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Its Time to GO, When
Usually, I start one of these
articles with a joke or a funny story. Thats
my nature. Im a pretty easy-going guy. Despite the fact that I take craps pretty
seriously, I like to enjoy myself along the way. A
few of my cohorts like to joke that when I was in high-school my guidance counselors
file probably contained just two words about me: "yard work." Theyll tell you that in my yearbook, I was
voted "Most Likely To Injure Himself Opening a Door", and that during algebra, I
always interrupted the teacher by asking, "When do we get to whittle?" Thankfully, Ive improved a bit since then,
or at least I hope that I have. I know for
sure that my hand-eye coordination with the dice has improved immeasurably. Theyll tell you that that is just further
evidence of a mis-spent youth, raging hormones and not having a girlfriend. Occasionally in the casino I run
into something that takes some of the fun away. One
example of when that can occur is if I am having a losing session. I know that I have to endure them once in a while
if I want to continue to use craps as my sole source of income. I also know that if I cut my losses short, I
wont have as much money to make up for on my next session. Knowing that I can turn a profit on
19-out-of-every-20 sessions keeps my confidence high.
Recognizing that Ill have to endure one of those losing sessions at least
once every four to seven-days, is something that my ego can take. On the other hand, its not something I take
any pleasure in, and my fun is definitely limited during one of those losing sessions. I HATE losing, but Im mature enough to
understand that I cannot win every time that I step up to the tables. Thankfully craps has helped me
mature, and has taught me not to be impatient or hot-headed when it comes to maintaining
discipline, a tightly-focused game plan and adhering to strict money-management. Its an understatement when I say that most
of those lessons have been hard taught. I can
tell you that the first ten or fifteen years that I played craps, I saw some great
profits, but I also endured some horrific losses. Since
I began Precision-Shooting more than 10 years ago, the massive losses have pretty much
stopped. Now, when I lose, I cut them short
if things arent going well and I accept that this is going to be one of those losing
sessions that I dread. All of this brings us to other
peoples losses when Im playing at the tables.
Usually I am nonplused by the losses or wins of other players. Many, many times there are plenty of players who
are making more money off of my rolls than I do. Im
not jealous or envious. Im happy for
them. My level of play, bankroll and
money-management methods are obviously different than theirs are, and thats
just fine with me. When I see players lose large
amounts of money at the tables, the same thoughts hold true. They have a different approach to this game and I
respect their ability to make different choices than I do.
If they can afford it, then, all the more power to them. However, I can honestly say that I am affected
when I see people losing more money than I know they can afford. It takes away quite a bit of the joy from the
game. Even if I am winning at the time, my
pleasure is reduced if I see the degeneration of a person with a gambling problem. Some
people play down to their last dollar, then they exhaust their bank card, and finally tap
out their charge-card. Thats when they finally leave the casino. Look at it this way, the ENTIRE town of Las Vegas
is engineered to separate you from your money. Youre
not in Kansas anymore Dorothy, and this isnt East Gopher Hole, Montana with two
taverns and a Laundromat. This is Vegas, and
you have to be careful with your money. The
same thing goes for ANY casino that you set foot into, wherever it is. I
thought that I would make a list of some of the early warning signs that you should look
out for, so that you will know when perhaps it is time to leave the table.
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When yesterday morning
becomes tomorrow afternoon in one session.
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When youve been at the table
for three or more shift-changes.
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When the cocktail waitress refuses
to serve you any MORE alcohol.
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When youve tried everything
that you can think of to win, and your session has still been a complete disaster.
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When the dealer or box-man suggests,
almost apologetically, that its time for you take a break.
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When your Precision-Shooting is not
hitting the mark.
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You've been playing for what seems
like an eternity.
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When your vision is blurred.
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When your judgement is blurred.
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When you cant seem to settle
into a rhythm.
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When you are tired.
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When you find
yourself saying unbelievable, this cant be happening,
unreal, this game MUST be rigged, or check the dice.
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When you are frustrated.
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When second-hand smoke from another
players is bothering you.
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When your own first-hand
smoke is bothering you.
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When EVERYTHING is bothering you.
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When you are angry, upset or
irritated.
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When you need to take a washroom
break, but youd just as soon fill an empty beer bottle.
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When you need to take a washroom
break, but youd just as soon fill your dark-blue no-one-will-notice
suit-pants.
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When your stomach growls loud enough
for everyone to look around fearing an uncaged zoo animal is on the loose.
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When you hit your Stop/Loss limit.
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When the floor-man, without your
asking, hands you a meal comp, and says, Maybe youll have better luck after
you eat.
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When the Pit Boss, without your
asking, hands you a room comp, and says, Maybe youll have better luck
tomorrow.
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When you fall asleep at the table
waiting for one more try with those damn dice, maybe its time to call it
a day.
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When you start to think that it's
been bad for so long, the law of averages has to make things better.
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When another player leaves the table
with his winnings, and says, Have a nice day, and you respond with,
Dont tell me what to do.
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When the dice circle the table with
nobody making a point or even hitting a number before 7-ing out, and you
refuse to bet on the wrong side or the darkside, because
thats only for losers.
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When you start talking to yourself
out-loud, and you respond by saying, That doesnt make any sense.
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When you start talking to yourself
out-loud, and you respond by saying, That makes A LOT of sense.
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When you hear cheers of triumph go
up at every other table but yours.
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When you start to hear voices that
arent really there.
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When you start to hear voices that
appear to be coming from the dice.
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When you start sobbing
uncontrollably.
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When you start sobbing controllably,
but feel like curling up into a fetal position.
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When you look at other players
coloring-out chips and you silently curse them with unhealthy wishes.
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When you look at other players
coloring out chips and you LOUDLY curse them with unhealthy wishes.
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When you feel immense chest pains,
and your left arm and fingers start to go numb.
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When you decide that one LARGE bet
will make up for that irritating string of small losses that youve been enduring.
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When find yourself saying something
to another player or to a casino employee that you'll regret later.
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After losing that one LARGE bet,
deciding to put the balance of your bankroll at risk on one last desperate make-or-break
bet.
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When you take out you false teeth,
and ask if you can wager them.
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When you take out you false teeth,
to wager them and the box-man takes out his teeth to fade your bet.
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When you start thinking about how to
embezzle funds from your employer.
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When your
pockets and wallet are jammed with ATM cash-withdrawal receipts, and you have a few measly
$1 white chips left in your rack.
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When you realize that you are not
having fun any more, and it hasnt been fun for quite a while.
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When you realize that you
havent been betting with your head, but betting way, way over it.
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When you consider using the
rent money to extend your playing time.
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When you consider using the
diaper and baby-formula money to extend your playing time.
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When you are afraid to leave because
a hot hand may finally develop.
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When you make every conceivable bet
on the table, so that you will win at least ONE bet.
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When they call a priest or minister
to give you last rights, its time to leave. So if you find yourself at the craps table in
any of these situations, perhaps, it really is time to go. Good Luck & Good Skill at the Tables
and in
Life. By: The Mad Professor
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