The Mad Professor’s Shooting Bible – Part 3

I thought that a little peek into my actual Shooting Bible might give you a little more insight into what is required to consistently bring home the REAL MONEY!

I give each one of my shooting-methods it’s own name so the Table Notes that I make after each session make better sense.  Today we’ll be taking a look at my “Low, Slow & Easy” throwing method.  If you want to see a sample of what a typical set of my session-notes look like, you’ll see them in Mad Professor’s Shooting Bible Part I.

Before we jump into today’s method, I want to revisit what I consider to be one of the critical reasons for my crap-shooting success.  Taking actionable notes make winning-shots more easily repeatable, especially if I’ve been away from a particular casino table for some time.  This brings us to how professional Precision-Shooters actually develop their own Shooting Bibles.

Using a Blackberry or Palm-type Device

You don’t need to invest a lot of money to have all of your information handy.  Some people use a small spiral-bound notepad and a Bic pen.  I keep track of well over 250 casinos worldwide with more than 1100 craps tables in them, so a paper notebook becomes a little unwieldy.  If you play at less than a dozen gaming-houses, then paper would be fine.  The important thing is that I want you to make notes that are useful in improving your game.

I’ve invested a few shekels in steadily miniaturizing the format where I keep all of my Table Notes information.  While the size of hand-held “Palm-type” devices has shrunk over the past number of years, capability has increased manifold.  The ability to store and access vast amounts of data and distill it into instantly accessible info is amazing.  This is useable information that you can retrieve right before stepping up to the game-table by using a Blackberry or Palm-type device.  If you want to make detailed picto-drawings of sweet-spots, etc., then an HP tablet-type device may better suit your needs.

These links will give you an idea of what is currently available:

Whether you choose paper or e-notes, you don’t want to be fiddling with it at the craps table.  Even if you don’t care about looking like a geek, you want to be putting your full concentration on the game, not buried in a notebook or e-pad.

How My Database Works

I’ll give you an example of how I use my Table Note information:

Let’s say that I’ve been away from Bally’s Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas for a couple of weeks.

I walk in and see that four tables are open.   Two $10 tables are jam-packed.  The $15 table is quite busy and the only open spot is on the L-4 “hook”.   The $25 table only has three players, and all of my favorite table-positions are open.

I take a quick look at my hand-held database where I keep notes on every table that I play at.  I see that the table closest to the east-escalator and parallel with the casino-cage is definitely the highest-profit producer for me in this particular casino.  This also happens to be the $25 table that I have my eye on. 

In looking at my playing notes, I realize that the SR-1, 2 and 3 positions are good revenue-producers, but surprisingly the SL-2 position at this particular craps table is superior not only in dollars-generated, but also in consistency with the highest SRR-rate for this specific table.

I look up and reconfirm that the SL-2 position is still open, at which point, I look at the following information for that player-position, again, it is specific to that one table:

Ideal dice-grip for that particular position.

Ideal dice-target(s) for that particular table.

Ideal trajectory for that particular layout.

Other pertinent shooting information (see next item).

Remember that Bally’s uses very wide, velour-covered bolsters (arm-rests) on their tables, so that your stance may be a little more out of balance with your normal shooting stance.  You might have to adapt your throw to overcome that off-kilter relational difference.

Instead of having to decipher loads of data, I do a quick-scan of the throw that produces the ideal results for that table.  In this case, it’s my “Low, Slow & Easy” toss (L, S & E) that works best. 

Instead of having to read reams of data, I know that I’ll be using a specific pre-determined grip, target(s), and trajectory for this particular table.   That’s another benefit of using prioritized data-based knowledge to help make timely and fully-informed decisions. 

I then move towards the table to make my buy-in.  Having reliable Table Notes means that I don’t have to rely upon memorizing what works best on each table.  That way, I can focus on good throwing techniques instead.

That whole process from spotting the craps pit, seeing which tables were open, surveying available table-positions, scanning my electronic table-notes, and deciding upon a course of action, generally takes less than a minute.

Most importantly, I go armed with vital shooting-information that I consider to be success-focused reconnaissance and intelligence.  That is data collected in the heat of real-money battles on a specific table.  It is later deciphered and processed into easily understandable reckonings that indicate which Precision-Shooting methods get the best results.  I find this invaluable for building ever-increasing consistency and profit into each subsequent session at the same table.

Being able to refer to accurate and actionable notes definitely helps with my on-axis, primary-face shooting reliability.  And after all, if you can keep them on-axis with primary outcomes (your original dice-set faces), and do it consistently enough…well, that’s where the real money is!

The Low, Slow & Easy Toss 

That leads us further into today’s discussion.  We want to talk about the “Low, Slow & Easy” toss that is one of the most reliable weapons in my current casino-arsenal. 

I’ve long said that one-throw for all tables DOES NOT work. Adapting to tables is crucial.  That being said; when you have a super-hard erratic table surface, a lower-trajectory throw usually does the trick in steadily keeping the dice on-axis.  In essence, a lower, S-L-O-W-E-R throw usually tames a wild table.

The “Low, Slow & Easy” method has proven to be a real bread ‘n’ butter earner that brings in some consistent profit from otherwise “unbeatable” tables.

The Grip

The dice-grip that you choose for this toss doesn’t really matter.   What matters is the way you throw the dice, how you release them, and where you throw the dice to. 

I personally favor the two-finger “O-Ring” grip that Irishsetter covers here for this type of throw.  However, the three or four-finger front or top grips can work just as well.   What is most important is the release-energy that you expend, and how the dice maintain their low-trajectory flight.  Of all the tosses that I use, this one uses the least amount of throwing speed and energy.

The Throw

Low, Slow & Easy starts off about 6 to 8 inches off the table, but by the time you fully extend your arm past the stickman, the dice are only about 4 to 5 inches off of the felt.

Important success factors are:

Remember, of all the tosses that I use, this one requires the least amount of throwing-speed and has the lowest trajectory.

Using the “Low, Slow & Easy” delivery, the dice leave your hand and travel like a slow-speed arrow or a dart. No, you do not slide them!  They move more like a low-flying cruise-missile.  The idea is to get them as close to the back-wall as possible with the least amount of forward-energy.  In a way, you could liken it to pitching pennies against a brick wall.

Remember, the dice are thrown and released about 4 to 5 inches above the table surface with minimal backspin.  This defines my Low, Slow & Easy type of toss.

How Much Rotation?

Well, it all depends on the table.  Each table (or similar type) demands a different amount of backspin.

For example, the 14-footers at Mirage need one-half to one-full turn of backspin.  If you add too much from either the SR-1, 2, 3 and 4 positions, or the SL-1, 2, and 3 positions; then the dice can actually HOP about 6-inches forward and slam into the back-wall at the exact and precise WRONG spot.  The usual result is an exact and precise 7-Out virtually EVERY freaking time!!

It’s gotten to the point where I can actually “call” the 7-Out while the dice are still in mid-air.  I don’t actually say it out loud, but I know it in my mind.  The Mirage tables have coughed up a golden fur-ball of cash when I’ve used this particular L, S & E toss over the past number of years.

Sweet-Spots

A “Sweet Spot” is a dice-target area on the craps table, and should not be confused with the lovely young exotic dancer of the same name.  The craps variety of sweet-spot makes you money, while the human variety wants your money.  It’s a subtle difference, but one worth noticing.

Just as with tennis rackets, golf clubs and baseball bats, each table has a sweet-spot that responds the best to each particular type of toss.  This is true with my L, S & E method.

Now we know that sweet-spots vary from table to table and casino to casino. But some generalizations can be made for each type of toss.  You have to tailor it to your table position, felt condition, as well as the age, type and state of the actual dice.

For this method, I usually use the double-white line between the Pass-Line and the Don’t Pass just as it starts to curve at the corner of the table as my “shooting lane”.  The sweet-spot is an imaginary rectangular box on the felt-layout that is about two inches wide, and it extends about 3 to 12 inches from the back-wall.  Those 18-square inches of green felt real-estate produce some of the sweetest casino-honey that these lips have ever tasted!

Now, here is the critical thing…you must NOT permit the dice to bounce more than three inches high between that initial touch-down area and the back wall.

Why?

Because the dice will either hit the back-wall too high and splatter, or, the high 3″+ bounce will give them too much rebound-energy on their second touchdown.  On that second hit, they have a tendency to bounce off-axis if their rebound-energy is too high, and of course that leads to a random-roll B-A-D thing.

Critical Landings

When you launch the dice, I also want you to SLIGHTLY reduce the angle-of-incidence of the dice off-of-flat.  By that, I mean that you have to consider the flatness or “squareness” of the dice in relation to not only the BACKWALL, but also the flat table surface.  Upon release, the dice should be “square” to both surfaces (horizontal and vertical).

Upon their initial touchdown, the bottom-faces of the dice have to be at a very low, but not completely flat angle to the table surface.  The amount of “wedge” should be about 15 degrees, with the “fat” edge facing the back-wall.  That angle allows energy to be dissipated, while at the same time allowing for “forward-axis” rotation instead of “sidal” off-axis movement.

In Summary

The “Low, Slow & Easy” toss is one of the most reliable weapons in my current casino-arsenal. 

By now you know that adapting to varying table conditions is crucial for success, and on super-hard erratic table surfaces this throw is a steady on-axis, primary-face performer. 

In essence, the “Low, Slow & Easy” method can tame wild tables and bring in some consistent profit from otherwise “unbeatable” layouts.

Good Luck & Good Skill at the Tables…and in Life.

Sincerely,

The Mad Professor