Craps Tips Strategy
Gambling strategy resources used to center around paperback books and magazines. You had to either visit a bookstore or subscribe to gambling magazines to learn the strategy. Luckily, the internet has made learning craps tips much easier. All you need to do is pull out your smartphone and google a simple phrase like “best craps strategy.”. Craps is known for being one of the easiest games to learn on the entire casino floor. Not only that, but it provides some pretty favorable odds to gamblers of all skill and experience levels. While the learning curve might not be as significant as it is with other games, there are still a number of strategies that can help take your success up.
Simplicity is helpful to craps newcomers but often it’s also the best strategy for more advanced players. The strategy outlined below is extremely easy to understand and implement. It’s also as effective as any craps strategy we’ve seen as it combine s ‘ease of use’ with a very low house edge. Another good craps strategy is the parlay betting strategy popularly known as ‘pyramid betting’. It is a type of bet that combines the original bet with the winnings. This strategy depends on subsequent wins to be successful. So, if an independent bet wins, the entire bet wins. Best Craps Bets I should tell you right away that the best craps bet is the 'don't pass' bet with the free odds bet. This combination can ultimately lower the house edge to 0.01%, which is ridiculously low at a casino. You can use this strategy and make a ton of money, or at least keep playing for a very long time without losing your bankroll.
Best Strategy For Playing Craps
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).
Wait for the shooter to establish a point.
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.
Crap Game Strategy
2 wins $10
3, 4, 9, 10 or 11 wins $5
5 wins $1
6 or 8 wins $1
12 wins $15
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 |
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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