Dice Setter Precision Shooter’s Newsletter: February  2013

Hello my loyal readers,

My thanks to all of you who sent kind comments about the January edition. Your feedback influences the direction of the newsletter.

Whew, what happened to January. Seems like I was just toasting the new year and lying about resolutions… ha ha.

Speaking of time flying, it came to my attention, reading an old 2008 P4K newsletter, how things change, and stay the same. At that time there was a concern, on the part of the dice setting community, that casinos would soon be changing the game of craps. Plus, there is a side note about gold hitting $1000 for the first time. OMG!

Ed reminds us casinos are not fast food business, we don’t always get it our way.

Welcome to my February newsletter, enjoy.

Soft Touch

Nice Jan. Update ED

Let me share a story with you and your readers. Last summer I was walking around in the new city center casino. Very spacious casino, it wasn’t very crowded , it was around 7 or 8 pm on a Friday night. After I passed the BJ table I saw that the craps table was pretty crowded and people were yelling and screaming. There was no room to get in on the table. I went up to the table and I watched a middle age oriental fellow rolling the dice. All the fire bet numbers were covered high and low, and I think the 10 or the 4 was the only one left. After about five rolls he hit the 4 and the table went nuts !!  They paid every one off and then the fire bets got stacked high again. Then he proceeded to roll for about 45 minutes and hit all the numbers again except for I think the 2 or the 12. There was quite a crowd of non players watching by now. I turned to lady in front of me ready to say something  she said “hush you’ll jinx him!”

Then his wife with his two children come walking up to him, she whispers something into his ear. He motions the bit boss over. Then he picks up the dice and is ready to roll again. His wife says this time rather loudly “time to go or we miss our dinner show, NOW!”  So he sighs and says to the dealer to color him out. Every one at the table sighs.

So guess what they did with the remaining fire bets ? You think they would let the next player roll for it without starting over? Nope. You think they would give the money back? Nope. They started taking the bets. They said that the player did not finish the roll per house rules. Boy were people upset. They started grabbing their bets off the table left and right, in middle of the roll, and walking out of the casino.

Good of you to keep the dice community tied in. Keep up the great work. DDV

Thanks DDV, and you are welcome,

Your story has several interesting aspects that I’d like to comment on.

First, superstitious behavior is at its highest during a big hand of craps. “Hush you’ll jinx him”, barely scratches the surface. I have never seen a shooter that was rolling a big hand, roll more than once, after the wife or girl friend, grabs him by the short hair. Talk about a sad ending to a beautiful movie, that tops it.

Four years ago, after a private lesson, I took a client out to play Las Vegas on a Saturday night. He was a $5 player, but insisted on playing the strip. I explained to him that it would be very unlikely to find a $5 game on Saturday night. I suggested several other appropriate choices, but was turned down.

The client chose Caesars. If you are familiar with Caesars, then you know the text book scene at the craps pit. Big money, well dressed, cigar smoking craps players… no tourists. Most of the tables were $25 minimum bet. There was one $10 game. I did not like the action, but wild horses could not hold back my client. After losing about $85 of his meager $200 buy-in, with hands shaking, he says I’m done. Let’s go somewhere else. After a brief lecture about his lack of comfort with the betting limits, I reminded him of the other choices within his bankroll. No, he still wanted to play a $10 game. We proceeded to the Mirage. I felt he was too unsteady, and simply chasing a loss under duress.

Short story, so as not to get too boring. We checked out the tables. Busy just like Caesars. I spotted a game that had the “feeling”. It was a beauty, and the dice moved to a new shooter. I told the client, now or never, this it the table of your dreams. He counter me with there is not room. I pointed to the inside hook, next to the dealer, room for one more. He moved over into position, but did not buy in. Still gun shy from the loss. The shooter rolled point after point, and after his fourth pass, my shaky hand friend wanted to know if he should get in. “Look mate, you may have seen the best of it, you really are not up for a game, or you would have joined this one in the beginning. Hands still shaking, I know that last thing for him to experience would be another loss. I am not superstitious, but I told the client if he were to buy-in, he’d interrupt the energy of the game, doing so could put an end to it all. “Your ship sailed without you.” The player to his left said, listen your friend. He knows what he is talking about. If you get in now it will be curtains. The shooter went on to rolled 11 points in all. The game ended when two players at right stick colored up. Why? I had no clue. Like pulling the drain plug on a bath tube, the energy poured out from the gapping void that they left. Quickly, however, a waiting player stepped up. He called for a $12,000 marker. You can guess the ending now, but I love telling a story. I could literally see pall bearers hauling that game to its grave. Marker Man had made a call bet for $6,400 across with $400 on each hard number, all bets working on the come out.

The shooter rolled three more times, seven, four, and seven-out. Of course marker man was cooked on the come out. The rest of the stacks on the layout were scooped away with both hands by the dealers. Kind of like Bret Maverick at a poker table. Naturally everyone colored up after a busted game… except for Marker Boy. He still had to sign his marker and receive the remaining $4,000 in cheques. Oops!

DDV, regarding the way your story ended with the casino not allowing a new shooter to carry on… Casino Craps is not Burger King. We do not get it our way. We get served the way the boss of the joint says we get served…by the house rules.” as you say. From the counting room perspective, it is cheaper to piss off 10 or so players than payout on the Fire Bets. Rules are rules, and the House Rules! Never forget it. This is why it is pointless to argue with them in a the game. Taking your side means they have to give you money… usually. We all know, casinos are not in business to give away anything. The drinks are not free. Just ask Marker Boy how much he enjoyed his free cocktail. Actually he did not stick around to wait.