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Discipline,
Character & Consistency (read Part
I
here or Part
II
here or Part
III
here) A man is jogging in the park when he comes across a 98-year old man weeping on a park bench. The jogger stops to see if he is okay. The old man replies, “Life couldn’t be better. I’m living with a nineteen-year old nymphomaniac! In the morning when I wake up, we have sex. Then she brings me breakfast in bed. After breakfast we have sex again, and I have my mid-morning nap.” He
continued, “We normally eat out for lunch at a nice restaurant, and then it’s
back into bed for “afternoon delight”. Then I spend the rest of the
afternoon watching sports or old movies before she cooks dinner for me.
Oh, and did I mention she is a gourmet chef? After dinner we have
sex again, and I finally collapse in bed exhausted and ready for a restful
nights sleep.” Surprised, the jogger says, “That’s my idea of bliss!
Why in the world are you so upset?” Through his tears the old man weeps,
“I can’t remember where I live!” I guess
happiness is relative, just like incest. In Part
Three of this series, we looked at:
ü
Building
character at the tables.
ü
Relying
on consistency instead of luck, but recognizing both.
ü
Applying
discipline to your game-plan. I hope by
now you realize that GETTING profit is a lot
easier than KEEPING profit, and that you can
have all of the mechanical things like dice set, grip, stance, throw,
trajectory, and target-area perfect; but if you dont apply the required discipline,
character and consistency, then your money is at high risk of becoming
the casinos money. Decide what your goals and
motivations are. It's pretty hard to hit a target if
you haven't aimed at it. The kinds of things one does with a goal of earning a comfortable
living is different from the kinds of things one does if they are just out to have a good
time with their friends once in a while. You have to determine why you are
playing this game, and exactly what your goal is. As
you progress, you can refocus your goals to higher and higher levels. When what seemed like pie-in-the-sky when you
first started out becomes a reality, it is okay to raise your goals to an even higher
level. Likewise, your motivations may
increase in lock-step with your goals. For
example, you may start out looking to curb your loses.
If you can turn most of your losing sessions into break-even sessions, you have
accomplished what 95% of all other gamblers will not achieve. At that point, you may decide that you would like
to set a higher goal of supplementing your current income with a bit of profit that your
dice-play now throws off. The sense of
accomplishment at this point should be very satisfactory.
Once again, your goals and your motivation may change to a higher level. For me, making a great living is a big part of my
motivation, but I also want to become one of the best players at this game. Whatever your motivation is; set clear and
obtainable goals. Then set out to achieve
them. Nothing says that you cant set a
new set of goals once you achieve the first set. You have to understand yourself. You need to understand your own
strengths and weaknesses, and be able to determine threats and opportunities. If drinking alcohol is affecting your game, then
you have to determine which one you like best; winning money or getting drunk. It does no good if your spouse
doesn't believe in what you do. Family
get-togethers may be strained when your father-in-law hears about your newest career
pursuits. On the other hand, if your success
at the tables has risen to the point where it pays ALL your bills, and leaves a decent
amount of money to build up your bankroll; then your ACTIONS as a responsible spouse
should speak MUCH louder than words. The best
actions are those that show your appreciation to the ones who have stood by your
convictions; supported your efforts; and believed in your abilities all along. Words of appreciation are good and necessary; but
actions that truly show your appreciation are absolutely required. In most cases, the list of those that stood by
you is a very short one. For those people, I
would strongly suggest that you amply reward them, and dont be stingy. Their commitment to you was probably just as
strong as your commitment to improving your game. Reward
them! After that, you can reward yourself for
your accomplishments. By the way, that also
speaks volumes to those who DID NOT believe in you. At the same time, you have to
realize that most people are looking to deflate any notion that craps can become a
positive-expectation game through Precision-Shooting, let alone a career. Believe me, the battle is not in convincing them,
its the battle of self-discipline that you struggle with even as your bankroll grows
to that earned by other professionals like lawyers, doctors or dentists. The amount of discipline, character
and consistency that it takes to GET you to this point of accomplishment is only a
fraction of what it will take to KEEP you there. Know when to alter your approach. The best players can switch styles
or betting methods rapidly, as the situation demands it.
If you play one method all of the time, your losses will surely outstrip your wins
on a very regular basis. What WILL work is if you use the
SAME winning method in the same SITUATION every time. Second-guessing yourself and
baseless-superstition is the downfall of most near-break-even players. On the other hand, well-founded superstitions that
involve the disruption of a shooters rhythm are soundly-based, and should be honored. If you put a great deal of energy
into following these principles, you will be pleasantly surprised when your current
results improve. Character has a lot to do
with winning consistently, and it is that which brings home the profit nearly every
session, but you need the discipline to do it consistently.
Good Luck & Good Skill at the Tables
and in
Life. The Mad Professor
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