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And the Survey Says
When I walk into a casino, I always survey all of the craps tables that are open. At places like Castaways, Mahoneys Silver Nugget or Silverton its easy because theres only one. But during busy periods, in places like the MGM Grand, Trumps Taj Mahal or Beau Rivage, there can be up to twenty tables open. What am I surveying? Well, there are a couple of things that
I am looking for:
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What are the table limits?
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What are the table odds?
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How crowded is each table?
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What player positions are open?
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What bets are on the layout?
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How full or empty are the players
racks?
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What is the general mood at each table?
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Do I recognize any other players?
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Do I recognize any other
Precision-Shooters?
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Do I recognize any hard-ass
or helpful box-men?
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How are my favorite tables
doing?
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Do any players appear to be in the
middle of a Hot roll?
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Are people drifting away from any
particular Cold tables?
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Are there different Odds available at
different tables, or with different minimum bets?
Why am I looking at all that stuff
before I venture into my pocket to bet even one measly dollar? Let me explain.
¨ Table limits determine what my own limits
are. The lower the table-limit and higher
the maximum bet allowed, the more flexibility I have in the game. There have been many, many times when I started
play at a $1 to $500 table. Starting with minimum
Pass Line bets and Full Odds, plus $12 Place bets on the 6 & 8; I have worked my bets
up to the table maximum on the Place Bets by increasing them on every other hit. Thats a lot of hits, and but its also
a lot of locked in profit. Likewise, after
several wins on the Pass Line, with high multiple odds, I frequently hit the maximum
allowable odds bet very quickly. Its
somewhat frustrating and annoying when you hit your head on the upper table limit. Yes, Im grateful for a great roll. No, I dont regret starting at a low-limit
table, but on a very hot roll, its a trade-off that confines your profit potential
while still maximizing your flexibility. ¨ Initially, Odds bets only make a difference on my Pass Line wagers. But if I am at a $1, $2, $3, $5 or $10 table that has 5x, 10x, 20x, or 100x Odds, I will sometimes replace my Place Bets with Come bets and Full Odds after they travel to the number box. This way I get maximum advantage of free odds, while still collecting on each box-number that I roll during a good hand. Heres an example: House advantage
decreases as the amount of
(click here for more on the House Advantage)
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number of people at each table, determine to a large extent, how often I will get to shoot
the dice. I like to shoot as often as possible, and I seek out uncrowded or empty tables. If a table is fairly full, but the dice are
getting to be near where my position at the table will be, I might belly up to the
bar.
¨ Open positions at the table determine
where I can stand. I do have a few favorites
of course. If one of them is open, I am more
likely to stop at that table to observe the action a little further. I keep my eyes and ears open to hear and see what
is happening at other nearby tables.
¨ The fullness or sparseness of the
players chip-racks answers questions that I dont even have to ask. It generally tells me the type of players that are
at the table, and their relative size of bet, or whether the table has been hot or cold
recently, etc.
¨ The general mood at a table may not
have an influence on the dice, but it does have an effect on ME. Call it hudu, karma, or positive vibes; if players
are in a good, enthusiastic, high-energy frame of mind, good things usually follow with my
shooting. If everyones mood is as dark
and somber as a funeral home after a school bus crash, then theres a good chance
that it will have a negative effect. Again,
it may not affect the dice, but a moody, bitchy, complaining set of players can take the
shine off of any eager and enthusiastic emotions that I may have had, and, like it or not,
it does affect my Precision-Shooting. The old
saying about not being able to soar like an eagle
if you hang around a bunch of turkeys seems appropriate if everyone is grumbling,
complaining and feeling negative. Attitude
matters, and if I want to hear negativity, Ill call my ex-wife!
¨ I play in many, many gaming
jurisdictions, at more than 150 casinos. I
remember faces, especially if I see them over and over again. I run into players in Las Vegas who I know from
Puerto Rico. I remember players that
Ive met in Lake Tahoe when I see them again in Niagara Falls. When I play in Biloxi,
I sometimes recognize people that Ive played craps with in Atlantic City, Illinois
and Michigan. A certain camaraderie forms
from mutual recognition. It also brings
like-minded people together in a common cause.
¨ What I said in the previous paragraph
goes triple for recognizing other Precision-Shooters. I make about 20% of my income from the efforts of
other skilled players. It is a small but
growing fraternity that I am pleased to be a part of.
Even if I do not know the other talented crapshooter, I will remember his
face as best I can for future reference. I
may say something like, Great Shooting, but I never say anything at the table
that might be overheard by any dealers, box-men, Pit Bosses, or other players about his
skill. I consider that bad form. When its my turn to shoot, I expect that
that little bit of respect is returned after I have what is hopefully a superb hand.
¨ Box-men can be either neutral, a help,
or a hindrance. Given a choice I would take
the first two and leave the last one. The
box-man can set and enforce arbitrary rules, which can take away a lot of the fun and
profit potential from my rolling. If
its a No dice-setting; No winners allowed here! attitude, Ill seek
out a better table.
¨ As I previously mentioned in other
articles, I track where certain sweet spots are on various tables that I play
at. If I go into a casino that I have
frequented in the past, this information will help me get acclimated to the dice-pit
set-up, and to the tables and spots where I have done well in the past. It makes a HUGE difference in confidence, and that
is usually borne out in my subsequent successful performance with the dice.
¨ If a table appears to be in the middle
of a hot roll, I may try to get a bet in if there is a space open. Ill be as unobtrusive as possible, and
believe me it can be done so that the shooter is not disturbed. If you can do it without slowing the game down, or
having the shooter even take notice of the new face, then I think its
okay. One little tip: If you need to
change money to casino chips, and you are too polite and/or superstitious about throwing
money on the layout during a hot roll, I have an alternative plan which I sometimes use. Ask a fellow player if you can buy chips from him
for the above-noted reasons. Most will
happily oblige your request, then you can bet as a regular player. The casinos strongly discourage that
activity as an illegal action on your part, so be VERY subtle, and just swap as little
money as possible.
¨ If people are drifting away from a Cold
table, Ill also check out the action there. Again,
depending on where the dice are relative to my intended shooting position, I may slowly
approach, then buy-in and just wait until the dice come to me. Alternatively, a Cold table represents a profit
opportunity on the Dont Pass and Lay Bet side of the action, and it should not be
ignored as a revenue-generator. Remember, you
are not there to make friends; you are there to make money.
If you need another friend, buy a dog!
¨ At some low-rent tables,
they offer 2x Odds on $0.25 or $1.00 bets, but offer up to 5x, 10x or even 100x Odds on
Line Bets of $5 or more. The table card
usually explains that, but you can ask a dealer if you are unsure. So next time that you go into a casino,
you may want to take a look around the dice pit, and survey what is happening at all the
tables before you settle on one. Good Luck & Good Skill at the
tables
and in Life.
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