Your are correct–it is tough when we let someone or some other distraction get in our head and we have the 7 out. We try to do what Dom preacher in class–think of a happy place for a few minutes, take a deep breath and "continue to march" with what you have been taught and know. Distractions are part of the game.

As a side light you were in the mid to high teens on your roll, so you probably had a small profit in the rack for the roll. Enjoy that win. If that was not the first time he had done that we would have colored up and left the table. There is always another casino, another table in the same casino, or another day in the future.

Rose and Doc

I can generally filter out the noise, but the sudden appearance of a hand throwing down a bet as I am releasing the dice kills me. Steam comes out of my ears and death rays from my eyes. It happened last week in AC. Two idiots at the end and hook of the table threw down bets as I released the dice. I sevened out. From that point on, whenever I got the dice back, I gave them the death stare before I picked up the dice.

These interruptions happen all the time and we have to learn to deal with them. Knowing what to do before it happens will help you react to these situations. Just the other day Little Debbie and I were at a table in MS that had just opened, we were alone at the perfect table. We both had some fair rolls (SL1/SL2) when up comes a loud mouth drunk at the other end. He was leaning over the table hands all over the place and just would not shut up. Rather then try to find our "peaceful zone" we simply stopped playing and let the dice pass to him. We did this over and over, he’d 7 out and the dice passed right back to him. The dealers all loved what we were doing as we let him clean himself out. He walked away soon and we returned the playing. As Doc said above just stop, refocus and clear your mind, find that relaxing thought, reset the dice and keep your focus on where the dice are going to land. Most of all don’t even think that you’ll throw a 7, if you do guess what happens. Find that peaceful zone, Dom uses his fantastic fishing trip, I think of a relaxing summer day in our pool, whatever it is find it and practice it at home and in the casino. Good luck in 2019!

There are 2 things that get me off my game when I am shooting. One is the late better who reaches in with a bet or cash when I am ready to shoot. The other is the idiot who buys in during my point cycle.

If I am ready to toss the dice, and someone reaches in, I will set the dice down and go through my setup routine again. This helps me refocus on the shot.

If someone buys in, I will stare at the dice in the middle of the table, and use my trigger to calm myself. For me, my trigger is touching the thumb to my ring finger on my left hand and taking some deep breaths.

What others bet does not concern me at all.

NFF

Staying focused is truly hard to sometimes. This is something I have pondered with for a long time. I remember many years ago, 17 actually when Golden Touch first started, I would go to the casinos with "Tenor", God rest his soul, one of our first instructors and a great friend to all of us. We lived close to each other and would drive to a casino at least once a week.

One of us usually had a great roll at these sessions. We would leave the casino and give our parking ticket to valet and this conversation would start. During that great roll, who ever threw it would be zoned in. We would ask each other what thoughts did we have during the roll. We would ask each other how could we get into that zone all the time. Those questions still remain and the thoughts I have during those rolls remain in me.

Yes, I talk about that fishing story as my calm place, but I have many others that use during some of my big rolls. I use them all during my sessions. You all should ask your self the same questions and try to recall your thoughts and feeling during those great rolls and use them over and over again

Dom

Dom, you have always mentioned the importance of the mental game. I’ve reflected for many years on finding a way to establish that inner peace as well. Now I try to apply what I have learned to this game we all love. When I observe myself engaged in some activity, I try to stay present enough to focus only on the task I have in front of me. When I am focused I no longer feel the need to have a response to anything else going on around me. When I shoot, I focus on letting my body take over and my thoughts are temporarily suspended. The moment the dice leave my fingers my input ends. The outcome is no longer in my hands. Yes, no one wants to see the seven but, we all know that is the last thing we will see before we end each session. Sometimes I can get so amped up in my attempt to win that I forget that it is just one roll at a time. Try to take each roll and make all that practice count. Observe how the dice look in the air. How are they reacting on the table? Are you hitting your target area. If you are focused enough, the rest of the world disappears. How is your breathing? Just focusing on your breathing will turn ninety percent of your mind static off. These are lessons for living as well. I call it a spiritual journey. We live in a world that is constant sensory overload. How does one cope? I do it in my garden, or stroll along the beach holding my wife’s hand, or in my garage listening to Sinatra and throwing the dice. The question for me is: How do I bring that with me into the casino environment? For me it starts way before I enter the casino atmosphere. It can start right when my wife comes into the garage in the middle of my roll to remind me that I forgot to turn off the light in the bathroom. LOL If you look at the Japanese culture, some of the simplest tasks have been made into spiritual ritual in an attempt to bring presence to everything that we do. Making a cup of tea becomes ceremonial. Trying bringing this same presence to the way you use your entire body when you make each individual toss and I think the rest of your world will momentarily disappear. Happy New Year to each and everyone of you. Make it a great one.

Wirenut,

I totally understand this. I struggle with distractions and It took me sometime to overcome this. I think it was my last meet-up Trip 25, I played at an empty $10 ( A table that I been working on schooling, and finally figured out how to dial-in on it) table. Midnight was at my table on SR1 and I was on SL2. Sure enough when I was throwing and my bases were loaded, some Newbee players did every possible distracting behavior that throws off a controlled shooter.
1) Buying in at the last minute when you are holding the dice.
2) Asking the dealer how to play while you are shooting.
3) Tapping you on the arm, talking to you to ask you if you are shooting while you are holding the dice.
4) Throwing out a prop bet while I am ready to launch.
5) Arguing with his family member loudly I believe in their native language.
6) Entering your personal SL1 Space reducing your elbow space.
7) Putting on a jacket while you are shooting and feeling parts of the jacket hit you.

In the end after a throw in the 30s hitting the 7 only once, hitting the SMT and yelling at them like children. It was the first time that I really focused on my game, What helped was:
1) Staring at an area on the table sometimes its the yellow dot.
2) Look over to your other Dice Controller in this case Midnight gave me a non-verbal queue to calm down and stay focus.
3) Imagine that all random rollers are small toddlers and you are driving a soccer mom van, you may need to yell at them in a way for them to behave but not get distracted that you would crash the van.

I good friend of mine (Hard Nine) that I throw a lot with and I have discussed this topic numerous times. This along with the etiquette at the table (or lack there of) are things we are never going to change or correct. Our conclusion is we can let it bother us or re-focus like our trainings have urged us to do. BOY IS THIS EASIER SAID THAN DONE!! Over the last trips we’ve taken together we’ve tried to accept the fact these interruption will happen. Our acceptance of this has presented a little more inner peace. Re-focus, run through your grip, target, arm swing, release point fundamentals.

This is the next level of expertise we need to master. STAY CALM – STAY CALM – STAY CALM.

Good luck with mastering it. We’re with you.

Right on Scooter!!!

Rose and Doc