You’ve seen it before. You’re standing at a choppy table, being ground down by the house when something magical happens. A new player steps up to the table and buys in. He stands tall, looks around, claps his hands and says, “Come on, guys. Let’s turn this table around.” Is this guy a house shill, you wonder? Or is he for real? And as soon as he gets the dice your questions is answered. Coincidence or confidence – the results are the same. Suddenly everybody is winning.
Confidence at the tables comes from many things. Let’s take a look at some of the biggies:
Experience. My buddy Scott would look at the player I mentioned above and say something like, “You can tell it’s not his first rodeo.” Perhaps the player’s experience has led him to the table. Has he been charting, looking for a particular entry key? Or is he a veteran precision shooter looking to get the dice for a quick hit and run? Whatever he has going for him – he exudes confidence.
Knowledge. You have to know the game from all angles and be just as knowledgeable as the supervisors running the game. From the moment our confident player stepped up to the table he took possession of it. It was his table – and he knew it. He also knew exactly what he wanted. Pass Line with maximum free odds. Dealers on the line with shoes. Place the six and eight for $60 each. Two-way parlay on the hard four and ten. He was in charge of the table and the dealers were working for him. And since they had tokes in action the energy of the game swung toward the players.
Discipline. We’ve all seen players load up on bets, then try to press to table max without taking any money down. But our confident crapster was different. As he worked his bets he continually took money off the table. At the same time, though, his wagers increased as he pressed them up and out – eventually covering all the numbers. Then he made his first pass, collected on his line bets and odds, and brought the rest of his action down so he could lock up a profit before running his progressions again. And a half hour later – when he finally sevened out we heard, “Color coming in.” Our confident gambler got in – got it done – and got gone.
So what can you do to become a confident gambler? You should start by being a confident person. Stand tall. Look people in the eye when you speak to them. Feel good about yourself. Then make sure you know every aspect of the games you’re going to play. Approach the game with a plan. I refer to it as planning your play and playing your plan. Step up to the table with sufficient bankroll and exercise it wisely. Know exactly how you will handle any difficult situations that arise. And remember – hope is not a strategy. If that’s all you’ve got left then it’s time to exercise your discipline and say the magic words, “Take me down.”
