Pinball… it’s a life style
When I was a young boy, I loved playing pinball games. For a mere five cents
I would get five balls to try to score enough points to light the replay gizmo.
There was a hole at the top of my favorite table, right in the middle. When I
produced a qualifying score and managed to manipulate the ball into the replay
hole, a loud pop sounded rewarding a credit for another game. There was a ball
return at the bottom of the hole. After racking up more points and the credit,
it would pop the ball back out into play. The longer I could keep the ball in
play, the more points and "free games" I could win. It was all skill and I paid
for my lessons. I set aside my allowance money to finance my pinball addiction.
Yeah, at the age of twelve, I was addicted to pinball. I could only play on
weekends. The only thought that got me through Sunday mass was day dreaming of
playing pinball. Is that a sin? Just as soon as I could get out of my Sunday
best, I’d peddle my bike down to Park Lanes, the bowling ally just the other
side of Mineral Palace Park on Main Street.
I played each nickel as if it were my last. I learned how to give that
machine just the right shove, at the right time, to send the ball back up with
just a little more ump, up to the high point bumpers without tilting. I learned
this from an older boy. He had slicked back hair. He wore a white T-shirt with a
pack of smokes rolled up in the sleeve. In the beginning, I did not know about
manipulating the game. When I saw if for the first time I was so impressed. Of
course, I had to learn about tilting the machine, which ended my session without
the chance of a reward. I eventually learned every nuance of that pinball game.
On a good day, I could play for an hour or so, investing maybe three nickels.
Dice games and pinball games are a lot alike. Both games are designed to
challenge the player. Both games tempt the player to keep playing for the win.
Both games are rigged for the player to lose. A pinball game has a sloping
table. A dice game has odds that favor the casino. In pinball, the ball tends to
pass down the middle of the table avoiding the action. In dice, the rolls tend
to be short, adhering to probability. Not knowing all the nuances will cost you
money. You run the risk of "tilting" either game by pushing too hard. You have a
limited investment for either game. You pay for your lessons. If you hold on to
your "nickels" long enough you may catch a hand. Best results are had when you
have a playing method that keeps you in the game. Simply, you want to get the
most "points" from every bet and sustain your playing time. By sustaining your
playing time, you increase the propensity of running into a winning streak.
When it comes to casino games, you are playing a game with a sloping table.
The ball keeps "trying" to roll down the middle where you are helpless. When it
does, you reload another ball (place another bet) and hope it is the one that
stays in play long enough to put you ahead. You play each ball as if it were the
only ball left, keeping the other balls safely in reserve. (money management)
How do you earn the "free game"? How do you play craps and score enough
points for the "replay"? How do you make the most of each bet and keep your
precious bankroll in reserve?
You come from an energy, an intrinsic belief, that the game can be beat. You
create a belief that aligns with a winner’s attitude. There is a way and you
will dedicate yourself to finding it. You never settle for less and you give
yourself every possible edge. You learn to expand your energy through a paradigm
of abundance. You know that coming from scarcity and lack is the kiss of death
holding you back from all that you deserve.
- You are playing a game. You better be playing because you enjoy playing.
You enjoy the challenge of the odds. You enjoy the thrill of winning and you
enjoy the rush of excitement. You are able to accept the fact that not every
session will be a winner. If it were, there would be no charge of energy from
the winning.
- You acknowledge your limitations. If you are not 100% serious about
acquiring the skills necessary of an expert player, allow yourself to accept
your level of play and still be able to enjoy the outcome. Where you find
yourself is where you are. Gaming is a factor of skill not luck. You can
always depend on your skill. The more you invest in knowledge and learning
about the game the better your results will be!
- You enter the game with only so many "nickels", at least make every nickel
play with a properly supported bankroll. Make the smart plays that have the
best return for the money at risk. It is all about keeping "the ball" in play
as long as possible.
- If you attempt to manipulate a game, have a subtle touch. When you "tilt"
the machine, the game is over. It is a fine line between conservative play and
knowing when to lean into the game. The old pinball game had a pendulum
hanging inside the game. Pushing on the table would cause the pendulum to
swing. If it swung too much, it would close a circuit and switch off the game.
When playing craps, be mindful about swinging the pendulum out of control. You
control the game by being in control of yourself.
- When the opportunity arrives, have awareness and know how to handle it.
You never know when a game is going to break loose with a monster roll. First,
you have to be at the table when it does. Second you have to have something
better than guessing to take advantage of it. (Never missing an opportunity is
something covered during the Dice Busters Weekend.)
- Gaming is like a two-edged sword. If you play too long, the odds will eat
you alive. At the same time, if you cannot sustain your bankroll long enough,
you will not be standing at the table when the hot hand does come along. You
must have some method, some system of grasping opportunity automatically and
you must have some way of playing the game that extends you limited funds, 5
cents for 5 balls.
- You do not have to be obsessive or compulsive. You have to be in control
and play with disciplined. After all, who is going to look after you? You must
be in control of you. Only you can put yourself in a game and only you can
pull yourself out.
- Limit your session to one bankroll, win or lose. When you have played all
your nickels, be disciplined enough to peddle your bicycle home. It’s probably
time for lunch anyway.
The intended purpose of this metaphorical story is for you take a look at how
you play your game. The person you take to the casino is the same person that
you take into the game of life. All your strengths and all your weaknesses are
always with you. You can only change those things that you truly wish to change.
You can have anything you want but for one thing. You have to want it and you
have to take the necessary action to get it.
Back in the days when I worked with Stuart Wilde seminars, participants were
challenged to look at their lives. A person facing a challenging situation might
be asked, "How is this like your life?" Meaning, do you see a pattern here? Is
there a connection with your actions or reactions to this particular event and
the way you function in "real life"?
For me, I think the pinball metaphor was a proving ground for the gaming
experience that was to come in later life. How is it like my life? I approach
both pinball and gaming in a similar manner; first, by striving for excellence
and second, by playing with a passion to win, never settling for less than my
best.
How do you approach casino games? How is it like your life? Take a moment for
introspection. Reflect on any similarities between the game and your life. Be
aware of anything that comes up that you may wish to change or improve? Until
you stop to observe yourself, you tend not to notice yourself. There is so much
more to the game than meets the eye. The tendency is to take for granted the
obvious and accept it as truth. The truth is, reality is just a thought form.
Simply changing your thought form, you change your reality. Strive for
excellence and settling for nothing less than your best is a thought form. What
you put out you will get back in return. Come from a big energy and the
dedication of a winner. Check yourself when scarcity or lack tries to sneak in
to your life. It is not just a way to play games. It is a life style. You can
win them all.
Well, that’s it for this edition of the Playing 4 Keeps™ Newsletter.
See you at the
tables Playing 4 Keeps™!
Michael Vernon
Author and Gaming Instructor
