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Adapting to Tables Ive long said that if you use the same one throw to the same target of every craps table the results will almost always vary. What works great on one table, is a stone-cold loser on another. We initially explored this subject in Adapting to Tables - Part I In our continuing
quest to derive as much consistency out of this game, we have to adapt to the tables. That may mean increasing or decreasing the
trajectory of our throw. It may mean lowering
the speed of our toss, or it may mean relocating our usual target area. Youve read a
lot about charting trends at a table. Weve
all heard about charting different shooters. You
wont hear me knocking either one of those concepts, but here is one more to add to
your trend-charting inventory. How about
charting tables from a Precision-Shooters point of view.
If you play at
various tables in your local casino, youve probably figured out that you have some
favorite target or sweet-spots to aim for.
Those are the spots that give you the most predictable, repeatable outcomes
from your Precision-Shooting. You may want to
start keeping track of them as your shooting skills progress. A reader recently
wrote in to ask: My fingers are
sensitive enough to notice the weight of the dice. According to the
"Gamblers General Store" catalog, their "Precision Casino Dice 3/4"
razor-edge dice weigh 8oz. However, two
different times (Palms & Fitzgeralds) the casinos were using the blue-polished dice,
and they switched to the amber-polished dice. When
I picked them up I felt a lighter sensation; also the dice reacted different, more active
and bouncier. So anytime I see those amber dice I stay away. Is this a mental thing or do the dice vary in
weight, density or something. I also noticed a different bounce between
the polished red dice and the red sand-finish ones at the Suncoast Casino. For example, MP, I
was at Fitzgerald's using the blue dice. I
had a good roll going and the table filled up. They
opened the other table, so I went over so I could shoot again. They had those amber dice, and couldn't do well,
even after several different attempts in various locations. In the meantime, the
first table cleared, so I went back to that table. They
too had switched to amber. I rolled the same
and hit the same target as before, but had much different results. Mad Professor,
what do you think, and have you experienced this? My response to this
obviously talented and very observant reader is as follows: First, to realize
that every casino and their respective tables present a unique set of challenges and
opportunities is commendable. To do so puts a
player well on their way to improving their profit potential IF you can adapt your play to
these varying conditions. Let me also tell
you here and now that this gentleman who wrote in, is indeed on the right track. Those damned yellow/amber/clear dice at
Fitzgeralds are some of the worst going. When you combine those with their very
unforgiving long and unpadded tables, good rolls are a rarity at The Fitz. Some people do well there, and that is great. The fact that their two tables are THAT difficult,
make it one place that I avoid playing at. Although
I will admit that when Im playing downtown Las Vegas, I make it a point to drop into
their little coffee-bar just inside the easternmost entrance off of Freemont Street for a
flavored coffee from one of my favorite cuties. However,
even the strongest coffee in the world isnt powerful enough to convince me to put my
bankroll in harms way at this casino. Its
a tough place to make money, and I figure there are plenty of much easier ones to pick
from twelve of the other downtown casinos. One further note
about Fitzgeralds. They are under new
management. The same dealers are still there,
and they are a fine group of individuals. I
am told that their land-barge sized tables are going to be replaced with shorter ones. Perhaps by the time you read this; they will
already be in place. You can be sure that
Ill re-introduce them back into my casino-rotation once their new furniture arrives. Lets talk
about adapting to various dice for a moment. When you have dice
of the same dimension but of different weights, it means that the curing process and the
resultant specific-gravity of the dice is different.
By varying the curing times and the compression pressures, the two main dice
manufacturers (Paul-Son and Bud Jones) can give a casino-corporation custom sets of dice. The only caveat is that ALL dice from the same
cellulose slab have to be of the same specs. They
get about 1150 dice out of each serial-numbered slab.
The slab has its own source twelve-digit serial number. Each slab is then cut into machinable 24-inch
wands, where several sticks of five dice each are produced from it. Most, but
not all five-dice sticks have their own unique four-digit serial number. By the way, you
will find that the red-colored and black-colored dice usually have the highest density and
resultant weight; while the white, yellow and clear dice usually have the lightest weight
and lowest density (specific-gravity). The
blue colored dice are somewhere in the middle of the pack, and there are light, medium and
dark blue variants, just as there are clear, frosted and opaque versions available. There are plenty of options that a casino can
choose from when ordering their dice-lots. Weight differences
are due to the varying amounts of curing catalyst that is used in the hardening/drying
process. If you talk to a professional
auto-painter, they will tell you that red, black and dark gray paint has the longest
curing times. It is likewise with dice. Different dice
manufacturers using different chemical compositions at achieve everything from
"super-ball bouncers" to "dead-cat stiffs." Likewise, different milling techniques,
finishing (polishing) compounds and acid-etching all contribute to the final appearance of
the dice. The only thing they all have in
common is that they package the dice in those foil-wrapper logs, and they all use
corn-starch as an anti-sticking agent prior to packing. There is a good
discussion of this dicey subject in one of Irishsetters excellent
Precision Shooter E-Newsletters. Its
probably worth a re-read, because Heavy and some of the other contributors cover the
subject quite well. So don't worry, you
are not imagining things. Dice have different
weights, different colored dice have various bounce characteristics, and of course, as the
table felt ages, they all combine to produce a mixture of results. Yes, you have to
adapt to all of these conditions, and you have to continue adapting as conditions change
from shift to shift, day to day, and casino to casino.
It doesnt
mean that you have to change your entire dice delivery method. Your stance and set still remain the same. What does change is SMALL, and I mean VERY small
changes to the force in which you throw the dice, and to your target area as well. In addition, the arc of your release and
subsequent touchdown of the dice will sometimes have to be varied, but again the changes
are usually VERY small and subtle. Now I know that
there are a number of proponents that will tell you to throw the dice exactly the same way
EVERY time that the dice are in your hands. That
advice is not entirely wrong. In fact,
its darn well pretty much correct. However,
each table has to be dialed-in as to how the dice are reacting to your throw. If your
perfect throw isnt perfect on this particular table where you have real
money at stake; well you can either adapt or perish.
Thats not a new concept. Dinosaurs are no
longer here because they couldnt adapt to a changing environment, but those animals
and other fauna that DID adapt are still among us. Go
figure! Being huge and in
charge of your territory like a dinosaur does not mean that you are necessarily right. Just because you have the perfect pitch on your
home practice layout, does not always equate to profitable success in the real-world
casino. We have to adapt to their
casino-world, or you, and your hard-earned bankroll will soon become extinct. If you dont
think that its necessary to dial-in your shooting to various tables
conditions and dice variants; then prepare yourself for the eternal damnation of the
casinos modern-day version of the dinosaur-swallowing tar-pit. Its called bankruptcy, and theyll be
more than happy to deliver your non-adapting dice-setting ass right to it. The reader
mentioned the Palms Casino in another of his e-mail questions. He said: You already know that
the new Palms Casino uses 3/4" dice with the smaller back-wall pyramids, and
different textured felt as well. Harrah's uses 11/16" dice with the larger
pyramids. Are these more little tricks for us
to contend with? Now The Palms a
felt layout that is quite deceiving. Its
not only made of a low-nap polyester/wool blend fabric; it also has diagonal stripes
across it. To some people, it lends a little
eye-confusion to their shooting. For others,
the loud pop/rock music that was formerly only found in the Hard Rock Casino at such
volumes can now be found here. Music volume
is shift-dependant, and can make bet-calling a little more
difficult especially for those who are getting a little older or who listened to too much
Humble Pie, Traffic, and Black Sabbath during the 70s, man! Music volume combined with the diagonal stripes
may be one more thing that should factor in to your adapting to The Palms tables. As to the subject
of different sized dice, well, this one is a little easier.
For the smaller dice, the 1/16 difference can be compensated for by
closing up your grip a little more. Instead
of squeezing the dice tighter, just move your fingers ever so closer together. I think that youll find that this does the
trick. I have seen a trend
in some of the newer casinos like The Palms and Green Valley Resort where they are using
the smaller pyramid back-wall material. What
is most interesting about this move is that the material is also markedly softer than the
more traditional bigger pyramids. The predominant
thinking up until now, was to make the pyramid material nearly as hard and dense as
possible to mirror the hardness of the table surface.
This newer small pyramid material is VERY soft and the amount of
dice deflection and rebound is now MUCH lower. I havent had
too many sessions at either of these two casinos, but my preliminary results are very
promising, especially for getting a dead-cat bounce off of the wall. As you know, bouncing the dice off of the
back-wall is not my regular way to play. However,
if the table is affording me some good money-making opportunities by throwing the dice
about six inches in front of the wall; letting them bounce onto the wall at about four
inches from the table surface; and then finally having them fall dead about two inches
from the wall; then so be it. Ill
collect my winning Place bet or Pass Line bet just like every other player who is happy to
be on the winning side of a wager. I want to thank
that reader for sending in such a well thought out set of questions. He, and I hope you, are entering that rarified
zone where very few people will ever enter. When
you start taking the game this seriously, serious profit usually isn't too far behind. Good Luck & Good Skill at the Tables
and in
Life. The Mad Professor
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