Because dice influencing is a skill that requires a great deal of practice, an aspiring precision shooter generally has to “buy in” to the concept of dice setting prior to evolving into an accomplished shooter.
Thusly, on my site and on various message boards we spend a lot of time discussing abstract pros and cons of particular sets and grips and such. We talk about things like the theoretical distribution of numbers for a given set or what percentage of time the dice must stay on axis to gain an advantage. These are all wonderful and fascinating topics and I enjoy hearing differing opinions, techniques and ideas.
At the same time, it’s quite easy to get too comfortable in that “conceptual” world, and to get bogged down in the minutia of the theory. I’m here to tell you that dice influencing isn’t a concept, it’s a skill, and a primarily physical skill at that. If you’re spending hours examining each of the possible 1152 dice combinations, then you’re wasting valuable time.
Think of it this way, if your intention was to become a better hitter in baseball, would you spend your time running the bases? No, you’d spend your time in the batting cage working on your hand position, your swing, and your stance. Certainly you need to know how to run the bases, but it’s of lesser importance.
Similarly, to be a precision shooter you surely must have fundamental knowledge of the dice sets, but developing consistent grip and throwing mechanics (and the mental aspects that go along with a consistent throw) are the foundation of your future success at the tables. Get those things down, and the rest is STRAIGHTFORWARD in comparison.
The theoretical world of dice influencing is a safe world, but frankly, talk is cheap. I’m willing to wager that the people who tend to dwell solely on the infinitesimal conceptual aspects of precision shooting don’t get to the tables very often. Talking about dice influencing is easy, actually shooting the dice in a controlled manner, that’s a lot tougher.
Eventually you will have to execute your skill on a real craps table with real money at stake. At that point in time my web site won’t help you, nor will the 1152 dice combinations or color-coded charts and tables. You’re success at that moment in time will be based on whether you’ve developed a consistent controlled throw.
So, get off your computer and go practice.
~woof~
