Iron Cross Craps System
Once you really get into the game of craps, you'll start to look for new ways to beat the house. Some of these grand plans will come and go in an instant, but other craps systems just make too much sense to go away.
The Iron Cross is one of these super-intuitive craps systems, but does it really work? Read on to learn all about the Iron Cross, how it works, and find out if it can really make money for you.
How To Use The Iron Cross
The Iron Cross System is actually one of the easiest major craps systems ever developed. Simply make a field bet, and place bets on 5, 6, and 8. If the shooter rolls a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12, then your field bet wins and your other bets stay on the table. A 5, 6, or 8 being rolled will result in a win for one of the place bets and the remaining three wagers will remain posted.
No matter what happens, you can only lose when a seven is rolled. Six of the thirty six possible dice combinations will result in a seven, so only one in six rolls should be a seven; the other five rolls would be wins. So far it sounds unbeatable, but let's take a closer look.
Does It Really Work?
In a word: no. The Iron Cross System gives you a great chance to experience the excitement of one roll bets without the extremely high house edge. What it can't offer is a statistical winning edge over the casino. In the end of the day, the Iron Cross system still has a house edge.
This might seem counter intuitive since only one in six of the rolls should result in a loss. The important factor to remember is that only one of your wagers can win at a time, while a seven makes you lose all four of your bets at once.
Another way to think about this shortcoming is to look at each of the individual bets. All four of your bets have a house edge ranging from 1.52% to 5.56%. When you combine all of these wagers, you simply get a weighted average. If all of the four bets are of the same size, then the Iron Cross carries a 3.87% house edge.
The Iron Cross With 'Counts'
So we now know that the Iron Cross cannot mathematically make you a winner. For most players this would seem like the final nail in the coffin, but there is one more angle that we haven't mentioned: the use of counts.
In this situation, a count is a simple way to record the recent rolls. The idea behind a count is that there can only be so many non-seven numbers in a row, and then a seven will invariably appear. With a working count, you should be able to theoretically predict when a seven is likely so you can get your winning bets off of the table before it is too late.
This makes perfect sense on the surface but in reality it is based on the most common craps misconception: the gamblers' fallacy. The gamblers' fallacy is the belief that past rolls of the dice directly influence future rolls. It is the same misguided logic that tells you "A seven is due any roll now."
In reality, each and every roll of the dice is a unique, random, and independent event. No matter what the previous rolls were, each future roll is completely random and has a 1/6 chance of resulting in a seven.
Overview
So the Iron Cross is far from perfect. It has a 3.87% house edge and using counts is pointless. Is there any good reason to use this craps betting system? Sure, but you have to give up the idea of winning every time.
Since every single roll will either give you a win or a loss, this system can really give you an exiting craps experience. Compared to the risky proposition bets, you can get all of the excitement with a relatively low statistical house edge.