Craps Systems: Pressing, Regression, Coverage, and Risk

Pressing · Regression · Coverage · Don’t-side systems

A craps system is a written rule for selecting, sizing, pressing, regressing, or stopping bets. A system can make play more organized and produce a preferred risk pattern. It cannot change the probability or house edge of the wagers it uses.

Named systems compared

System	Core mechanism	Primary failure
Triple Lux	Aggressively power-press Place bets and collect at defined milestones	7 removes a rapidly growing layout before collections catch up
Squeeze Play	Start large inside, spread, then regress after two box hits	One or two early sevens create large repeated losses
$135 Across	Point-excluded $25/$30 Place layout followed by a regression	High initial exposure and a misleading fixed-dollar name
Iron Cross	Field plus Place 5, 6, and 8 covers every total except 7	7 loses all $22 in the common base version
6/8 Power Press	Use 6/8 payouts and added chips to climb bet amounts	Uncollected presses remain exposed to 7
DP Pressure	Progress Don’t Pass stakes, often with come-out hedges and lay Odds	Hedges add cost; increasing flat bets magnifies losses
3-Point Molly Don’t	Maintain up to three Don’t Pass/Don’t Come points	DC come-out 7/11 and point repeats can remove positions
Hammerlock	Nonstandard name applied to Don’t-side and Place-bet hybrids	No authoritative fixed rules; “never lose” claims are false

Four major system families

Pressing systems

Pressing increases a winning wager. A power press uses the payout plus additional chips to jump farther. These methods create occasional large collections at the cost of leaving more money exposed during the hands that end first.

Regression systems

Regression starts with larger bets and reduces them after one or more hits. The attractive end state can hide the entry risk: the full starting layout can lose before the required hit arrives.

Coverage systems

Coverage combines bets so many totals produce a small win. Iron Cross is the classic example. Winning on many totals does not guarantee good value because probability and loss size matter; six combinations make 7, and one 7 removes several bets at once.

Don’t-side systems

Don’t Pass and Don’t Come have low flat-bet edges, but they are not the casino side of the game. The player still faces the bar-12 rule and loses on 7 or 11 while a new Don’t bet is in the come-out box.

How to audit any system

• Demand exact starting amounts and valid table units.
• Separate money collected from money still working.
• Include commissions, hedge bets, and required line wagers.
• Count the loss after a 7 at every stage.
• Test all sessions, not only the memorable winning hand.
• Reject “guaranteed,” “unbeatable,” and “professional income” claims without independently verifiable evidence.

Before choosing a system, read the strategy framework, 36-combination math, and responsible gambling limits.