Dice Setter Precision Shooter’s Newsletter: June 2006

Soft Touch Say’s

Hello Everyone!

School’s out. With summer coming upon us, a lot of us will be traveling to Vegas or some other enjoyable destination for vacation.  During this part of the year, my twelve year old son always receives a book list of suggested reading while on summer break.  A lot of the books are for enrichment.

This got me to thinking that a lot of my readers may be taking trips to exotic places and will need reading material to occupy their time and to enrich their game.  So, the reading list of some the books listed in this newsletter may be worth your time. Let me know what you think.

A couple of the authors I have known for some time and have played with them at the tables in Vegas.

Charlie Westcott is a hoot.  He’s a craps veteran and an all around wonderful guy.  He knows his craps and if you ever find yourself at a table with him, he’s a great shooter, a great guy to play craps with and you are in for a great time. I don’t think that there is anything Charlie doesn’t know about the game.  I also consider him a Dice Influencing historian. 

Ever wish to know how this whole DI thing got started?  Just ask Charlie or read his book three.  Also, Charlie’s book two is great for the non playing “better half” to read.  This book really does help our patient partners understand why we love the game so much.

J.R. Madaus is another author I know and have played at the tables with.  He really is great at sensing the energy at the tables.  We share a common interest with our  craps game development and he really knows how to expand his game multi-dimensionally.  If you are a follower of the human potential movement and feeling “dimensionally challenged,” his is a great book to have.

On the lighter side of dice, Richard Armstrong’s book is an entertaining read.  It will not teach you the “how to” about grips, how to achieve a dead cat bounce or snipe out numbers.  Still, it will engage you and you will find yourself not putting his book down until you have reached the last page. Read it when on your flight back home from Vegas.

Of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention the Mad Professor’s Shooting Bible.  His book has been extremely well received and this compendium of his articles is slightly different from what you will find on the dicesetter.com web site.

His book is a common sense approach for the dice influencer already on their journey and is an essential tool for tweaking your game all the way around. His perspective on the game really shines through and as mysterious as he is, he does not hesitate to unlock and reveal the mystery of how to get an edge in this game we love called craps.

Do you have a question for the Mad Professor about something in his book?  All you have to do is ask. And, for the followers of Maddog’s Bonetracker, read chapter 6 of “Mad Professor’s Crapshooting Bible” and learn about Dice Tool, software MP and Stanford Wong developed to help craps shooters capture maximum betting opportunities.

BTW… We have just added three more articles to the Mad Professor Speaks section of the web site.  So, check those out, you Mad followers. Mad Professor Speaks Lastly, for you readers who go “mental” with your game, we have published a fine series of articles by a prominent forum member and moderator, Jeffrey47.  His Mindful Living, Mindful Shooting Series Parts I-VII will help you focus on what is really important about this game. The game is all in our heads people.  If you missed this series during past issues of the newsletter, you really are missing some important stuff.  So, check it out. Here’s his link: http://dicesetter.com/jeff47/main_toc.htm

On another subject, I was chatting with the Dice Coach the other day and he told me an interesting story about the change in table surfaces of some of the Vegas craps tables.

While visiting one of the Stations Casinos, he planned to use a match play coupon he received from this casino.  By the way, coupon play is a wonderful game within the game and Dice Coach has done some amazing profit generating plays with his coupons.  I may ask him to write an article on what he does with his coupons.  Anyway, he bellied up to the craps table and began to observe what the dice were doing at the table.  

As any good player does, he/she “looks before leaping” into the game.  To his surprise, he noticed that on every other throw, the dice were bouncing off the table.  After watching the crew chase down the dice consistently throughout the next few hands, he asked the box what was up with the table.

Box answered that the tables were changed to “retaliate” against people like him.

“People like me?” he replied.  “Yeah, people like you that come in here and do that thing you do” said the boxman.  

Of course a discussion ensued.  Box indicated that the surface of the table had been changed to a thick foam backing glued to the felt.  This way, any skilled shooter’s dice influence would be cancelled out.  

“Is it working?” the Dice Coached asked.  “Yes, can’t you see, the dice are bouncing off the table all the time.”  Dice Coach chuckled and stated that they may want to rethink this retaliation thing.  

Since the table has to make so many decisions per hour, having the shooter shoot the dice unintentionally off the table, having the crew scrambling around to take the time to chase the stray dice on the floor and, making matters worse, having the shooter yell “same dice” would dramatically decrease the tables “decision per hour.”

Just then, the “light bulb” above the boxman’s head lit up. Box then stated something like “we may have to go back to the old way. Maybe you are good for us after all. Since you’ve put it that way.”

Needless to say, those trampoline table surfaces may not last very long.  Not if the craps pit values its decisions per hour as it applies to their drop. Change with the table surfaces may be inevitable.  Still, a good player knows how to adapt and flow with the change.

Have a great summer everyone and don’t drop any “Baby Ruths” in the pool water.

 See you at the tables.

Soft Touch

PS If you have any suggestions for the new dicesetter.com website or newsletter please send them to me at Ed@dicesetter.com and I’ll have a look and see how we can incorporate them into our future plans.

Ask the Queen Bee

Hi Queen Bee,

What is your method of practice to get the dice to soften where they hit the back wall and die together ? I have tried to shoot into a Coolwhip cup and this seems to help. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you. Popeye

Dear Popeye,

In general, lessen the energy you exert on your throw, focus on your trajectory and landing zone.

Still, the answer to part of your question requires more information from you.

While, I will not debate that a cup helps to train you to keep both dice flying together and to hit a particular landing zone, results with your throw depend on certain variables to include how and where you grip your dice, the amount of backspin created at time of release, your launch trajectory, etc.

Then, consideration of the table surface must be taken into account.  So, as generic as this answer is, it really requires more information and an observation of your actual throws to determine any corrective measure or advice.

Since you did not mention what part of the country you reside, it is difficult for me to suggest like-minded individuals who could take a look at your throw. Meeting with a particular group within the dice influencing community seems to help advance the learning curve required to become proficient at exerting some influence on the dice.

For my method of practice, I occasionally use a toss bar and move it to different positions to adjust for height, speed and kill. I work with my finger placement on the diagonal of the dice as well as the finger placement on the faces of the dice. I utilize a less than 45 degree angle and launch from table top. I also practice throwing from different positions.  And, I do track my rolls utilizing Maddog’s bone tracker focusing on my pattern of influence before an upcoming trip.

In the end, you have to develop sensitivity or feel for every table condition/surface. Tables are different. So, you must make the change and adjust accordingly. Know “yourself” and become familiar with the tables in your area.  And, accept that your dice throw will always be evolving.

QB

Also, I received a question from Rick. It is worth answering because it ties into practicing on table surfaces.  Rick writes:

I have built a practice table downloaded from dicesetter.com. I went to one of the Indian casinos in California just to feel the felt and underlayment of the table. My question is do you know what the casino tables are constructed of? I know the felt is like billiard felt, however what is under the felt?
Thank you, Rick

 Dear Rick,

I can only give you a general answer.

First, it is more important to notice how the dice react and bounce on your table in question.  Watch how they behave and listen to the sound they make once they land after being launched.

Most of my familiarity is with Vegas table surfaces and casino under-layment vary from pit to pit.

Wool felt and micro fiber are very common surfaces, in different colors and each with a different thickness.

The under-layment is usually 1″ to 1.5″ plywood. There are some rare tables that use slate underneath the felt and wood laminate. I am sure these are a pain to move.

Underneath the felt or micro-fiber varies from nothing to newspaper, cloth batting or different thickness of foam that is either attached or glued to the felt or added. This will make the tables hard or soft and bounciness of the dice will vary.

Duplicating casino conditions at home is difficult to do.  The best you may be able to do is to have your own regulation table.  This is what I have.

Anyway, what you really are doing at home is getting proficient with your set, pick-up, toss, landing and focusing on landing zones. Every table has a sweet spot and make the dice react differently. You have to be flexible and learn how to shoot on any table surface. Remembering to do this quickly without holding up the game. The table is a business and has to have so many decisions per hour.

Lastly, next time you visit the casino, go ahead and just ask the crew what’s underneath.  That’s what I do when I wish to know what’s underneath the felt. Most table crew will tell you if they know.  A lot of times in these smaller casinos, it is the pit that has to maintain or change the felt anyway.  So, go ahead and ask. This will allow you to simulate what you wish to practice on.

Thanks for the questions.

QB

What’s all the Buzz about? Do you have a question for The Queen Bee?

Send your question to queenbee@dicesetter.com.

See your question published in the next edition of Dice Setters Precision Shooter’s Newsletter.

BoneTracker Revealed – Part IV

By Maddog — Copyright © May 2006

“Wow” I thought while looking over the results of the last 72 tosses.  “Look at those clumps of eights.  Interesting how only the eight seems to show this clumping pattern.  Those clumps must represent a series of very similar tosses.  Boy I should be able take advantage of those streaks and make the out-side-in progressions really get to work.”

If that dice set gives up groups of eights, then I just have to find a set that will spin off profits for my come-out cycle.  I should be able to find a dice set that, when matched to my toss characteristics, will provide me with groups of sevens.  

While thinking through this “groups of sevens” idea, I remember some additional strategies that involve the Game-within-a-Game come-out cycle which involved taking the GwaG action to another level.  Ideas entail working the horn type bets on the come-out roll. Clumps of horn numbers?  I have a Homer Simpson moment; “mmmmmmm….horn numbers…..”

Now I already know that the Straight-Sixes (S6) set is the king of the sets that work the horn numbers, what with six total on-axis horn number roll combinations.  As I check the Frequency Chart I also see that the Crossed-Sixes (X6) set comes in second for horn numbers with four total on-axis horn numbers.  Hmmm… but the X6 gives up two of the on-axis seven possibilities.  Hmmm… a trade off, but a trade off of what? 

First things first.  I need to check into these sets and find a permutation that looks promising for the horn action objective.  I should be able to puzzle out a couple of possible promising combinations using BoneTrackers Transposition tab. 

Of course then I’m going to need to fiddle around with the bets and find a bet/dice-set combination that works.   So much to do, so little time… hmmm, what about that horn progression concept…

~~~~

Welcome to part 4 in our 5 part series of BoneTracker Revealed.  For today’s

tour, we will review the “Transpose” tab.

The Transpose tab provides a bit of “what-if” modeling.  The idea is to see “what-if” I had used dice-set ‘X’ for the last 360 tosses instead of the set I actually tossed?  BoneTracker does this by mapping alternate dice pip configurations to the actual dice-face results.

Think of it this way.  Pretend you have a set of dice, but instead of being red with white pips to denote numbers, the pips are removed and the dice instead had colored faces.  See in your mind’s eye one of the die and that die having a separate color for each side.  For example, a red side, a blue side, a white side, a yellow side, a green side and an orange side.  To keep the left die distinct from the right die, lets assume the second die has the same colors, but in a darker shade.  Got it? Ok, now imagine that we set the dice so that the left die uses light colors and the right die uses dark colors.

Now that we have these rainbow dice, imagine we set the dice so that the red faces are on top (left-die light red, right-die dark red) and we turn the dice so that the white faces are facing us (left-die white, right-die grey) and so on.  Ok, got the picture? 

Now we toss our rainbow colored dice and record the results.  We record the results by denoting which Face-Color appeared. For our example, we look at the toss results and find the dice have ended up as follows; left-die light green, right-die dark red.  The only thing left to do is to overlay the pip markings of a valid dice set over the colors to determine how that overlaid set would have ended up.  Imagine we set up a mapping chart similar to the one below.

For the 3V our results would have been 1 and 3 for an off axis four.  For the 2V we would have gotten a 3 and 2 for an off-axis five and with the Crossed Sixes set we would have tossed a 3 and 6 for an off-axis nine.

We can continue to (metaphorically) peel off the pips and paste on different sets of valid pip markings each time seeing how the new set would have ended up.  One might say that this particular leopard can change its spots.

This is the basic idea behind the BoneTracker Transpose tab.  The shooter selects a dice set and tosses as many tosses as he wishes.  The computer then

maps various alternate dice sets over the actual tracked tosses and returns the “what-would-have-happened-had-I-used-that-set” results.  And since this is what computers are good at; the results can be mapped over and over on as many alternate sets as we’d like. 

The benefit of providing and reviewing these transposed sets is that we get to super-charge our ability to analyze the toss results.  We are able to gain insight into several different dice sets simultaneously against a common apples-to-apples collection of practice tosses.

Now that we have this understanding of what BoneTracker is trying to show us on the Transpose tab.  Let’s go ahead now and take a detailed look at the Transpose tab layout. 

As usual we start off with a (blurry) view of the entire screen:

As in our previous articles, we will break this screen into more focused sections.  The sections of the Transpose tab are;

~ Tossing Set Reference

~ Standard Permutation Reference

~ User Defined Permutations

Tossing Set Reference

Once again we have a section that provides a reference to the actual set that is

being tossed and tracked, along with some basic results information.  This information is displayed in columns A through D.  The configured tossing set is displayed in the upper rows under the heading of “Tossing Set Reference”.  In the rows below that we see the actual Toss Count and Difference from Theoretical in both count and percentage form.  As we review the “what-if” transposed sections of the page, these columns serve as a quick comparison against what was actually tossed.

Standard Permutation Reference

As a starting reference point, BoneTracker has built in the six standard base set permutations. 

Each column is color coded to set the columns apart and improve readability (yeah, I know it is a page full of numbers and barely readable even with the colors, what can I say?).  The colored columns each represent a mapped, or transposed, permutation from the actual recorded tosses.  For this “Standard Permutation Reference”, each column represents on of the base axial sets in its standard configuration; the Mini-V, Flying-V, Crossed-Sixes, Hardways/All-7’s, Straight-Sixes, and Parallel-Sixes.

The columns are read from the top down. 

Let’s review the grey colored column as an example. 

As depicted in the column title, this is the standard V3, or Flying-Vee, permutation. 

Below the column title is the dice set permutation layout.  The values entered here represent the dice set face configuration for this permutation and are used by BT as the mapping template for transposing the actual results.

Note: If you look back at the image of the main screen you can see how the configuration values align with the face pattern definitions on the far upper left of the screen. 

If you follow along here you see that the top faces are set as 3 and 3, the front faces are set as 2 and 6, the bottom faces as 4 and 4, the back faces as 5 and 1, the left side faces as 1 and 2, and the right side faces as 6 and 5.

If you have a pair of dice in front of you and align them as described, they should now look like this:

Below the permutation layout is the listing of the transposed frequency distribution by number.  These are the cumulative transposed results for the permutation i.e. how many fives rolled, how many sixes rolled, how many sevens rolled, etc.  Next to the cumulative count is the difference from expected theoretical random dice.

The example set shown here shows that the V3 permutation would have resulted in 22 sevens, two less then random expectation of 24 sevens in 144 rolls.  Compare this result with what is shown in the columns for the Straight-Sixes and Parallel-Sixes permutations.  Each of those permutations shows four fewer sevens then random and a slightly better SRR to boot (as shown at the bottom of the columns).  Would this lead you to recommend that the shooter utilize one or both of these sets for their point cycle? 

I wouldn’t recommend that he switch sets, at least not to either of those. I’ll leave it to you to decide if I’m right or wrong, while we move on to the next section of the Transpose tab (Hint: Think in terms of trade offs. What are we giving up to get fewer sevens?)

User Defined Permutations

To the left of the Standard Permutation Reference is the section for User Defined Permutations.

The User Defined permutation section is where any dice set permutation of interest is entered to see the ‘what-if’ results.

Just like the Standard Reference permutations, the User Defined section is a series of column, each column representing a permutation of interest.

Each column begins with the permutation name.  In the template these are listed as “p1” (for Permutation One) through “p6”. 

Below the name is the layout of the dice set.  To enter new

permutations enter the dice set, according to the now familiar layout pattern provided.  Simply edit right over the top of the existing dice set.  If toss tracking data currently exists in BT, the new frequency distributions are calculated as the new permutation is entered.  Information about the entered permutation is immediately provided.

As with the Standard Reference set permutations, below the user entered permutation layout is the cumulative transposed results including the “what-if” SRR for the user entered permutation.

If the six User Defined columns are not enough for your objectives or maybe you wish to compare a couple dozen sets and don’t like having to type them in over and over; here is a TIP for you.  There are two ways to add additional User Defined columns to BT. 

The easiest way is to copy & paste a duplicate copy of the entire Transpose tab.  Right-Click on the Transpose tab near the bottom of the screen, choose the ‘Move or Copy…” menu option from the pop-up menu and then click the “Create a Copy” checkbox on the Move or Copy dialog.  Finally click the “OK’ button and Excel will create a copy of the Transpose tab and label it “Transpose (2)”.  You now have a new sheet with 12 additional columns available for entering permutations.

The second way to add additional permutation columns is to copy & paste an existing permutation column (Note: you want to copy the entire column).  The advantage to using this technique is that copying and pasting additional columns into a single worksheet provides for viewing many permutations together on a single worksheet tab.

IMHO, this is one of the most fun parts of tracking rolls in BoneTracker.  After a practice session, I will often spend a significant amount of time entering various permutations looking for that “just right” optimal set.  There are many ways to fiddle with a promising set; switch left and right dice, rotating the left die around the faces, rotating the right die around the faces, and so on.  There is something like 576 total set permutations so it is easy to go crazy looking for one that meets your betting objective.

The Transpose tab is really about finding a set that accomplishes a given betting objective.  Suppose you really like the 2 for 1 pay-off on a Buy Ten.  Your desire is to find a dice set that is both low in sevens and strong in tens, to make the play profitable enough to overcome the vig and (hopefully) bring in some cash. Assuming your toss is reasonably consistent over time, your results should be reasonably consistent over time, so it is just a matter of finding a set that maps over your face results and produces the number combination you desire.

We know that the mini-v has the best on-axis distribution of 4’s and 10’s, so the

first thing I would do is start working through 2V permutations, looking for a combination that supported the objective of low sevens and high tens.  If we can’t find a set with the 2V, we can move on to one of the other sets and so on until we found what we a set that fits the bill.

~~~~

So that’s it, BoneTracker’s Transpose tab revealed.  Normally the recommendation is to match your bets to your toss.  With the Transpose tab, BoneTracker can help you find a set to match your bets.  I hope this opens a whole new dimension to your DI journey.

Next month we will wrap up this tutorial (ok, ok, enough cheering already).  In the final chapter we will cover the Charts tab, for the more visually inclined, and a little talk about the Edge calculations.

Until next time, keep your toss straight and your rack full.

/Maddog

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Books, Books, Books…

Mad Professor’s CrapShooting Bible… what readers are saying…

I’ve just completed my first reading of your great new book.

Over the last two years I’ve followed the craps boards closely, read every book on craps, enjoyed all your articles on dicesetter.com, and attended Heavy’s classes, along with playing once a week and practicing tosses as much as I can.The Crapshooting Bible will bundle your new tools and insights with my past learning and experience to help me win more cash. A thousand thanks, and a tip of my Fighting Illini cap.– 6dollar6

====================
One of the effects of having the book around for the last several days has been a surprising new “concentration” of MP’s ideas rattling around the brain, that even the most serious of article-reading sessions never duplicated. Everything’s bound together in such a convenient take-it-with-you format. You know, to the kitchen, the den, the head, bed.

At first I missed the stretched-out format of some of the original articles; but I quickly adapted, 😀 although for several, my curiosity is piqued to go back and re-read the extended versions once again. I’ve already seen a heightened sharpness of my sensibilities during practice, noticing more and different and fresh elements about my toss, and simultaneously, as to how they inter-relate and so forth, than I have in quite a while.

This book is a lightning bolt, really. And it’s up to all of us not to make DI…a lightning rod. Jeffrey 47

=====================

…So, I began to read the first chapters. And, as I feared, the book is well-written and, just as is the author, respectful, and it reveals a high level of compassion for the foibles and gaming-specific quirks of the reader and the reading gamer.

On the basis of that which I have read, my biggest complaint about the book is that it is damn good.

I mean not only that it is excellent analysis; I also mean that it is an effective stand-alone teacher. Maybe the best in all the Library of Congress. Drat.

Well, my only hope now is that the statistical relationship between would-be dice influencers, or casino personnel, and the love of literature is very, very, inverse. May everyone else in the universe, however, buy at least two copies.

I am very grateful to Soft Touch for even considering me as a recipient of one of these. (complimentary books) Toss Boss