Either with a random
roll or with dice influencing, the dice roll delivers a subtle detectable
message. It comes down to strong, confident energy verses weak, wimpy
energy. Consistency in tossing the dice goes a long way to being able to
hold onto the cubes.
Consistency expresses
a kind of energy that rides with intention, grooved in like a wagon wheel
in a rut. The longer any shooter holds the dice, the longer the game plays
and pays. When you have the feeling that you or another shooter, are “in
the groove”, it is a powerful confidence that allows you to really lean
into the hand. You know that you are switched-on and you know that you
have it going your way. You can train yourself to learn what “in the
groove” feels like.
You can observe energy
in the toss of the dice. Sometimes it is so obvious with a toss as you
witness wimpy energy. You can tell by the way the dice stumble down the
layout, that the shooter will not be rolling for very long. Sloppy dice
tossing is usually an indication of a short hand. I look for shooters who
command control and roll with consistency.
They look like winners
and shoot like winners. The next time that your are out, take notice of
all the different ways that people toss the dice. See if you can observe
the differences in energy from player to player. Notice if the sloppy,
weak toss does not result in a short hand, while the strong consistent
toss produces better results.
I have witnessed long
hands with a dice setter or a random roller. The dice consistently landed
in the same area with the same force. It is critical to have consistency
with intention with every throw when setting the dice. It looks and feels
like there is no stopping the shooter. Each grip, pick-up, release and
landing is a mirror image of the previous throw. It is a thing of beauty
when you witness a hand “in the groove”. It begins with the shooter
throwing the dice with consistency.
I have experienced
being in the groove many times. I have had the experience of knowing that
my point was going to roll while the dice were still in the air. I just
knew it. I could feel it. I could see it in my mind’s eye. I have also
experienced that “oh, no”, feeling, as the dice left my hand, knowing that
my release was not right. I could feel something was wrong and the seven
was coming down upon landing. You can train yourself to become this
sensitive with the dice. It is a feeling that comes with practice and
develops with an awareness of the experience as it is happening.
Your training begins
by first witnessing a long roll. You must see one to know what one “feels”
like. Knowing that you are in the groove or witnessing another player in
the groove comes from an awareness of how it affects your feelings. As the
hand develops, there will be energy expressing itself, like a signature
for the experience.
You can tap into how
that energy feels during a good roll. Recognizing the experience creates
familiarity. Familiarity as a feeling allows identification of the
experience. I called it “I’ve seen this movie”. You perceive the
information metaphysically and experience the information as a feeling.
The feeling translates into information.
It is important to
note that getting into the groove is all about detachment. It certainly
does not involve more thinking or engaging of emotions. It is an energy
“thing” as you become a clear vessel allowing free flow to occur. You are
able to take charge by releasing the conscious need to be in charge.
You have to let go and
trust in your ability and skill. There is such a thing as over-thinking
the details. Ego and intellect get in the way of free flow. Practicing
detachment, you are better able to perceive the energy and recognize how
it feels as you release ego and intellect.
This idea of
detachment is different from how I understand what others mean by “in the
zone”. Detachment means to disengage from the idea of making the toss of
the dice a conscious effort. It should be a fluid, automatic exercise, as
natural as writing your name.
When detached, you can
be asked a question by the dealer, you can handle a remark from the boxman,
you can hi-five with a zealous player next to you, and order a beverage
from the cocktail server. You can do all of these things and not have it
distract from your mission.
Throwing the
dice now comes from the automatic part of your consciousness, like driving
a car. It is just you, the dice, and the table. Everything else is
superfluous because you are not affected, you take no notice, and nothing
can shake you. You own a belief, one of total confidence and skill.
You have an inner
knowing that your body will take you there. You do not believe that if
something or someone penetrates your sacred concentration that it will
take you out of “the zone” and thus end the hand. Detachment, from what
may be called distractions, anchors your confidence firmly in your skill.
Focused from the time
the stickman passes the dice to you, to the pick-up and then to the
landing, your energy is in the dice. You groove in with a metaphysical
alignment, just you and the dice like two ballroom dancers. You switch on
your intention, with a honed focus, when it comes your time to dance.
Look for the energy in
the toss. Learn to recognize what a good toss “feels” like and lock that
feeling into your memory. Learn to recognize the feeling of being “in the
groove”.
Random rollers get
into the groove too, and when you recognize it, you can jump out on the
big hand with a knowing confidence.
It may take a bit of
table time, watching while you train yourself to pick up on the subtle
energy of what a random roller’s monster hand feels like, compared to a
short, quick, point and out. It could be time well invested.
I do not suggest
second-guessing the shooters. However, when failure is apparent, by
observing the energy of a player and their throw, I will not play. One
example is, if the dice roll is ugly and then lands craps on the come out
roll, I figure this to be a short hand. Playing aggressive when given this
message, seems a huge risk.
The subtle message
would be, if the shooter were a winner, why is he or she coming out
appearing as a loser? Typically, the next roll is a seven or eleven. I
call this “tit for tat”, a losing hand followed by a winning hand. Next,
he or she rolls a point, and after a few more lame rolls, then sevens-out.
You could see failure expressing itself in the energy of the player and
the dice from the very first roll.
Now, you catch more
fish with your line in the water, this is true. However, at those times
when the short hand is so obvious, you are better off watching. That is my
real message. In simple terms, look for winning energy. You can add one
more dimension to your game watching with attention how the dice are
coming down the table. I am not saying that a consistent shooter
guarantees a long hand. What I am saying is that the dice express energy.
When I am playing the numbers, I am on my toes looking for the strong
energy.
I need to see the
support before making the more aggressive bets. Observing the subtle
messages from the dice, as they come down the table, provides me with one
more tool, one more edge against the odds. Learning to keep yourself out
of losing situations is knowledge that will help you “win them all”.
Winning and losing has its own energy signature. You can learn what
winning and losing energy feels like and then play accordingly.
Dice perception will
take some practice and sharp observation. Once you can recognize it, it is
as true as any other sensory receptor. It is a strong feeling of “I’ve
seen this movie”, and you can perceive what is coming next. Feel the
energy. Energy can always be trusted.
|