1. Craps 5 6 8 Field
2. Does The Iron Cross Work In Craps
3. Iron Cross Craps Play

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I have a question about a series of bets in craps. The strategy is called the 'Iron Cross.' It involves a bet on the 5, 6, 8, and the field. I read up on this, and found that this particular bet will pay on every roll that is not a 7. I was told that this gives you the lowest house edge. This is just one game to play craps for fun but if you visit the casinos listed on the site you can play higher quality craps game for free or real money. Also, let me know via email if you would be interested in an app to download from the app store or google play store!

Ive seen some people play the iron cross in live play as well as make some videos on youtube about it. In both instances i observe that the basic problem arises when you bet on the 5 6 8 and the field simultaneously. you will lose in the field if the top of the cross hits and wont hit enough on the bottom to make it worth it in the field. If you want to bet both the 5 6 8 and field numbers then split your field bet numbers on the prop bets which pay more. they are still one roll bets and you get paid more to boot. the only other numbers you get any action on in the field is the 4 9 and 10. in which case you get odds placing and buying. so the whole logic behind playing the cross doesnt make sense to me from an odds perspective of getting more for each dollar you bet.

There are four possible scenarios for the Iron Cross wager, based on the two most important criteria affecting the house advantage, viz-a-viz whether the Field 12 pays 2:1 or 3:1 and whether Buys collect commissions on every bet or just on wins:
Scenario 1: The Field 12 only pays double and Buy bets surrender commission on every resolution, win or lose
In this case, you'll Place (rather than Buy) the 5 @ $5 a pop, Place $6 on each the Six and the 8, and Field bet $5 per roll. The total amount bet will be $5 x 10 5-box resolutions in 36 rolls = $50, $6 x 2 x 11 = $132 on the Six and 8, and $5 x 36 = $180 on the Field, or $362 in all. In 36 rolls, the return will be $48 from the 5, $130 from the Six and 8, and $170 from the Field, or $348 in all, a deficit of $14, and thus a house edge E = -$14/$362 = -3.867%.
Scenario 2: The Field 12 only pays double, but Buy bets surrender commission only on wins
Here, Buying the 5 at $21 (not $20) a bet is optimal ($210 in all) and proportionally placing $24 at a time each on the Six and 8 ($528 in all) and $20 per roll on the Field ($720 in all) makes a total investment of $1,458 in 36 rolls. The total return will be all but $52, giving E = -$52/$1,458 = -3.567%.
Scenario 3: The Field 12 pays triple, but Buy bets surrender commission on every win or loss
The results here are the same as those for 1, except for the increased Field 12 pay, or only $9 lost, and a diminished E = -2.486%.
Scenario 4: The Field 12 pays triple and Buy bets only surrender commission on wins
The optimal situation, returning $20 more than 2, or losing only $32 out of $1,458, and minimizing E = -2.195%.
Clearly, the biggest contributor to frugalizing the Iron Cross system is the presence of the Triple-12 Field.Can this thread be moved to DT ? I believe they have a prayer channel there.

The basic problem with the 'iron cross' is that every one of the bets in it is negative expectation.

Awww . You say that like it's a bad thing.

The basic problem with the 'iron cross' is that every one of the bets in it is negative expectation.

That's not a problem peculiar to the Iron Cross; that's the problem with betting in any casino, period.

iron cross
when the fields pays 3x12 the bet becomes a better bet than placing the 5 & 9.
HOWEVER......... the casino makes its money by paying you less than proper odds on
all your bets.
Even if you hit your number , the casino has a built in vig.....
So you play the iron cross, what happens.
for every $100 you bet on the 4 & 10 the casino keeps $6.67
for every $100 you bet on 5 & 9 ( the casino keeps $4.00
for every $100 you bet on 6 & 8 the casino keeps $1.52
for every $100 you bet on field, the casino keeps $2.78 ( 3x12) or $5.56 at 2x12

That's when your making these bets separately. Each of these bets resolves at a different average rate (each 4- or 10-box every four rolls; each 5- or 9-box every 3.6 rolls; each 6- or 8-box every 3.27 rolls, The Field, every roll), so your comparison is apples to pomegranates to oranges to kiwis. The Iron Cross is a coverage bet, with a single-roll and a multi-roll component, combining separate wagers, each one with its own NX, but each is weighted differently because none resolve the same number of times in the Cycle of Rolls. The numbers don't lie - on a liberal Triple-pay-12 Field table, $1,000 bet consistently on the Iron Cross is expected to only lose about $22 or $25. I can live with that.

If you like the Iron Cross, you'll love the easy peezie.
Bet every easy way for one unit each (15 units) and you win one unit every time you don't roll a pair!
EASY PEEZIE!
You win 5 out of 6 rolls JUST LIKE THE IRON CROSS but you ALWAYS WIN THE EXACT SAME AMOUNT. So there's nothing confusing about it!
If you understand why you might not want to bet this way, but you don't understand why you might not want to bet the iron cross, consider that the composite edge per roll or the iron cross is ten times as high as a max odds strategy, just like EASY PEEZIE(sm) has an edge that is ten times as high as the Iron Cross.
I'll be selling a book called 'MAKING CRAPS EASY THE EASY PEEZIE WAY.' The book is only $19.99 if you pre-order now.

First signed copy goes to Sally?

The Iron Cross Craps Strategy: Simplicity at its bets!

Gambling strategies come a dime a dozen. For every game that can be wagered on, there are at least a dozen ways to do it more strategically. In craps, we know that certain options have much better odds (lower house edge) than others, and that avoiding the high-edge bets is imperative. We’re taught that Pass Line and Max Odds are the right way to play the game. But it’s not the only way.

Like most gambling games, craps strategies come in all shapes and sizes. In this case, they come in the shape of a cross – an “Iron Cross”, to be precise.

The Iron Cross Craps Strategy

The Iron Cross is a strategic betting system in which players can easily cover every possible number (except the 7) with four small bets. If any number hits (except the 7), a profit is made. The danger in the system is, of course, the rolling of a 7.

Here’s how it works. For ease of explanation, we’ll assume the table minimum is $5, and place all minimum bets. Note that the Place 6 and 8 wagers pay 7:6, therefore we must place these bets in increments of 6 (i.e. $6).

1. Wait for the shooter to establish a point.

2. Place the following four bets:

   • $5 Field Bet
   • $5 Place Bet on 5
   • $6 Place Bets on 6
   • $6 Place Bets on 8

This image shows what the craps table should look like with your Iron Cross bets in place.

Now, if the shooter rolls anything but a 7, all other numbers will generate a profit. The best numbers to roll are those in the Field section, since Place Bets remain on the table until they win, or the shooter craps out (rolls a 7). If a Place Bet wins, the Field Bet will lose, but not as much as the Place Bet wins. You’ll need to replace the Field bet before the next roll.

All things considered, here’s the net win (total win minus loss) you can expect when the shooter rolls any number you bet on.

• 2 wins $10

• 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11 wins $5

• 5 wins $1

• 6 or 8 wins $1

• 12 wins $15

Craps 5 6 8 Field

Rolling a 7, of course, wipes the board clean of all your bets, costing you $22. When this happens, wait for another point to be established, then replace the Iron Cross.

What Are the Odds?

Mathematically speaking, the odds of rolling any 7 are 16.67%. That leaves an 83.33% chance of rolling a profitable number. In this regard, the Iron Cross strategy looks quite tantalizing. However, let’s remember that rolling a 7 means losing the entire $22 bet in one fell swoop. Our 83.33% odds of winning come with a profit of anywhere from $1 to $15, with the $1 win being 8x as likely as a $15 win.

Here’s a quick chart to help explain it all:

Roll	Odds	Win	Loss	Net
2	2.78%	$10.00	$0.00	$10.00
3, 4, 9, 10, 11	38.89%	$5.00	$0.00	$5.00
5	11.11%	$7.00	-$5.00	$2.00
6 or 8	27.78%	$7.00	-$5.00	$2.00
12	2.28%	$15.00	$0.00	$15.00
7	16.67%	$0.00	-$22.00	-$22.00
Total	100.00%

You’ll notice there’s no Total for Win, Loss or Net. That’s because, to find that total, we must multiply the odds by the win/loss rates. In doing so, we get an average win/loss per roll of:

Roll	Avg Win per Roll	Avg Loss per Roll	Net Win/Loss
2	$0.28	$0.00	$0.28
3, 4, 9, 10, 11	$1.94	$0.00	$1.94
5	$0.22	$0.00	$0.22
6 or 8	$0.56	$0.00	$0.56
12	$0.42	$0.00	$0.42
7	$0.00	-$3.67	-$3.67
Total	$3.42	-$3.67	-$0.25

Does The Iron Cross Work In Craps

Like all craps strategies, the Iron Cross crap strategy is going to present a negative expectation. However, after crunching all those number, we find that for every $22 Iron Cross bet you place, your negative expectation is only -$0.25. That translates to a house edge of 1.136%. That;’s higher than the supposedly lowest house edge bets of 1.41% on Pass Line, and 1.36% on a Don’t Pass.

Learn about other craps betting systems and strategies:

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