Part One
In the Why Do You Do The Things You Do? article, I started to tell you about my friend “Al”. I want to continue that stream of thought, because it contains a number of useful things that I have integrated into my own game. You may want to consider them for inclusion into yours as well.
Let me start by saying that most people have a hard time being patient at the craps table. That is especially true of Precision-Shooters, because they can hardly wait until the dice come to them for their next shooting opportunity. It is during this waiting period that impatience sets in.
So what should you do when all of the random-rollers are having a go at the dice?
Well, first of all, you should be noticing what trends are developing as each shooter gets the dice. Even if they are the most erratic of “chicken-feeder”-type throwers, some people do get lucky.
Similarly, you know how “streaky” the game can be. When the dice turn “cold”, they usually stay cold for quite a while. When the dice are “hot”, the trend never seems to last anywhere near long enough. It is the ability to recognize when you are in the beginning, middle, or end of one of these trends that will make you all kinds of money, regardless of your own dice-shooting ability.
However, the trend is usually “choppy”. This is when neither the “Do” or the “Don’t” players are making much headway with or against the trend. That is probably the riskiest time to jump into the betting pool, because both sides seem to get chopped up equally well by the casino.
So what do you do with all of your time if neither a hot or cold trend is developing, and the “chop” is hammering just about everyone?
Stick to the sidelines, or in this case, the rails.
There is no rule that says that you have to bet on every shooter (except occasionally at Casino Windsor in Ontario). By keeping your money safely on the rails, you can concentrate on things that will provide a long-term benefit to your game, while at the same time, avoiding the bankroll-eroding choppiness of the table.
I know that sounds like a waste of time but it’s not. In a golfing-foursome, you have to wait until your three other buddies shoot. You may also have to wait until the group in front of your quartet is finished with their play. It’s not a waste of time; it’s just part of the game.
In baseball, you have to wait until your team goes through its batting rotation until it is your turn to bat. Once you bat, you start the waiting process all over again. That explains all the chewing-tobacco, gum and sunflower seeds on the floor of the dugout. It’s part of the game!
In craps, if you want to turn this into a consistent profit-maker; then you cannot bet on every player. You have to wait until either:
- It is your turn to shoot.
- The table is warm-to-hot, and then you start betting “with” the shooter.
- The table is cool-to-cold, and then you start betting against the shooter.
There are a couple of choppy table betting methods that I use, but none of them are consistent money-makers for me. Rather, they let you bet very conservatively until the dice trend in a certain discernable direction or they return to your position.
However, there is something else that you can do between shooting opportunities, which is much less risky to your bankroll and much more beneficial to your game. It has a positive long-term benefit for your game-profitability and consistency, and also to your mental well-being and attitude.
What I am talking about is in raising your consciousness. Simply, it is the meticulousness, carefulness and preciseness in which you observe and understand the game.
I am not talking about understanding the math of the game, nor am I talking about understanding certain betting methods. I have to assume that if you don’t yet understand that part of the game; then you are definitely not ready for this part of it.
When I talk about raising your consciousness, I am talking about gaining a greater understanding about the ebb and flow of the game to such a high level, that the whole process and the whole game actually becomes a part of you. It becomes so much a part of you; that there is essentially no separation between you, your mind, your body, your soul and the game itself as it unfolds.
That may sound weird or strange to you. But you have to understand that I play this game as my primary source of income. I NEED to understand the game at an elevated level to maintain the profit-edge.
I’ve told you before that Precision-Shooting alone will not guarantee that you walk out of the casino with more money that you entered with. So many other factors like discipline, betting method, money management, and attitude, decide the final outcome of your results.
The number of professional craps players that I know, have so fully integrated the game into their whole lifestyle and their whole stream of consciousness of what they do, that it just seems natural after a while. It’s hard to explain it, but I’ll try.
I guess the first example would be to compare Tiger Woods to a weekend-duffer. Both players love and respect the game, but Tiger does so at an elevated level. He has to because his livelihood depends on it. While he could retire now based on his past earnings and endorsements, he won’t because of the continuing challenge and love of the game. Now that doesn’t take anything away from the weekend-duffer. In fact, he can integrate some of Tigers playing techniques into his own game-plan.
Tiger is out on various courses virtually EVERYDAY, and his total immersion into the game is complete. When you tune in to watch him win yet another PGA event, he makes it look pretty easy. What we don’t see is all of the continual practice and improvement that he works on when he is NOT in competition. The single-most important thing that we DO NOT see is the “mental” part of his game. While his “physical” abilities are good; I would suggest to you, that his mental strength and high level of consciousness, is what separates him from the rest of the pro-golfing fraternity. We can learn and benefit from Tiger Woods and others whom have raised their consciousness, while fattening their wallets.
Just as a successful race-car driver becomes “one” with the car, so does the successful Precision-Shooter become “one” with the entire game.
Some players will get into the “zone” when they are shooting, and this is a very good thing. By eliminating all outside distraction, the shooter can fully focus and concentrate on the task at hand, which is to reliably set, grip, target, throw and land the dice consistently for a profitable roll.
What I am talking about today, takes that whole idea several steps further. Most people try to get their mind into the zone when the dice finally make their way around the table to their spot. That’s all good and fine, but in some cases it is too late.
I’ll give you another example to illustrate it.
In boxing, if you try to enter the zone as soon as the bell rings to start the first round, it may be too late.
We’ve seen our share of 40-second fights, and we’ve sure seen our share of 40-second hands in craps.
In the boxing-ring, the other boxer probably put on his “game face” and entered the zone a couple of hours before the fight actually started; then he throws one punch at his opponent who is just entering his “zone”, and it’s “good-night nurse”, ‘cause you are entering the KO-zone.
It’s the same in craps. If you are just entering the zone on the first, second or third roll of the dice, it may be too late because a quick 7-Out brings you rudely back to earth. Don’t let your bankroll be KO’d because you entered the zone too late, or not at all.
So how do we go about raising our consciousness and fattening our wallet when we are at the craps table?
We’ll take a concerted look at that in Part Two. Until then,
Good Luck & Good Skill at the Tables…and in Life.
Sincerely,
The Mad Professor
