I don’t remember if when you took our class Lou if I lectured on centering yourself and finding a calm place. But this is what you need to do. Practice 5X’s a day by closing your eyes and thinking about a place or something that puts a smile on your face – a great vacation spot you were at, a situation you were in that made you happy, something like that – and while you are doing that touch something on your person – your watch, a ring, your ear – something. Do this all at the same time 5X a day for 3 weeks. You will find that when you do this that smile will come and you will be calm again

Dom

Thank you for this advice Dom. I don’t remember this specifically in the class I was in earlier this year (I could have been in information overload), but it is worth its weight in gold! This will help in so many facets of life beyond just shooting.
BK

I hate when the distractions happen at the wrong time. Its one of my weakness, with more live play over time you will phase everyone out and and the degenerate antics around you starts to become white background noise.

"BeerKnurd" wrote: Thank you for this advice Dom. I don’t remember this specifically in the class I was in earlier this year (I could have been in information overload), but it is worth its weight in gold! This will help in so many facets of life beyond just shooting.
BK

No problem 😆
Glad I restated it

Dom

Dom,

This is brilliant! I know this as anchoring in psychology, thank you for connecting the dots and helps me apply it to craps!

Sincerely,
Lou

PS When I took the class in 2004 you guys where teaching from the book The Way of the Warrior Trader.

Hmmm One of my sons friends came by and said that he was interested. in learning on how to play craps I told him that I had craps , a few books on that subject that he could read .Well I gave him 2 to look at and another one on a different subject that I thought he may like . Well I had forgotten how many books on craps that I have . This is what I have left after he took two .Beat the craps out of the casinos,Gamble to win craps ,The Captains craps revolution ,Craps take the money and run ,Cutting edge craps ,Get the edge at craps ,The craps underground ,and Forever craps . But I dont have the one mentioned in this post . I guess it was before I started to get interested in reading about craps . Who is it by ?
Loucifer have you read Skinnys post on the big Enchilada ?
Good Rolling. 😀 🙂

"Loucifer" wrote: Dom,

This is brilliant! I know this as anchoring in psychology, thank you for connecting the dots and helps me apply it to craps!

Sincerely,
Lou

PS When I took the class in 2004 you guys where teaching from the book The Way of the Warrior Trader.

Memories! I still use a lot from that book Lou. I consider the author a friend all though I have spoken to him in maybe 13 years. I even had him come to one of my seminars and swing his sword an inch from my neck to proven a point about mind over matter. Little know fact – He helped me come up with the name of this company Golden Touch Craps. There were many things good about him, but also many things bad that I will not get into because unlike others I will not be included in the rumors about him.

The whole thesis about the book Finisher is really not about craps but using your mind to help you over come and possibly control the outcome of events. In his seminar that I attended actually with Billy the Kid he used craps as his example in his teaching. We actually played a game of craps during his seminar.

Memories …… after the first day of class that was held in Memphis we all went to a casino in Tunica, (when I was still allowed to play there) and I had just a huge roll. At the end of the seminar Billy and I drove to Tunica and played some craps. We only had a couple of hours as we had to drive to … man I forgot now…..LOL …. maybe Billy remembers …. it sucks getting old ….but anyway Billy and I were down. This I do remember very clearly though …… Billy took the dice and we both put all that we had in our rack on the table and Billy proceeded to have one the best rolls I have ever witnessed. Needless to say we made a ton of money and Billy drove may at 100 MPH for us to make our flight home…..

Last thing I still use the Samurai analogy in my lecture on the mind during the time when you hold and shoot the dice. That is all from the book

Dom

I Learned about mind over matter from my DI which was that he did not mind and I did not matter . Maybe not the same tho . Had no book just 2 DIs that wanted us to live .
Good Rolling. 😀 🙂

On my first day of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) school there was a large slogan on the wall: INITIAL SUCCESS OR TOTAL FAILURE. This always stuck with me throughout my Army carrier and is useful for me at the craps tables where we don’t get any second chances. As Dom and Mr. Pip wrote, you have to clear your mind, find some thoughts that put you in the right frame of mind and most importantly concentrate only on YOU. Don’t listen to other players and once you have the dice set and ready, clear your mind and breath, then focus on that 2 inch circle where your dice are going to land. It takes concentration but it works,you have to start to practice this at home all the time and focus on your task. Remember, because of what we do at the tables we are the Pink Elephant in the room everyone notices our throw and control so you have to accept that and ignore everyone else. Practice, practice, practice!!!

Dom,
I remember your centering discussion. I believe that yours has to do with a fishing trip with wife and father in law and a turn of your ring?

I was just discussing this with Scooter 2 hours ago! I absolutely come back to this often, not often enough.

😀 Exactly – I caught that fish and brought him in after he snapped my pole. My father-in-law grabbed another pole and we moved the reel to the new pole and brought him in. That fish was the largest caught till the 3rd day of the season!

Dom

Wow that record lasted a long time . 😀 😀 🙂

😆 😆 😆

Man – when you write to quickly …… 😀 I meant it lasted till the 3rd to the last day of the season.

Dom

I hunt and peck and some times I feel that I read that way . 😀 😀
Good Rolling.

After three weeks, my dice are still fighting me. This lady really got into my head. It seems that the harder I try to prove her wrong, the more the dice fight back.

I did hit a hard six on Saturday for a guy who had the dealers up. I worked my butt off to get it, so when it landed it felt amazing. I thought maybe the cold spell was over, however yesterday I got creamed again.

Any thoughts on how to clear this disharmony are appreciated!!!

Sincerely,
Lou

Loucifer,

Have been there many times. In my early years with GTC I would take a tuneup (no refreshers or advanced classes then). When I talked to Dom about it he said it was probably something very minor that had worked its way into my throw/mind. Remember a lot of dice control is between your ears. Dom was 100% correct. I simply needed someone to take a look at my throw and in no time I was back in business.

Nearly every time I practice I get some good instruction from an GTC instructor—you will remember I am married to Alligator Rose. Lucky Me. Things will creep into your shot from time to time so don’t hesitate to come to a class weekend for some formal instruction so we can assist you. That is what we are there for. We do have a class next week in about 10 days. Call Dom 866 SET DICE.

Doc

Doc,

Thanks for the post. I know that definitely have some mental blocks that I need to work through, just dont know how yet.

I would love to get out to Vegas again, however it just isn’t in the cards for me this month. I have already talked to Dom about the possibility of AC in May since that is only a 3 hour drive from me.

Lastly, I watched a video on intuition and it said something about unifying with yourself and learning how to trust. That really resonated with me, but again I don’t really know how to get started.

Sincerely,
Lou

Lou When you practice do you use distractions ? Like a radio on or set a alarm clock to go off . Chips all over the table like real betting . I have the table set for 4 players chips at end were I throw . With radio on and some times my wife says that the neighbors are tired of hearing it . 😀
There is a game that one on this site made up that you may want to look up . It gave you points for close to wall , hitting both dice to wall and a few other things .
I try not to let others bother me at the tables period . I have even been told by a dealer that he thought I was new to playing even tho I have been playing for more then his age . 😀 I just laughed inside . Never told him how long I have been throwing the bones .
Just watch her bet and play and that will tell you if she should bother you with her thoughts . It is one thing to say some thing and another to do the right thing . This is a journey and unless her throws are 2 or 3 times longer then yours I would not worry about what she says . Make that 4 times .
I some times watch a game that is going on instead of paying attention to what is going on at the table . Or I just look above the pit critter to calm down to no were .
Good Rolling. 😀 🙂

Finisher,

You have a great point. I do not practice with any type of distractions, so that may be a good thing to add.

I guess in all honesty it is a pride issue for me. I want to "prove" to that lady that I am a good shooter, even though I will probably never see her again in my life!

I am trying to force the dice instead of going with the flow. Now I just need to figure out how to let it go.

Sincerely,
Lou

Lou,

You need to shoot with an "empty mind". What I mean by that is that you shouldn’t really be thinking about anything when you release the dice. Let your throw take over. I didn’t like the fact that you were trying to hit the hard 6 in your mind. When you release your mind should be without thoughts.

As far what is happening with your throw – break it down in your practice – grip, arm swing, rotation ….. just practice one thing ata time. That might help

Dom

Dom,

That empty mind thing gives me a lot of trouble. My brain is constantly thinking.

I find that if I do a alltrustistic goal I do better because it serves as a nice distraction.

In this case I was just visualizing the 3-3 and setting forth the intention. I wasn’t fixated on it nor did I have an emotional attachment to the outcome per se. However, it did feel good to land it.

Afterwards, I got another six for a point, and he went back up on it. I warned him about lighting striking twice. A few rolls later I rolled a 5-1 because I had let myself off the hook by warning him.

My Thrid point was a 4 (which I shouldn’t get with my all sevens set!). So then he put us up on a 3 way hard four. That got me because now I had a vested interest, however I also knew I was on borrowed time because of the 3-1. I think I got two more tosses and then went out.

I will try to figure out a better way to clear my mind, but the whole meditation (sitting still) thing doesn’t seem to work for me.

Sincerely,
Lou

It takes practice. Try just sitting in your chair and staring at a point for just 10 seconds without thinking about any thing. Maybe even 5 seconds, that is just as difficult to begin with. You don’t have to empty your mind for very long actually.

next thing is what you said "Afterwards, I got another six for a point, and he went back up on it. I warned him about lighting striking twice. A few rolls later I rolled a 5-1 because I had let myself off the hook by warning him." ……… You put a negative thought in your mind! Don’t do this. A gold medalist in rifle shooting and who became the couch of the US rifle team is a student and he told me about what he told his students. When they shot and didn’t get the bulls eye but did get a point to say to themselves "GOOD SHOT". That positive reinforcement. When you throw the dice and you don’t get a 7 say to yourself good shot – it was because you still have the dice! Don’t put any negative thoughts in your head

Dom