Biased Dice ...

We have identified casinos that are methodically using unbalanced Biased Dice to increase their house advantage at craps.   Over the past 2 years, we have assembled a Biased Dice Research Team which includes over a dozen dice detectives with professional resumes that include:

- a double PhD tenured Math professor;
- a NASA aerospace scientist;
- a retired plastics engineer;
- a mechanical engineer;
- an electrical engineer;
- 2 finance majors;
- a CPA;
- a computer geek;
- and 4 craps players that live and play in Las Vegas almost every day of the year

(collectively we have 8 regulation size craps tables).

Casinos and gaming commissions do not see using unbalanced dice as an illegal act, but simply changing the odds in the same fashion as 6:5 Black Jack --- Giving the house more favorable odds with 6:5 BJ.  As noted somewhere,

"You may have noticed the disturbing proliferation of 6:5  Blackjack in Las Vegas. ... Let us be very clear; 6:5 Blackjack is not Blackjack at all"

YET, people still play BJ in Las Vegas -- the change had very little measurable effect on the attendance at the BJ tables and no casinos were threatened with losing their license.

Casinos count on the casual player in a whirlwind visit to the casino not recognizing which days biased dice are used.  Those of us that play more than 300 days a year see the difference.

We have come to the conclusion that most casinos are using unbalanced dice to alter the odds MORE to their favor ..... this is easy to prove to yourself.   Loaded dice or weighted dice will be heavier on one side. The extra weight may be something very heavy like lead, gold or platinum so it only takes a small amount to change the odds. The weight is often placed nearer one corner or edge rather than at the center of one face. Transparent dice do not prevent loading because the actual spots can contain the weight. Check if the spots are deeper on some sides than others, although this is no guarantee because a well made gaffed dice will look straight and even.

Pictured above is all you need to verify balance -- a dice balancing caliper. You can clamp a die into the caliper and give it a spin. If the die always stop at the same position, there is a problem with the balance.

Once our Biased Dice Research Team had verifiable tangible proof that the Las Vegas casinos were cheating, we decided that it was time to blow the whistle.  That is when we ran into a bureaucratic circus similar to what Father of the Underwear Bomber ran into when he was trying to report his son's Christmas day attack to the CIA.

First we had a member of our Biased Dice Research Team contact the Las Vegas FBI where we were told by a female agent that they referred all casino related problems to the Nevada Gaming Commission.  When we told the FBI agent that we felt that the Nevada Gaming Commission was part of the overall problem and that was like "letting the fox guard the hen house" they simply responded with a

"Well, we are short staffed and only have enough agents to concentrate on gangs and drugs that are entering from Mexico."

So, we then decided to talk to the head Fox in charge of the Hen Houses by sending the following letter to the Nevada Gaming Control Board:

Date: Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 6:05 PM
Subject: INFORMATIONAL SEMINARS - Discussion Topic
To: "Nevada Head Fox"

Dear "Fox",

We would like to congratulate you for your Informational Seminars and your efforts to keep Las Vegas casinos a first class operation parallel to no other destination in the world. 

We are responding to your July 21st letter as an interested party because we do not want everyone’s favorite vacation site to turn into a ghost town due to corporate financial pressures and greed that have literally ruined other corporate giants like Enron, Arthur Andersen, WorldCom, Barings Bank, Wall Street Investment Bankers and Mortgage brokers.
  

Issue:    Las Vegas Casinos are systematically using biased dice in an effort to cheat their customers and increase profits.  Furthermore, the down economy has tempted most casinos to use the biased dice more often to manage cash flow and guarantee fewer losses.

Various Nevada casinos are systematically using biased dice to influence the outcome of a random game.   These unfair dice are mostly used every weekend, holidays and especially when marketing promotions have targeted high rollers into the casino.

Objective:   To create a legal atmosphere in Nevada (specific dice statutes similar to those in Colorado, New Jersey and Australia) whereas fair dice are used 24/7 and enforced by the Nevada Gaming Commission.

A few organizations realize what is being done.  This has been verified by the proper use of a dice balancing caliper.  I believe this should be handled “internally” and at a state level before the media obtains this information.  We do not want a public perception that Nevada is cheating at a game of chance or even more of the tourists will not play the games when they visit.

I would like to meet with you in person to illustrate the aforementioned concern, preferably in private before this issue is added as a topic in your Informational Seminars.

Until we meet, below is a brief summary of the issues that led to this statement by Cy Ryan in the October 12, 2008 Casino News (Carson City, NV):

Casino win on Strip declines 8th straight month

“For the eighth consecutive month, winnings at Strip casinos declined.

The state Gaming Control Board reported today that the win at the 41 casinos on the Strip totaled $494 million, down 7.43 percent from a year ago. Statewide, casinos posted an 8.1 percent decline.

… The $934.1 million was the lowest winnings month since June 2006, …

The positive signs were in craps with winnings increased by 59.4 percent and the sports pools inched up 0.7 percent. Winnings in the 21 games dropped 13.1 percent; roulette was off 4.8 percent; and keno fell 23 percent."

The craps winnings were abnormally out of place compared to the rest of the industry and it is our belief that this is happening due to the use of unfair dice.  As you mention in your July 21st letter, “… there are a number of other areas where regulatory concerns have surfaced.  Either through lack of knowledge or apathy, licensees are creating regulatory challenges in areas requiring corrective action.”  

Unfortunately the financial pressures of the current economy coupled with the statutory risk to reward ratio encourages cheating by the casinos.  The risk of ever getting caught using Biased Dice is very minimal and even if the casino is caught, the $10,000 penalty of maybe getting caught once a year is well worth the $100,000 plus each casino protects every day biased dice are used. 

The penalties for cheating in Nevada are outdated and only discourage cheating by patrons while the lack of enforcement actually encourages corporate greed on a much larger scale (by comparison you will be fined $16,000 for making one pre-recorded solicitation phone call):

NRS 465.088  Penalties for violation of NRS 465.070 to 465.085, inclusive.

1.  A person who violates any provision of NRS 465.070 to 465.085, inclusive, is guilty of a category B felony and shall be punished:
(a) For the first offense, by imprisonment in the state prison for a minimum term of not less than 1 year and a maximum term of not more than 6 years, or by a fine of not more than $10,000, or by both fine and imprisonment.
(b) For a second or subsequent violation of any of these provisions, by imprisonment in the state prison for a minimum term of not less than 1 year and a maximum term of not more than 6 years, and may be further punished by a fine of not more than $10,000. The court shall not suspend a sentence of imprisonment imposed pursuant to this paragraph, or grant probation to the person convicted.

2.  A person who attempts, or two or more persons who conspire, to violate any provision of NRS 465.070 to 465.085, inclusive, each is guilty of a category B felony and shall be punished by imposing the penalty provided in subsection 1 for the completed crime, whether or not he personally played any gambling game or used any prohibited device.
(Added to NRS by 1981, 1292; A 1985, 970; 1995, 1295)

 
According to the Nevada Gaming Commission, there are no Dice technical specifications or requirements in Nevada.  However, there are very valid reasons New Jersey enacted very specific Dice Regulations over 30 years ago.  For some reason these New Jersey dice specifications were amended just over 2 years ago to allow more tolerance, coincidently about the same time biased dice were introduced into the casinos.  (See http://www.state.nj.us/casinos/actreg/reg/docs_new_adopted/a460115.doc )

      19:46-1.15  Dice; physical characteristics …
            Effective:  06/05/78
            As amended, effective:  12/16/91
            As amended, effective:  10/19/92
            As amended, effective:  01/19/93
            As amended, effective:  10/06/97
            As amended, effective:  08/20/07

Colorado adopted the same dice laws as New Jersey earlier this year when they initially allowed craps into the state:

 47.1-1280 DICE; PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

(1) BE FORMED IN THE SHAPE OF A PERFECT CUBE AND OF A SIZE NO SMALLER THAN 0.750 OF AN INCH ON EACH SIDE NOR ANY LARGER THAN 0.775 OF AN INCH ON EACH SIDE;

(2) BE TRANSPARENT AND MADE EXCLUSIVELY OF CELLULOSE EXCEPT FOR THE SPOTS, NAME OR TRADE NAME OF THE CASINO LICENSEE AND SERIAL NUMBER OR LETTERS CONTAINED THEREON;

(3) HAVE THE SURFACE OF EACH OF ITS SIDES PERFECTLY FLAT AND THE SPOTS CONTAINED IN EACH SIDE PERFECTLY FLUSH WITH THE AREA SURROUNDING THEM;

(4) HAVE ALL EDGES AND CORNERS PERFECTLY SQUARE AND FORMING PERFECT 90 DEGREE ANGLES;

(5) HAVE THE TEXTURE AND FINISH OF EACH SIDE EXACTLY IDENTICAL TO THE TEXTURE AND FINISH OF ALL OTHER SIDES;

(6) HAVE ITS WEIGHT EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE CUBE AND NO SIDE OF THE CUBE HEAVIER OR LIGHTER THAN ANY OTHER SIDE OF THE CUBE;

(7) HAVE ITS SIX SIDES BEARING WHITE CIRCULAR SPOTS FROM ONE TO SIX RESPECTIVELY WITH THE DIAMETER OF EACH SPOT EQUAL TO THE DIAMETER OF EVERY OTHER SPOT ON THE DIE;

(8) HAVE SPOTS ARRANGED SO THAT THE SIDE CONTAINING ONE SPOT IS DIRECTLY OPPOSITE THE SIDE CONTAINING SIX SPOTS, THE SIDE CONTAINING TWO SPOTS IS DIRECTLY OPPOSITE THE SIDE CONTAINING FIVE SPOTS AND THE SIDE CONTAINING THREE SPOTS IS DIRECTLY OPPOSITE THE SIDE CONTAINING FOUR SPOTS; EACH SPOT SHALL BE PLACED ON THE DIE BY DRILLING INTO THE SURFACE OF THE CUBE AND FILLING THE DRILLED OUT PORTION WITH A COMPOUND WHICH IS EQUAL IN WEIGHT TO THE WEIGHT OF THE CELLULOSE DRILLED OUT AND WHICH FORMS A PERMANENT BOND WITH THE CELLULOSE CUBE, AND SHALL EXTEND INTO THE CUBE EXACTLY THE SAME DISTANCE AS EVERY OTHER SPOT EXTENDS INTO THE CUBE TO AN ACCURACY TOLERANCE OF .0004 OF AN INCH; AND

(9) HAVE IMPRINTED OR IMPRESSED THEREON THE NAME OR TRADE NAME OF THE CASINO LICENSEE IN WHICH THE DIE IS BEING USED, AND A UNIQUE SERIALIZED NUMBER.

                                   
However, Colorado in its infinite wisdom decided to expand the New Jersey laws by giving them teeth:

47.1-1281 DICE; RECEIPT; STORAGE; INSPECTIONS AND REMOVAL FROM USE  …

(4) …
(A) PRIOR TO USE IN A GAME, THE MANAGER ON DUTY OR PIT SUPERVISOR SHALL INSPECT THE DICE WITH A MICROMETER, BALANCING CALIPER, A STEEL SET SQUARE AND A MAGNET OR ANY OTHER INSTRUMENT APPROVED BY THE DIVISION.  A BALANCING CALIPER, A STEEL SET SQUARE AND A MAGNET, SHALL BE KEPT IN A COMPARTMENT AT EACH CRAPS TABLE OR PIT STAND AND SHALL BE AT ALL TIMES READILY AVAILABLE FOR USE BY THE DIVISION UPON REQUEST.
…
(5) THE LICENSEE SHALL REMOVE ANY DICE FROM USE ANY TIME THERE IS ANY INDICATION OF TAMPERING, FLAWS OR OTHER DEFECTS THAT MIGHT AFFECT THE INTEGRITY OR FAIRNESS OF THE GAME, OR AT THE REQUEST OF THE DIVISION.

We have interviewed 6 different Las Vegas casino floor supervisors that admit they are in charge of measuring the dice and each has admitted that they do not use a dice balancing caliper to measure the dice.  Additionally, we have interviewed the chief operator of a dice company that supplies dice to several Las Vegas casinos and he admitted that he does not have a dice balancing caliper in his entire dice factory and boasted that he did not need one since his dice were near perfect.  He immediately grabbed a stick of dice from his production, measured them with a micrometer to show how near perfect they were then put them on our dice balancing caliper only to be shocked that they were extremely out of balance.  He went on to defend himself by stating that there were no dice regulations in Nevada that required him to produce balanced dice. 

Basically, the use of unbalanced biased dice “Alters the normal criteria of random selection, … which determines the outcome of a game” (NRS 465.085) and gives advantage to the casinos.  John Scarne addresses this advantage to the casinos in his book Scarne on Dice.

There is much more to discuss, but I will close for now,   If you should have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email me.  Once again we would like to thank you for your assistance and efforts in keeping Las Vegas from turning into a parking lot carnival.

Respectfully yours,

BDRT
Interested Party

..... the Gaming Control Board Member "Head Fox" referred the above letter to one of his Senior Enforcement Agents in the Reno office ..... and here is what one of our Biased Dice Research Team members shared with me, reprinted here with his permission:

From:  "Senior Fox"
To:  BDRT
Date:  Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Subject:  Informational Seminars/biased diced
mailed-by:  gcb.nv.gov

Dear BDRT,
 
Board Member "Head Fox" has referred your e-mail on biased dice to me for further inquiry.
 
Please contact me at the Reno GCB Enforcement Division office at your earliest convenience. My direct telephone number is (775) 823-xxxx and I can be reached M-F from 8a-4p.
 
Sincerely,
 "Senior Fox"
Senior Agent
NSGCB/Enforcement Division
Reno Office
(775) 823-xxxx

..... and after several email exchanges, our Team member asks if the NSGCB Senior Agent could bring a dice balancing caliper, and below is his response to our associate -- note the investigative tone in the queries -- suddenly the messenger becomes a possible suspect if he answers the questions in a certain way:

 From:  "Senior Fox"
To:  BDRT
Date:  Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 11:45 AM
Subject  RE: Informational Seminars/biased diced
mailed-by gcb.nv.gov

Good morning BDRT,

I can bring the caliper and, is it safe to say, you’ll be bringing the other inspection instruments?

In the meantime, I have several questions:

1.    The name of the casino that the dice came from
2.    The manner in which they were collected
3.    Can I borrow them for further inspection (if necessary).
4.    Who else, if anyone, will be present at our meeting?

Next week, the only day that I’m sure to be in the office will be on Monday, September 21. Please call between 8am and 9am (Pacific time). From Tuesday on, I’ll be out of the area..

As to a suitable LV location, let’s meet at the Xyzzz on Abcccc.

Thank you,

"Senior Fox"

Senior Agent
NSGCB/Enforcement Division
Reno Office
(775) 823-xxxx

After the 3 hour meeting with the Nevada Gaming Commisiion, we interviewed our Biased Dice Research Team member that participated.  His conclusion was that Nevada State Gaming Control Board is paid for by Casino gross gaming revenues and therefore knows exactly who they must protect -- the Casinos.  Thus the proverbial Fox guarding the Hen House.   Basic summary notes from the meeting:

• NSGCB Agent was more interested in who the messenger was instead of possible crimes being committed by the Casinos,
• Wanted to know if our messenger was a member of GTC (Golden Touch Craps group associated with Frank Scoblete),
• NSGCB Agent explained in so many words that their duties were to protect the casinos from Casino staff and patrons from stealing casino revenues.
• Agent gave a 15 minute presentation on how shaved dice would not alter the odds of craps.   We then tried to tell him that we were not talking about shaved dice, but unbalanced dice.  Agent seemed to have trouble understanding the difference between shaved dice and unbalanced dice;
• NSGCB Agent wanted to know when and where Biased dice would be used -- we gave him days and times that 6 casinos would normally use unbalanced dice and he promised to audit their dice;
• Agent said he would be available to audit dice from any Nevada casino within 30 minutes of receiving a call if we suspected Biased dice.  An auditor would arrive at the casino and give the Pit Supervisor a 5 minute warning that he would be confiscating the dice from the table, thus allowing the Casino a chance to get a new stick of dice so as not to interfere with operations;
• We presented our unbalanced dice evidence from 6 casinos -- showing how the standard dice balancing caliper (pictured above) clearly proved that live casino dice were unbalanced and being used to change the odds;
• Then the Auditor explained how he would conduct the audit upon arriving at the casino -- he would first put the dice in a micrometer --- he demonstrated with our bad dice.  He showed us how the dice were almost perfectly square -- again we had no argument with his findings.   Then he pulled out his 50 year old all metal dice balancing caliper that weighed nearly 5 pounds and proceeded to spin the unbalanced dice --- the result was that the official NSGCB dice balancing equipment DID NOT WORK. 

The State "Caliper" cups that held the dice were too deep so that the points of the dice could not touch the end of the cup, thereby forcing the 4 sides of the plastic dice near that point to rub against the metal cup.  Therefore, the metal cup would act like a brake against the 4 sides of the dice and prematurely stop the dice from freely spinning to a stop.  In effect gravity would not work on the official Nevada state caliper in much the same way gravity does not work on a car going down hill if one applies brakes to the wheels, thus stopping the car from freely going to where gravity would take it.

When we asked if the state had a newer or better caliper, the Agent answered that "the state only had 2 official calipers -- one in the Reno and one in Las Vegas and they were both exactly the same except that one was painted red and the other green."  The Agent then went on to explain that the state had no intention of getting new calipers -- that this was the official one to be used in all court proceedings. 

It was clear the state had no intention of getting the answer right.  Even after we explained what was wrong with his caliper.  Therefore calling a Nevada State Enforcement Agent to verify if casino dice are balanced is a waste of time.

Well, maybe we should do as God does .... or at least take the advise of an insider:

If taxpayers only knew just how shady the (Wall Street) markets have become, they would pull all their money out before you could say, “Let Me Know When It’s All Cleaned Up- And Only Then Will I Even Think Of Ever Investing Again.” Makes for a great T-shirt, don’t it?

I mean, who wants to play craps with loaded dice? It’s that simple. The only thing that separates Wall Street from gambling in Vegas in the first place, is that in Vegas, you are mostly at the mercy of luck. In the stock market, an investor armed with sufficient research and savvy is supposed to be able to have far more control over his “luck”, in predicting a stock will go the right way. Else, he would go to Vegas, put his money down - 50/50 - and pray.

Now, manipulation issues place Wall Street investing further and further into the Vegas gambling camp. So, a smart investor would simply say, “Well, if that’s the case, I’d rather go to Vegas - at least the food is better.”

For all those that doubt casinos would ever cheat, consider the words of a casino industry insider Bill Zender, former Nevada Gaming Control Agent and Director of Casino Operations at the Aladdin and author of How to Detect Casino Cheating at Blackjack.   In his summation, Zender again emphasizes that cheating by casinos is rare, but not out of the question:

"In 1979 I joined the Nevada Gaming Control Board as an agent with their Enforcement Division. During my period with the board I learn quite a lot about card, dice, and slot cheating, as well as internal thefts and major scams. I also got involved in giving game protection seminars for many of the law enforcement agency in Nevada and throughout the western United States. At one point I was assigned to survey all the casinos in the rural areas of Nevada and to make sure they weren't taking unfair advantage of the public. In doing so I prepared myself by going over the files of all cow county casinos from the period starting in the 1960's through 1979. In those files I read about the different casinos that had been closed over the years for cheating the customers, what the investigations had found, and what the Gaming Board had done to prevent it from happening again. I also got to inspect and analysis numerous cheating device that had been seized from both casinos and cheater. The education I receive from my time with the NGCB was invaluable."

Bill Zender's 2002 interview ...

That was last century -- this century, the Nevada casinos in conjunction with the NGCB are increasing the house edge by using unbalanced dice as a countermeasure against Craps Advantage Players.  The attitude of Nevada Gaming Control Board is that the assets of the state (and their salaries) must be protected from Craps Advantage Players.  Until just a few years ago, you could walk into a Las Vegas casino and see the dice being balanced in the pit.  In this century however, you will maybe see only 1 (Sahara) of the 30+ casinos in the Las Vegas area with craps tables utilize a dice balancing caliper -- just for show, because even they do not use the caliper correctly.

In fact you can take an unbalanced dice and spin it on different points and it will look like it is balanced to the untrained eye.

But now, that is simply my opinion, isn't it ....

Ciao,
Harley

© Copyright 2006 -10 You are hereby granted permission to freely copy and distribute this information provided:
1) you do not change anything,
2) this notice remains intact and
3) you do not charge anything or copy anywhere that charges to read this information. All other rights reserved.

Vegas Calendar 2010 ...

.... this is my suggestion as too when the tables are too populated to properly engage in Advantage Play, not to mention when Biased Dice are more likely in play:


NOT GOOD CRAPs Workdays:

January -- New Year weekend

................ CES (electronics) Convention week

................ International Builders Show & Shooting, Hunting & Outdoor Trade Show (1/19/2010)

February - Concrete & World Market & Shoe shows (Feb 2, 2010)
................ SuperBowl weekend (Feb 7, 2010)
................ Chinese New Year week (Feb 14, 2010)
................ MAGIC Spring show (Feb 16, 2010)

March -- March Madness beginning week
............ Diceinstitute Spring Fling, March 13 and 14 (SSS)

April -- Spring Break weeks
.......... Broadcasters Meeting (4/12/2010)

.......... 2010 PBR World Cup (PBR = Professional Bull Rider) April 16-19, 2010

May -- Memorial Day weekend
.......... WSOP starts (first 2-3 weeks are tough as poker players fill-in at the craps tables)

June -- GTC events -- Craps Seminar - Jun. 25 - 27, 2010 

July -- Heavy's Great American Crapshoot - July 16-18, 2010
..........National Tea Party Convention - July 15-17, 2010

August -- Convention weeks

September - Labor Day weekend
................... World Market (9/12/2010)

October -- Heavy's Las Vegas CrapsFest: October 15 - 17
................ PBR World Finals 10/20 - 10/24/2010 • Thomas & Mack Center

................ GTC — Blackjack Seminar -- Oct. 22 - 24, 2010

November -- Auto Shows (11/2/10)

December -- Rodeo Finals

..... any other suggestions ?? ...... See Las Vegas Convention Calendar

Shaved Dice, Biased Dice; do they exist? ...

Can you exploit them?  Details herein.

From: "Jpe21ap@aol.com" Jpe21ap@aol.com
------------
Greetings.

Jerry Patterson here with a very controversial message.   And a no-risk offer for how you can obtain a copy of the Confidential Report describing biased dice.

My dice control networks have been collecting evidence on biased dice for over three years. Hard evidence right from the craps tables.

We have incontrovertible proof that biased dice exist.

Does this mean that the casinos are shaving the dice?  Not necessarily.

Does this mean that casinos would risk their license by altering the dice in any way? Not necessarily.

Then what does it mean?  And how can you capitalize on biased dice?

There are just far too many smart, skilled, intelligent individuals within the JPE Craps Networks who have observed, noted and documented statistical results skewed far beyond the pale of statistical reality.

And this data has been collected from big casinos and small; in casino areas all across the country.

A Nine-Page Confidential Report on Biased Dice

The report not only describes a simple procedure for detecting biased dice but also shows you how to turn the tables and exploit them to your advantage!

Order a copy of my new book Shooting Craps from The Zone and I will send you a complimentary copy of this report so you can make up your own mind about biased dice.  Just $17 plus $7 shipping and handling the supplemental CD.

Click below to order the book which comes in adobe PDF format. The Confidential Report on Biased Dice will be attached to the same email.

Shooting Craps from the Zone, $24

You have received prior emails from me on this new book, which also comes with a FREE subscription to my new Newsletter, Advantage Player.

Go to: Shooting Craps from The Zone for a review of this information with order information.  Or call (800) 257-7130 to order from my Nevada Office.

Jerry

P.S. The offer is no-risk; well actually you're risking $7, the s & h. If unsatisfied in any way, just return the CD and your $17 will be refunded.

You keep the book, the confidential report and the first two editions of Advantage Player.

jp

History of Craps ...

The famous dice game of Craps has captivated people from all over the world and though its popularity waned with the introduction of slot machines, it has enjoyed a new lease of life in online casinos.

The official game only dates back to the start of the 19th Century, but its origins stretch back thousands of years. Dice are known to have existed since 2600 BC, where they were used in ancient Egypt. They became a popular gambling tool right across the ancient world, and were also used by the Greeks, Romans and Arabs. The ancient Indian epic “Mahabharata” describes warriors losing fortunes on dice games; Native Americans played with four-sided knucklebones; while there is also evidence of dice used as far east as Korea.

A countless number of dice games have been invented over the years, though the one seen as the main precursor to Craps is “Hazard”. There are two theories on the origins of the name of this game: some consider “Hazard” to have been derived from the Arabic word “al zar” or “azzah”, which literally translates to “the dice” in English; while the second theory is far more intriguing: when the English Crusaders, led by Sir William of Tyre, headed east in 1125, they came to a castle named Asart or Hazarth, which they soon conquered. After developing their own dice game around the same time, they decided to name it after this castle.

Whether Hazard had its origins with the Arabs or was an invention of the Crusaders, the game grew immensely popular in England and by the 17th Century was a frequent pastime for noblemen and gentry– some losing large fortunes in the luxury gambling houses. The craze soon spread to France, where it is believed its name was changed to “Craps” – derived for the term ‘crab’, used to describe a throw of 2, the worst throw in the game.

But how it reached the US is another argued matter. The French undoubtedly brought Craps with them to American shores, but the British would also have had dice on board the Mayflower, the ship that brought the Pilgrims to America in 1620.

The game naturally evolved into a version similar to the Craps of today and began to develop a reputation in the Southern States after the arrival of the French, who were displaced by the British in the north. However, it is widely believed that African Americans developed the modern version of the game – it is also at this point that some say the name “Craps” was coined, either coming from the French for “toad” or an alternative name for American Dominoes, “Crapshooting”. Craps was not only enjoyed in the riverboat casinos of the Mississippi, but was widely played in the back streets of the towns and cities.

And during the 19th Century, the game was developed further, by one John H. Winn, a noted dice maker. He created the table layout – then known as the “Philadelphia Layout” – that is still used in casinos today. Winn was referred to as “the father of craps” by John Scarne, one of the most famous dice makers, magicians and gamblers of the 20th Century. He also created “Pass”/ “No Pass” bets as well as the “Big 6” and “Big 8”. But perhaps his greatest development was allowing players to bet on the shooter, eradicating the ongoing problem of ‘loaded’ dice.

This new version of Craps was soon played worldwide and was a common way for American and British soldiers in WWII to spend their free time. Today, there are over 320 crap tables in Las Vegas alone as well as a whole host of online casinos offering this exciting dice game, and its low-skill level and fast-paced action has made it one of the most sought after games on the internet.

Same Heavy BS -- Different Verse ...

another in a long line of car salesman Heavy's BS to sell his dice class:

7/07/06 at 03:19 AM

"You don't think the casinos are losing millions to the dice setters?  Why do you think a certain downtown Vegas casino that used to welcome us routinely bans dice setters these days.  Hint.  It ain't because Bubba spent too much time schooling the dice.  It's because one player hit them for $9 million one night earlier this year."  **

and it looks like I am not the only person to question Heavy's BS, as Big Joe states later that same day:

OK HEAVY, I have to take issue on that last statement. ... Knowing their bottom line is always number one to the casino. Pit guys have people to answer to and I really dont think I would want to be the one telling my boss I let in the million dollar loss. Sorry dude I dont buy that maybe I am nieve. GL big joe **

and Jimmy V. has a similar concern:

That  figure  of  9,000,000.00  seems  downright  unconscionable. If  it  was  an  open  table  at  the  G.N.  with  betting  limits  of  5 - 5,000, how  many  hours  would  it  take  to  reach  that  amount  even  at  betting  $ 5000  max  per  place  number ? Can  you  imagine  how  crowded  and  noisy  that  table  would  be? The  action  would  have  to  slow  down  incredibly  to  make  all  of  the  wagers  with  every  Tom, Dick  and  Harry  wanting  to  get  in  on  the  action. I  could  see  them  allowing  up  to  100 K  going  out  to  the  player, but  even  after  that  small  amount  why  did  they  not  just  close  the  table ?

I  have  heard  of  whole  crews  being  fired  after  a  huge  win  of  100K  or  so, but  letting  the  table  take  away  9  million  chips ?

Even  if  this  was  a  closed  high  limit  table,  at  the  very  most  I  could  see  500  K  being  won  and  then  closing  the  table. Someone  in  management  screwed  up  big  time  to  let  a  craps  table  let  go  of  9  mill.

Jimmy V. **

So we went to the Nevada Gaming Commission public Gaming Revenue Reports *** for 2006 Downtown Las Vegas and looked at the monthly reports to prove how impossible Heavy's statement was.  Sure enough, the numbers do not lie -- the figures for the Craps tables did not show any significant deviation from normal $5. bettors with a Win Percentage near 12% each month ---- definitely no $9 million loss by the casinos on 1 table as Heavy reported to help sell his craps classes and instruction material !!

** - John Patrick's Message Board ...
*** - Nevada Gaming Reports ...

Heavy's BS continues ...

Ever notice that a car salesman will tell you anything just to sell you something -- well, Steve "Heavy" Haltom does it again when he says:

"The best setters don't get heat becasue they set the dice so quickly the box doesn't realize they are doing it." **

Don't believe one word of it -- Casino personnel will know 99.9% of all dice setters no matter how quick they set the dice.  Think about it --- if a dice setter walks up to the table, aren't you able to tell if he/she is a dice setter and probably what dice school they went to after just a few tosses ??!! .... and don't you think the casino dice personnel have a little more experience than you do.

Besides -- remember Heavy sells his dice setting DVD's to the Las Vegas Dice Schools -- so Heavy even helps the casinos bring the heat on with his car salesmanship attitude of sale anything to everybody, no matter the consequence.

A Craps Advantage Player may get heat from the casino for any number of reasons, but setting the dice "so quickly" as if you are trying to hide what you are doing will not minimize the heat -- in fact it may bring on more heat if the casino cannot figure out what you are doing at a glance and have to watch closer to figure out if you are cheating or not.

** - Link to Heavy's misspelled guidance 

Las Vegas Casinos Squeezing more out of your pocket ...

I remember in the not so distant past that I would make sure I kept at least $30. in my pocket -- safe from gambling -- for the taxi to the airport ..... well if I did that today, I may have to walk to the airport .....  Some hotels and resorts are charging an additional mandatory resort or facilities fee at check-in or check-out, nominally referred to as a Resort Fee.  For those that travel half way around the world with a fixed spending budget may be very well surprised at the extra daily charges ...

The hotels collect these Resort Fees regardless of how or where the room is purchased.

Any hotel-mandated fee is something that should be disclosed before your purchase — however, often they are NOT, or are in very fine print at the bottom.  This extra surprise is often avoided if you say cancel my reservation as you are checking in, but not too many tourists from have that flexibility .... or are even told when they check-in ....

Your surprise is when you see the bill upon check-out or are told when you are checking in — thank you very much...

Here's a Link that lists who charges what, and what you're supposed to get for the Resort Fee.

It also lists places that DO NOT charge a Resort Fee — this should influence your choice of place to stay...   Hint --- all the Harrah's owned properties said they would not charge a Resort Fee ......

http://www.vegas.com/incl/resortfees.html

The Las Vegas Advisor Poll results for March 24, 2010:

71% of respondents (3,035),said:

I hate resort fees and out of principle I won’t stay at a hotel that has them. I’d rather pay more for these facilities but choose them freely myself than have a fee forced on me for things I might not use.

21% of respondents (917) said:

I have no problem with resort fees if they’re not extortionate ($25/night at Red Rock and GVR?!) but I think hotels should disguise them as part of the nightly rate; it’s the concept of an obligatory add-on that annoys most people, when it should just be part of the room rate.

View the results for yourself here:

http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/pollres.cfm?showdate=04/06/2010

 

Advantage Players

Are you a CAP (Craps Advantage Player) ?? .....  I think Advantage Players has been best described by the following:

Advantage player is a term used to describe a person who has the ability to play a casino gambling game so skillfully that even without cheating, that person can negate or reverse the casino's typical built-in house advantage in that game. Examples of advantage play include card counting in blackjack and dice control in craps.

Casinos will generally eject an individual whom they identify as being an advantage player. And habitual offenders may ultimately find themselves listed in the Griffin Book, and thus become unwelcome in most casinos. However, advantage players are abiding the established rules of the game, and thus committing no actual fraud against the casino. Therefore, unlike those who cheat outright at the games, advantage players can operate without fear of being criminally prosecuted if they are discovered. **

And this Blog inspired a post by Mad Professor within just a few days:

The professional advantage-player is there to make money, while the professional gambler is there for the action of the game, and making money is secondary or even tertiary.

If the professional gambler happens to make a profit while he is gambling…all the better…but money is not the force that drives him…it is the RISK that attracts and keeps him searching for the next risk-taking “gamble”.

The professional advantage-player makes his money from perfecting his craft.

He develops his skills in the same manner as a professional athlete, and develops his money-management and decision-making skills in the same manner as a senior corporate executive.

The professional advantage-player is almost completely the opposite of, and the antithesis to a professional gambler.

A professional advantage-player tries to engineer as much risk as possible out of the game. In craps for example, by de-randomizing the dice, he seeks to reduce risk. For him, MONEY is principally the way to gauge progress and to keep score.

For the professional gambler, as long as he can be in a game, almost any game where he can have money at risk, then he is generally satisfied. He treats wins simply as more fuel to get him into, and keep him in more and more gambling action. A full belly and a chance to play is principally what keeps him going.

The professional advantage-player seeks to take as much risk and gamble OUT OF his chosen game; and if the opportunity to do so dries up; then he'll move on to another pursuit where opportunity does exist. ***

Advantage Play in Craps only begins with knowing how to toss the dice, you also have to know:

1. How to be a better ADVANTAGE bettor AND
2. How to recognize scams not only in the casinos but also in the Craps educational field.

.... and that is how this website will help you become a better Craps Advantage Player (CAP)


** - Advantage Player definition ...
*** - The message board with no balls to cite references or name names ...

Biased Dice Updates ....

In addition to what is listed in the topics here, see the following link for more information on how the casinos increase their House edge by changing the odds with unbalanced dice:

Craps Advantage Players ....

Heavy's continued shenanigans ....

from Heavy's board ..... note Heavy's new signature line --- whatever that means as if he is talking to 5 year olds ?? .... also note the red change in TOS --- that tells you right there for Heavy that it is all about the money and not the development of craps brainstorming ...

and who does Heavy think he is trying to control Freedom of Expression ...... Heavy is actually trying to prevent the free flow of ideas by controlling Private Message content

Quote:

Terms of Service « Thread Started on Feb 5, 2010, 12:35pm » I have made a slight change in the Terms of Service of the forum relative to solicitation of members off-line through the Private Message function of the board. This function is available to members only. The Terms of Service can be found at this link: http://axispower.proboards.com/index.cgi....ead=1436&page=1 The change is highlighted in red below: "You also agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you or you have consent from the owner of the copyrighted material. You retain your copyright of any material posted on this forum. However, the administrator reserves the right to post excerpts of your material, with author attribution, in promotional material and on other forums operated by the forum owner. In no case will our material be utilized for any other commercial purposes without your express consent. You agree not to post any Spam, flooding, advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, and solicitations are also inappropriate to this forum. Deliberate posting of advertising on this site will result in the immediate removal of the post, and the banning of the poster's IP address. Likewise, anyone soliciting members through the Private Message function of the forum for any of the above, or actively recruiting members/participants for other web forums will be barred and their membership's deleted. An individual posting a link to an informative non-commercial site may be allowed with prior permission. When in doubt about any of these - send the administrator a private message on the board and get permission first." The beatings will continue until morale improves.

http://axispower.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=gcf&action=display&thread=8893

---

Post by The Lion on Feb 13, 2010, 9:11pm
Re: Invidious Heavy .....

LOLOLOL!!!! Thank you Heavy for this stress-relieving belly (punn intended) laugh!

If you remember Charles Laughton in Mutiny On The Bounty ... CAPTAIN BLIGH ... not only does Heavy remind me of him, but this line MUST be from the book itself if not the movie, and it is obviously Cpt.Bligh's:

"The beatings will continue until morale improves."

Knowing Heavy and his self image -- this IS a quote from Bligh!

Remember the story was about the Caine MUTINY. Anyone still on his board after this one is just plain STUPID ... or has the same low self esteem that his leader does! The rest will grow a pair and leave !

 ... "The beatings will continue until morale improves." (Heavy to his own guys.) What a compassionate leader. Makes you want to follow him into battle, eh?

---

Heavy never has the courage to fight his own battles, but has to employ his sidekicks into his army

... Post by dbn1952 on Feb 26, 2010

LoL, I must say, Harley, you definitely got the goods on Heavy. I almost feel sorry for him (almost). Perhaps you should tell him and us that "the pasting with continue until morale improves!!"

Fondly,

Dave

---

Heavy is threatening to delete his own members left and right from his Axis Power Craps website in an effort to stop anyone (and me) from exposing him -- word at the Starbucks is Heavy has already banned 3 of his own members and 2 of them do not even care about getting back on -- so be warned -- if you are visiting Las Vegas to play craps and you use an IP address in Las Vegas to maybe check out something on his board -- watch out -- Heavy will delete you

FYI Heavy -- I have never used any one's username and password (except my own) to access your message board ...... I don't have to, you left the back door open ...... and you have no clue -- you are looking in all the wrong places and just going off half-kocked and shooting in the dark

Besides what are you afraid of -- afraid that some one may post the truth about your Captain Bligh shenanigans

Quote:

Heavy Administrator The Perils of Piggybacking « Thread Started 02/26/10 at 4:30pm » ...Personally, I could care less what anyone has to say about guys like me, Irish, MP, Maddog, or Deadcat. After all, you could fit their entire readership - including sock puppets - on a short bus. However, I DO care about copyrighted material from this site appearing elsewhere without permission. I DO care about member of this forum being solicited under YOUR handle for participation in other forums. I DO care about the numerous violations of the TOS of this board - going back for YEARS. Just think about how these things go. You give your username and password to someone, who in turn passes it along to two or three of their friends, who in turn passes it along to two or three of their friends. Next thing you know we are getting 50 hits a day on YOUR username - each time from a different IP address. Oh, yeah. It is painfully obvious when I look back through the IP tracker on the site. Anyway, suffice to say that I will be shutting a few of you good folks down in the days to come. If it happens to occur to you and you are an Alumni or Emeritus member - well, we're gonna miss you but you are still going to be gone. Will this get all of the "leaks" plugged? Unlikely. But I trust it will make my point. Feeling a little guilty? Then get into your profile, change your password and don't give the new password to anyone. There might be hope for you yet. heavy

http://axispower.proboards.com/index.cgi

.... let's look a little closer at Heavy's last control-freak double standard post from his Axis Power Craps website:

Quote:

Heavy Administrator The Perils of Piggybacking « Thread Started 02/26/10 at 4:30pm » ... I am talking about the practice of allowing your friends and/or acquaintances to piggyback on your account here on the forum - providing them access via YOUR username and password. Yep. You know who you are. And you know exactly what I'm talking about. Fact is, over 80% of the members of this forum are comped in. Almost no one who requests a "dice pal" membership is rejected. And really, the ONLY reason I charge a subscription fee at all is to keep the riff-raff out. And yes, I'm talking about some of the slugs who are piggybacking on your accounts. The good news - these jerk-offs do seem to have enough sense not to post on the forum under your name. However, they do wholesale cut-and-paste information from this site onto other sites where they gleefully take things out of context in an effort to make themselves look good at everyone else's expense. ...

someone help me make sense out of this beginning of his thread

- the double standard part -- Heavy does not like piggybacking by using other's usernames YET Captain Bligh the Pirate himself used to brag about how he knew everything on the private PARR network because he was using a friend's username and password to access it

.... it must not be a money problem cause he says 80% of his membership is comped --- or is he really complaining about maybe $500.

.... so he charges a few fees "to keep the riff-raff out" yet the good news is that those jerks don't post there -- again help me with what is the problem that Heavy seems to be crying about

.... but he says "they" do wholesale cut and paste to make themselves look good by taking things out of context --- help me understand this -- "they" is probably 99% me and why do I need to make myself look good LoL -- I am not selling anything and I don't have an ego that needs to be pumped up so it is not for my health, but instead to EXPOSE the BS of others that do more insulting due to there insecure presense in the craps world --- or maybe just life altogether ....... as Dave pointed out above, it makes you almost feel sorry for the poor Pirates

so help me again -- what is the purpose of Heavy's bitching .... other than to try to make up some BS reason to ban a few people that may be giving ME their password

Read my lips Mr. double standard Heavy -- you are the username stealer that piggybacks on the PARR network and I have never before nor will I ever in the future use anyone else's username to access your message board

don't need to -- the truth is out there so quit trying to hide it --- AND why don't you make your board free like this message board ... or are you just a scared little piggybacker from Arkansas

Mad Professor – the "Wizard of Oz" ....

My apologies to the readers for the following negatively toned thread ...... for the most part, I absolutely despise personal attacks against others in the Dice Community as it usually just a distraction from the real issues at hand. HOWEVER, there are a few out there that enjoy stroking their egos by embellishing to the point that their fictional and theoretical writings may sound smooth, but it does not give a realistic view of live casino craps.

so I apologize for entering into this thread and I hope that most of you will stop now and not read it ..... for others that are as much a "Retard" as I and can not help themselves, I hope the following is a little entertaining and not a total waste of time & bandwidth ....

see Hangover clip for definition of "Retard":
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=dqQ8AHCrCtw

A few of us that play craps most everyday refer to Mad Professor (MP) as the "Wizard of Oz" - hiding behind a curtain and his monitor instead of on live casino tables ....

... now don't get me wrong - I will be the 1st person to advise every craps player to read everything MP writes (don't have to buy his book cause it is just a copy of his internet postings) ..... but after you read each of his well crafted words, take a step back and think about what you just read --- for the most part, MP's writings are just basic common sense about the game we all love

as a good friend and mentor of mine noted, waayy tooo many of us get caught up in our own "aimlessly chasing MP story" --- I am guilty of that, but may the Dice Gods curse me with a day of PSOs if I ever just blindly grab onto MP's coattails like so many do

What we do know about MP (mostly obtained from monitoring his editings on his FaceBook page):

•  MP's real name is Paul L.(blah-blah French name)

•  he lives in Hamilton, ON (near King Street East between Spadina Avenue and Melrose Ave South) --- that's Canada, a place not well known for it's craps players & it's a far cry from anything close to resembling Las Vegas ...

•  MP's email address is: mad_6_8_professor@hotmail.com

• MP has over 101 albums of car pictures on his FaceBook page ... that's albums, with each album averaging about 70 individual pictures of cars or roughly 7,000 car pictures

•  no one I know has ever seen him shoot anywhere except in a few of his local casinos in Canada and across the border in NY, yet he claims in his "Bible" to make nearly $400,000. annually from craps and from constantly traveling all over the world -- all done with mainly $5. to $25. bets on himself -- not betting on anyone else at the table .... to mathematically do this, MP would have to have:

1.  60 rolls every time he touched the dice;
2.  have no PSOs;
3.  power press on himself;
4.  play more than the few hours he claims to play each week;
5.  take helicopters and borrow Tiger Woods' jet to travel to every casino he claims to play in all year long (thereby eliminating travel time so that he puts in enough time on the tables) 

AND if he did make that much $$$ every year playing craps, then he would have absolutely never enough time:

• to write all his writings;
• to talk to all his casino friends to get the info about where they play (and then pens it himself as if he were there);
• AND most importantly, MP would never have enough time to post all his car pictures on the internet on at least 2 different websites (Dice Institute and Face Book) ....

if there ever was something so close to imposterization, I would dare say it has been done perfectly by the man behind the curtain and his monitor - the Mad Professor

...... and if we give him the benefit of the doubt of making $1,000. per day then he would have to play 400 days per year to equal his claim of $400,000. per year (see page 295 of MP's "Crapshooting Bible")

- and that would include ZERO Loss Days per year (MP even vaguely alludes that he may have several "losing for a few days" sessions on page 296)

- and on top of his fictitious writings, I believe his accomplishments are way overstated ... how can he get $400,000 per year averaging "4 or 5 days per week" (page 21, yet he has recently posted on DI.com that he now plays less) at $1,000. per day ...... he just does not add up in the real world

4.5 days x $1,000 x 52 weeks = $234,000 or more than 40% LESS than what he claims he makes IF he is perfect for the year & has ZERO losing days ..... and also assumes he takes zero vacation weeks

As noted by one of our fellow CAPers:

"Has anyone ever seen both the Mad Professor and the Captain in the same place at the same time?? Oops, wait, no one has ever seen either of them. My bad...Has anyone ever not seen both of them in the same place at the same time??? Wait, that doesn't make any sense. But then, much of what we hear doesn't! LoL"

Dave

On several occasions Mad Professor has made posts that are not factually true, thereby adding credibility that all his exploits are not for real ... consider what the popular but never seen Craps ghost author - Mad Professor - posted the following without an accredited cite on May 6, 2008 on http://diceinstitute.proboards.com/:

... with the recent announcement by Harrah’s that they are increasing the maximum Fire-bet limit from $5 to $25, thereby moving the upper maximum-payout for this wager from $5,000 to $25,000

so I thought I would hit the Strip to see if there was any truth to this rumor ..... dealers & Boxes at Bally's & Caesars knew nothing of this news and as of today -- over a year and a half after Mad Professor made this erroneous post and no one in the world has raised their Fire Bet to $25. ......

1st - the maximum Harrah's Fire Bet is not $5 as MP posted, but $10 on several Vegas properties including Caesar's, Rio, Paris, Bally's and Harrah's --- if the Mad Professor was for real and actually played the Fire Bet on a real table instead of stealing information from outdated internet resources like the Wizard of Odds, he would have easily known the maximum Harrah's Fire Bet was not $5 as he posted;

2nd - it can not be arbitrarily done without the State Gaming Commission approving the higher payouts unless they originally had the $25 option approved with their original application .....

I seriously doubt this is the case ...... Mad Professor went on to explain in his post that sometimes he will ask the Boxman to allow higher bets on the Fire Bet and they would make exceptions for him ..... again I contend this is not possible without State Gaming Board approval in advance

even irishsetter is agreeing with our MP allegations that MPaul's posts are more unrealistic theories than probable when he posted on Heavy's Forum ( http://axispower.proboards.com/ ) :

Quote:

irishsetter Dice Guru « Reply #17 February 17, 2010 at 11:25 » ... I'm going to say something, and I'm sure it'll be also taken out of context by MP and the Short Bus cut and paste brigade. The BoneTracker edge-determination is ALREADY mostly meaningless unless you add some variables. ... So, when you say a player should place " the lion's share of your betting-weight on your top one or two box-numbers," it's an oversimplified answer, with a largely overstated ROI figure attached to it. The fact is, I think a player should wager largely on those numbers that have historically appeared. However, I think players need to have alternative plans of action, and a more realistic view of profit potential because our edge is dynamic. If you were to cut up a large sample of BT data, and take snap shots at different times, the edge on given numbers will be dynamic depending on where in the sample set, size of the sub set etc. The problem with using BT as the end all is if the sample size is too small, then the data is subject to normal variance. When the sample size gets too large, there's a smoothing effect. So, feel free to lead players down a primrose path with your simplistic view. I have no doubt that some members will discount my point of view. But I also have no doubt that many players have disappeared from the DI community over the years because they believed your over simplified, overstated and over-hyped predictive model.

 And a reply to this quote:

Re: Debunking the "Wizard of Oz" ....
Post by The Lion on Feb 18, 2010, 8:17pm

When we say it we get ripped, but when Irish says it he gets applause. Well Irish, you have finally gotten my applause too! Absofknlutely well said! The naive misuse of BT included. MP propaganda is just that. He mostly plays at home, not for real in casinos. So the pied piper HAS led many to the abyss.

A great teacher who could not perform in the function that he was teaching once said: I can teach but I can't do, and I am a great teacher. WHY? Because I have spent decades refining the sound bytes that will teach you what you need to know and REMEMBER UNDER STRESS.

MP has done just that. He has issued resonating sound bytes from his fictional expertise and those sound bytes have led the lemmings over the cliff.

Thank you Irish for putting it all in one post succinctly. Did I say we agree?!

And thank you Harley for the cut and paste here. Now, I hope Irish reads it. And MP.

........ seriously, isn't it sad when 1 computer simulator attacks another theorists --- I guess it takes one to know one --- here's another post by irishsetter attacking MP on Heavy's board:

Quote:

« Result #9 on Feb 17, 2010, 5:59pm » ... my historical data indicates no such thing can be said of MP, so my predictive model indicates that we'll see more, unwitnessed, unverifiable, over simplified, theoretical clap-trap from him in the future. BTW, nice cherry-picking/manipulation of data for shooterx, MP. The next time I do analysis, I'll only use the data that suits my theory and omit that which does not.

http://axispower.proboards.com/index.cgi....ead=8911&page=1

...... I will later post more examples to debunk more of his postings

"Casinos will not cheat" - yea right

For all those in denial (the "Flat Earth Society") saying that casinos as a whole would not cheat, look how rampant the cheating was in New York right under everyone's noses:

" ... a recent story about New York cabbies overcharging their customers has set off a firestorm of buzz. The initial story broke last week, when it was revealed that thousands of cabbies in the Big Apple had overcharged their customers by a total of $8.3 million over several years.

The news sparked immediate Web searches on "new york cab ripoffs" and "taxi scams" as well as lookups for the Taxi and Limousine Commission. The Commission found that dishonest cab drivers were charging customers the "suburban rate," which is twice the "city rate." All told, 35,558 cab drivers "illegally charged a rider at least once." That's out of 48,300 licensed drivers.

Not a very good percentage. (almost 75%)

So, how was the scam discovered? It all started with one guy who was suspicious of his fare. Dr. Mitchell Lee, who often takes taxis home after working at the NYU Medical Center, says he noticed his normal $5 fare had mysteriously risen to $7 one night. He complained to the driver, who offered Lee a discount. Lee declined, paid the full fare with his credit card, then complained to the Taxi and Limousine Commission. From that one complaint, a gigantic scam was quickly unraveled." **

...... the same is so for casinos -- if 1 casino figures out how to increase the odds at Craps, then others will be sure to follow ......... it's a simple law of competition

** - Link to full story

Lo$$ Limits ....

Money Management ....
In his book "John Patrick's Craps", Patrick talks about Bankroll in Chapter 3 (page 24) and says you should set your Loss Limit at 50% of whatever you bring into the casino .... and here is another theory:

Quote:

Intelligently managing your bankroll should be a key fundamental in any craps strategy, because it is the only way of knowing if your plan is working. A good method, but one that many find hard to follow, is to set a loss limit and to adhere to it. Often a player will sit down at the craps table, bankrolling himself a hundred dollars. However, as often happens, the player begins a losing streak, and the money is lost quickly, and the player is tempted to increase his bankroll. On the other hand, it is just as difficult to set a maximum limits for wins, because if you are winning, why leave? Another method to managing your bankroll can be done by playing only with your winning. For example, say you bankroll yourself one hundred dollars for a game of craps. This should also be your loss limit. Begin playing, and should you lose, follow your loss limit and walk away. If you win initially, then wait until you have $75-$100 over your initial bankroll, and the put that money aside. In this way, in case you should lose all your winning, then you will still have your original bankroll. If you continue winning, then put another hundred dollars aside and exclude it permanently from the game.

http://www.craps.cd/Craps-Strategy.html

... and:

Quote:

The Gambler’s Fallacy Many gamblers believe that they are “due for a win” after a streak of losses. When such players lose a few bets in a row, they often increase their bet dramatically, expecting a win. This expectation is called the gambler’s fallacy. Unfortunately, losing a few bets or even many bets in a row does not affect the odds of winning the next bet. So even if you’ve lost a few bets running, you shouldn’t bet more than what you had planned. Chasing your losses with big bets is a sure way to the poor house....

http://quamut.com/quamut/craps/page/money_management_in_craps.html

... and although there are probably 1001 theories on Loss Limits and betting strategies, I tend to favor the following:

- Never bet more than 10% of your bankroll for any 1 roll ... and

- Loss Limit set at 25% of my bankroll per casino (50% for the day)

.... what are your favorite Lo$$ Limit guidelines that help you survive the roll of the dice ??

here is another interesting opinion on Lo$$ Limits by a well known Advantage Black Jack player that is admittedly new to craps, when commenting on DeadCat’s strategy:

Quote:

Jan 17, 2010, 4:52pm, lvbear wrote: DeadCat wrote: Quote: I don't play with "win goals" and "loss limits" anymore. I haven't for some time. That's gambler's thinking. If conditions are right and my shooting is good, I'll play until they aren't. If no positive-expectation opportunity presents itself, I won't play. This makes a doubling timeline tricky but I am trying to do with craps what is acceptable for BJ professionals. I see this as a linchpin in bringing DI fully into the AP realm. Somebody needs to do it. Congratulations on leaving voodoo behind. Eliminating such superstitions as "win goals" and "loss limits." which appear to an "outsider" to be so pervasive in the craps world, is a major step. Focusing on long-term results, rather than individual sessions, is so important. Individual session results are meaningless. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Opinions and Commentary on the Gaming Industry: www.TheBearGrowls.com

now I have an opinion that is completely opposite of DeadCat's & LVBear's .... but that is ok --- to each his own, there is no right or wrong .... but I still tend to agree with the John Patrick's of the world than DeadCat ..... I have a finance and accounting background & I learned that most successful business plans include budgets with goals ..... I don't consider budgets guidelines as "voodoo" or "superstitions"

___________________________________________________

Re: Lo$$ Limits ....
Post by tinhorngambler on Jan 20, 2010, 9:10pm

HH
I agree with your comments.

Without a doubt, Advantage BJ and Advantage Craps are two different animals.

The Advantage BJ player bets big when the cards favor the player and it makes sense.
They bet minimal the rest of the time.

The Advantage Craps player has the advantage all the time …. because his or her SRR is greater then 7.
Baloney !

Your SRR may be the best thing since sliced bread.
That is until you get your ass-kicked and your bankroll takes a beating.
Even if you have a good hand or two.
There has to be goals or a plan …. or you will give back every penny and then some.
Staying in peak performance and on top of the game is not a given.

Playing with No Goals, Unrealistic goals, Shooting for the moon, playing the extremes, relying on luck, superstition, or … you name it …. it all sucks.

Because I keep hearing the same stories about … jess … I learned a lot, I had a great time, met a lot of good folks, but I lost money.

Can I offer my sympathies to my brethren who keep getting their ass-kicked.

Excuses, excuses, and the coulda, woulda, and shoulda, doesn‘t cut-it … Maybe once or twice you can get away with it, but it’s a BAD HABIT. And the sooner you sincerely take the bull by the horns and learn …. you will keep making the same dumb mistakes.

Unless you are able to capitalize on your play and keep the money … WHY are you following the same line of play.

In fact we’ve lost a lot of good players through the years because they forgot the basic’s, whether you call it Goals, Plan , or any other thing. Stop and think !

You will run into those days of HELL and HIGH WATER and that doesn’t have to mean you should ignore a disastrous situation, because you’re good.

When you have no Win & Loss Goals or an Abandonment Plan … Please pick up a casino envelope and mail your money in.

Because you’ll be just another name that had high hopes and a dream.

---

---

Re: Lo$$ Limits ....
Post by The Lion on Jan 21, 2010, 11:27am

I'm sure you guys have a few better $$ mgt plans, but in the old days (you know, the decades before DI became a contact sport), I used a simple method that locked up profit.

"Top and bottom rails. "

Buy in, put half the money in the top rail and half in the bottom rail. All bets come out of the top rail. All incoming went into the bottom rail.

Next round ("round" = top rail is empty from betting), I pulled the buy-in from the bottom rail, or half the rail, whichever is greater, and squirreled it away. The remaining ammo went to the top rail to fire downrange.

Next round, I pulled half the stack from the bottom rail and put it in the top rail to continue play, the rest got pocketed. And so on.

When the game turned bad ("bad" = the top rail got eaten up and the bottom rail did not grow), I tossed the change to the boys, and split. My pockets had my buy in, and my profit. And since I split my buy in, half on each rail, IF I NEVER pocketed any winnings and my top rail got eaten alive right away, I still had half my buy in. Some guys varied that from 30-50% on the top rail.

This was how I played before DI, and it worked. And it wasn't my idea -- it was the best that I read about, and I tried them all back then. This method of money management has a built in loss-limit and also a built in blue sky! How high is up?

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Re: Lo$$ Limits ....
Post by dicenator on Jan 22, 2010, 5:55am

I do something very similar. Say my buy in is $300, I'll have 8 green chips and 20 reds. They are all placed in the front rack. Anything that I win goes to the back rack. When my back rack gets up to $75 in red chips, I replace 5 reds for 1 green in the front rack. The one green goes into my pocket. I continue doing this while occasionally changing a green into 5 reds. My ultimate goal is to get 12 green chips in my pocket so that covers my buy in. Anthing left in the chip rack is profit. Hopefully I'm subtle enough that they don't know how much I've won or are only seeing a small portion of my winnings.