How Winning At Craps Is Like A Building A Birdhouse
As of this writing, I am on a roll, so to speak. So far in 2006 I have yet to have a losing day at the casinos and no it is not because I have not played so far this year. I have played many times. In fact, as of February 20th, I have played during six weekends amounting to 11 days since the start of the year, and each and every day was a winning day. I must admit that each session was not a winning session, but the winning sessions greatly outnumbered the losing sessions and the amount lost was usually minimal.
Obviously luck has played a role, but skill is a major contributor. However, the strongest reason for this streak, I believe, is a good selection of tools in my toolkit. Building an object requires materials and tools. Building a bank account through advantage play also requires materials and tools.
Lets consider the construction of a birdhouse. First you need the materials; plywood, dowel rod, nails, glue, and paint. Similarly, to construct a bank account through advantage play you need materials also. They include knowledge of the games, provable winning strategies or techniques and the physical and mental prowess to master the strategies and techniques.
Many advantage players have just one game; craps, blackjack, video poker or poker. While some people can do quite well with just one game, I think it is a little like trying to build our birdhouse with one tool such as a saw. A saw is very necessary in the construction of the birdhouse, but it will not get the entire job done. Similarly craps, alone, will probably not be enough to build the bank account. There will be times when you will not be able to get your position at the table, or the table is too crowded, or your shot is just off. What do you do then?
You can call it a session (stop building the birdhouse) or you can pull out another tool. This could be a hammer in the case of the birdhouse. It could be blackjack if you are building your bank account. If you cannot play craps, or you have played until you are tired (sawed all your plywood for the birdhouse), you can scout the blackjack tables for a playable game. Upon finding one, you can sit down and apply your skills to your advantage in this game.
But, there will be times when you cannot find a playable blackjack game. Or, after playing for an hour or so, you should take a break so you dont play too long. It is time to pull another tool out of the tool kit.
How about video poker? This game allows you to determine the house edge by looking at the pay table. You can find a good game, take the strategy cards you have for that game and play at an advantage for as long as you can concentrate.
Combined these three tools give you many opportunities to build you bank account, much like a saw, hammer and drill allow you to put together a birdhouse.
But other tools are required to build a birdhouse or to build a bank account. For the birdhouse you need a measuring tape, pencil, sandpaper and paintbrush. You need similar tools in advantage play regardless of the game.
The measuring tape allows you to make sure the components fit while building the birdhouse. You must use a "measuring tape" in a casino to constantly assess casino and table conditions in order to risk your money at only the most opportune times. Using the 5-count at a craps table is an example.
The pencil is used to make sure you are accurate in cutting and placing components of a birdhouse. A pencil in advantage gambling is used to document practice results. It is also used to record live play conditions and results such as money won or lost, time played and anything of special note about the session.
Sandpaper is used to smooth the surfaces and edges of the birdhouse. Practice is the sandpaper of advantage play. Practice takes the rough edges off. Practice smoothes the way to consistent results.
Finally we have the paintbrush. It is used to preserve and protect the birdhouse. Discipline protects and preserves the advantage players bank account. Without discipline, the bank account will deteriorate and crumble.
I have been on nearly a two month winning streak. This streak has been the result of some luck, but it has primarily been the result of using all of the tools available to me in the casino. When I was tired at the craps table, or my position was not available, or my shot was off I took advantage of the casino by playing Speed Count Blackjack. After playing long enough at blackjack, I played advantage video poker. Just like a birdhouse cannot be built using just a saw, a growing bankroll cannot be built with just one game.
If you only have Golden Touch™ Craps in your advantage players tool kit, consider adding Speed Count Blackjack, or how about video poker or Texas Hold em Poker also taught by Golden Touch™. You will find many more opportunities to enrich your 401G by doing so.
Remember:
"Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival!"
- W. Edwards Deming (1900 - 1993)
Stickman
