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The When, Where, Why, What and How of
Signature Numbers A
guy goes into a tattoo parlor and offers the tattoo artist $1,000 to tattoo a $100 bill on
his male-member. The artist agrees, but is curious and asks the man why he wants it. The
man replies, "I have my reasons which I would rather not get into." So, the artist goes ahead and does the job, but
all the while he is anxious with curiosity over why this man wants a $100 bill tattooed
onto his penis. So, he asks again. Finally, the customer consents and offers these
three reasons: "First, I like to play with my money.
Second, I like to watch my money grow.
And third, and most importantly, the next time my wife wants to blow $100,
she can stay at home to do it." We all look at
money in many different ways. Today I want to
talk about how to increase the RELIABILITY and PREDICTABILITY of your in-casino betting
performance. As
a Precision-Shooter, we have to focus on the winning-numbers that pay the freight. Otherwise, we are just there to gamble. It makes no sense for us to have long rolls, but
have few paying bets, or to have betting strategies that simply erode our bankroll without
taking advantage of our Precision-Shooting skills. That defeats the principal reason that
we took up Precision-Shooting in the first place
and that is to make MONEY! For
that reason, we have to know our Signature Numbers. What
are Signature Numbers? Why
do we need to know our Signature Numbers? How
do we use our Signature Numbers? These
are not meaning of life type questions. We
are taking practical steps towards building consistency and profitability into our
Precision-Shooting craps game. Signature
Numbers help us to get us there and keep us there. So,
what are Signature Numbers? Signature
Numbers are the numbers that we roll MUCH more frequently compared to how they are
supposed to roll based on the expected frequency of their appearance. It
simply means that if a 5 is supposed to show up, on average, four times out of
thirty-six throws, but with our Precision-Shooting efforts, it shows up, on
average, eight times out of thirty-six throws; then 5 is definitely
one of our Signature Numbers. Here
then is how frequently certain number are statistically SUPPOSED to roll in 36 tosses of
the dice: 2 should
roll 1 time out of 36 or 2.77% Like
I said, that is how frequently certain number are statistically supposed
to roll in 36 tosses of the dice. Let me
quickly add that within the realm of Precision-Shooting, we are not talking about
standard deviation here. Standard
Deviation is where the randomness of the dice will prevent perfect outcomes. The dice will not always show up the expected
number of times as shown on the 36-expected rolls chart.
It simply means that over an infinite number of tosses, the dice are
expected to have outcomes in line with their expected frequency of occurrence as shown on
that chart. That is the simple math part of
the game, and that part is undisputed by both players and mathematicians alike. While
I am no scholar when it comes to math, I consider myself adept at understanding the math
side of the game and how it fits into the real-world fluctuations and volatility of the
game that we love so much. Sorry
to have to get into the whole math thing there. I
hope youre not feeling light-headed from the experience. While people will tell you that you dont
have to know about the entire Swiss watch-making industry to enjoy the pleasures and
benefits of owning and wearing a Rolex watch, the base-knowledge that you need for
craps-survival is more fundamental. There
is nothing wrong with understanding the basic math that governs this game. It doesnt make you a
math-weenie just because you understand how the numbers actually work, and how
you can make those same numbers work for you. It
is from that understanding that we can build a consistently profitable base for this
unbeatable game. There
are a number of great articles here on Irishsetters site that give you some real-life
example of actual throws versus what is expected from random-rollers. The prime example would be the
Real Practice
Data area
of the site, which was posted by Irishsetter some time ago.
It bears re-reading because of the perspective that it brings to the
subject. You
need to know some of these math-basics, so that you can go forward with your
Precision-Shooting and make tangible improvements to the profitability of your game. Signature
Numbers are the number-one way of squeezing MORE profit out of your game, while REDUCING
risk to its lowest possible level. That
leads us into the WHY of this whole discussion. Why
do we need to know our Signature Numbers? In
Precision-Shooting, your "Signature Numbers" MUST determine
your betting methods, not the other way around. We
would all like to make profit off of every single roll of the dice that leaves our hand,
but sadly, that is not the case. We determine
our "Signature Numbers" on the practice rig, and we validate them in the casino. Some
folks are tempted to Place bet the 5, 6 & 8, and then cover the Field bet. The Iron-Cross method was formulated
for a quick hitnrun strategy, NOT as a daily grind
method. If your dominant Place
numbers after the come-out roll, in descending order of frequency are usually: 6, 8, 5, 4
and 9; then the Field is the last place you would want to put your money. Even
though you get a nice payoff when the 4 and 9 hit, your wins on a 6 or 8 Place bet are
diluted by the Field-loss offset. It would be cheaper and much more profitable to
bypass the Field, and Place bet that dime directly on your next most dominant number, in
this case, the 5. If the 4 starts showing up with
regularity, a dime there would not only have a more profitable outcome than the Field ($18
payoff instead of $10), but a subsequent appearance of the 5, 6, or 8 wouldn't knock it
out. If the 6 & 8 are your predominant
numbers; then you don't want anything diluting their payoff. Again, we want to max
our profit, and minimize our bankroll exposure. Just
as a side note; in some cases if the 4 or 10 is my Pass Line point, I could care less if I
EVER hit it. If I get anywhere from twelve to eighteen hits on the 6 or 8 (bet as
twins), and four to eight hits on the 9; then if and when the Pass Line point of 4 is
repeated, it's just a happy coincidence. Sure I like the free-odds payoff on the 4,
but buddy, I gotta tell ya, the real profit is already in my rack from that rash of 6's,
8's and 9's. And yes, before you ask
if
I am satisfied with the profit from those Inside Numbers, I will sometimes change my
dice-set to hopefully bring out that 4 or 10 Pass Line repeater. Again,
your predominant "Signature Numbers" should dictate what numbers that you
cover.
Determining
Signature Numbers From
your practice sessions, you should chart the percentage that EVERY number shows up.
Then compare it to the frequency charts that are found elsewhere on Irishsetters
excellent site. From there, using your Sevens-to-Rolls Ratio average, you should be
able to determine the relative profit-potential of each bet. These are the kinds of things that it takes to
elevate your game to the next level. Most
players arent prepared to spend that kind of commitment to reach that higher
snack bracket. Now
you cant use a small sampling of 36 rolls to determine your dominant numbers. I would suggest that you track your practice
sessions over a reasonable period of time. Remember
that some of your sessions will yield better results than some others. You want to blend the results and chart them over
at least several hundred dice-throws. That
will give you a good idea of where your consistent strengths lay. On
the other hand, all of these dominant-number calculations are done AFTER you have
dialed-in your Precision-Shooting throw. If
you are still working on that particular skill-set; then you can delay this Signature
Number exercise for a later stage when you have better throwing consistency. Otherwise you wont get a true picture of
your Signature Numbers because your throwing skills are still in an ever-improving
transitional stage. Trying to hit a moving
target is difficult enough for a skilled marksman. Doing
so as a novice just adds frustration to your learning process. Lets
get back to the main subject. Initially,
in the casino, I would only cover the top one or two dominant or "Signature
Numbers" that are not already covered by your Pass Line bet. I would also strongly recommend a regression on
those "Signature Numbers" bets after the first hit. If they continue to
roll in, you will have plenty of time to press them AFTER all of your action has been
covered, AND you have already locked in a profit from your roll. Regardless of
your practice-table surface, your throws should be showing some sort of consistency. If you use the same grip, stance, release, etc.;
then the same sorts of numbers SHOULD be showing up when you throw the dice
for-real in a casino. Okay, now if
you chart every number that you throw and compare it to the chart of expected outcomes
(frequency of occurrence) then you should be able to quickly determine your dominant
Signature Numbers. Remember that
we are going to focus in on just the top one or two dominant numbers for our Place
betting. We keep our initial risk as low as
possible. When our betting choice has been
vindicated by winning-payoffs; then we can either increase the amount of the Place bet, or
we can add our next most dominant Signature Number to our betting mix. Yes, each craps
table is different, but if your Precision-Shooting is consistent; then you should still
see an alarming amount of the same numbers over and over and over again. If not, it is your throwing that is
"off", and not the table. If that is the
case, then more at-home practice is required. Set
the dice in your usual set (let's say 3-V). Take
a permanent black marker, and draw one straight and complete stripe around the non-axis
faces. That means on one dice it would be a
black continuous stripe on the 3, 1, 4, and 6. While
on the other die, it would be on the 3, 5, 4, and 2. Now, when the
dice are set up and thrown in the 3-V format, you should be seeing each dice fly through
the air while showing two continuous side-by-side straight rings of black. You can use this method to determine when and how
one or both dice are going off axis. Youll
notice either a release problem where one of the dice wobbles or goes off-axis
almost as soon as it leaves your hand. Or, it
will be a throw alignment problem where one of the dice does not land flat and
flush with the tabletop. Those are throwing
problems that can be cured through continued careful practice and refinement. Once you clear
up your throwing or alignment problem, THEN, and ONLY THEN, can you return to determining
your signature numbers.
How
do we use our Signature Numbers? Your signature
numbers determine HOW you bet at the tables when it is your turn to shoot. Initially, we
restrict our Place betting to cover only the top one or two Signature Numbers that are not
already covered by our Pass Line bet. As the
Signature Numbers hit, we lock up a profit. On
subsequent hits, we use a portion of the Signature Number hit-profit to fuel either
increased bets on those top one or two Place numbers, OR, if our lower echelon Signature
Numbers are also rolling; then we use some of that profit to fuel bets on those new Place
numbers. Lets take
a look at how we got to this point: First we
perfected our grip and throw. Next, we worked
out the kinks of our on-axis throwing. Then, we were
able to chart and determine our Signature Numbers on our home Practice Rig. Finally, we
tried it out in the casino. Some of our
Signature Numbers were validated as being profitable contributors to our bankroll. The next step
is to go back to the Practice Rig, to see if the predominant numbers that we rolled in the
casino, still hold true on our home setup. At this point,
we continue to refine both our Precision-Shooting and the attendant betting methods that
derive the greatest profit, while exposing our bankroll to the lowest risk. As you can see,
this is a continuous process whereby we focus-in and refine our betting methods to capture
as much profit as possible, while minimizing risk. By
tracking our predominant Signature Numbers, we either discard some of our old non-valid
betting methods, or we continue to piss money away on weak-paying infrequent hits. The choice is yours. That is how
determining our Signature Numbers increases the RELIABILITY and PREDICTABILITY of our
in-casino betting performance. Good Luck &
Good Skill at the Tables
and in Life. Sincerely, The Mad
Professor
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