Greetings everyone. I just wanted to share with you my experiences since completing the primer course in Memphis this past March.
My first couple of trips to the casino were disastrous for me. My throws were all over the place.(I admit that I didn’t practice at home any). The 5 count wasn’t treating me very nice. I was always just one number off. I think I was expecting to win just because I took the class. After a fourth losing session, I decided to take a break from live play. I went back to my notes and GTC book from the class and started back at the beginning. I set up my practice rig and started video taping my practice sessions. First thing I noticed was my grip was crooked. I started using the gripper and really focused on my grip. I remember NFF telling me to keep my arm straight which I wasn’t. My dice were not level with the table so I glued a small level to a pair of dice and fixed that (Thank you Dr. Crapology!). I still felt like I was having problems keeping my arm straight, so I decided to try a pair of Mr. Pip’s special shoes. What a difference! I started practicing around 30-40 minutes a day. Serious practicing!

This past weekend my wife had a high school reunion out of town and our hotel was one block from the casino. We arrived a little too early to check in so we decided to hit the tables for a bit and eat lunch at the buffet. There were only two tables open at the time but as luck would have it, the only open spot was at SL1. I bought in for 300 and pretty much had the attitude that I’m sticking with the 5 count no matter what. I hit on a couple random rollers before me so I was feeling pretty good! My first turn with the dice I hit 2 points and 2 come bets. I tried to just keep thinking about my practice set-up at home and what my instructors taught me. Even though I sevened out (it was 4-3), I felt pretty good. I just wanted the dice one more time. The next three shooters all had a P.S.O. (thank you 5 count!). The next two shooters passed the dice and I was able to get the dice back relatively quick. This turn with the dice was amazing for me. I hit 6 points (hit the eight twice). hit several come bets and ended up with a 5 point fire bet win. I ended up throwing a seven after what felt like an hour roll. I was mentally and physically exhausted. I wasn’t sure how much I made at the time, but I almost fell over when the suit stated "ONE ORANGE GOING OUT!". As I left the table, a gentleman who was keeping track of numbers on a pad of paper stopped me and said "do you know you just rolled 32 times!" and proceded to tell me how many times I hit each number. I just smiled and thought REALLY!?! Maybe someday I will start keeping track of my rolls, but for now I still have too many problems concentrating on my bets and my throw. I carried that orange chip up to the cashier like a father carrying his first born child, grinning from ear to ear!

The one I learned from this is that you really have to put in the practice time at home. Thank you Dom., NFF , Rose, Dr. Crapology and Mr.Pip for all the great instructions.. Hope to see you all at a refresher course sometime soon.

P.S. I can’t wait to get back into the casino! 😀

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