it’s a betting style that suits you, the craps Iron Cross betting method might be a good fit. You need only learn two basic bet types: Field bets and Place bets.

The goal is simple: use a combination of these two bets to cover every throw of the dice on the craps table except a 7. Specifically, we’ll use the Place bets for 5,6, and 8. Then we’ll use the Field bet for 2,3,4,9,10,11, and 12. As long as the dice don’t equal 7, you’ll make money on every throw.

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Craps Iron Cross Strategy: Place and Field Bets Overview

Because Place and Field bets are a little bit off the beaten path in terms of craps bets, it’s good to do a quick review of the more popular bets in craps.

This baseline gives you a jumping-off point for understanding where and how the craps Iron Cross strategy differs from standard gameplay and betting approaches.

• Pass Line/Come Bet: While these bets are not part of the Iron Cross, learning them is to understand the essential flow of the game. Most people bet on a version of the Pass Line and/or Come bets. When you place these bets, the next roll results in one of three outcomes: a 7 or 11 wins (paying even money), a 2,3, or 12 loses. In either of those two outcomes, the Pass Line/Come bet is concluded.
  
  However, should the first roll of a Pass Line/Come bet be any other number (4,5,6,8,9, or 10, collectively known as points) the bet changes and is now subject to a brand new set of rules. Your wager is now affected by two numbers: if the dice come 7, your Pass Line/Come bet loses, but if that point is rolled before a 7 appears, it wins and pays even money. The wager stays alive until one of those two outcomes.

We’re lumping these two bets in together because they behave the same way; the only difference is that players place Pass Line bets at the beginning of a shooter’s turn. Craps players place Come bets during the shooter’s turn.

Many players like to have wagers on several points at a time. By doing so, they stand to profit when a hot shooter comes along (someone who throws point after point without throwing a 7). Establishing points via Pass Line/Come is a valid option, but what if you don’t want to wait? Read on!

• Place: These bets mimic the Pass Line and Come bets that have passed and are tied to point throws. That is, they win if their point appears before a 7, they lose on a 7, and are unaffected by any other throw. However, there are a few important differences.
  
  When you make a Place bet on a number, you’re selecting the specific point rather than taking what the dice give you, as you would on a Pass Line/Come bet. Also, that wager is active immediately on that number; there is no need to pass through the first stage of rules on Pass Line/Come (that win on 7 or 11 and lose on 2,3, or 12).  

Payouts on Place bets vary with the number you select and are another difference with Pass Line/Come bets. For 6 and 8, you win $7 for every $6 wagered. For 5 and 9, you win $7 on every $5 wagered, and for 4 and 10, you win $9 for every $5 wagered.

• Field: this is a simple single-roll bet that pays off when the 8 least common numbers come up on the dice. Place this wager before any throw and you’ll win even money on 3,4,9,10, and 11. Most casinos will pay 2-to-1 on the Field bet if 2 or 12 appear. Field bets lose on 5,6,7, and 8.

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Executing the Craps Iron Cross Strategy 

The first part of the Iron Cross craps betting strategy involves making three simultaneous Place bets on the 5,6, and 8. Remember, Place bets stay in effect until their number hits or a 7 hits. Should any of these numbers come up your bet wins; you’ll collect your chips and re-make the bet if necessary.

Once a dealer recognizes you’re maintaining these active Place bets, they’ll only hand you your profits on a win, leaving the original wager in place as the roll continues.

Adding in the Field Bet

Once you’ve made Place bets, you’re ready for the second part of the Iron Cross craps strategy: the Field bet. This is one of the few wagers the player can make without the assistance of the craps dealers. Field bets win or lose on every throw of the dice, so be ready to replace losses.

The amount you wager depends on the minimum bet at the table. Start with the minimum bet size for the Field bet and the Place 5 bet. But you’ll want to make Place bets on the 6 and 8 in $6 increments, so these wagers will always be a little bit bigger.

For example, at a $15 minimum table, you’d place $15 bets on the Field and Place 5, then for the Place 6 and 8, you’d make $18 wagers, which is the closest multiple of 6 that meets the minimum bet requirements.

Example Craps Iron Cross Strategy Game Flow

You’re at a $10 minimum bet craps table. Here’s how an Iron Cross might play out. Note that when you win, some dealers leave your original bet alone and just slide your profits to you. If they return your original bet as well, you’ll need to remember to replace that wager before the next roll.

Before the dice are out, that is, before the stickman has pushed the dice to the shooter (which is an indication he or she is free to roll) you place a $10 wager directly onto the Field bet.

Then you take $34 in chips, push them in front of you in the Come bet area and tell the closest dealer on to place the 5,6, and 8. The dealer puts $10 on Place 5, and $12 each on Place 6 and 8.

1. Roll is a 5. Your $10 Field wager loses; you’ll need to replace it with another $10 in chips. Your Place 6 and 8 bets are unaffected but your Place 5 bet is a winner. The dealer will slide $14 in profits to you. So far you’re ahead $4 ($14 minus the $10 on the lost Field bet.)
2. Roll is a 2. All Place bets are safe, and your Field bet is a double winner! (Remember 2 and 12 get paid out 2-to-1). The dealer slides $20 in chips to you.
3. Roll is an 8. The Place 5 and Place 6 are unaffected, and the Place 8 is a winner, netting you $12. Your $10 Field bet loses so you replace it. This throw earned you $2.
4. Roll is a 10.  Place bets are unaffected. Your Field bet is a winner, netting you $10 for this throw.
5. Roll is a 4. Place bets are unaffected and the Field nets you another $10.
6. Roll is a 7. All four of your bets lose and are raked. For this sequence, you made $46 against $34 in wagers, resulting in a $12 profit.

Players using $10 Pass Line/Come bets to establish points would have gotten hit hard in this sequence. An initial Pass Line bet would have gone to 5, followed by a losing Come bet when the 2 appeared.

Players who kept betting the Come would have gotten $10 bets established on the 8,10, and 4 before seeing all bets wiped out by the 7 before any of the points had paid off.

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Advantages of the Craps Iron Cross Strategy

If you followed the example above, you can see that best outcome is when Field numbers appear because the result is pure profit. And when the Place bets win, it’s at least enough to cover the lost Field bet. Here are some positives about the Iron Cross craps strategy:

• Wide Coverage: With a Field bet plus Place bets on 5, 6, and 8, every outcome is covered except for 7.
• Frequent Wins: There are 36 possible combinations using two dice; six of those result in a 7. That means when you play the Iron Cross, 30 of 36 rolls (83.3%) have a positive outcome.
• Fun: Frequent wins makes for engaging and exciting gameplay.

Variations of the Iron Cross Craps Strategy

There are several variations of the Iron Cross strategy that players can explore:

• Pressed Place Bets: Instead of taking your profit on a Place bet win, you can tell the dealer to “press it.” That’s craps language that indicates to the dealer that you want to use your winnings to increase the size of your bet.
• Differential Place Bets: Because the Place 6 and 8 have a smaller house edge, some players like to bet a little more on these two bets.  At a $10 table you might have $18 each on Place 6 and 8.
• Other Bets: Advanced players might enhance their wins on Place 6 and 8 by also betting Hard 6 and/or Hard 8 bet, which pay a bonus when the number comes up as a double (e.g. if 6 is rolled as 3-3).  Just remember Hardway bets have a big house advantage, so they’ll add some flavor to your game, but they won’t help your odds of winning.

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Disadvantages Of The Craps Iron Cross Strategy

While the Iron Cross strategy has several advantages, it’s no craps panacea.

• Overall House Edge: no betting strategy or sequence can overcome a game where the individual bets have a house edge. The Iron Cross is a gameplay strategy to maximize the craps experience, but it is not a strategy that will make money in the long run.

• Field Bet: To put a finer point on the house edge question, any strategy that relied on the Field bet should be met with skepticism. The house edge on a standard Field bet is 5.56%. However, some casinos offer 3-to-1 on either 2 or 12 (but rarely both) instead of the standard 2-to-1, cutting the edge down to 2.8%.

• Limited Big Wins: The Iron Cross betting approach is more likely to deliver small, frequent wins versus other multi-number strategies which can deliver bigger profits on a long roll.

In a qualitative comparison, the Iron Cross strategy stands out for its frequent wins and engaging gameplay. However, quantitatively, strategies involving pass line and come bets with full odds offer a lower house edge and higher potential payouts, making them more favorable for long-term play.

Win More Stacks With The Craps Iron Cross Strategy

The Iron Cross strategy offers an engaging way to play craps, appealing to players who like seeing a steady stream of chips come their way, however small the stacks are.

While it provides a sense of momentum and excitement, it also comes with disadvantages such as the house edge and limited potential for big wins. But as long as you know the pros and cons before you play, you might just find the Iron Cross to be the perfect intersection of risk and reward!

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