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Practicing
Without A Table? Sometimes
the most obvious ideas are the hardest to apply when it comes to our self. About 20
years ago I was listening to a cassette tape by Zig Ziggler, renowned author and speaker.
As I recall the tape was titled Your Input Determines You Output.
What I got out of listening to that tape has literally changed my life. Zig spent
about 40 minutes talking about a computer system that he had, that at one time was an
absolute mess! He used a computer to build mailing lists so he could mail
information to prospects. Problem was, some of his prospects got 4,5 6 and even 12
mailings, all at the same time and all with the same information! He also
used his computer as a billing system and that was a mess also, some customers getting
multiple billings and some getting none! He finally hired someone that came in and
in short order got everything running smoothly. The basic problem that was
discovered was that the information going into the system was not properly formatted! In
computer parlance its called GIGO, garbage in, garbage out. I know this
because Ive spent my life in the computer field, but I never consciously applied
this GIGO principal to myself. In Part
One of this article I talked about two books, Psycho-Cybernetics and Self Hypnosis.
If you are one of those that do not believe in all that positive thinking
garbage, then this article is not for you. Its like someone said, Whether
you think you can, or think you cant, youre right! I also
remember Zig Ziggler telling about the golfer that gets up on the tee, takes a look at his
ball, looks down the fairway at the pond to the side of the green, looks at the ball
again, swings his club back, hits the ball in the pond, and then says I KNEW I WAS
GONNA DO THAT! Zigs comment is that if he knew that he was gonna do that,
why did he hit the ball! The idea
that you can use your mind to improve almost anything you do (or want to be able to do
better) is not new. Athletes from all sports use some form of visualization to
mentally practice their moves and see themselves making the perfect shot, jump,
run, throw, toss, roll, etc. Youve probably heard about this technique on some
TV special but never gave much thought about how you could apply the same principals to
the many things in life that you do. It doesnt
matter if its basketball, golf, track, bowling, baseball, football, hockey, ping
pong, checkers, chess or tossing the dice, mental visualization gives you the opportunity
to practice without having to go to the gym, field, court, lane or casino. How many
times have you heard Olympic athletes say, I always dreamed of winning
or I always saw myself standing on
They
(whoever they are) say, Be careful of what you dream about, make sure its
what you really want, because if you dream about it long enough, youll probably get
it. What
really happens is that if you dream (or think) about something you really want (desire)
you will start to do those things that will help you get whatever it is you want. The
naysayers say, Well I tried that and it didnt work for me. What
they dont tell you is that they never changed anything or did anything
differently. Just sitting around dreaming and doing nothing will get you nothing!
You have to add action with your desires. (Thats why people are
so indecisive when it comes to themselves. Decisions require change, which in turn
requires action.) Just because star athletes use visualization to improve, doesnt
mean they quit practicing! The same
holds true for your dice tossing. Continue to do the physical practice and add in
the visualization when you can. So, how
do you do it, you ask? Thank you, good question. Let me tell you what I do. When I
first started mental visualization I always needed a quiet place where I wouldnt be
disturbed. This is like anything else in that the more you practice the better you
will become at visualization. Today it doesnt matter to me as I can go
off for a bit waiting in airports, on plane flights, waiting for my wife in a
parking lot, or anywhere that I have a few minutes and wont be disturbed. Do
you have an office? Can you close the door at lunch? Can you go sit in your
car for a few minutes? Be creative and youll find numerous times during the
day to practice your visualization. What better way to drop off to sleep at night?
Ok, never mind! Just find
a comfortable spot, close your eyes, and visualize walking up to a crap table to your
favorite spot. What color is the felt? How many people are there? Can
you hear the slot machines in the background, the music? Hear the dealer shout
Yo eleven! You toss
down $300 and your players card. The dealer gives your card and your money to
the boxman and asks you if you want all green. You tell him no. He gives you a
stack of red and a stack of green, which you pick up and put in the rack. The
shooter to your right sevens out and the dealers collect the chips. The dice come to
you. You put down a $5 pass line bet, set the dice for a come out roll (5/4:5/3),
grip the dice in you favorite grip (can you feel the dice?), make sure your stance is
comfortable and weight distributed properly, checkout your landing spot, close your eyes
briefly and see a nice gentle toss and the dice landing and coming up 7! Now take a
deep breath and execute your throw. At this
point you can visualize all sorts of outcomes including specific dice reactions based on
the table. You can visualize any adjustments you would make based on the outcome of
your toss and the reaction of the dice to your toss, the spot they hit, location of chips
or any other factors. Visualize
positive outcomes! Loooong rolls, hitting number after number and having a winning
session. (Im sure Tiger Woods does not visualize missing a putt!) When
you finally seven-out, color up and discover that you are a +$745 for the session!
Not bad! Next time Ill do better! The idea
is to involve as many of your senses as possible and make it as real as you can. The
more realistic you can make it, the more benefit youll get out of your mental
practice. For those
of you that tell me you cant do it, just tell me you have never, not visualized a
romantic encounter with someone of the opposite sex
and had no reaction. Just
remember, any win is better than any loss any day. Paul |
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