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The
Mad Professor's Shooting Bible My
Six All-Time Favorite Hummers Take
a second and think about your six all-time favorites songs.
You
know, the songs you hum along with or sing along with in the car when they come on the
radio. The ones that no matter who is singing
or which cover-band is performing it; provides the same level of satisfaction and pleasure
that it had the first time you heard it. No
matter how each performer makes little changes, the lyrics are still as understandable as
they always were (unless of course Mick Jagger or Bob Dylan is singing it). The point is, those songs are familiar and
comfortable and you know every lyrical, melodic and rhythmic nuance about each of them. And
so too it should be with the six different dice-sets that constitute our entire
dice-setting realm. No
matter what their facial permutation (and there are, I am told, 514 of them); you should
know each of those six basic sets backwards, forwards and every way in between. Heres
what each one of those basic dice-sets produce if they are kept on-axis:
The
Imaginary Axle That the Dice Rotate Around
I want to thank Heavy for graciously providing
the basic chart that you see above, which I subsequently MP-ized. You can link directly to his original work here. As Heavy
mentioned in his original piece, the axles refer to the numbers that show on
the SIDES (left/right) of each individual die prior to the toss. The objective is to toss
the dice "on axis" - as if there were a steel rod driven through the two dice
like an automobile axle, with the dice tumbling or rolling forward without any excessive
bouncing, pitching, popping or yawing. Youll
also notice that Ive added what appears to be a seventh set to the chart. I gave the Hardway-set its own dedicated space
even though it is really just the All-Seven set in a not-so-clever-looking
disguise. Although the on-axis expectation
for the Hardway-set is exactly the same as the All-Sevens (A-7) set, I thought Id
break it out and let you gauge it on its own merits for yourself. Distribution of
Combinations
Our friends, ACDOC and Maddog were also very
kind in letting me use their charts to illustrate a different way of looking at what each
of these dice-sets offer up if they are kept on-axis 100% of the time.
When
you look at this chart, one thing becomes quite clear.
There are sets that produce a lot of on-axis sevens and sets that
produce fewer O/A sevens.
Ø
First
take a look at the left side of the chart; that is what a random-roller will produce over
the long-term.
Ø
If
you take a look at the V-2 set right beside it, the first thing youll notice is how
flat the distribution-pyramid becomes. With
random-outcomes, it is very steep and pointy, with the 7 dominating. The V-2 set is an almost polar-opposite. The expected-distribution across the six
box-numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10) is perfectly flat.
That not only means that the 7 has been equalized with the 6 and
8, but that the 4, 5, 9, and 10, have now become its equal as well. That is, you have two each of the on-axis
occurrences of the 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10
a far cry from what the random-roller can
expect. One more thing that youll
notice about the V-2 set-up is that the 2 and 12 are missing entirely from that graph. Thats because they are not part of the
on-axis package that the V-2 offers and they simply fall off of the outcome-expectancy
radar screen.
Ø
This
graph captures exactly what on-axis dice-shooting is all about. We want to increase the appearance of the 7
(as well as the 11) during the Come-Out portion of our Rightsider-hand, and we want to decrease
the appearance of the 7 during our Point-cycle rolls (those rolls that occur after we
establish the PL-Point), and in that same point-cycle, well probably want to increase
the appearance of certain box-numbers too.
Ø
A
quick look at the Straight-Sixes (S-6) and the Hardways (All-7s) set (as well as the
Parallel-Sixes (P-6) set to a lesser extent), tells us that they can offer up a productive
Come-Out, but may offer limited practicality if used during the point-cycle portion of our
hand unless we have developed extraordinary double-pitch-avoidance face-control skills.
Ø
Next
comes the V-3 set. Here again we see some
on-axis surprises and profit-making opportunities waiting for us. With this set, the 6 and 8 become the on-axis dominant. That simply means that the 7 finally takes a
back-seat to those two numbers. You get three
O/A 6s and three O/A 8s, but only two O/A 7s. All of a sudden our entire on-axis
dice-influencing objective takes on a whole new significance with this set. In a situation where those two numbers outweigh
the 7 by a ratio of 3:1, all but the hardest-headed among us can see the potential
benefits of a 7-avoidance set like the V-3. When
you factor in that the 5 and 9 are of equal expectancy as the 7 (all of them with two
on-axis appearances each); this set has Inside-Number profit-opportunity
written all over it. This makes it easy to
see why variants of the V-3 are among the top choices of serious recreational players and
dice-shooting pros alike.
Ø
As
you take a careful look at each one of these basic sets, one thing becomes patently clear. Some sets seem to be custom-made for Come-Out
shooting (where a Rightside shooter is actively seeking some instant C-O wins on
the Passline with a 7 and 11; or is looking to reap some money off of the higher-risk
center-of-the-table Prop-bets like the Horn, World and Any Craps. In that case, the Straight-Sixes (S-6),
Parallel-Sixes (P-6), and of course the All-Sevens (A-7) set fills that need quite well.
Ø
Equally,
some sets are geared more towards point-cycle shooting (again, those are the post Come-Out
rolls that you throw once the Passline-Point has been established). In that case you are looking to avoid the 7, so
the V-2, V-3 and the Crossed-Sixes (X-6) offer up a whole lot of on-axis 7-avoidance
opportunity.
Ø
So
if your objective is to produce more 7s like it would be for the
Come-Out portion of your hand, then the H-W/A-7, S-6 and P-6 sets each look somewhat
attractive although it should also be evident that both the S-6 and P-6 produce a fair
amount of PL-losing craps numbers (2, 3 and 12) too.
In that case, the Hardway-set also known as the (A-7) All-Sevens set would
probably be the best dice-arrangement that would produce on-axis 7s without as many
on-axis C-O losing craps numbers.
Ø
If
your objective is to produce less 7s like it would be for the
point-cycle portion of your hand, then the V-3, V-2 and X-6 sets look way more attractive
than any of the 7-dominant hands that youd use for the Come-Out.
Ø
Now
Id love to tell you that dice-influencing is as simple as choosing the right set and
then proceeding to make obscene amounts of money; but it isnt nearly so simple or
direct as that. Rather, Precision-Shooting is
more nuanced and subtle. You have to take
into consideration how well and how often you can keep both dice on-axis as well as
keeping them from double-pitching. You also
have to consider if there is any consistency in your off-axis outcomes (off-axis
dominants) that indicate an exploitable betting-option.
Ø
Equally,
you have to consider which of the two dice you are keeping on-axis most often (the
left-die or the right-die) and then make your dice-arrangement decisions based on ACDOC
and Maddogs PASS-theory (where you maintain one particular die on the side with your
best O/A dominance). Beyond that, you have to
take an almost clinical look at each outcome (based on your starting-set) and find out if
just a slight transpositional change would cure many of your hand-ending 7-Out problems.
Ø
Depending
on your betting strategy, each dice-set offers something a little (or a lot) different
from the next. Part of your job as a
Precision-Shooter is to figure out which set is best suited to your current skill-level
and the types of bets that suit that particular set
all based on how much your
dice-shooting ability has developed to this point. Well
get into figuring out exactly how to do that in upcoming chapters, but for now I can
confidently tell you that when you combine your right-here, right-now skill-level
with gearedto-advantage betting and an adequately funded bankroll; your earnings can
be outstanding. However, if you
mismatch any of those three components, your money will soon turn into their
money. This series is all about keeping YOURS
and getting some of THEIRS too. Common
Sense Still Isnt All That Common When
you are shopping for a dice-set that suits your own DE-randomizing efforts, you have to
use a little bit of common-sense. You have to
look at what sets will produce the most box-numbers for your Point-cycle tossing. I
mean, if it makes sense to you to use a 7-dominant set to AVOID the 7s, then
go ahead. If
you arrange the dice in a 7-dominant set with the hope of knocking them off axis in
order to fulfill the theory that there are less 7s OFF-axis than there are ON-axis
and that off-axis throwing should really be the prime objective
then have at
it. Its a free world and you can do
pretty much whatever you want with your money. However,
most people who fully understand toss-dynamics and not only the concept behind
dice-setting but the practical ways of applying it most effectively, have come to the
conclusion that a set that is dominant with 7s just doesnt hold up much beyond
the novice skill-level when it comes to avoiding them.
That is, hope that you never gain the skill to keep them on-axis more than a
random-roller does, because the better you get at keeping that 7-dominant dice-set
on-axis
the worse it will perform in the hands of a rightside-betting skilled
shooter. That
is not to say that you cant make any money while using a 7-heavy set for your
Rightside point-cycle shooting; its just that you can likely make more of it
and
do it more consistently and more efficiently with a 7-avoidance set,
but like I said, its YOUR money. The
Individual Dice-Faces on Each Outcome Are Trying To Tell You Something The
whole idea behind dice-influencing is to de-randomize the dice to a point where we obtain
an advantage over the house. Now
lets take a look at the actual dice-results (the individual dice-faces) that each
on-axis throw can produce for these sets.
When
you look at these sets and the specific on-axis results they can produce, it becomes a
matter of recognizing what each dice-outcome is indicating in light of the configuration
that you first set them on. In
other words, to the savvy dicesetter who has taken the time to study these charts, it
becomes quite easy to make permutational (transpositional) changes to his dice-set if he
determines that a minor dice-arrangement change is required. What
it DOES NOT mean is that you should start changing your set after seeing each result. Rather, you have to build up your dice-throwing
skill-set first, and then determine which set best suits your skill-level at that
time. To do that, you need to track your
practice-session results over a reasonable period in order to find out just what it is
your throwing-results are trying to tell you.
Ø
If
they are telling you that your throw is still too inconsistent to gain an edge over the
house, then you have to concentrate your efforts into developing a de-randomized throw BEFORE
you get into all sorts of permutations and transpositions of dice-sets. Its
all about the throw.
Ø
Get
good at throwing and landing the dice in a nice repeatable fashion and THEN you can
look at ways to exploit your skill.
Ø
Until
that point though, fooling around with various permutations and transpositions of the
basic sets WILL NOT HELP YOU AT ALL and is mostly a waste of time
you have to
develop a reliably repeatable throw FIRST. As
your on-axis and face-control skills progress, you may find that a different set or a
slightly different permutation (face-change) within your current set is all that is really
called for. Like
I said a moment ago, the whole idea behind dice-influencing is to de-randomize the dice to
a point where we obtain an advantage over the house.
If a particular dice-set produces the outcomes that you want (and the ones
that your bets REQUIRE); then USE IT
and yes, we can include the use of a 7-dominant
set in that statement if it works perfectly for you (but please dont whine to me
when you suddenly discover how good you are at throwing perfect on-axis 7-Outs). To
that end, lets look at how our dice-influencing objectives are usually met. Precision-Shooting
Objectives and Goals
As
a Precision-Shooter...my first objective is to keep the dice on-axis. Once
I get to the point where I can keep them on-axis more than random, then my second
objective is to exert a little more face-control over them in order to produce more
primary hits and less double-pitches.
A
primary-hit is where the dice end up on one of the four sets of faces that you first set
them on (your starting-set) just prior to your toss. If you arrange them into your starting-set and at
the end of your throw, the dice end up on one of the four faces that you first set them
on, then we call that a primary-hit. A
double-pitch is where one die rotates a full 180-degrees more than the other die, and you
end up with a 7-Out. Of course the simplistic
cure to the double-pitch is to arrange them so that a 180-degree difference wont
produce a 7-Out. For example, if you take
the traditionally arranged V-3 set and rotate one die a quarter of a turn forward, the
double pitch is no longer the problem, but now a single-pitch outcome is. Trading
one problem in for an equally sized different one is clearly not the solution that savvy
dicesetters desire. Rather, they de-funkify
their basic grip and release so that double-pitches become a rarity. Instead of trying to hide a
double-pitch problem that is just going to re-manifest itself as a single-pitch or
three-quarter pitch problem a few tosses down the road; they (and I) prefer to tackle the
problem straight on
and cure the cause instead of just trying to momentarily mask the
ailment. In
simple terms, if I can keep both dice on-axis more that the 44% O/A performance that a
random-roller turns in, then I also want to start controlling the facial relationship
between the two dice. The preceding ten
chapters in this series took serious aim at curing those problems as does the three
Practice Session series (the five-part Getting The
Most Out of Your Practice Sessions, the five-part More Gain, Less
Pain, and the currently running eight-part Current
Practice
Future Profit series), so if double-pitch problems still plague
your outcomes, a serious re-review of those articles would definitely be in order. Is
there any merit to the idea of using a 7-dominant set and then specifically trying to
avoid a double-pitch 7-Out? Yes,
of course there is. The more you can avoid
double-pitching with ANY set, the better you can control the outcomes. Double-pitch-avoidance
is a noble and worthy pursuit. On its
own it has merit, but when double-pitch-avoidance is teamed with a 7-avoidance set, it
becomes even more functional and practical. Avoiding
the 7 during the point-cycle is good, but hitting some of the numbers that you actually
have bets on during that double-pitch-avoidance process is even better! When
we talk about avoiding the 7, we also have to take into consideration what
outcome-expectancies (increased appearances of other numbers) those
avoided-7s are replaced with. In other
words, you may see a slightly lower occurrence of the 7, but if it is replaced with a
higher frequency of numbers that you dont have any wagers on, and the ones
that you do have money on still dont show up often enough; then, a loss is
still a loss. Going
Beyond a 1-in-8 Sevens-to-Rolls Ratio
A
moment ago we looked at all the possible on-axis outcomes that each different
dice-set offers. Those charts show what
each set will produce if both dice free-wheel around the same axle.
Ø
That
means that even if you keep any of the 7-avoidance sets (like V-3 or
V-2 or X-6) on-axis 100% of the time, but WITHOUT any facial-control
(correlation), your Sevens-to-Rolls Ratio (SRR) cannot exceed 1:8 for any
statistically significant amounts of time.
Ø
It
is critical that you understand that an SRR of 1:8 is a 33% improvement over
the 1:6 random expectancy that a random-roller would produce. The real question however becomes, Is it
possible to achieve an SRR that is higher than that theoretical 1:8 benchmark WITHOUT
consistently keeping the dice on-axis 100% of the time? The
answer is yes, but it involves the more difficult task of
facial-control.
Ø
The
only plausible way to achieve an SRR higher than 1:8 with a 7-avoidance set, is to
produce better-than-average facial-control and obviously to avoid double-pitching the
dice. Therefore youll want as much facial-control and double-pitch-avoidance
as you can possibly get.
Ø
Likewise,
if you keep any of the 7-dominant sets (like the A-7, S-6 and P-6)
on-axis 100% of the time, but WITHOUT any facial-control (correlation), your
Sevens-to-Rolls Ratio (SRR) cannot exceed 1:4 for any statistically significant amounts of
time.
Ø
Clearly
an SRR of 1:4 is a 33% decrease over the 1:6 random expectancy that a
chicken-feeder would produce.
Ø
As
with the 7-avoidance set, the only plausible way to achieve an SRR LOWER than 1:4
with a 7-dominant set, is to have better-than-average facial-control. When you look at it in this light, you can see why
a darkside-bettor who is shooting FOR a 7-Out winner, would find the 7-dominant
sets so attractive in terms of satisfying his hand-ending 7-Out goals. Facial-Control
and Double-Pitch Avoidance
As
mentioned above, my second Precision-Shooting objective is to get primary-face hits.
These are the same four "as-set" faces that were first arranged prior to
throwing. To my mind, the more primary-faces you produce and the less
double-pitch results that you get; the higher your edge over the casino will be and the
closer you come to reaching betting-opportunity nirvana. We
are going to be exploring the entire double-pitch avoidance approach in absolutely
excruciating detail in upcoming chapters of this series, but in simple terms,
facial-control and double-pitch avoidance means that if I can keep both dice on-axis more
than the 44% O/A performance that a random-roller turns in, then I also want to start
managing the face-control relationship (or correlation) between
the two on-axis dice.
Wong on
Correlation Stanford
Wong was very kind, generous and obviously quite patient in providing me with the
following definition: "Correlation"
is a mathematical way of describing any difference from independence. Here's
an example using two 3s on the top of your pre-throw set. Suppose
you have enough control over the dice that you can get the left die to stop on the 3
one-quarter of the time (1-out-of-4 times) and the right die to stop on the 3 one-fifth of
the time (1-out-of-5 times). Do you have correlation?
To
know whether you have correlated outcomes you also need to know how
often you get that 3-3 result. Independence
between the two dice would give an outcome of 3-3 with frequency 1-out-of-20, which you
get by multiplying the frequency of seeing each face individually. If the appearance of
the two faces together happens significantly more than 1/20 of the time or significantly
less than 1/20 of the time, then you have correlation. Dice
tosses WITH correlation but WITHOUT axial control means each die comes up with each
number 1/6 of the time, but certain combinations of two dice will come up significantly
more or significantly less than 1/36 of the time, and there is an exploitable
edge that can be derived from that. Lets
see how that fits into my prime Precision-Shooting objectives. The
whole idea behind my dice-influencing is to yield axis-control WITH at least
a certain amount of facial-control. That
is, I want my dice to be on-axis way more than the 44% random expectancy, and I
want those O/A outcomes to produce quite a bit more than those 4-out-of-16 (25%) results
if the dice were just freewheeling around their on-axis axle. To
that end, I definitely do want my
dice results to exhibit a large amount of facial-control correlation where I get
significantly more than 4-out-of-16 primary hits, and significantly fewer than 2-out-of-16
double pitches. Taken
one step further; if I was using the 7-dominant Hardway-set for my point-cycle throwing;
and even if I could keep the dice on-axis 100% of the time, I would still definitely want
and NEED them to end up on their 4-out-of-16 prime axial-faces MORE than 25% of the
time just to get over that self-imposed 1:4 SRR hump.
To do that, a significant amount of additional facial-control correlation
and double-pitch-avoidance would clearly be required. Off-Axis
Dominants
Off-axis
Dominants
are the outcomes where one or both dice do not maintain their axis. Youll often notice that even when the dice
DONT stay on-axis, they DO tend to end up on a small number of what we call off-axis
dominants. This
is where Stanford Wongs dice-correlation argument takes on new meaning and
significant gravity. Off-axis
dominants (where you still have a high degree of facial correlation but without on-axis
integrity) holds some very consistent money-making opportunities and should not be
overlooked or dismissed out-of-hand simply because the dice went off-axis. Rather, if your off-axis dominants produce a
nearly-identical number of the same bettable-outcomes as your on-axis results do (and ESPECIALLY
if some of those off-axis dominant numbers perfectly match your on-axis Signature
Numbers which theyll often do); then you should treat them with the same value,
respect and betting-weight as you would if they were among your on-axis dominant
Signature-Numbers. Obviously
then, face-control correlation (along with 7-avoidance
double-pitched or otherwise)
is related directly to my prime Precision-Shooting objectives, and so it becomes patently
clear as to why the transpositional relationship that each die has to the other is based
on the dice-set that I start with (my starting-set); which is also directly
related to my ability to figure out the ideal starting-set that I should be using
in order to achieve a higher percentage of the "desired" outcomes I am
looking for. The
whole subject of Signature-Numbers and Off-Axis Dominants is covered in the six-part
series The
When, Where, Why and How of Signature-Numbers.
Further, well be adding significantly to that body of work in the upcoming Things Your Mother Never Told You About Signature-Numbers. What
Sets I Use and Why
Any
discussion of dice-sets should properly be divided into two subsets. There are, the times when you are seeking
as many 7s as possible, like during the Come-Out portion of your hand; and times
when you are avoiding as many 7s for as long as possible
such as during the
point-cycle portion of your hand. For
todays discussion, we are looking at rightside shooting only. If youve been following my exploits (in
Irishsetter's Precision Shooter Newsletter) in the on-going Shooting
From The Darkside
A Journey of Opportunity, then you know all about
what sets I use for shooting from the Dont side of the dice. My
Come-Out Sets The
simplest explanation that I can use to describe my dice-shooting philosophy is that I play
the game to make money, and the Come-Out portion of my hand offers an excellent
opportunity to make some dough before the PL-Point is even established. I
have a couple of routes I can go. I can take
the simplest route, which is to set for C-O winner-7s, or I can use my Game
Within A Game approach and tackle it from a slightly more adventurous but
more gratifying and rewarding angle by trying to hit a few of the exotic prop-wagers like
the Horn or World-bet. In
the first instance where I want as many Come-Out winner-7s as possible, I use the All-7
dice-arrangement. This gives me four on-axis
7s, but none of the Horn-numbers of 2, 3, 11 or 12.
One of the side benefits of using this set is the fact that the other
possible on-axis outcomes are three each of the 6s and 8s. That means that even if I dont get a
7-winner from this set, I still have a good chance of setting an easier-to-repeat PL-Point
of 6 or 8. With
my Game Within A Game approach, I prefer to use the
Straight-Sixes (S-6) set for the Come-out portion of my hand to garner even
more net-profit by way of the prop-bets. It
is important to note that the S-6 set throws off a high percentage of PL-defeating on-axis
Craps numbers of 2, 3, and 12 too. With
geared-to-ability betting, those crap numbers can be self-serving in that I WANT
them to show up for some high-dividend payouts on the World and Horn-bets. However, it is important to remember that this set
and those bets can just as easily be self-defeating unless they are coupled with
matched-to-skill betting where your edge over wagers such as the Horn or World (whirl) or
Any Craps or any other bets for that matter, have been seriously validated and confirmed
not by your gut, but by verified roll-tracking and quantification. Otherwise, if your shooting-skills dont
properly match your betting-inclinations; then this whole dice-setting exercise can become
self-defeating and seriously erosive to your bankroll.
Again,
you have to do your homework to determine exactly where your current skills
lie and precisely where your best profit-opportunities are found. These are the fundamental things that most
overly-eager players DONT do and they almost always end up not being able to
profitably exploit the dice-influencing edge that theyve developed over the house. In the alternative, many players with marginal
abilities will chase the high-paying but highly-corrosive Prop-bets in the HOPE
that theyll produce a profit. To
their frequent chagrin and disappointment, that disconnect between their
dice-shooting SKILLS and their gambling HOPES, often ends in searing disillusionment and
rapid evaporation of their bankroll. If
you ever stop to wonder why so many guys who youve met over the years seemed to have
mastered the physical side of dice-influencing yet still went broke
your answer is in
that last sentence. Dont let it happen
to you. I
cant stress enough just how vitally important it is to determine how much of
an edge you have, and then to make appropriately sized bets only on the wagers
where you have an appreciable and exploitable edge. In
an upcoming series, were going to delve much deeper into my whole Game
Within A Game approach and talk about the prudent use of these C-O sets as
well as a number of uniquely specific betting-methods that are related to each of them. My
Point-Cycle Sets Crossed Six (X-6)
Set With only two
on-axis 7s, but a decent looking boatload of box-numbers (two each of the 5, 6, 8,
and 9; plus one each of the 4 and 10), many intermediate shooters use this set as they
transition from the Hardways-set (which produced so many good results in the early stages
of their development, but declined in value as their on-axis proficiency increased while
their specific face-control abilities still lagged). With the X-6 set,
you have the benefit of a lower on-axis 7-occurrence along with a just-as-attractive
off-axis production of additional box-numbers. As
with most compromises, the trade-off with this set is that youll get a high O/A
incidence of point-cycle trash-numbers (one each of the 2, 3, 11 and 12). The biggest problem
I see with that is in the effect this set has on your average hand-length (the average
number of rolls you make during your point-cycle). Even
though you may be getting more rolls-per-hand, many players find that the results are
actually less actionable because of the high on-axis content of those four
junk numbers. Well be
looking at some specific details and betting-methods in terms of proportionately
exploiting those O/A trash-numbers in the upcoming second installment of the Cow Patty
series, but for now the point should be obvious in that if you throw lets say an
average of eight rolls during the point-cycle (including the roll that establishes the
Point and the roll that you ultimately 7-Out on), then youll probably see two
trash-numbers somewhere in the roll-outcome mix. That
means that 2-out-of-your-6 heart-of-the-roll (mid point-cycle) throws are
eaten up by 2s, 3s, 11s or 12s.
That problem is in and of itself quite exploitable, but most
low-bankroll players cant sustain the whipsaw volatility that comes with most types
of wagers that best utilize those junk numbers. My sense of it is
that for most modestly-bankrolled PL w/Odds, Come-wagers and Place-bet types of players;
this dice-set will eat up about one-third (33%) of your non-determining (non PL-Point
establishing and non PL-Point ending) rolls with non Box-Numbers. Now if your adequately-funded wagering-method does
efficiently address this dilemma (like some of the ones we discussed in You Cant
Shine A Cow-Patty
Or Can You? - Part One
then all the better. However, if your modestly-financed wagers are
focused on box-numbers and trying to repeat your PL-Point; then the X-6 set may not offer
you the best bang for the bucks you have out on the layout. Flying V-3 Set By far, the V-3 set
is my all-time favorite for point-cycle shooting. Not
only is there a low preponderance of on-axis 7s, but there is a much healthier and
broader population of box-numbers that match up quite well against those two O/A 7s. Lets have a
look: There are three each
of the on-axis 6s and 8s. Those
two numbers dwarf the O/A 7 by a margin of 3:1. Taken
individually, (the 6 vs. the 7 for example), and you still have a 3:2 domination. As your on-axis skills improve and your
face-control deftness develops, this set takes on almost unspeakable money-earning
potential in the hands of savvy Precision-Shooters. With two each
on-axis 5s and 9s, plus one each of the 4 and 10, the V-3 offers a decent
range of box-numbers, but with an obvious weighting towards the 6 and 8. If you were looking for a set that you could use
to specifically snipe out the 6 or 8; then this would definitely be the one. On the other hand,
if you still have significant unresolved double-pitch problems, then this set is no better
(or no worse) than any of the other 7-scarce sets. Mini V-2 Set I would term this
dice-arrangement as a broad spectrum set in that it offers a wide and equally
balanced range of box-numbers right across the board. With two each of ALL
the box-numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10), the V-2 is ideal for both Come-bettors looking for
repeating numbers, as well as PL-Point echoes where the Pass-line number comes
back to show itself again before the 7-Out. Both the 2 and 12
are entirely absent from the on-axis expectancy for this set, and the 3 and 11 only make
one appearance each. The significance of this
should be clear, and again well be delving into on-axis proficiencies in much
greater detail in upcoming chapters, but suffice it to say that the less trash you throw
during your point-cycle (especially if you arent betting on them); the better
your chances of producing PL-Point, traveled-Come and Place-bet repeaters. In Summary An
astute dicesetter gets to know each of the six basic dice-sets as well as any tune he may
know off by heart or anything else that is intimately familiar. You have to know what each of these sets offers
and what each of them can or cannot do for you in terms of where your current
dice-influencing skills are at right now. Clearly
the entire idea of influencing the dice to avoid 7s is much more complicated that
just saying, Use the X-6 set
avoid the double-pitch and everything will be
fine or Use the Hardway-set
throw them OFF-axis and the
world is yours. Precision-Shooting
is a little more complex than that. It
is also a little more difficult than sitting down and doing a few math equations; then
pronouncing what is best for the world. Thats
a little like trying to fight a global war
on a piece of paper. It might have made perfect sense back at
headquarters where each army-division is neatly represented by one little plastic soldier,
and each Air Wing is represented by a miniature plastic airplane. Unfortunately, the friction of real-world battle
most always turns those neat and tidy plans into sadly referenced and jokingly referred to
footnotes in the annals of history. Without
a doubt, dice-influencing is a thinking-persons game, and you have to put significant
thought and effort into determining how best to couple and match your current on-axis and
double-pitch-avoidance skills with the right dice-set to meet your objectives in a
real-world casino setting. The
next five chapters in this series will provide some penetrating insight to help you do
just that, as well as taking an in-depth look at on-axis proficiencies and what they mean
to you in terms of utilizing, exploiting and reliably profiting from your right-here/right-now
dice-influencing abilities. Until
then, Good
luck & Good Skill at the Tables
and in Life. The
Mad Professor
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