Musical Dice -- My Craps Blog

     For those of you who like the cooler weather, the change is definitely coming, with two cold fronts due to pass through while we're in Lake Charles Louisiana.

     Yes I know that the Hawaii Craps Shooters crew is currently in Vegas during this same time, and I wish my wife and I could be there, but me and Mrs. MusicalDice have already taken a lot of trips this year, and that gets expensive. So we decided to stay relatively local (Lake Charles is only 2 hours from where we live in Houston Texas). So that's why we're here instead of there.

     This time, we're staying at L'Auberge for the first two nights, and the Golden Nugget for the final night.

     After we checked in, and relaxed in the room for a while, we went downstairs to play--I played, Mrs. MusicalDice didn't. I first went to the craps table. On Sundays, apparently, there are only $25 tables at L'Auberge. Well okay. I played at Right End, and used my Yo-Yo dice set. For my first shoot, I only shot a 4. Definitely a rocky start, and that also applied to my betting as well. I invested $1100 before I started my comeback. That began with my next shoot. I stuck to my same dice set, but chose my landing zone at a slight angle to where I was standing. I ended up shooting 18 times, my best shoot in quite a while. It wasn't enough to get my money back. Fortunately, there soon was a shooter who had an even longer shoot, and I got quite a lot of my money back on his shoot. I bet $60 on the 6 and 8, reducing them to $30 each on that first hit, then slowly branching out to the other numbers on subsequent hits. I even was able to parlay the 9 bet up to $75, and it hit. I yelled out "Bull-llackout!" that one time. Oddly enough, that long roll didn't quite get my money back. What finally did it was on the very next shooter, where I played the Don't Pass for 25. The point was 4, and I did a $150 lay. After 7 rolls, the seven-out came, and that got the rest of it back. I colored up at that point, ending up $67 ahead. May not seem like much, but after having to invest $1100 to get out of a hole, I'll definitely take this small win.

     If only I hadn't played blackjack afterwards, trying to add to that craps win. What resulted was a horrible table, and a $1000 loss at the blackjack table, leading to a net loss for the session of $933. ARGH!!!

     After we had dinner at the Ember Steakhouse (still at L'Auberge), we went to the Horseshoe. This time, there was a poker game going, so that's where I played. Without getting into too much detail, I invested $900 before getting it back after 3 hours. It was a very entertaining table with fun conversations, and I ended up $83 ahead. I needed this win, for I'd been in a slump regarding poker lately.

     Normally, I'd be playing another craps session after that, but I was so exhausted after that poker session, that we just returned to L'Auberge, and called it a night. Yes, I'm down $850 right now, but I'm definitey having fun. Hopefully, I'll do better tomorrow.

     So what do I mean by this title for this second day? Well, today, November 18th, marks an anniversary for me in more than one way. The most important reason is the fact that I'd gotten my very first 500 Club on November 18th, 2001 (a $600 win at the Pala Indian casino near where I'd lived at the time, in Carlsbad, California). And that day was exactly 20 years after I'd gotten my very first girlfriend (yes, Kathy B., I'm talking about you). And also, today marks exactly, 5½ years that me and Mrs. MusicalDice have been married. How appropriate it would be if I'd get a 500 Club today. Would it happen? Stay tuned and find out!

     We got off to a late start. After having breakfast, we went to the Golden Nugget. There, I first got into a blackjack game. It was a choppy table, but I did win $62.50.

     I then went to a craps table, and fell behind a little bit, but got back on track, using the $60 6 and 8 strategy, reducing the bets down to $30 each, and branching out to the other numbers on subsequent hits (this was a $15 table). Somehow I didn't feel like waiting until it was my turn to shoot, when I got my money back plus $35. I had a feeling that this table was going to be choppy too. $97.50 for a session win was good enough for the time being.

     Upon returning to L'Auberge, I wanted to play craps there, but the table was full, so I went to a blackjack table, coincidentally, the very same one where I had that big loss yesterday. And there was nobody else at the table. This definitely didn't look good for me. But I played anyway. I even remarked to Mrs. MusicalDice, "I hope I don't regret this decision." Turns out, I didn't, for the table was virtually the exact opposite of what it was yesterday. Without getting into too much detail, I went on a nice win streak, and on the last round, I dared raise my bets, one of my two hands was one that I doubled down on, and the dealer busted. I ended up winning $575. I got a 500 Club for this month, commemorating the very first one I got 23 years ago today. Now, hopefully I can get a 500 Club for December, completing the cycle. But for now, the goal is now to try to get out the hole. I'm now only down $177.50.

     After an early dinner, off-property, at Olive Garden, we got back to L'Auberge. This time, I was able to get into a craps game, standing at Stick Right 1. At first, I tried an ice-tong grip, using the Hardway dice set, That only lasted 4 rolls. Moreover, just like yesterday, I got off to a rocky start. Fortunately, my subsequent shoots were better, switching to the Yo-Yo dice set, and using my usual three-finger grip. My next two shoots were 10 and 13. I think these shoots did more to get my money back than anything else, although I actually got all my money back on someone else's shoot. I ended up $82 ahead. Now I'm only down $95.50 for the trip.

     That would be all the gambling for this day. I won a total of $754.50. Not bad at all. Briefly, I'll say that me and Mrs. MusicalDice finished the day, watching the Houston Texans crush the Dallas Cowboys 34-10. They said that the Texans got back on track with that win. Hopefully, this will continue to be the case with my gambling on this trip. Let's hope...

     I was hoping to completely erase the rest of my small deficit for this trip.

     However, fate had completely different plans. I first went to the craps table. Unfortunately, what magic I had the first two days, regarding getting my money back, seemed to be gone, as NOTHING I did worked. I left the table $750 down. I then went to a blackjack table, but after a while, lost another $400 there. Then I tried to go back to the craps table (after unsuccessfully trying to get into a poker game initially). I thought things might be different at the craps table. The only difference was I left the table sooner when things continued to go bad. I "only" lost another $295 this time. I got SLAMMED this session, losing a total of $1445.

     My wife and I were about to go to Chick Fil-A for a late lunch, when I got called for the poker game. I gave her money to get the food, then went to the poker table. When Mrs. MusicalDice returned with the food, I took a break--gladly so, for I was behind a little. We ate our lunch just outside the poker room. The break was good, but I soon had to go back to the ol' grind. I invested a total of $900 at this table, and at times, I was close to getting my money back, but I got slammed, having jacks against my opponent's aces. This wiped me out, and I called it quits after almost 4 hours.

     That poker session was the cherry on top, of a disastrous gambling day, having lost $2345 for the day, and $2440.50 for the trip. I declared myself all gambled out at that point.

     About an hour later, Mrs. MusicalDice and I went to Vic & Anthony's (still at Golden Nugget) for dinner. There. I had a big lobster tail dipped in garlic butter, plus I had a wedge salad and two glasses of moscatto wine. This was definitely comfort food, designed to chase away the sting of such a big loss earlier in the day. Mission partially accomplished. Mrs. MusicalDice pointed out to me that I'd already accomplished what I'd set out to accomplish, by geting that 500 Club on Day 2. Maybe I should have declared myself all gambled out then. Well, I can also take comfort in the fact that I don't have to do this again until next month, when I try for a 500 Club for the month of December, which would complete the set for the year--the only year which I'd successfully done that. For now, all that's going to have to wait.

     As I'm already all gambled out for this trip, I'm going to spend the rest of this trip relaxing and working on my computer skills. Me and Mrs. MusicalDice are heading back to Houston this afternoon. We'll be back next month. That's all for now!