As many of you know I write a weekly column for the About Casino Gambling website. I give what I feel is practical and honest advice about the casino and the games. This would not be possible if I were not honest with myself as to my own casino results.

We as humans sometimes suffer from selective amnesia. We tend to forget or remember only what we want to. Many blackjack players will recall all the times the player at third base ignores basic strategy and takes the dealers bust card. They forget all the times that this move actually helped them out. Consequently experienced players know this has no bearing on their game. Craps players will remember every time the dice hit the chips and they seven-out. They forget the times the dice hit the chips and they made their point. Many players will tell you at the end of the year that they made money in the casino. In reality they may only be remembering the winning sessions.

In order to accurately judge my own results in the casinos I keep a separate logbook for each game I play. Video Poker, craps, live poker and blackjack. This is a perfect way to know where I stand at any given time. I also critique my own play at the end of a session or casino trip. This honest evaluation can shed a light on what I did right or wrong and how it affected my monetary results.
If I lose after playing correctly I can attribute this to the normal fluctuation of the game. I can live with that! If I lose because I was playing poorly then I have to address the issue and correct my mistakes to keep from repeating them the next time around. I have to be honest with myself if I want to improve my game and I am usually my own harshest critic.

I am usually the only one who is privy to this critique but I would like to share some of it with you concerning my recent trip to Las Vegas. There are parts of this that I feel are pretty ugly. If it were a movie it might even be a horror flick.

Before I start I want to make it clear that any of the things I relate are not to be taken as excuses. They are merely contributing factors to my own mind set and are things that I should have dealt with.

I was somewhat over confidant maybe even a little cocky before I left. In my 22 sessions this year I had won $1,164 dollars playing mostly five-dollar units. I posted on the list that my mission on this trip was to win a Fremont jacket by getting several rolls over 15 to amass 50 points. This was mistake number one. I put added and undo pressure on myself before I even got to Las Vegas.

My trip got off to a bad start as my 6am flight on Thursday was cancelled the night before I left. I did not get out until Friday and had to reschedule a few meetings I had planned. It took me 12 hours to get to Vegas. It’s normally a seven-hour trip but when I got to Chicago my connecting flight was not there yet. I got to Vegas and checked in the hotel and had to run right out and meet friends for dinner. I decided not to play Friday night.

Saturday morning I got and realized I forgot to pack a set of dice, so I headed down to the Fremont cold. I found a two-dollar table with one other person playing. In the center of the table was the counter they use to keep count of your rolls. Here comes mistake number two. I said I found a two-dollar table. Did I play two dollars until I warmed up? NOPE. Jumped in with five on the pass line, the point was five and I took double odds, placed the six and eight threw a two, a nine and then "seven-out line away!" Down $27 right from the beginning. The dice made their way back to me and I started my second roll. This time my point was six. I took double odds and then placed the eight for $12. As I was rolling I had one eye on the meter and I never got into the zone as my focus was on the length of my roll. Another seven out and a little more money in the hole. This continued for a few more rolls.

I finally backed off from the table and tried to refocus on the game and not the meter. I dropped my bets to two dollars. But still took the double odds and placed the numbers. I had a roll of 15 and got my fist slip. All the time I was rolling I had the dealers on the line with me and they were rooting me on. At one point the dice came back to me and there was nine rolls on the meter. The Boxman neglected to re-set it and I had a roll of 17 and got credit for a 25 roll. A little perk for taking care of the crew. I took my second slip and finished my session. I was down $75. Not the started I had planned on.

Critique – I never got in the zone as I was letting the wrong side of my brain be dominant by concentrating on the meter and the money. Poor play on my part!
After my losing session Saturday morning I took some time off to run some errands. After lunch I had plans to meet Frank Scoblete at the Treasure Island to play some craps there. I was a little early and started checking out the craps tables in the pit when I spotted a shooter at the end of a table setting the dice with the 6T set and throwing with a nice arc.

As I approached the table for a closer look he made his point and I heard his friend tell him that was roll number 14. I jumped in and placed the six and eight. Frank joined me about five minutes later and the shooter was still rolling. He rolled for another five minutes and then got a round of applause after he sevened out. His friend was next to roll and he shot the same way. He made a few passes as well. Then it was my turn.

I was totally relaxed. I have shot craps with Frank many times in the last few years and felt no pressure about my performance. I was also up a few units, which helped to relax me. I was able to find my zone and had a decent roll making my point three times along with quite a few numbers. Frank had a decent roll as well and we played the five-count until I got my second chance to shoot. My second roll was not as good but I did hit the 6 & 8 several times. I cashed out $125 ahead for the session.

Critique – Good session. Very relaxed and I felt comfortable. I didn’t feel any pressure and didn’t feel I had anything to prove. I was able to get into my zone. I was happy with the session.

After leaving the Treasure Island I joined some friends for dinner and a show. I met a friend at the Las Vegas Club and we headed down to the Fremont. I was hoping to qualify with one more roll of 15 to get may jacket. After my afternoon session I felt that I had exorcised my demons. My spot was open on the five-dollar table and I jumped right in again with both feet before completely warming up.
I found myself watching the meter again and after getting in to the hole early. We called it a session. I was down $83 when we headed back to the Las Vegas Club. We played at the two-dollar table at the LVC and I did get one decent roll going. Then the pit boss started giving me grief for not hitting the back wall. I cashed out $13 on the plus side before calling it a night.

Critique – Not a good session. I had told my friend earlier to forget what he heard about me winning the Golden Arm contest in AC. He said no problem but I honestly feel that in the back of my mind I wanted to have a good roll and was pushing myself. When I tried FORCING the zone it had the opposite effect.

I got up Sunday morning and went back to the Fremont. I had a couple early seven outs and then decided to play just the pass line with odds. I had a roll of 15 and 17 to get enough points for the jacket. I was rolling a lot of off numbers and would have made money if I was betting STS. Instead when all was said and done I still lost $20 for the session.

Critique – Felling a little better but still not capitalizing enough on my rolls.

I had a busy day planned with friend and did not play again until I met the group Sunday night at Mandalay Bay.
Sunday night I met the group at Mandalay. I only got the dice twice as the table was crowded and did not have much of a chance to do anything. The fact that some of us had rushed in to make it on time could have attributed to our results. I had just rushed down from dinner with friends.
Randy had just flown in and had not even checked into his hotel yet. Bill said he had not had much sleep. The table was crowded and we agreed to meet the next day.

Critique – Once again I was jumping in right away with pass line odds and place bets. I should have played it a little more conservative until we were armed up. Minus $70 for the session

Monday I met the guys at the LVC for the 5 o’clock shoot. They had played earlier but I could not join them. We headed over to the Golden Nugget and started playing on a table that soon got crowded. My shoulder was a little sore from all the dice play but I decided it would probably loosen up as I went along. I could not find my zone. I had a few quick sevens out and was in the hole again. We moved to another table and then I made a few mistakes. At this point I think I just crossed the line just have a good time with other shooters."

I didn’t do much with my throw and the dice got to Randy who was on the end of the table because he could not get his position at SL. He decided to try throwing from the end just to see how his throw would be. Instead of holding off to see what would happen and then placing the 6 & 8. I decided to make pass line bets. He threw a three. "line away!" I placed another bet. He threw a three. "line away!" I placed another bet. He threw a three. "line away!" He established a point and then sevened out. We quit the session and I was down $95.

Critique – STUPID play on my part. Can’t say much more than that. Physically I should not have been throwing and mentally my head was not in the game. I hung up the dice for the day.

On Tuesday morning I met Randy, his wife and Ron at the Orleans for breakfast. My plane left at Noon. After breakfast we got in a session at the Fremont. I was comfortable and we all had a decent roll before I had to head out for the airport. I finished up $17 and was happy to leave on a positive note.

Final thoughts.

It was great to meet up and play with other shooters. We have a unique group and the camaraderie is fantastic. However I still have to take caution and not jump in to heavy until things get warmed up. I did not do this. Also I found that playing with new players I am just meeting, I definitely put too much pressure on myself and try to force a good roll. I need to relax and play my game that I know I am capable of playing.

I also fell into the trap of playing for the jacket and concentrating on the meter. I always advice against playing for comps but it just goes to show you that even experienced players can succumb to the allure of the chase.

I am upset with myself because I squandered a perfect opportunity while I was in Vegas. I have been practicing stick left but only throwing in the practice box. Here I was in downtown Las Vegas where they have low table stakes. The LVC has quarter craps during the graveyard shift. I could have practiced my SL on a regulation size table for next to nothing. I did not take advantage of this.

Until this trip I had only had 4 losing sessions out of 22. While I am still far ahead money wise, this trip has really pulled me back to reality.

I really wasn’t happy with my performance in Vegas. I had debated sharing my critique with the group but decided that maybe others could learn from my experience. I also wanted to show that even experienced, players can get caught up in it all and play less than perfect. Besides that a little humility is good for the soul.

I’m looking forward to not making any of these mistakes this weekend in Atlantic City.

THE END!

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