A guy walks into a bar with a monkey and they both sit down. The guy orders a drink and the monkey starts eating all the snacks on the bar. The bartender complains and the guy says, “Don’t mind my monkey, he eats anything. Just put it on my tab.” When the snacks are gone the monkey starts looking around and sees the pool table.
He jumps off the stool, goes over to the table, grabs a ball and pops it in his mouth. Again, the bartender complains and the guy says, “Don’t worry, I told you he eats anything, just put it on my tab.” He pays for the drinks, the snacks and the billiard ball; then they leave. A week later the guy and the monkey come back to the bar.
He orders a drink and the monkey starts looking around and spots the maraschino cherries. He grabs one, sticks it in his ass and then eats it. The bartender says, “That’s disgusting.” The guy says, “I told you, he’ll eat anything, but after last week he checks everything for size first.”
Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose.
That’s the nature of gambling in a casino. Just as in life, when you take risks, there is an element of danger. It is how we handle those risks, and how we manage those threats that will largely determine our success.
Threat-Management in a casino is made up of many elements. Today, I want to talk about three of those things:
Discipline, Character and Consistency
In most cases, losing can be avoided by employing these ingredients, and they will help to keep your bankroll out of harms way.
You might think that it’s luck, and perhaps a bit of skill and knowledge, that lead to profit. Ah, if only they were the only factors, then we would all be rich beyond our wildest imaginations.
In most cases, GETTING profit is a lot easier than KEEPING profit.
We want to get to the profit; then we want to keep it. To keep it, it takes:
Discipline, Character and Consistency
So what does that really mean when we apply it to craps?
It means that you have to play your best game all the time.
You have to remain focused all of the time, and don’t take things for granted. You want to be the kind of player that will walk out of the casino with more cash than you entered with. To do that, you have to perform well, day in and day out. Making silly bets; chasing losses, and looking for a big score on a small bankroll is no way to perform well.
You have to keep things in perspective.
Like John Patrick and Heavy would say, “A small win beats any loss, all the time.” What’s right in a Hot game, is totally wrong in a Cold game. The right play ten minutes ago, can be the wrong play right now. Every situation is different, and players who stay alert to the changing differences are more likely to be winners.
Consistency DOES NOT mean that you make the same play on every bet. It means that you employ the same methods and that you make bet variations at the correct time, EVERY TIME.
The outcome of each bet that you make won’t always be profitable, but it will minimize your losses. There are countless times when I am at the table, making a modest profit. At the same time there may be several people who are cleaning out the box-man’s bank of chips. That’s great for them, but if they don’t have the discipline, it is the very same players who ALWAYS replenish the house with not only their previously won-money, but also “fresh cake from their own kick”. That’s money is that delivered right out of their previously fat bankroll, directly into the casinos drop-box. That’s no way to play. A player that does that has no perspective, and no discipline. A small win may seem paltry and small, but I can sure tell you that it sure beats a loss anytime. I’ll take those small consistent wins, EVERYTIME.
Learn as much as you can, and then use what you learn.
I continue to learn aspects of strategy during almost every session. Whether it be improvements to my Precision-Shooting, experimenting with a new method, sizing up other dice-setters, or maximizing my Comp values, the learning never stops.
It pleases me that I am still able to improve my game on an almost weekly basis, from the things that I have learned or improved upon from the previous week.
I read as much as I can. When I read Trip Reports from other players, it either reinforces what I already know, or it gives me a fresh perspective on this game. Either way, it benefits my game.
Irishsetter has compiled a list of great books that you should take a look at. There are so many things that I have to assume that you already know about this game, that sometimes I take your knowledge for granted. If there are elements of the game that you do not understand, then there are some excellent books out there that can explain things a lot more simply and a lot more eloquently that I possibly could. That being the case, please read up. I would recommend that you assemble a library of books from Irishsetters list.
Plan your work; then work your plan.
That may be a worn out phrase, but it applies perfectly here. If you are the anxious type of person that can’t wait to plunk their pile of dead-presidents down on the table to get in the game, then you are a blind-man walking down a dark, dangerous, drug-infested alley without a cane. A fool and his money are lucky enough to get together in the first place. Don’t make yourself an easy target for the casinos to grab yours. To avoid that, you need to have a plan of attack. It’s not easy to generate sustainable amounts of profit at the casino. It takes a lot of discipline, character and consistency.
In Part Two of this series, we’ll look at exactly how to employ a Game Plan that will:
- Give you a higher level of discipline in the casino.
- Strengthen your character at the tables.
- Show you how to be more consistent in winning.
Good Luck & Good Skill at the Tables…and in Life.
The Mad Professor
