Craps Strategy Iron Cross
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- The house edge is a weighted average of the house edges on all bets in the combination.
- The overall house edge can never be lower than the best individual bet in the combination.
The Iron Cross, sometimes called Darby’s Field, is a combination that is said to do the impossible. The component bets with the lowest house edges are place bets on 6 and 8, each at a 1.52% edge. Yet the combination is said to have a house edge of 1.14%.
How can that possibly be true? The answer is that the 1.14% figure on the Iron Cross is the house edge per roll, and the place bets in the combination are multi-roll bets. If you assume all bets are played until there is a decision, the house edge is 2.37%. If you will use this strategy wisely without making mistakes while playing craps, you have a chance to return home with some extra money in your wallet.
HOW THE IRON CROSS STRATEGY WORKS?
There are four wagers in the combination: the field, along with place bets on 5, 6 and 8.The field is a bet that the next roll will be 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12. If it wins, it pays even money on 3, 4, 9, 10, 11. You get bigger payoffs on the other numbers – usually 2-1 on 2 and 3-1 on 12.
On the place bets, you’re betting the shooter will roll your number before rolling a 7. Winners are paid 7-5 on the place bet on 5 or 7-6 on either 6 or 8.
The 7-6 payoff on 6 and 8 means you should always make those bets in multiples of $6.
At its base, the Iron Cross would mean $5 bets on the field and placing 5 and $6 bets on 6 and 8 for a total risk of $22. Bigger bettors can multiply the bets.
The Iron Cross was originally designed as a one-roll, hit-and-run bet. Every number except 7 is a winner, but when the roll is 7 all bets lose.
When the place bets win, the field bet loses. However, when the field bet wins, the place bets are still in action. If you like, you can take the place bets down and walk away with the money as well as with your field winnings.
HOW THE PAYOFFS WOULD WORK FOR EACH POSSIBLE NUMBER?
- 2: You win on the field and are paid 2-1. That means you have $10 in winnings and can keep all $22 of your wagers for a $10 profit.
- 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11: You win an even-money payout on the field, giving you $5 in winnings and you keep your $22 in bets for a $5 profit.
- 5, 6 or 8: You’re paid $7 on a winning place bet. You lose $5 on the field, but keep the $17 worth of place bets, meaning you have $24 overall or a $2 profit.
- 7: You lose all $22 wagered.
The Iron Cross was originally designed for players who wanted to make one last bet on their way out of the casino. They were betting the next roll would be anything but 7. In the days when even $1 would buy ham and eggs in Las Vegas, any win at craps would give the bettor enough to dine out.
They might want to know the house edge for just the next roll. The house edge on the field bet with the above listed payouts is 2.78%, while the house edges per roll on the place bets are 1.111%on 5 and 0.463%on 6 and 8.
Because you bet in multiples of $6 on the and 8 and in multiples of $5 on 5 and on the field, the 6 and 8 are given 1.2 times the weight of the other bets in calculating an overall house edge.
That one-roll edge on the Iron Cross is 1.14%. Note that it isn’t really lower than the best component bet in the combination, as has been claimed. The 0.463% one-roll edge on 6 and 8 and 1.11%on 5 are lower.
Some players see that house edge and think the Iron Cross is a viable bet for periods of longer than one bet. They need to know the overall edge of each craps bet is played to a decision. Under those conditions, the edges on each component are 2.78%on the field, 4%on the place bet on 5 and 1.52% on place bets on 6 and 8.
The overall house edge of 2.37% on the Iron Cross, played to decision on all pieces, higher than the 1.52% on 6 and 8.
Either way you look at it, the Iron Cross is no miracle bet. It’s a better combination than most that involve one-roll bets, but it has a higher overall edge than its lowest-edge component. That’s just as it must be – it can’t defy the math.
Playing the Iron Cross at Craps
Craps Strategy Iron Cross Game
By Jerry 'Stickman'
The lure of playing the Iron Cross bet in the game of craps revolves around the fact that you get paid when any number is thrown any number but the 7 that is. The Iron Cross bet consists of a one unit place (or pass line) bet on the 5, 6 and 8 plus a one unit field bet. An example is a $30 6 and 8, a $25 5 and a $25 Field. The field bet pays when a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 is thrown. Most field bets pay double when a 2 or 12 is thrown, but sometimes the 2 or 12 pays triple.
I have mentioned in previous articles that the Iron Cross is not all that great a bet. Actually exhorting players to avoid this bet is a better description of previous articles. This is because the house edge on the total bet is simple a sum of each portion of the bet times the house edge on that portion. The house edge on the 6 and 8 is 1.52%. The edge on the 5 is 4.00%. Where the 2 and 12 pay double, the house edge on the field bet is 5.56% and if the 2 or 12 pays triple, the edge is 2.78%. Overall the total edge for the Iron Cross is 3.87% if the 2 and 12 pay double. It is reduced to 2.49% if the 2 or 12 pays triple. Even at its best, the Iron Cross extracts almost a full percent more than the 6 and 8 place bets, so logic dictates that the money should be placed on the 6 and 8.
But gamblers actually human beings are not necessarily logical creatures. I have to admit that I have watched sadly and somewhat enviously as others at the table collect on bet after bet while I patiently wait for a 6 or 8 to hit. So recently I decided to try the Iron Cross when my point was a 5. Though giving up some house edge I am not a masochist, so I only tried this in casinos that pay triple for a 2 or 12, making the house edge 2.49% - not great, but tolerable for a research project.
I was surprised by how excited I was when the first opportunity presented itself. My point was 5, so I placed the 6 and 8 (which is normal for me), and then added the field bet. The numbers rolled that first time were: 10 (collect one unit), 4 (collect one unit), 9 (collect one unit), 6 (collect 1.2 units but lose one unit on the field), 6 (collect 1.2 units and lose one), 8 (collect 1.2 units and lose 1), and it continued.
It felt great collecting on the 10, 4, 9 and other field numbers. It sure hurt, however, collecting a 6 or 8 and losing the field bet, making the net win only one-sixth of normal.
Wanting to give the research a decent test, I continued to bet the Iron Cross every time my point was a 5. Over the period of several days shooting there was ample opportunity to play it. On long rolls I would press the 6 or 8 with the extra units I won by hitting field numbers. By doing this, the effect of losing the field bet when hitting the 6 or 8 is lessened.
After a week of playing the Iron Cross, here are my observations and feelings.
It is nice receiving all the extra payoffs from hitting the field numbers. It is particularly nice making some money off the 11 and the craps numbers 2, 3, and 12. The double payoff on the 2 and the triple payoff on a 12 are really fun.
Although, as a 'logical' person it shouldnt have, the psychological effect of losing the field bet on a 6 or 8 really impacted me. Being used to collecting the full amount when hitting these numbers, having it diminished by ponying up another field bet affected me more than ever expected. In fact, it more than made up for the exhilaration of collecting on more numbers. Add to this the fact that nearly an extra 1% is donated to the house by betting the Iron Cross, any desire to play this system in the future has been purged.
No longer will I be envious of those collecting on field. I will continue to bet as in the past: place the 6 and 8, possibly buy the 4 and 10 if the vig is paid on wins only. If I want to get more numbers in play, adding a come bet or two is the way to go.
While not collecting as often, I will never lose one bet while winning another and, the house edge will be limited to 1.5% or less on all my bets. That way I have the best chance of winning some of the casinos money.
While playing the best bets is sometimes not easy, winning more (or losing less) is much more satisfying. Stick with the math of the game and improve your results.
Jerry 'Stickman' is an expert in craps, blackjack and video poker and advantage slot machine play. He is a regular contributor to top gaming magazines. The 'Stickman' is also a certified instructor for Golden Touch Craps and Golden Touch Blackjack. For more information visit www.goldentouchcraps.com or www.goldentouchblackjack.com or call 1-886-738-3423. You can contact Jerry 'Stickman' at stickmanGTC@aol.com