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The Skill of Table Selection

 

 You can win them all! How are you able to do this? It’s simple, keep yourself out of the losing games. I subscribe to the philosophy that a winning game is out there and it is up to me to find it. I become the patient hunter looking for the winning game. However, before I can select a table, I have to select a casino.

 

With all the casinos in Las Vegas, which one is best for craps?

 

The best casino for craps is one where you feel comfortable and where you feel honored. I like to stay were I play. This makes it very easy to play at any hour and, if I am tired - just pop upstairs to my room for a nap. If there is no game to play at my “home casino”, I can have several positive options, if I make smart choices. Say I decide on Mandalay Bay, at the end of the Strip, and I do not find a game to my liking, I have gone a long way out of my way. I have wasted time and burned energy on this choice. I caution the player from chasing around Las Vegas searching for a game. Doing so burns your energy in a town where you need it the most. It is better to have a game plan in place before you go willy-nilly on a blind quest.

 

Before selecting a casino, you need a travel plan. Pre-select casinos that you prefer and that are located a convenient distance from one another. Map out where you plan to start playing and follow that up with a second, third, fourth and fifth choice. Also make sure to have plenty of time for the sessions. You don’t want to find a good game just before a dinner date, a show or your flight home, you would be limited by a time constraint.

 

Everyone has a favorite casino. I like playing at the Mirage. If there is not a game at the Mirage, it is a seven-minute walk to Treasure Island or ten minutes to the Venetian. Caesars Palace is just the other side of the Mirage, making four-world class casinos to choose from. Bellagio and Balley’s are just across from Caesars. I like to have several casinos in my battle plan, close to my first choice. This maximizes playing time and reduces wear and tear on the player.

 

Okay, we have a plan and we have arrived at the casino of our first choice for a session. Next, how do we select the best table to play?

 

1.  Watch the games before entering. Observing the dice pit is a free tour. It takes discipline to watch rather than just buy-in and play. It cost nothing to invest your time. Your investment in time observing is invaluable.

 

2.  Look at all the tables. Initially, it does not matter to you what the minimum bet is. Survey everything going on in the craps pit before making a move. What is the general feeling you get as you assess the scene? Winning? Losing? Exciting? Boring? After you check out all the games, then go back to notice the table minimums and see if the table you choose fits your betting budget. Selecting a table is always a learning experience. Never disregard tables with a higher minimum than you can afford, even though you will not play at that table. You will learn lessons from observing the high stake tables too. Table selection is a learned skill and it takes practice. I recommend that you check out every table as you develop the skill. Practice makes you a better player with table selection.

 

3.  Survey the players. You are looking for winners to play with, not losers. Now, I do not refer to the amount of chips in their rack. I mean choosing your “playmates”. You take time to decide on a mate or a business partner – use the same criteria to find compatible players at the craps table.

 

4.  The amount of chips in the rail is limited help in choosing a table because any game can change in a heartbeat. Chips can be an indicator, but it is not the most important indicator.

 

1. If you see a bunch of chips in front of all the players, usually it is too late for you to get in the game. The table is likely to be full. (Side note: if you really want in, often you can squeeze in next to either dealer on the inside hook. You have to make yourself small so as not to interfere with the dealers. It seems like players are intimidated playing back in the pit)

2. If a few players have chips, while most of the others do not, you have to ask some questions did “Mr. Chips” just buy-in, or is he the most skilled player in the game and the others are playing “loosie-goosey”.

3. Be alert when buying in. If several players with chips quit and are coloring-up, you may be buying into the back end of a hot table. It means that you showed up thirty minutes too late. The game is over. It is going to cost you when the table reverts back to a random game of point and out.

 

5.  The Noisy Table is the craps player’s dream table right? Maybe so, or it can be a nightmare.

 

1. If it truly is a hot table, the cheering, advertising a hot table, will have drawn in every “want to be a winner” in the casino. By the time you show up, the table is full and it’s too late. All you can do is watch from the second row. Timing is no accident. You have to assert your intention to arrive at the right time.

2. Everyone seems to be having fun, cheering and winning. Upon closer examination, several of the players know one another, and it is a “boys night out”. Usually, there is a lot of “action” on the table with prop bets. The boys cheer with every roll. Mostly glad a seven did not roll. The cheerleaders may be drunk or drugged, feeling good at any rate! The table sounds like a winner, but it is really players out of control with free drinks, having fun while they lose.

3. Males showing off is also typical behavior with attractive Las Vegas women present in the game. Funny how guys can enjoy losing while trying to portray the look of a high rolling gambler for the ladies.

 

6.   Open table position if you are a dice setter.

 

1. If you are really serious about dice setting, then you better get really serious about confidently shooting from any table position. The principles of dice setting are basically the same. You just have to make the adjustments physically and mentally to shoot from other positions.

2. Don’t let your dogma of “I can only shoot from left stick” keep you out of a potential game. Games with potential are too few and far apart. When you find a working table, you better get yourself in the game.

3. The dice in anyone’s hand can act out of probability… don’t get caught up thinking you can only win money if you have your sacred position. Make all positions your position.

 

7.  Putting it together, you are picking your playmates you are picking a table that feels like it has potential. It is the right minimum bet for your bankroll and you may or may not have your best position. What next? You buy-in.

 

1. You buy-in, but you do not have to play right away.

2. You can watch for a while and observe if what you perceived is correct. That is to say, does your table show signs of life and is it worthy of your play?

3. Don’t worry about sitting out. If you have chosen correctly, you will still be in for the money. If you missed one good roll and the game goes to point and out, you missed nothing. Often, you will discover that it was a one-hand table. Sitting out actually saved you money by not chasing after that one hand.

4. It is your advantage, after buying-in, to watch for a moment. Unlike a blackjack game, for example, where you more or less have to play, you can just stand at the craps table and watch as long as you want. Watching a craps game provides you with valuable information. True, you won’t win, but you can’t lose. Keeping yourself out of losing games extends your bankroll and that’s a win.

 

8.  Table selection means you are looking for “table support”.

 

1. Table support is the personality of the table. The personality is identified as the action that supports your betting or defines the direction of the game... hot or cold. What you must consider is if the game is worth your time and investment?

2. Does the “personality” of the table support your style of play?

3. Is there reason for you to feel like joining the game?

4. A few things to consider, are the players holding the dice and rolling numbers and making points or is it one pass and out or quick outs, five rolls followed by a seven, just when your bets are set up?

 

9.  Table selection takes patience, discipline and practice. It involves the “energy” of right place and right time. It goes without saying that you must also have the right action. The most important aspect of table selection is recognizing the losing games. Keep yourself out of the losing games and you’ll always be a winner.

 

© 2007 Michael Vernon

 

 

Sailor continues with his memories of life in the south, gambling with Scarpone and how Scarpone finally cashed in.

 

On The Coat Tales of a Gambler… Part 15

 

I was in the ninth grade, fourteen years old when my mother passed away. It was during the holidays and it was sure tough on the whole family. It was sudden and the docs never did figure out what took her. It’s hard when you are just a kid and have to be told Jesus called your mom away. Just didn’t make any sense.

 

I suppose that is what launched me into the work phase of my life. My dad was a great guy. He supported the family and all; he worked all the time. Getting part-time jobs seemed natural to me. It was better than being alone at home with nothing to do. Back in those days, a kid with money was almost rich. That’s how I was able to buy my first car.

 

I guess telling you this has to do with my recent visit home. You know, I was on the road most of this year. I had a great time. These days just about every state has casino gambling. It is kind of like crossing the desert and finding water holes. I can stop for a few days, play some cards and pad out my wallet with more traveling money. That reminds me, when I was in Las Vegas, I was in a blackjack tournament with Jake Roberts. I think you know him from Taos? Anyway, it was at the Sahara with about three hundred entries. I didn’t know Jake was there until we both showed up at the final table. Jake was chip leader through most of the game. I thought he was going win first place, but it was not to be. I caught the last three hands with two double downs and beat him. He missed second place by $30. That was a very good win for me.

 

You know I said I’d snoop around when I got back home to see if the gambling was still going on. Even though I suspect that it is, I could not get a hint of it. As I think of it, back in the days of Scarpone, it was that way too. Illegal gambling was there and only the people that were connected knew about it, including the cops. The rest of the town went along with their regular business, not having a clue what was going on under their noses. It’s as though the gamblers have a code of silence. They do not brag about games, or do anything out in the community that would give cause to the authorities to arouse suspicion. The gamblers lead two lives.

 

I have a second hand account of what may be the story of Scarpone’s demise. Those guys that I ran with, back in the gambling days, are no longer in Greenville. I had to be cautious who I asked when I brought up Scarpone’s name. Anyway, about a week or so after being in Greenville last summer, I was packed up and set to leave. I was having breakfast at Dora’s Café with fifteen of my high school classmates. None were gamblers. Most were old friends and two guys I did not remember seeing since I was in high school, in 1959. It was a good mini-reunion for me.

 

I was at the counter paying my tab, ready to hit the road, when a guy sitting a couple of stools down from me mentioned gambling at an old farmhouse. I did not recognize him. On my way out, I excused myself and said that I over heard him mention gambling. I took a shot and asked if he had ever heard of a gambler called Jonnie “Scarpone” Roybal? A strange look came over this fellow. He looked at me as if I had just guessed some dark secret. I could tell that this guy was familiar with the name for sure. I could see that, in his mind, he was quickly mulling over his next words. At the same time, he was sizing me up. Who was I? Where’d I come from? How come I know Scarpone? I could sense his mental processing, all happening in about a second and a half. He asked me who I was. I told him, in short, that I use to live in Greenville and knew Scarpone years ago. I told him that I had been in town a while visiting family. He said that after he finished his breakfast that he had to run up to Badger on some business, but in the evening he’d talk to me about Scarpone. Timing is everything. I was leaving town so I asked if we could make it another time. He said the next time I was in town to look him up about Scarpone.

 

I was back home several weeks for the holidays, you know, Thanksgiving on. I decided to check out the guy’s story about Scarpone. I have to leave his name out here and call him Marvin. Marvin is about my age. It turns out that Marvin’s uncle owned the old farmhouse were the gambling took place. Marvin’s uncle was the fellow that ran the games outside of Greenville down a country road. His uncle was well acquainted with Scarpone, of course. I recognized the uncle’s name. His uncle passed away in ‘84’. I’ll tell his story as he related it to me.

 

After I left Alabama for the Navy, Scarpone continued in his ways. After all, gambling was all he knew and he was very good at it. The guys Scarpone hung out with began to thin out. I think I mentioned this earlier. Some got caught and sent to jail and others just faded away, like me I suppose. Marvin painted a picture of Scarpone becoming more of a lone wolf without his entourage. I don’t know if it had to do with him no longer having me as the trusted lookout or it was just the way of it. You know how a quarterback begins to lose their edge with age. They are not as sharp, not as quick… not as good. Marvin, in so many words, made it sound like Scarpone became complacent. That was hard for me to believe. Scarpone was not one to kid himself, let alone stop striving for perfection. People change, but the essence of who they are tends to be at their core of being. I never knew Scarpone to accept anything less than his best.

 

Marvin’s story has Scarpone and his wife at the time, Marilyn (the daughter of Marvin’s uncle) on the road for a poker game near Tupelo, Mississippi. There are parts of Marvin’s story that are suspect to me. Scarpone never took a wife with him on a game. I mean if he were in the mood for a woman’s company, he had no problem picking one up along the way. In those days, a dashing, well dressed man, could easily charm a young beauty to join him, that and a crisp hundred-dollar bill.

 

Scarpone headed out on highway 10 to Meridian, Mississippi. From Meridian, Scarpone planned to drive north on highway 45 to Tupelo. That is the birthplace of Elvis Presley, you know. Scarpone had a buddy in Meridian that he knew from his days in the Marines. I had heard Scarpone talk about Mick Lambourne. He had the usually war stories of how they looked after one another. Mick ran a gun shop for hunters, with his hobby in the rear of the store. He was a bit of a gangster as I envision the guy. A collector of weapons, Mick’s passion included guns, knives, clubs, brass knuckles, and anything legal or illegal that a thug could use to hurt another person.

 

Scarpone’s plans included staying over in Meridian to see Mick. Mick had something he wanted to give to Scarpone. It was a 32 caliber, Savage auto-load pistol. Mick convinced Scarpone to carry the smaller, lighter pistol in lieu of the trusted 38 revolver, which Scarpone always carried. Scarpone accepted the idea and decided that he could have the “38” under the front seat of his Lincoln for added insurance.

 

Scarpone took a motel room in Tupelo the day before the game. He did not like playing the same day that he traveled. There was a roadhouse south of Tupelo, on the road to Mooreville. It was the typical backroom poker game set up. His wife Marilyn did not go with him to the game. She stayed back at the motel.

 

The game started mid-afternoon. It was one of those marathon games that could go on for hours or a day. The tavern owner, knowing that he’d make it up on drinks, provided food. Marvin described the scene as typical to most any game I had attended with Scarpone. There was the main high stakes game with a couple of smaller games going on too. In all, a gathering of thirty of men could be steady business for the hosting tavern.

 

It was early the next morning. The game was into the eleventh hour. Players had switched from alcohol to coffee. Marvin sets the stage describing a table full of money. There were eight players and over $200,000 between them. This would have been a Scarpone setting for sure, and in his league of play. The cards were on the table with a pile of cash. The board read King of hearts, three of clubs, ten of diamonds, ten of clubs, Ace of spades. The two players left standing were Scarpone and Jerry Bugbee. Jerry was known as “Bugs” because the thick glasses he wore made him look bug-eyed.

 

Well, it came to a show down. Both men were holding a full house. Scarpone, sitting on pocket Kings, had the nuts, Kings over tens. Bugs was “all-in” with the “little full house”, tens over Kings. This next part does not make sense to me and it is how Marvin finished the story. Bugs was called, so he turned over his cards with glee, figuring that he won and that Scarpone was holding high two pair. Before Scarpone turned his cards over, Bugs was on his feet. With both hands he starts to drag the pot of cash to his side of the table. Scarpone shouts, “Hey, SOB, not so fast!” and turns over the winning hand. Bugs flips out. He calls Scarpone a cheat, embellished with strong profanity. Bugs continued to rake in the cash until Scarpone pulls out his automatic. Bugs said, “What? You’re going to shoot me?” Scarpone did. He put a 32 round high into Bugs left shoulder. That “32” just did not have the knockdown of Scarpone’s 38 revolver and Bugs just stood there for an instant. In the flash of an eye, Bugs pulled out a six-inch stiletto that was secured in a sheath from behind his neck. Scarpone pulled the trigger a second time. Silence. Nothing happened. The automatic pistol had jammed. Bugs was already in mid-flight, lunging over the table. He drove the knife between Scarpone’s ribs and right into his heart. Scarpone’s last gesture was staggering to stand up, grasping at the knife buried in his chest. He collapsed, face first, dead on top of the money.

 

Home court advantage played in Bug’s favor and he got off murder charges with self-defense. Scarpone’s wife had him buried there in Mississippi. Scarpone died, literally, dead broke. All his known cash was in that poker game. As there is no honor among thieves, Scarpone’s money simply was not accounted for beyond explaining that he lost it all gambling. Scarpone’s wife took home a story that he died in a traffic accident, hit by a car while crossing a street in Tupelo. Marilyn became an alcoholic and died several years later from an alcohol-induced comma.

 Scarpone was a brash man and was not one to let others push him around. Some how I do not feel it is the way that he went down. He was too clever and careful. He could talk his way through any predicament. I have to wonder that perhaps he was robbed and murdered, and the story told, is just that, a story. Maybe it is just my sentimental memories and I don’t want to accept Scarpone dying that way. I have always wanted to taste the famous Tupelo honey. Perhaps my journeys will take me that way and I will have a look around for Jonnie “Scarpone” Roybal… and Elvis too, while I am at it.

Well, that’s it for this edition of the Playing 4 Keeps™ Newsletter.

 

See you at the tables Playing 4 Keeps™!

Michael Vernon

Author and Gaming Instructor

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Testimonials from P4K Seminar Participants

Blackjack Players                                  Craps Players

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Recommended Gaming Sites!

"Dice Coach" www.dicecoach.com

"Queen Bee of Dice" www.dicesetter.com

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Thank you for your continued loyalty. Your comments, questions and suggestions are always welcome. Email: professor@playing4keeps.com

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Purpose Statement:

Playing 4 Keeps™ enriches a player's experience to become a consistent winner. My commitment to you is empowerment. Learning to employ discipline creates confidence and strengthens intention through metaphysical lessons. Students are empowered as they understand how to avoid the losing sessions. Most importantly, to learn from the metaphors that link the knowledge of casino games to winning ways in "the game of life". Michael Vernon

 

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