The Wall
by Michael Vernon
Say that you are a nickel player. You have
won eight units or $40. However, the $40 level seems to be a barrier. You are unable to go beyond
an eight unit profit. At the eight unit barrier the game stalls and you lose four to six units.
You climb back to a profit of $40 only to experience another loss, and so it goes. It is
a back and forth game when you are at the wall.
The same phenomenon can be
experienced during a
losing session. You are down the same eight units. Eight units becomes the bottom barrier. You
may claw
your way back to even only to backslide to the eight unit loss. Again, it's up,
down, up, down. It's a stall when you've hit the wall.
From my many hours of experienced
play, the
smartest, simplest and most profitable thing to do is to leave the game upon hitting the
wall. The energy for winning is not sustaining the game. I call it win one, lose one,
push. No matter how you adjust your play, nothing seems to work. Only the casino makes money
when a game is at the "wall". I know of no magic feather that will change or perk up the stale energy.
Believe me, I have
tried many times to shift the energy. Well, except sticking pins in a boxman-voodoo-doll.
Leaving seems like simple advice, yet the
tendency is for the player is to engage the intellect. The player thinks that the doldrums
cannot go on forever. Intellect talks the player into staying with the game. Perhaps the
player thinks, This game has to got to break away eventually. What the heck, I have
only been here forty-five minutes? I have to show something for my time. After all,
Im not losing, I can make this table pay. The intellect provides logical
explanations to keep playing but the energy tells a different story.
I always promote playing sensitive to the energy
or the vibes at the table. Follow the action closely, taking notice
of all things. Keep yourself alert, be present and in the
moment. Know what is going on all of the time. Keep yourself switched on,
aware to any signal that hints to your departure from the game. Positive reasons to stay with a game
should be
obvious enough.
More times than not, after hitting the
wall, the game tends to break down. Too often, when this shift occurs, it
happens very rapidly. The player who is asleep at the wheel is caught with their pants down
and
usually leaves the game that way.
The message to bail out of the
game comes as a feeling,
experienced perhaps, as something not right. It is a feeling of being in a
stagnate state lacking progress, going nowhere. I am reminded of the description of Limbo
as told by Sister Mary Fatima when I was about nine years old.
When you are in touch with the energy,
you will experience a knowing. You can perceive the energy and know
the kind
of game you are playing by how it feels to you. It feels comfortable or it feels uncomfortable.
Perceiving energy is real. When it is a negative feeling, ask yourself, Why am I not
feeling good about this experience? Look down at your chips in the rail and you will see
the
answer. Confirmation in real time is what I call it.
You can experience this energy feeling in your normal daily life. It is that little voice
that is always speaking to you. You know, the one you always promise to
listen to next time
if only I had listened to myself. Working with
energy requires discipline, quieting the mind and subjugating the ego and the emotions.
Perceiving energy is a subtle technique that intellect, ego and emotion easily overpower.
You have to ask "them" to step aside, to enable you to notice your perceptions as feelings.
Yes, and it
takes some practice, but it is something everyone is capable of achieving.
Once the intellect or ego engages, it
takes charge over the player. The player is not paying attention
to the subtle messages. The player is unaware signals that can be perceived from the energy. Being aware of the subtle
messages and their meaning is what I refer to as reading the energy. Most
players follow their emotions not the energy. The ego whispers, something good
should happen because
because I want it to, because it is due, because I am one heck
of a player, because losing can't go on forever". The players perspective is not
aligned with the
action of the game. "Reading the energy" is traded off for an emotional perspective. A longing and yearning
for the win, at any cost, is projecting negative emotion. Desperately wishing
that something good will happen is a sure sign that you do not believe or feel
that it will happen. Negative emotion is like a magnet. It draws negativity.
Detachment from ego, emotion
and intellect requires strong will and discipline. Without discipline, a player
can be lulled into a kind of
dream-like state. Hoping for success, and the absence of any change, the player
continues on a downward spiral. The mundane rhythm of the game gets boring and
betting becomes rote
behavior, chasing a loss. Make a bet and replace the bet after a loss. It is
like having a song that you hate stuck in your head and you can not stop humming it.
Your are in a trance. You have hit the wall.
The stage is set, ready for the fall.
Without warning, the wind turns cold and in a matter of minutes, losing hand follows
losing hand. The chase is on. Ego is not going to accept a loss. After playing
even for an hour and a half, an entire betting stake can be wiped out in
a few minutes.
Well what happened? You see, back at the
wall, the player received a quick warning from the energy, or lack of energy.
The warning was ignored and ego took the helm, and damn the torpedoes the ship
was sunk.
Hitting the wall is a signal. It is a wake up call to pay extra attention to
the game.
Here are a few more
considerations when reading energy.
-
Be in the present moment. Ask
what is going on here? What do I see? What do I know? How do I feel about it?
-
Be aware of what is going
on with the game and especially with yourself.
-
Notice your breathing.
Pay attention to your body. Listen to your heart.
-
Are you comfortable? Are
you experiencing any pain?
-
Do you have a headache or
backache?
-
Usually, signs of
discomfort are not apparent when you are having fun.
If you catch your awareness
drifting from the present moment, something is causing that distraction. It is
not important to identify the distraction. It is important to recognize that you
are not “in” the game. Be honest with yourself and have the discipline to admit
when your intention is weak. It is like boxer, in the ring, but not protecting
himself. A knockout is inevitable. Reading the subtle signs of energy in the
game is a way of protecting yourself. It takes a bit of practice and like
anything, the more you practice the more skilled you will become.
No matter if you are winning or losing
look for the rhythm in the game expressed by the energy. When the rhythm changes,
be ready to take
the necessary action. Usually a change in the energy is a signal that it is time to leave the game. Relax, casinos never
shut. Play it smart, take a break then find a game with potential, a game with winning
energy. It is never wrong to exit a game. Play from the heart, not from the head.
Re-published with permission
Playing 4 Keeps
playing4keeps.com
January/March 2000
Volume 2 Issue 1
Copyright Michael Vernon
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