Do You Miss the Comfort of Relying on Luck?
For anyone who has practiced precision shooting for a reasonable amount of time, this would seem to be a dumb question. However, if you were to poll craps players in general, I think that most feel that whether you win or lose is almost entirely based on luck.
These players seem to derive comfort from the idea that the game is not theirs to win or lose, but the whim of lady luck. They walk up to the table, buy in, and hope they “get lucky.” By leaving winning or losing to chance, they relieve themselves of the responsibility of their win or loss.
In fact most of these players hope “someone has a good hand” which, in a watered down way, actually means they hope that someone else gets lucky and they’ll just happen to be there to benefit.
Precision shooters on the other hand, tend to feel that by invoking their skill at the table, they are more in control of the outcome. With that change of mindset, comes a greater degree of responsibility for the outcome of a session.
Shoot well, and you have a tidy profit to show for all that practice. Shoot poorly, and the loss rests squarely on your own shoulders. Infact, I’ve been told by several pals who play but who do not attempt to influence the dice, that it seems to them that precision shooting would take all the fun out of playing craps. “What’s the point of playing craps if you can’t drink, smoke, and flirt with the cocktail waitresses?” they ask.
Perhaps I’m a control freak, but frankly, I don’t play craps for the entertainment value, I play to win. Yes, it requires practice, and yes it involves more concentration, and yes there’s more pressure…. but that’s just fine with me. Especially if it means I have a greater chance at winning. For me the fun is in winning, not just playing.
Sure there’s “comfort” in leaving your chances to luck. But there are profits to be made if you’re willing to take control.
Where Are All The Precision Shooters?
Recently I broke one of my own rules. I got into a debate about precision shooting in an on-line forum with a vocal skeptic of dice influencing. As I’ve said in some of my articles, and I’ll reiterate again, there is no winning these discussions.
Any evidence supplied is written off as anecdotal… and when all else fails, you’ll be labeled a cheater by these skeptics. So again, I’ll remind you (and MYSELF) that we are not missionaries. We do not need to turn every craps player into a precision shooter.
One question that came up in the discussion that amused me though was, “Where ARE all the precision shooters?” On the various forums, it appears that we’re everywhere, but the reality is we are a microcosm of the craps playing community.
Let’s be generous and say that there are 300 skilled precision shooters currently. If you spread them across all the tables in all the casinos in North America. You can see that not only would we be spread pretty thin, in fact, we’d each have to be at several tables simultaneously just to have one precision shooter per table, per day, all day, EVERY day.
It’s no wonder that critics claim they’ve never *seen* a precision shooter. In all likelihood they haven’t!
Additionally, the best shooters I know downplay their throwing preparations such that despite a beautiful throw, their pre-throw routine only slightly varies from those of superstitious random rollers. It’s generally the novice or intermediate dice influencer, who is still honing his/her skill, that is SO deliberate in setting the dice and throwing them, that they are obvious to others.
The average player, shooting with a journeyman dice influencer (one who is conducting him/her self with proper protocol at the table), may never even realize they’re playing with a precision shooter. So, the next time YOU’RE asked, “Where ARE all the precision shooters?” Just answer, like Elvis, they’ve left the building…..
I’m Not Supposed To Be Here
Sometimes, late in the evening I’ll be sitting in front of the TV and I’ll look up from my book or magazine and there will be a commercial playing. Most of the time it’ll be an advertisement for soda or crackers or some other rather generic product and I’ll go back to my reading material.
Other times it will be an ad for a product that has absolutely NOTHING to do with me. Be it a feminine hygiene product or the latest CD from one of the teeny bop boy bands, the TV commercial actually causes me to think, I’m not SUPPOSED to be watching this station at this time. And I change the channel, in hopes of finding a show for which I’m the right demographic.
The same holds true at the craps table. There are times when you are standing at the table and events are occurring which may cause you to wonder if you’re supposed to be at that table at that time.
Sometimes it’s casino heat, sometimes it’s rude or obnoxious players, and sometimes it’s the way the dice are rolling against you. If your instincts are telling you that you should leave, this is the one time you should ALWAYS trust them.
If the dealers are giving you a hard time for setting the dice, vote with your feet, or at least leave until more hospitable conditions are available. Obnoxious players at the table? Take a walk or get something to eat. There are always other tables, or other times to play.
I know how hard it is to walk away from the tables, but if you ever find yourself thinking, “I shouldn’t be here.” Then you shouldn’t.
