Well, I had a 40th reunion from High School this weekend. It was held at a golf resort about 20 minutes from AC. I met up with a few buddies that I had not seen in many years and we stayed in AC.
Lesson 1: Playing with old friends at a craps table, especially rowdy old friends reliving their days in high school, is not conducive to a profitable weekend. Rather than deal with the friends and trying to make a profit at the table, I just laid back. Took a non shooting position and 7 counted everyone. Shot once from Stick 3 just throwing and not setting dice with predictable results.
Lesson 2: Identify the one old friend who lives in LA, and frequents LV, who at least, understood the fundamentals of the game. Set a time to meet at the table and then try and turn a profit.
Had a good session with this one friend, who I knew from grammar school and high school. We had a decent session, where I was able to have 2 decent throws. 18 and a 25. Unfortunately, they were sandwiched by a point-7 and an 8. Even though, with 5 counting all others and conservative initial betting on my throws, I was able to turn a profit.

I had been having a tough time at practice with the hardway set and about 2 months ago, I switched to the 3V. I also started using the all-sevens on the initial come out.
My best rolls this weekend were where the come out produced a 6 or 8 and I then used the 3V. I hit many 6’s, but was never able to get over 2 points that first night. But the 25 featured 2 points made. (one six, one eight). I was not able to convert a 5. But the pounding of the six made me a good profit. I was betting only the six and eight with a take/press strategy, going up one unit each time. That first night turned a profit of $700. I hit 4 sevens in a row on the comeout and then a 6, using the all seven set. Then I switched to the 3V and had the 25 roll I told you about above hitting the six and eight for the point along with box numbers. I saw another GTC student from the last class in AC at another table. I was able to talk to him briefly after he colored up and was walking by on his way to cash out He said things were going well with what he had learned with GTC. He had a fistfull of chips. Purple, black, green. He said he had just had a good roll and was cashing out and going home. Good for him.
I used his success as inspiration for my own roll. That is the beauty of GTC: if one does it, another can using he same method of throwing and betting.

Next day before the reunion, I was able to play without my friends at a table with only 2 other shooters for my first throw. My friend from LA met me there. Being rested and confident, I had a good roll of 24. Followed by a 21. A guy I did not know was at SL2 and he threw the GTC way (or at least tried to) but he had no betting strategy. I colored up with a 1300 profit after 3 rolls. The guy who was there picked up some money on my rolls, but was in such a deep hole, it did not make a difference. He would bet all the numbers immediately after the point was established on the come out. This was at a $25 table. He was down before I came. He Picked up a few bucks and stayed when I left. When I returned to play 6 hours later, he was still at the table and was down big (according to him). No recovery was possible at that time since he was so far down.(His words, yet he was still at the table playing!)

Which, leads me to LESSON 3: Leave the table after 3 rolls, whether you win or lose during those rolls. Take a break. Go to the outlets, take a walk on the boardwalk, have lunch….but walk away. That guy did not, and he paid the price. By the way, it turns out that the guy read one of the books and never took a class and never learned betting strategy. Which leads me to
LESSON 4: Read the book, AND take the class. IMHO, you need both to learn throwing and betting.
More to follow on the day after the reunion.

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