At The Oven’s Door…
Money isn’t everything unless you are buying into a casino
game of craps or blackjack. Then, you better be prepared for the price of
poker or accept the fate of losing for playing with an inadequate bankroll.
A couple of years ago I wrote a contribution for an e-book,
how to double $100 at the casino. The best way to double $100, as the old joke
goes, is to fold it in half and put it back into your pocket. A hundred bucks
is not really enough money to properly enter today’s minimum bet games.
I did not come to the decision of participating in the
e-book eagerly. To write about doubling money was contrary to my beliefs and
my years of experience. In the end, I decided to write about a method of
playing craps by betting on the don’t pass. I had experienced years of
consistent results with the play, and I usually doubled my starting buy-in. To
be clear, I am not trying to mislead you. The idea of doubling your buy-in is
silly at best, and this was my concern for participation in the project,
making winning appearing as easy.
Anything having to do with Las Vegas is hot right now. You
can not turn on the television without seeing a show about the "City of
Dreams". Recently, there was a program competing two players against one
another to see which one could win the most money. The experiment compared a
system math player to a tourist type gambler. The question posed was, does an
expert player have more of an advantage when it comes to winning than the
average tourist gambler?
I must say right off that the scenario was bogus. I was
surprised that the "expert" gambler conceded to the rules of the competition.
However, as I studied the show I recognized that the point of the show was
essentially an infomercial for luring more players to the casinos. The message
was clear. You do not have to know much, or need much money, to gamble. Anyone
can do it. If fact, the less you know the more you win.
Both competitors were limited to just $25 to play
blackjack, craps, video poker and roulette. Playing craps or blackjack with
just $25 is ludicrous, at best. Cutting to the chase, the strategy player was
ahead in money, little as it was, only to be "aced out" in the last game,
video poker. A win by the tourist gambler on the poker machine put him ahead
and was crowned the winner. Though the show did not report profit and loss,
both players, in fact, lost money. This point was not expressed in the
program. The show made it appear as if both players actually won money. The
show focused on the fact that one player, the tourist gambler, just won more
than the other did.
Reading between the lines, the subliminal message was,
"See, all that math and strategy stuff does not make any difference. Anyone
can play Las Vegas, you have just as good a chance as experts of the game."
Wow! It left me with a feeling of protest. I felt the show
was misleading millions of viewers into thinking the chance of winning or
losing is in the luck of the draw. With the pull of a handle, you can be just
as big a winner or loser. Skill really does not matter.
The program created the illusion that nothing is needed to
gamble in Las Vegas except $25. From my perspective, it created a "what the
hell, $25 or $50, play a little, lose a little, let’s have some fun".
Twenty-five dollars is not much money either way, win or lose, and that
creates another set up. If the player wins, the game looks easy and entices
them to play more. If they do not extend their play, and they lose, what next?
Well, hell Mel, get the money back, it’s easy. What’s $25 bucks? Let’s play
another $25 and get it back. Soon, the "money pocket" empties except for the
lint. The funds, ear marked for shopping, are "LG". (long gone)
The story was a complete manipulation of the viewers. The
best way to insure losing your money is to engage in games with too little
bankroll. Still, you have to know how to play the game first. I am not even
going to talk about the machines. As you should know from being a subscriber,
I do not consider slot machines entertainment. I’d sooner play a parking meter
to have about the same result.
The purpose of this article is not so much to lecture you
about proper bankroll for your game. It is asking you to be aware of the
subtle manipulation present with television programs about gaming. Most seem
to be slanted to convince the audience that gambling is "cool", that you do
not have to be an expert, that anyone can do it, and that it does not take
much money. In the example, even a complete moron has as good a chance of
winning money, perhaps even more money than an expert player would.
Maybe this is an unnecessary warning. Maybe it is not news
to you. I merely wanted to let my readers in on the subliminal forms promoting
and luring players to the casinos. The more you know about gaming, the more of
your money you will keep when it comes time to play.
Where is the metaphysics in this article? Well, it is
important to read between the lines. The truth always comes through, even when
it’s subtle. You only have to take a step back and ask, what is the feeling
created by the media’s message? As soon as you hear it said that you do not
need any skill, figure it to be a forgone conclusion that you do need
preparation. "Read my lips, no new taxes", comes to mind. It also reminds me
of Grimm’s Fairy Tale of Hansel and Gretel. The old witch tells Gretel to go
into the oven to check if it is hot enough to bake the bread. Gretel, wise to
the old witch, says she does not know how to do it. The witch, upset with
Gretel, orders her out of the way to show the little girl how to check the
oven herself. The witch bends over, Gretel gives her a shove and slams the
oven door behind the witch.
Next time you catch one of the Las Vegas programs on
television, telling you to check the heat in an oven, play like Gretel. When
at the oven’s door, check first for who is standing behind you before you
stick your head inside. A little bit of skill and cleverness can keep the oven
door from slamming shut on your gaming experience.
*****************************************************************
The following two
articles are from my colleagues and friends, Steve "Heavy" Haltom, and Thom
"Irishsetter" Morgan. Together we will be in collaboration with Beau "Dice
Coach" Parker presenting Craps Fest, a weekend symposium for craps players
coming in May. I felt that an article from Heavy and Irishsetter would be in
order as a way of introducing you to them. Craps Fest is a unique opportunity
to learn from four different, yet successful perspectives for playing dice.
Steve and Thom are great guys, great players and loads of fun to be with. Hope
you can make the May date.
*****************************************************************
Putting on the Blinders…
By Steve Haltom
On November 15, 1993, Dr. Tom Amberry made 2,750
consecutive free throws and stopped without a miss. He tossed baskets for
twelve straight hours. He was seventy-two years old at the time and had only
been practicing for a year and a half. Later, he appeared on the David
Letterman show and Letterman asked why he stopped at 2,750 baskets. Amberry's
answer: "They kicked me out of the gym."
How did a seventy-two year old man he accomplish this feat?
The answer is simple. As we say here in the south, "he put on the blinders."
When we talk about putting on the blinders we're really
talking about focus and the act of eliminating distractions. In precision
shooting, that means keeping the mind in the present and dealing with those
things you are in control of. You focus on your dice set, your grip, the
landing zone, the toss, and the follow through. These are all things you can
control in the here and now. Those things you cannot control are distractions.
Speculating about the outcome of the roll is a distraction.
Thinking about your next press or regression is a distraction. Analyzing the
last toss is a distraction. Concerning yourself with anything you are not in
control of NOW turns craps into a higher-risk game. If it takes you out of the
moment, it is a distraction.
To be a better precision shooter, learn to narrow your
focus and eliminate distractions when shooting, and widen your focus between
tosses. You don't have to be tightly focused for the entire time you have the
dice - just for those moments when you are executing your toss routine. In
fact, staying focused 100% of the time can lead to mental exhaustion.
For example, if you put together a ninety-minute,
eighty-four roll hand and are narrowly focused for the entire ninety minutes,
you will not be able to sustain the mental energy required for optimum
performance. However, if you broaden your focus between tosses and only narrow
it for just the ten to fifteen seconds it takes you to zone in, set, grip, and
toss the dice, your mental energy will sustain you through the entire hand.
You won't be mentally exhausted when the hand is finally over. Why? Because
when you put the blinders on you only have to be sharply focused between
fifteen and twenty minutes of that ninety-minute hand. The rest of the time
you are able to cut yourself some mental slack.
Here's an exercise
that will help demonstrate the principle of putting the blinders on. Imagine
you are standing at the craps table and are wearing blinders. As the stickman
pushes the dice toward you the first time and on each subsequent toss, you
narrow your blinders to focus only on execution. All other internal and
external distractions - the chatter of the other players, the clanging of the
slot machines, the approach of the cocktail server, thoughts about the next
press move - are shut out. The blinders shut out both internal and external
distractions until the set, pick-up, and toss are executed. After the toss,
widen the blinders to sustain energy. Repeat this cycle over and over for your
entire hand.
The mental routine
might look something like this:
-
NARROW THE
BLINDERS
-
Left Brain
Thinking
-
Decide what
adjustments you need to make to set the dice on axis
-
Choose your
landing zone
-
Calculate your
toss trajectory
-
Right Brain
Thinking
-
Visualize the
flight of the dice to the landing zone
-
Mentally feel the
perfect toss
-
Picture the dice
hitting the table, bouncing gently off the back wall
-
Imagine your
number rolling on the dice
Toss the Dice.
Once the toss is
complete and you have achieved your desired result you can broaden your focus.
The mental routine might look something like this:
-
BROADEN THE
BLINDERS
-
Permitted
Thoughts and Actions:
-
Self-congratulations
-
Make appropriate
bets adjustments
-
Listen to
non-intrusive small talk
-
Study the dice as
the stick man rakes them in the middle
-
Daydream of
favorite "happy" places
-
Hum a favorite
tune
-
Deep breathing
-
Thoughts to
Avoid:
-
Mechanics of the
last toss
-
Speculating on
next bets
-
Self-critique of
previous bets
-
Replaying bad
tosses or experiences
-
What others think
or expect of you
-
Negative
self-talk
Maintaining focus
is a constant challenge complicated by the fact that you cannot "force" focus.
But learning to control the crap between your ears can be very rewarding.
Master the mechanics of the various sets, grips, and tosses you will use in
the casino, then adopt a positive outlook that is free of self defeating
negative thoughts. Next, develop a way to control thoughts by achieving a
state of mental clarity, focus and concentration. Finally, when the dice are
out, never let the mind wander. Work your established routine, both mentally
and physically, and let your mind and body do the rest. Then perhaps the dice
will do just what you want them to.
Steve "Heavy"
Haltom
copyright 2004 -
all rights reserved
www.crapsfest.com
Reprinted with
permission
*****************************************************************
Those Ain’t No Rubik’s Cubes….
By Thom Morgan
While I was in high school, an academic from Budapest
created what would be called "The Rubik’s Cube." It was a dandy, yet
frustrating, yet addictive three-dimensional puzzle.
EVERYONE in my physics and calculus classes had one. Sure,
just about every kid tried it, but the "mathies" were the ones who couldn’t
seem to put it down. They’d spend hours, even days or weeks twisting and
turning the cube to solve it. It was a huge marketing hit.
At university, a couple of years later, if my memory serves
me correctly, Playboy magazine (I only read it for the articles of course)
published the "crack" code for the cube. By following a short set of
instructions, the code provided a tool to "solve" the puzzle in a matter of
seconds if your hands were quick enough. Now, you didn’t need your brain, or
the ability to work out spatial relationship concepts, you only needed to
memorize the steps. Now ANYONE could solve the Rubik’s cube.
Many novice dice influencers seem to be seeking a similar
set of instructions. You know, something along the lines of "the 10 easy steps
to dice setting." If only it were that simple. Yes, there are books on the
subject, some of them are good (Zeke and Sharpshooter), some are better (Heavy
and Yuri). I can, with no hesitation, say that there is no "code" to
successful dice influencing. Heavy in his book discusses the Elements of a
Precision Roll, Yuri calls them the Principles of a Controlled Throw. Both
authors are correct and yet it’s not like the solution to the Rubik’s Cube.
The elements and principals can be explained, along with the goals and
expectations, but dice influencing is primarily a physical skill. There are
shooters who will be able to read about the elements of a precision roll and
translate it easily into a physical action. Others will have difficulty, but
because they’re tenacious, will achieve success. And finally, there are others
who will NEVER be able to execute a controlled throw with any consistency for
one reason or another.
If you are seeking
the "code" for successful dice influencing, there is none. Learn the concepts,
practice like mad, and give it your best shot. As I’ve always said, if dice
influencing was easy, everybody’d be doing it.
Irishsetter
Copyright © Thom
Morgan
www.dicesetter.com
Reprinted with
permission
