| > | | | | future sessions. Your session notes will provide a |
| The title of this article is a Samuel Beckett quote. | | | | method for you to FAIL BETTER in the future. |
| Some may interpret this as a negative statement | | | | Focus On the Positive |
| because it is dwelling on failure. I disagree. In dice | | | | As I stated at the beginning, failing better does |
| influencing, and life in general, I associate this quote with | | | | not mean that you only focus on the errors that you |
| the oft cited, When at first you don’t | | | | made at the tables, but also on what you did well, |
| succeed, try, try again. Here’s why. | | | | what you should do again, what you should ALWAYS |
| Let’s face it. Every hand that a precision | | | | do. It is essential for every small success to be a |
| shooter throws, be they novice or journeyman shooter, | | | | building block for future success. Despite how poorly a |
| eventually ends with failure. Whether the hand lasts | | | | session goes, determine those things that you did well. |
| three rolls, or ten or thirty rolls, an eventual unintended | | | | If you terminated a session because you reached your |
| seven arrives in due course. If we were capable of | | | | loss limit, or you realized you weren’t on, |
| throwing a perfectly executed controlled toss every | | | | are just a couple of examples of positives that |
| time, perhaps this would not be the case, but the | | | | can be gleaned from even the worst session. For |
| bottom line is we CAN’T throw a perfectly | | | | sessions that go particularly well, take precise notes of |
| executed toss every time. The seven is inevitable. This | | | | what occured. Your goal is to be able to recreate a |
| is a fact of life for a precision shooter. This | | | | positive situation every time you stand at the tables. |
| doesn’t mean that you should live in fear of the | | | | A Small Bite From the Poisoned Apple |
| seven. As I’ve stated before, as a precision | | | | Some of the best hands I’ve EVER thrown |
| shooter, if you’re shooting in fear of the seven, | | | | have ended when I had just a small lapse in judgment |
| you are giving it power over you. | | | | or discipline. For instance, in one case I’d had the |
| We’ve established then that for every hand | | | | dice for a little more than 15 minutes. For the previous |
| you throw as a dice influencer, it will end in failure. We | | | | 24 rolls, I had remained calm and focused. I |
| aren’t going to dwell on the negative aspects of | | | | hadn’t interacted unnecessarily with the staff or |
| that right now. The purpose of this article is to | | | | other players and was in a perfect state of relaxed |
| determine whether you are getting the most out of | | | | concentration. The next roll I hit a two way hard ten |
| those failures at the tables. | | | | that had been parlayed. Everyone cheered including |
| Every Session Is A Learning Opportunity | | | | the dealers. I turned to the stick, and said, you |
| I’ve been involved with precision shooting for | | | | should leave yourselves up on that hard ten, I’m |
| several years now. Regardless, I still approach every | | | | going to throw it right back. In other words, I took a |
| session as an opportunity to learn something new. | | | | bite of the poisoned apple. The next roll? No, not |
| Perhaps it’s a new betting method, maybe | | | | another hard 10 but a seven out. You see, one of the |
| it’s a fresh approach to money management, or | | | | lessons I’ve learned from my past failures is to |
| being more adept at troubleshooting my throw while | | | | limit my interaction with everyone else at the table |
| I’m at the table. There is always room for | | | | while I’m throwing. In addition, I CALLED MY |
| growth. Anyone who tells you that they know | | | | SHOT. In other words, I completely altered the |
| everything there is to know about the game and about | | | | successful dynamic that I had established, and failure |
| precision shooting is delusional or has an ego | | | | came shortly and even worse, it was self-inflicted. |
| that’s run amok. Continued growth is extremely | | | | As a precision shooter, you will be tempted by all sorts |
| important to your future success at the tables as a | | | | of poisoned fruit on your dice influencing journey. I |
| precision shooter specifically and as a craps player in | | | | guarantee that you will stop and take a bite from time |
| general. | | | | to time. No matter how disciplined you are, you will |
| Debrief | | | | have lapses in judgment. But, if you are able to learn |
| I certainly hope by now, you know the importance of | | | | from your previous failures, you will disregard the |
| keeping session notes. The Mad Professor has | | | | poisoned fruit in your path more often. |
| several articles on the subject, as well as | | | | As they say, those who choose to ignore history are |
| MickeyD’s article Notes, Notes, Notes. I’m | | | | doomed to repeat it. Failing Better doesn’t |
| aware that a lot of shooters keep session notes solely | | | | guarantee that you won’t repeat your previous |
| for the purpose of keeping track of wins and losses. | | | | failures, but by acknowledging and addressing your |
| That’s really a secondary purpose. The main | | | | errors, you’ll put yourself in a better position to |
| purpose for keeping notes is for gaining insight into | | | | sidestep them in the future. |