Our first workshop for women, Dice Feminique, was held in Las Vegas last month. It was an incredible presentation that focused on how we, as women can win at a game designed for men’s egos. The workshop was presented by The DiceCoach, Michael Vernon, author of the Playing4Keeps strategy of money management, and myself – “Soft-Touch”.
As I first entered the Dice Pit for our first ever women’s workshop, my eyes were
instantly drawn to the crystal bowl of M&M’s sitting in the middle of the craps table. As Michael stood at the box man’s position at the table, I had to ask -“What’s up with the M & M’s?”
And, this is how our first Dice Feminique experience began.
Michael captivated our savvy ladies with his exercise on how to detach ourselves from our preconceived ideas about the game, from the competition, the ego and the idea that craps is a man’s game. This is when he introduced the M & M’s exercise.
His exercise confirmed what I have suspected for quite some time, women don’t have to work nearly as hard as men to get what they want. And in this case, what we want is to win. Michael made us focus on our feelings and natural intuition, listening to our inner voices to feel the energy and flow of the game.
Those tiny colorful candies, and Michael’s special exercise, helped all of us to refocus our energy. It allowed us to abandon the competitiveness that most players exhibit at the tables, and to avoid getting so caught up in the rules, that we lose track of one of the best tools we have – our intuition and feelings.
We have a natural ability to tune into the energy of the dice game, why not use it to our advantage? Michael taught us how to trust those feelings, to instantly recognize and accept when it is time to color up and leave the table. This, as it turned out, proved extremely useful during all of our in-casino sessions during this workshop.
Once we were “tuned” into the energy aspect of the game, Michael focused on teaching the students his Playing 4 Keeps method of money management. It is a great way to make your bankroll work hard for you, while waiting for your next turn at the dice.
As the morning session ended, it was time for lunch at a nearby casino with time spent getting to know each other and exploring our goals at the Craps tables. Predictably, we ended our meal eager to apply our newly learned betting strategies in live table play. During our first casino session I got a kick out of watching our “girls” chant the catchy phrases like “7 is our friend” and “Stack ’em, Don’t Rack’em ” as the dice behaved in a way that Michael said they would. We all recognized when it was time to leave the table, and so it was back to the dice pit for more lessons – with our bankrolls intact!
Our afternoon focused on dice influence and the different elements involved in dice sets, grips and throwing methods.
With the Dice Coach’s instruction, everyone gained confidence in their skills, practicing with consistency and focus. Each student made tremendous strides, their mechanics and new found knowledge allowing all of us to critique and assist each other in perfecting our throws. And then it was time to discuss plans for our evening dice sessions.
Sunday began with a wonderful brunch at Green Valley Ranch and then it was out to the tables to test our newfound skills in more live play.
All in all, I have to say that our first workshop for ladies made an indelible imprint on me. Words like: positive, powerful, spiritual and open minded, described this group, and I felt honored to be part of their very special weekend. It was an enlightening experience for us all.
As for me, these ladies and the little chocolate candies, will always be a reminder that I need to step back from the game every once in a while, to not let my winning moments be destroyed by the interjection of too much logic in my approach. There is a place for both the logic and the intuition in this game of Craps. The trick is making them both work for you and your bankroll.
So, anyone up for Craps and M&M’s?
Soft Touch
