Dice Setter Precision Shooter's Newsletter

Happy Thanksgiving!  With the start of the holiday season, we've all got more important matters on our mind than craps, so I'll keep this newsletter brief. 

Heavy and the Dice Coach had the honor of teaching a group of very talented shooters this month in Vegas.  In every aspect, the weekend long class was a huge success.  Much was learned, new friendships were made and old ones rekindled.... and a ton of craps was played!  Who could ask for more?  Given the success of the class, they are currently planning another seminar for early spring, so keep an eye out for that announcement.   In the meantime, Heavy is taking the Axis Power Craps seminar on the road to Biloxi in February (see banner below) and the Dice Coach has ongoing classes in his Las Vegas craps pit.  (see the www.dicecoach.com  banner at the bottom of the newsletter)

Here's wishing you a safe and happy holiday season.  Thanks for your ongoing support of  dicesetter.com.

How to Cool a Hot Table
by Steve "Heavy" Haltom

Somewhere deep in the belly of the beast a wizened old veteran of the pits is holding court. His mission - to teach the latest group of pit trainees - fresh scrubbed Hospitality Industry graduates from public universities throughout the heartland - how to ice down a hot table.

First of all, he says, slow the game down. Make the stick man turn the dice over - then send them to you so you can pick them up and inspect them.

If slowing the game down doesn't work - speed the game up. Tell the stick to pick it up so the shooter has to throw the dice before all the bets are paid. Then maybe he'll hit someone's hands and seven out.

Next, try interjecting yourself into the game. Get into an argument with a player over a prop bet. Stop the game to warn someone about holding their drink over the rail. Or complain to the shooter about the way he's tossing the dice.

Tell the shooter to throw them higher.

Tell him to keep them down.

Tell him to throw them harder.

Tell him to be sure both dice hit the back wall - even if they DID hit the back wall.

If that doesn't work try chatting the shooter up. Ask him if he brought his wife with him this trip. Does he want a nice comp for dinner after he's through shooting. How about them Cowboys? Or the biggie - Do you always set the dice like that?

Call the beverage server over and have her tap the shooter on the shoulder and ask if he wants anything.

Order up a chip refill and put a roadblock on the table.

Change the dice out and send in a set of coolers.

Have the floor person walk around behind the shooter and throw salt on his back.

Get the house shill to squeeze in at the rail beside the shooter so he has to shift positions. Get the other house shill to stagger up to the table, pretend he is drunk and toss out a bunch of late bets.

Send the dice out with the seven showing.

Sent the dice out with the hardways showing.

Have the dealer place the shooter's pay offs just out of his reach.

Short stick the dice to the shooter.

And the big one - have the house shill toss out three bucks and shout, "Hopping the sevens."

And in the back of the classroom - one of the fresh young college grads raises his hand tentatively. "But I thought we were running a fair game," he commented.

"Well of course it's fair," said the old pit boss as he crossed his fingers behind his back. "I don't believe any of that stuff works - but as long as the PLAYER's do we'll keep using it."

Mad Professor's Mini-Table Craps Tour with the Vegas Ghost- Part III

In Part II of this series, we visited the shrine of Las Vegas mini-table Precision-Shooting: Casino Royale.

We continue our trip of mini-tubs and Crapshoot tables with Mel, the “Vegas Ghost”.  He is a senior casino executive in his regular job, and a serious gambler in what he calls his “real” job.

Our next target for this leg of the Mini-Tub Tour is the:

Holiday Inn Boardwalk

Yep, thar she be, in all her Coney Island-esque splendor.  

The Cyclone roller-coaster isn’t real, the Ferris-wheel isn’t real, the Parachute-Drop isn’t real, the salt-water taffy is barely real, and the twenty-foot high clown face is real…scary. 

However, we are here for some REAL mini-tub crap-shooting profit, and I’m pretty confident that we’ll be able to grab at least some of it from this casino.

The Boardwalk Casino is located on Las Vegas Boulevard (The Strip), between New York-New York and the Monte Carlo Resort-Casino.  That puts it directly across the street from the MGM Grand, Polo Towers and close to The Aladdin Hotel, Bellagio, Excalibur and Tropicana.

At 33,000 square foot, this casino is on par with Fitzgeralds, Lady Luck and Casino Royale in size.  It’s not too big, and it makes finding family, friends, or playing partners quite easy. It rarely feels crowded, although there is quite a bit of impulse walk-in traffic that the more than 30,000 guest-rooms from the nearby mega-resorts generate.

Mel and I drove here from Casino Royale.  The distance is about one-mile, but driving time can very from 5 or 6 minutes during a mid-week early morning, to 45 or 50 minutes on a weekend evening. Traffic in the heart of the Strip is generally heavy now about eighteen hours a day. 

Like Casino Royale, they too have surface parking out back, however the walk from your car to the craps table is a good five-minute jaunt.

Don’t expect to be impressed with the amenities or dramatic opulence here…there simply isn’t any.  Buddy, this is a Holiday Inn.  Even though it is owned by MGM-Mirage, you won’t find any lions, tigers, or bears here unless you telephone one of those specialty outcall (escort/hooker) agencies for some of their “unique” services.  In which case, you’ll probably end up wearing a heavily-stained sheep costume while disciplinarian “Little Bo Peep” wields a bull-hide whip, as she herds you into your leather branding-restraints.

Boardwalk’s “Tub” Tables

One of the great things about the Boardwalk gaming-house is their mini-tub tables.  I don’t normally concentrate much play on them.  Rather, I’ll get in about one session every week or so.  As well, I try to spread my mini-table action around town.  There are ten “official” small-table locations in and around Las Vegas, plus a couple more places that install the “mid-table” bumper-boards to reduce regular-sized tables into one or two dealer operations during the slower off-hours.

Here is what the Boardwalk table looks like.

As you can see, the table is made to accommodate 10 players, but realistically, only 8-players can comfortably engage in the game without undue discomfort.

- mini table tour continued here

Not Just Another Christmas Special!

Well, Christmas is coming and the kids want everything in the catalog. Time to turn a few of these books I've got stacked up into a little holiday cash. For those of you who have been riding the fence on buying one of the books - here's a chance to get a deep discount on BOTH.

You'll receive Heavy's Axis Power Craps manual - the book that scares the hell out of the casino owners. Along with the Axis Power manual you'll receive one of those handy-dandy laminated strategy cards with photos of the primary dice sets and the numbers distribution chart for on-axis rolls. AND you'll receive a copy of Heavy's Play Book which includes my basic right way and wrong way play, the Heat Seeking Craps strategy, and all of my progression and regression techniques.

This two book combo would ordinarily run $69.90. For a limited time only you can get BOTH books AND the strategy card for just $48 plus $6 shipping and handling.

Interested? Send your check of money order for $54 total to Heavy at:

Steve "Heavy" Haltom
PO Box 2892
Sherman, Texas 75091-2892

Better hurry, though. Once the Christmas shopping is done - so is this deal!