Dice Control

This article will be published in the new book by Sharpshooter and Jerry Patterson: Winning Dice Control Techniques – Shooting Craps from the Zone. To review more articles from thisChris Pawlicki (AKA Sharpshooter) has an engineering background which he has put to good use in his dice control research. He and Jerry Patterson created the 'dice control revolution' with the development of the first dice control course in 1996. He published his own book, How to Control the Dice in 2002, and launched Sharpshootercraps.com in 2003. Chris's website is www.sharpshootercraps.com new book, visit Sharpshootercraps.com.

Dice setting is to a dice control shooter as windows are to a car. If you take the windows away, and replace with solid steel, you could still drive - but you won't know where you're going, and you won't be driving for long after crashing. So without dice setting, a rhythm roller/dice control shooter, doesn't know what the dice are doing,. So they turn the dice till they have their favorite number on top, then roll the dice to the other end of the craps table. But to a Dice Control shooter - it's a necessity. It's like a control subject in an experiment. We know what we're starting with, and can measure results.

I have one very significant question which is not explained by your writing.
You say that the 'all hardway' is a beginners to intermediate set, and also that it does not create as many 7's as the 3-v.
However, the hardway set has 16 combinations (4 x 4) of 'on horizontal axis' faces, so.....if the dice transpose (don't pitch equally) it will yield four (4) 7's out of those 16 combinations, that is, 4/16, or 25% 7's.
The 3-v yields only two 7s out of those 16 combinations, that is, 2/16, or only 12 1/2% 7's.
So, even though your chart of rolls and yaws for the hardway set shows less 7's and less outside numbers than the 3-v, it appears to me that the 3-v is better if.....the dice stay on hozontal axis and don't roll or yaw at all.
Also, you say that you prefer to throw 3-v most of the time. I do too, and this is based on charting (recording every roll on a 3 x 5 card as i shoot.
So.....is 3-v best if and only if one can keep the rolling on axis, and if not, the hardway is best because overall it will throw less 7's?

You are correct in your interpretation. When I talk about successfully reducing 6 degrees of freedom (or ranges of motion) down to 3 in the dice delivery (a combination of vertical and horizontal translation with end-over-end rotation, or 'pitching'), I'm talking about keeping the dice on a horizontal axis with no 'roll' or 'yaw.'

Additionally and also very importantly, the dice must also be synchronized. That is, they must pitch, or rotate horizontally at the same rate and side by side. The right die should be the mirror image of the left die. This includes parallel trajectories, alignments and spin rates (they should be doing the same things at the same time). Under these ideal and well-practiced circumstances, you are indeed, better served using the 3-V (for inside numbers) or the 2-V (outside numbers) dice sets.
If the dice roll or yaw just one face off and you are using the 3 or 2-V sets, you may be staring at a seven-out! The Hardway set gives you 100% protection if you are only 'one' face off in any rotational direction. You must be two faces off before you see sevens with the Hardway set.

Therefore, analyze your throw for that session, if the dice stay on axis, strike the table and maintain that axis before coming to rest, then you are better off with the V sets; any roll or yaw, and it now behooves you to switch over to the Hardway set for better all-round protection.

The 2-V Set is as powerful at avoiding the 7 as is the 3-V set (as far as different degrees of freedom are concerned), but the 3-V Set is more powerful at sniping out inside numbers (all primaries and several secondaries). These inside numbers have a higher frequency of occurrence and lower house edges than the outside numbers do. Those facts make the 3-V set (hands down) the most powerful set for someone who has mastered the Perfect Pitch Delivery System. I use the 3-V Set 80% of the time, the Hard Ways 10% and the 2-V Set 10% (sometimes when my point happens to a 4 or 10).

Dice Control Bone Thrower

Dice control in casinocraps is a controversial theory where proponents claim that individuals can learn to carefully toss the dice so as to influence the outcome. A small but dedicated community of dice shooters claim proof of dice influencing in casino conditions. The concept of such precision shooting claims to elevate craps from a random game of chance to a sport, like bowling, darts, or pool.^[1] Many within the advantage gambling community still doubt if dice control can overcome the house advantage on craps.^[2][3]

Controlled shooting[edit]

The concept of 'controlled shooting' goes beyond simply 'setting the dice' prior to shooting. It purports to involve limiting the rotational characteristics of the dice. The theory is that if the dice are properly gripped and tossed at the correct angle they will land just before the back wall of the craps table, then gently touch the wall, greatly increasing the probability of their remaining on the same axis. If executed properly and consistently this technique would be able to change the game's long-term odds from the house's favor to the player's favor.

Notable proponents of dice control[edit]

Chris Pawlicki (author of Get The Edge At Craps: How to Control the Dice) explains the math and science behind dice control. Stanford Wong, well-known advantage player and gaming author, also discusses dice control in his book Wong on Dice. Pawlicki and Jerry L. Patterson co-developed PARR (Patterson Rhythm Roll) in 1997, which claims to be the first course on how to set and control dice.^[3][4]

Debate over dice control[edit]

Dice Controller

Jim Klimesh, director of casino operations for Indiana's Empress Casino Hammond believes it is sometimes possible to control the dice with certain throws that do not hit the back wall of the craps table.^[2] One example is the 'army blanket roll', named after the playing surface of the dice games of American servicemen during World War II. In the army blanket roll, a player sets the dice on an axis and gently rolls or slides them down the table. If the shooter is successful, the dice will not leave the axis they are rolled on and will come to rest before hitting the back wall. A successful shooter would affect the odds significantly.^[5]

How To Throw Dice Consistently

But most casinos require that the dice touch the wall in order for a throw to be valid. The chances of altering the odds when the dice bounce off a surface of rubber pyramids are much slimmer, no matter what axis the dice were on before they hit. Dice control proponents advocate a throw that gently bounces off of the back wall and comes to rest after barely touching it. Experiments have been conducted on the subject of dice control, with inconclusive results.^[1]

Controlled Dice Throwing

References[edit]

Dice Control Sets

1. ^ ^abShackleford, Michael (2009-08-18). 'Dice Setting'. Wizard of Odds. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
2. ^ ^abBrokopp, John (1999-07-16). 'Dice Control - Fact or Fiction'. Casino City Times. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
3. ^ ^abApplebome, Peter (12 January 2005). 'How to Win at Dice Table? Write About It'. The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
4. ^Patterson, Jerry. 'History of PARR: The Original Dice Setting & Dice Control Course'. SharpShooterCraps. Archived from the original on 2017-01-23. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
5. ^Patterson, Jerry L.'Dice Control - Setting the Dice'. Gambling Times. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-03-03.