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It does not
matter if it is blackjack or dice, both games develop a rhythm or
pattern. It is those times when we catch a streak of winning hands that
the rhythm really is noticeable. Everything is going so well when the
wheels fall off and the streak suddenly ends.
So, what
happened, and is there anything you, as a player, can do about it?
What happened
may have been the result of what I call break energy or breaking energy.
Think of break energy as being similar to a speaker who is in the middle
of a lecture and gets interrupted, losing their train of thought. Their
stream of consciousness was broken. Abruptly, they are separated from
the dimension of their speech and crashed into a new reality or
awareness. Where was I?
Here are a few
examples in the game of blackjack when break energy is occurring.
·
You are playing a good game. You are pulling the hands and the “Break
Dealer” shows up to tap out your benefactor for twenty minutes. Suddenly
the game goes down hill with the interim dealer taking your stack of
checks along with it. And you thought they were called break dealers
because they gave the table dealer a break?
·
A
chip fill arrives at your table and the game stops while the croupier
accounts for the delivery of checks to the table. The game resumes but
the cards have gone cold.
·
A
new player or two join your table. The money exchange stalls the game
breaking the energy. The additional players can effect the pace of the
game as well, the energy shifts and the good thing is gone.
·
The pit boss brings new cards to the table. This sometimes has no
effect, but if you were doing well with the old cards and the new cards
mistreat you, then this is breaking the energy.
·
A
disagreement over a hand that stops the game is particularly disruptive.
If the pit boss must intervene to referee, this game is over for sure.
Any other
disruption or action that causes the game to stop, stall, or otherwise
breaks the rhythm is a warning sign to be on the alert, and perhaps to
be looking for the exit.
Sometimes
breaks in energy at a crap table have been referred to as superstitions.
Some breaks are similar to that of a blackjack game, chip fills,
buy-ins, change of dice. Usually a change of dealers is not much of a
concern unless there is an attitude problem with a particular dealer. I
have observed a few jerks masquerading as crap dealers that really
messed with the energy.
·
When a crap table heats up, there is a tendency for the center field
bets to get action. I hate when this happens. The game slows to a crawl.
When so many players are on these bets during a long hand, they are
either replacing the proposition bet after a roll or paid for a winning
bet. Since all the action goes through the stickman, these betters cause
the game to stall, lose air speed if you will, and the game crashes.
7-out – line- a-way!
·
During a good hand, beware of the anxious player. Unable to make enough
bets and unable to keep track of the bets, this individual requires
constant attention from the dealer, who must explain these anxious
questions. “What happened to my hard 8? How much do I have on my horn
bet? Did you press up my nine? I thought I told you to buy the 4 and 10?
Where are the odds for my come bet”. Eventually this player has even the
boxman cross-eyed and you know the dice have long gone cold. “7 - line
down” is the call.
·
Things are going well. The dice are passing. A new shooter picks up the
cubes and decides to show off throwing the dice with vengeful force. One
or both dice keep flying off the table. The shooter calls for same dice
and the game stops while someone hunts for the lost cube. Frustration
and grumbling from the gallery begins, the energy breaks down and it is
over for this game.
·
Because of the high emotions, numerous bets, and fast pace, arguments
are more common in a crap game than at the blackjack table. The
occurrence of disagreement, when money is involved, is way too volatile
and always results in an imbalance in the “force”. This disturbance in
the energy is irreversible. Color up.
·
An inexperienced dealer, or a dealer that is not working at the same
level as the other dealers will drag on the energy of the game. Like
three horses pulling a heavy wagon, the one not pulling their weight
causes the other two to work harder and the pace is much slower. The
imbalance seems to keep the game out of synch and it is “chop dice” for
the night.
·
A
count up by the pit boss and floor supervisor in the middle of a hot
hand, I believe is a deliberate act on the casino’s part to effect the
energy of the game. Often the game is allowed to continue, but just as
often the dice are held in front of the boxman while the stacks are
called out and recorded. A cool breeze blows across the table and the
dice catch a cold.
·
During a chip fill, the game usually proceeds with the check holder
placed in the middle of the table. This barrier or obstacle usually
forces the shooter to change their throw, consciously or unconsciously.
Recall my article on long rolls and consistency with the toss and
placement of the dice. Too often the “evil one” follows when there is a
change in the dice toss or end target. When the dice hit or land at a
new position on the table, there is no “maybe, baby”. The energy shifts
and they are “Out”.
What you can do as a player is to be
aware of the many factors that break the energy of a game. There is not
much you can do to supercede or change it. Through your awareness of
what you may expect, you have the edge of knowing when to exit a game
that is about to fall apart. You do not have to leave the table. You can
stop playing for a while to witness whether the break signal results in
what you expected. If you are right, you saved yourself. If you are
wrong, you are still at the table, in position to get back in. Worse
case, you missed out on some profit. Best case, you played clever and
protected your bankroll. It always comes down to money management in
games of chance. It is never wrong to walk with a profit.
Copyright © 2002 Michael Vernon |
