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The Big Easy New Orleans, LA. The Big Easy.
Home of the Mardi Gras, Bourbon Street, The French Quarter, The Super Dome,
Gumbo, Jambalaya, southern hospitality and friendly craps dealers! This was my fourth
trip since I first discovered Irishsetter's site last September. My first trip was profitable but the other two
were disappointments, and after the third trip I was almost ready to give up on dice
setting. But, this trip was different. The organization I
work for decided that I needed to go to the Microsoft Tech-Ed 2002 being held in New
Orleans from April 9th through April 13th. By the time final approval came through the list
of hotels had dwindled to only a handful, one of them being the W Hotel, right
across the street from Harrahs Casino. Not
a problem! Harrahs in
New Orleans is just a casino and does not include a hotel.
They (Harrahs) utilize the W Hotel and I was told they
also use the Hilton which is only a block away. The
W was ideal for us with the convention center only 4-5 blocks away, an easy
walk for me. In addition the Aquarium of The
Americas is only two blocks away as was the River Walk, a collection of some 60-100 shops
(a delight for my wife.) So much happened on
this trip that I have decided to divide it up into three parts. This first part will deal with each day, the
sessions, and the results. Ill also
throw in a bit about the area and where we went. In
Part II Ill talk about some theories I have about precision shooting and how and why
I think we can all profit from whatever level we are at now. Ill go into more detail in how I approached
and prepared for this trip and the grips I used. In
Part III Ill talk about how I played $10 tables with only a $100 buy-in and how I
qualify shooters. Youll also see that I
occasionally break my own rules. I guess its
like the preacher said, Do as I say, not as I do. That said, lets
get started! We arrived in New
Orleans around 2:15 pm on Tuesday and it wasnt until around 4:00 pm that we wandered
over to Harrahs. My wife is a blackjack
player, as I am also and she headed for the BJ tables and I headed for the craps tables. Session 1: Tuesday, 4:25 5:05 pm, $10 Table, Position: R1, $100
buy-in. This is a rule that
Im sure most of us have trouble with, not playing on your arrival date. I know, its tough to do, just remember to be
very, very careful! I was tired as traveling
always tends to tire me out. Im also a
morning person and my wife is a night person so when Im winding down, shes
getting ready to play! I only rolled once and
lost money on myself but did catch a random roller who hit 7 sixes. I was in on the last four. Results:+$7.00 We decided to get
dinner and unpack and try later. Session 2: Tuesday, 8:40 9:05 pm, $10 Table, Position: R1, $100
buy-in. A little food and a
little rest makes a big difference! I threw
mostly sixes and eights and hit piggy-backed hard 4, 6 and 8. Results:+$75 Session 3: Tuesday, 9:40 10:05 pm, $10 Table, Position: R1,
$100 buy-in. By this time I was
really getting tired and should have called it a day but my wife wanted to play awhile
longer so I wandered back to the craps table. Rolled
3 times and couldnt hit anything. Results: -$80 Session 4: Wednesday, 8:50
9:15 am, $5 Table, Position: L1, $100 buy-in. I was the only one
at the table and after a couple of false starts settled in for a nice long roll in the
range of 35-50 rolls. At one time the pit
boss told someone, Get in here, we havent had a roll like this since Easter. I hit the hard 8 (piggy-backed) three times in a
row! My energy level is always high in the
morning and I play better AND make better decisions. Note: In part III Ill talk more on my style of
play, which is conservative to say the least. Im
an up-as-you-win type of player taking profit along the way. Results: +$210 Off to the
Conference. Session 5: Wednesday, 12:30
12:50 pm, $10 Table, Position: L1, $100 buy-in Just a quick break
at lunch time which turned out to be a mistake as the tables were full and I had only 1
turn with the dice. Results: -$49 I had to head back
to the conference and my wife and I planned to meet at the hotel between 4:00 pm and 4:30
pm to spend the evening on Bourbon Street. It
wasnt until almost 6:00 pm that she showed up.
So much for having shopping close by. We
spent the evening wandering around Bourbon Street and the French Quarter. I had been in New
Orleans some 10 years ago and had found an Irish bar (I couldnt remember the name),
but the night I found it Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy were there! What a find!
We finally found it and its called OFlahertys. On the way back to
the hotel my wife got in some dumb argument, I dont even remember about what, and its
never a good idea to gamble when youre upset about anything, so we called it a day. Session 6: Thursday, 8:00
8:30 am, $10 Table, Position: L1 & R1, $100 buy-in When I got to the
table I was greeted warmly by the crew and the pit boss.
I called the pit boss over and told him that I had forgotten to ask for a
breakfast comp the previous day. He said hed
take care of it which he did. There were only
four others at the table and they would only toss the dice a few times and seven out. On my first roll I hit a run of 15-20 numbers,
which included a piggy-backed hard 8. Results: +$54 Off to the
conference. Session 7: Thursday, 3:30
4:00 pm, $10 Table, Position: R2, $100 buy-in This was a cold
table and I rolled only once with disappointing results.
Everyone else was not getting past 5 or 6 rolls before sevening out. Decided position of R2 (second position to the
right of stick) was NOT my spot. Results: -$50 Session 8: Thursday, 4:00
4:20 pm, $10 Table, Position: L1, $100 buy-in Again, nothing
doing at this table. Table was crowded and I
only shot once, point and seven out on 4th toss.
Colored up. Results:-$27 I check on my wife
and she was having a run at the BJ tables. She
colored up $613 with a $100 buy-in for a $513 profit.
She called the pit boss over and got us a comp good for breakfast, lunch or
dinner at their buffet. She then proceeded to a Let It Ride table and won $25. At this point we took a break and got ready for
the evening at the Aquarius of the Americas. Session 9: Friday, 7:30
9:00 am, $5 Table, Position: L1, $100 buy-in It was strange to
find a $5 table as I was told on Thursday that they went up to $10. It was up and down
at this table and I tried both stick left (L1) and stick right (R1) It was during this
session that one of the dealers turned to the pit boss and said, This table is
really acting funny this morning. The
pit boss asked what he meant and the dealer said, A number of times the dice just
stop, no bounce, no roll, no nothing! I
said, I saw it too. The dealer
looked at me and said, You should have, it was when you were throwing! To which I replied, But I saw at this end
also! And, he said laughingly, Yes,
and thats when you were throwing from stick left! And I said, Really! And, he was right,
and I had noticed it. The dice would
hit and just stop! No bounce, no roll, no
nothing, maybe slide ¼ to ½ inch. This
happened to me maybe 8-10 times during this trip. Is this the dead cat bounce? Its interesting to note that during this
short session I threw from both stick left and stick right and used two different grips. Again, Ill talk more about these grips in
part II. While I was at the
tables I hit the pit boss up for a nice dinner in their Manor Room. The Manor Room serves double duty as an expensive
restaurant in the evening and a room for the Diamond & Platinum players for breakfast
and lunch buffets. He couldnt do
anything but talked to one of the hosts who I was to call later that afternoon. Results: +$49 Session 10: Friday, 12:15
12:45 pm, $10 Table, Position: R1, $100 buy-in Nothing much
positive on the table as a whole. I had one
shot with the dice and bet on one random roller after qualifying them. Results:-$40 Back to the
Conference. After I returned
from the conference I called the casino host and he set us up for dinner in the Manor
Room. (Comp Value: $100) Session 11: Friday, 3:45
5:30 pm, $10 Table, Position: L1, $100 buy-in This session was to
end up as one of the most interesting sessions that I have ever played! The table was not
really crowded and the dice made a couple of passes around the table. The first time I had the dice I made one point and
hit one 6 before sevening out. The individual
on my left was a newbie and was full of questions as to how to bet and where to put his
money, the difference between the pass line and come , etc.
As each new shooter would get the dice I would qualify them before betting
on them. As I explained to the individual on
my left what I was doing, the individual to his left said no one ever held the dice very
long and you had to get in early and hope for the best.
His stack of chips was dwindling quickly while mine was holding its
own and had even increased slightly. Then the dice came
to the individual to the right of stick. As
the dealer placed the dice in front of him he quickly grabbed them and literally flung
them as fast as he could to the left. My
thoughts at the time were that this would be a short roll and the people at the end of the
table needed protection. Ive got
into the habit of mentally tracking each shooter, and after 8 rolls I jumped in. The guy threw for 15 20 minutes before
sevening out! My stack had grown
as had the newbies. The guy to the left of
the newbie who had been down to his last $40 was now smiling broadly. The newbie colored up and left (his wife came by
telling him it was dinner time.) Too bad for
him as youll soon see. A new individual
slipped into the space vacated by the newbie as the dice came to me. I had a good roll,
between 25 and 35 rolls, and hitting many numbers. When
I finally sevened out I seriously considered leaving as its unusual to see 3
shooters in a row hold the dice for any length of time.
I decided to wait and I again qualified the shooter and when he showed
consistency, jumped in. Just another 15
20 minute roll! Again I considered
leaving as the dice passed to the guy who had been down to his last $40. But I stayed.
I qualified him and finally jumped in to ride another 20 25 minute
roll. When he finally sevened out, and before
the dice had passed to the next guy, someone hollered, Thats gonna be a tough
act to follow! The new shooter to be simply smiled and when the dice came to him
proceeded to roll for 15 20 minutes! Again,
I qualified him as a shooter before jumping in. The next guy didnt
make it past the 4th roll and almost everyone at the table colored up, except
the guy who had been down to his last $40. He
now had $2000 - $3000 in front of him. I
never stuck around to see what happened to him. Everyone
one of the shooters, with the exception of me, had been random rollers with no consistent
set or throw. I have never seen this happen
before in my life. Maybe two shooters, even
three, but never five. Thats why I
always qualify a shooter, and if I jump in with them, I make sure to take profit along the
way. Results: +$613 After a nice dinner
we wandered over to the River Walk shops because I wanted to get a nice tie for the
morning shift pit boss that had been taking care of us.
Even though I may never return to New Orleans, you just never know. When we got home I also sent a thank you card to
the host who I never met and thanking him for the very nice dinner. I also asked him to be put on his list. (Who
knows, maybe a free trip back to the Big Easy!) When we returned to
the casino my wife wanted to play some more BJ. I
checked the craps tables and they were packed. Only
a $15 table was open. I decided to risk $100
at BJ, but no more. The first $10 table I sat
down at the dealer drew to a 14 and to a 16 and beat me two hands in a row. The next table was almost the same, the dealer
drawing a 20 and a black jack. Same thing at
the third table, again only 2 hands. On the
4th table I lost the first hand. Whats
wrong! Now in less than 15 minutes I only
have $30 left. And then it turned
and
in 15 minutes I colored up $290! I play BJ the same
way I play craps. If you beat up on me I move
quickly and if I hit a streak I ride it. But,
I always set a departure point (money wise) when I get ahead, or down. The goal is to always leave a table as a winner,
or at worst, only down a little. I checked with my
wife at the Let It Ride table and she was up $50. The
craps tables were still packed so I found a $5 BJ table and 20 minutes later colored up
$223, up another $123. And, that was enough
for me. I found my wife and we retired for
the evening after an incredible 24 hours. Session 12: Saturday, 7:45
9:45 pm, $5 Table, Position: L1 & R1, $100 buy-in Again I break my
own rules. Dont play on your last day. If you must play then put strict limits on the
amount youll gamble with. When I got to
the craps table my pit boss friend was opening up a BJ pit so I asked the pit boss (the
box man from previous days) for a breakfast comp and got one. A little later my pit boss friend stopped by and
I gave him my card and the tie. It created
quite a stir in the pit and Im sure it will be remembered. I didnt
really keep track of each table I went to as I roamed between 3 of them over the two
hours. The tables were cold though and I was
up and down. Nothing seamed to work until I
realized I wasnt looking for the sweet spot. When I finally adjusted my landing zone on a $10
table that I had never played on before things improved and I had a 15 20 roll run
right before we quit for the day. Results: +$65 Summary - Trip
Results & Totals Total Sessions: 12
Hours Played: 9
hours 20 minutes Hourly win:
$90/Hour approx. Notes: I made
friends with the dealers early by piggy backing hard ways and with an occasional line bet
($1 with $2 odds) on the 5 and 9. I only saw
one box person give a shooter any flack about hitting the back wall. I missed hitting the back wall a number of times
and never, never a word. I also noticed the
dealers leaning back so I always had a clear shot at my target zone. Remember, take care
of those that take care of you and,
any win is better than any loss
any day. Pablo |
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