Musical Dice -- My Craps Blog

     The morning of the first day, the temperature in Houston was 82°. In Reno, the predicted high temperature was only 69°. Definitely a change in the weather traveling to Reno.

     Like last time, we checked into the Nugget, this time for four nights. We laid down for a few hours, after an exhausting trip getting to Reno. After that, we went to the Outback Steakhouse for a late lunch. We'd like to say that we received the same excellent service as last time, but we can't, unfortunately.

     We then crossed the street to the Atlantis casino. We both decided to play craps first, despite my getting torched here at the craps table. At first, it looked like I was going to suffer the same fate, as the first two players I bet on PSO'ed, and I was playing a ladder strategy, first betting 44 inside (this was a $10 table), and then raising all the inside bets to double, for 88 inside, with the intention as each hit, I'd lower the bets down one level. After the second PSO, I decided against putting 132 inside on the next shooter. I decided to go slow, betting 6 and 8 for the minimum, and only including 5 and 9 for 10 each, when a field bet hit. However, the third shooter sevened-out before any of those Place bets could hit. Then it became my shoot. I put the minimum on the Pass line, plus the same for odds for my first point, which was 5. I decided to switch strategies to the Two Hit Wonders strategy, where I'd start off with 30 each on the 6 and 8. For my dice set, I used the Yo-Yo dice set, standing at Stick Left 2. I was pretty surprised when I made the point (after the way the dice went for the three previous shooters). The point once again was a 5. It was only then that I hit the 6 and 8 enough times to get them paid for, then as they hit additional times, I branched out to the 5 and 9, eventually getting them up to quarters as well. And yes, I had a Place bet on the 5, while I also had that as the point, and odds behind it. I was even more surprised when I made the 5 again. The next point was 6. I would soon afterwards branch out to the 4 and 10, and at that point, I decided to try my Twin Towers profit strategy, where hits on the 4 and 5 would be used to press the 6, and hits on the 9 and 10 would be used to press the 8. Eventually, I was able to build these twin towers to 90 apiece, and the highlight of the shoot was when the 8 then hit, and I was able to yell out "Bull-llackout!" for a $105 payout. I made the point of 6, but crapped out when the point was 4. I ended up not only shooting 28 times, more than enough to make my Best Craps Shoots Hall Of Fame page, I was able to get out of the hole, and win $197. Nice way to start!

     Now why didn't I simply take the money and run to the next casino? Because they have a poker room, and I wanted to try for a 500 Club, playing the game that I've been the most successful at so far this year. But after 2½ hours, it was clear that I was not going to have a winning session. Apparently, I was still jet-lagged from the trip, and I lost $500 at the poker table. I went from $197 ahead to $303 down for the session, and for the day, as I wouldn't play anymore, as it was getting late. More later.

     My wife wanted to do some shopping this day, and I decided to play poker. But before that, we went to the Grand Sierra Resort to play some craps, figuring that by the time we finish, the poker room at the Peppermill would be open.

     Unfortunately, this craps session started off horribly, with me crapping out early, despite my being at Stick Left 1, my favorite position at the craps table. I tried the Hardway dice set a few times, and then the Yo-Yo dice set. Nothing worked. Eventually, I moved to the left end, and shot using the Yo-Yo dice set. This worked, for I shot 21 times, but I didn't use any quick regression strategy, given that I'd tried something like that earlier, only to get shot down. I played it slow. I did get part of my money back, but still ended up $539 down.

     From there, we went to the Peppermill. While my wife then went shopping, I played poker in the poker room. I played 0/5 No-Limit Hold-Em, which is misleading, in my opinion, for the second blind is $10, and the winner of the last pot always posts that. So the game plays like a 5/10 No-Limit Hold 'Em game. And this one was really tough, with several suspected pros at the table. I bought in for $1000, and was down to $770, when I was all-in, holding Pocket Kings, while my opponent, one of those suspected pros, had Pocket Aces! I was one card from busting out of the game, and being way deeper in the hole! But the river card (sometimes referred to as 5th Street), the last card to come out. was a KING!!!! I won the pot, against ALL odds, doubled up, and I was in 500 Club territory. Perhaps this win gave me some confidence that I could indeed play at this table. I won one more substantial pot, and after an hour of play, I left the table $766 ahead. I am still in SHOCK that I won that all-in hand!

     We then went to the Atlantis casino, where we first ate lunch at the Manhattan Deli. As was the case here last October, the service was superb. I'd highly recommend the Manhattan Deli for anyone looking for a good place to eat. It was there that I was reminded that singer Paul McCartney, who had a birthday today (6/18), co-starred in the movie "Give My Regards To Broad Street" 40 years ago. That's also why this day is titled what it is.

     I played blackjack still at the Atlantis, and won $50 there. The craps table was full, so I didn't play craps there. At that point, I was down only $26 for the trip.

     We returned to the Nugget, and hung out there in the room for a while. Then we went down to the casino floor. I played craps there, and like at Grand Sierra, I stood at the end, albeit on the right this time. I shot the dice using the Yo-Yo dice set. But I played it very slow, not wanting to risk getting shot down like I was at Grand Sierra. I shot 18 times, but only won $50. But it was enough to get out of the hole. I was up $24 for the trip at that point.

     Silly me, thinking that I could make more money, being more aggressive, shooting from the end at the El Dorado casino. I got shot down from that position! After a few more early crap-outs from that position, I moved to Stick Left 1, and shot, using the Hardway dice set. That worked one time, as a I shot 21 times. It was a good roll, but the most frustrating part of these 21-rollers at Grand Sierra and at El Dorado (both which made my Best Craps Shoots page), was the fact that they came too late to get my money back. I lost $457 at El Dorado.

     We then went to Silver Legacy, and I played craps there. By this time, whatever magic I had earlier was clearly gone, for I was crapping out early no matter where I stood or what I did. I lost $373 there.

     I did win $75 of that back at the blackjack table, taking the net loss for the session down to $298. Overall, I ended up down $428 for the day, and $731 for the trip, at the end of Day 2. Not good, but given what could easily have happened at the poker table earlier, I'll be content with this. I still have two more full days in Reno. Maybe...

     This day started off on a very positive note. I had a real great music conversation with an Uber driver who took me and my wife to the Atlantis casino. I gave him one of my cards, and he has since visited this website, and said that he likes it a lot. That made me feel especially good.

     If only the gambling had gone that well.

     I decided that I was going to focus less on craps today, so I started out playing blackjack. I ran into some horrible cards however. I lost $412.50 before I decided to try craps.

     It seems that on this trip, my dice shooting is either feast or famine, with no in-betweens. Here at the Atlantis, it was definitely famine, as I couldn't get any good rolls going, and betting a little more on myself than I do other shooters didn't help. I decided to call it quits at the Atlantis after losing $233 at the craps table, and $645.50 total for the session.

     From there, we went to the Peppermill, where I first got into a craps game. I had a come-out winner or two, and I used the proceeds to play a number or two. I was shooting from Right End, using the Yo-Yo dice set. I had a roll JUST long enough to get my money back. I left the table a whole $7 ahead. Not much, for sure, but at this point, I'll take a win any way I can get it.

     Now silly me, thinking I could expand on that win at the blackjack table. I ran into an even worse set of cards than I did at the Atlantis. That win here turned into a $613 loss, due to losing 620 at the blackjack table.

     We then returned to the Nugget, and decided to chill out for a while. Then we decided to go swimming in the indoor pool there.

     But hold on a minute! Here comes another bad beat! Less than 10 minutes after we got into the hot tub, everybody was ordered out of the pool area. It seemed that some woman who looked like an I.V. drug user had gotten into the pool, and she had open sores, with one of them bleeding. Argh!

     We'd just found out about a relatively new casino in Sparks, located east of the Nugget (which technically is also located in Sparks). The new casino is the Legends Bay casino, and it is in the middle of a mall, which interested Mrs. MusicalDice, since she wanted to do some shopping.

     While Mrs. MusicalDice went to check out the shops, I played craps at a craps table. This was a $5 table--an endangered species these days! I was the shooter, and I shot from Right End, using the Yo-Yo dice set. This time, I played it slow, but had a real good roll, rolling 23 times, and getting all the Place bets parlayed up to quarter levels. I even was able to get 6 up to $90, and it hit once, and I was able to yell "Bull-llackout!" once before I crapped out. I did make $171, but I felt I should have made more. I was pressing pretty aggressively, hoping to really take advantage of a Twin Towers strategy, where I press 6 and 8 with proceeds from hits on 4,5,9,and 10, so that when 6 and 8 hit, those would be real money-makers. But $171 was not a bad win. In fact, the roll also made my Best Craps Shoots Hall Of Fame page. I didn't play anything else, determined not to spoil this win.

     But for Mrs. MusicalDice, there was another bad beat, for most of the shops were closing, and it wasn't even 7:00 in the evening yet! We were hoping to at least find a good place to eat dinner. We'd have to go somewhere else for that.

     We then went to Grand Sierra, which technically is also in Sparks. We tried to get something to eat at the fancy Mexican restaurant, but the host there said there was at least a 45-minute wait, even though there were some vacant tables. The host tried to explain to my wife that there were some large parties coming in, who already had reservations, but to say the least, Mrs. MusicalDice was not having it. Another bad beat, huh?

     At least, the gambling started off good. I then got into a blackjack game, and quickly won $120. Then we ate dinner at a bar, where they also had trivia night. That was fun for both of us. I even got some trivia questions right, none of which were music related--who would have thought that? Then, it was on to poker. My plan was to have a nice easy poker session, and maybe play craps afterwards. But a number of bad beats later, and I was struggling to try to get my money back at the poker table. I did bust two players with Pocket Kings, but it wasn't enough to get my money back. After 5 hours at the table, I left $400 down, and a net session loss of $280. I don't even want to THINK about how far behind I am on this trip!

     We got off to a very late start to this day, given the late-nighter I had at the poker table. We decided to go first to the Peppermill, because one of my favorite poker vloggers usually is there mid-day, on a Thursday, and I thought I'd try to meet him again.

     And indeed, Ben Deach was there in the poker room, and boy was he in character today. He was a great person to talk to. One of the other poker players even told him about the lucky two-outer I'd hit at that table two days earlier. I made sure to give Ben one of my cards, and he liked the design. But there wasn't an open seat at any of the tables, and I wasn't feeling it unless I could sit next to the dealer, making it easier for him to read the cards on the board to me. Well, at least I can say that I got to talk with Ben Deach again, and at least I can say I only lost $134 total playing poker on this trip. And at least I can say that I am still ahead for the year, regarding playing poker ($572).

     Instead, I went to play craps. Unfortunately, my shooting was sh!t today. I kept crapping out early, even though I was standing at the end, where I seemed to have the most success on this trip. Toward the end, I decided to try Crappy the Craps Man's Cold Table strategy, starting off with the Don't Pass bet. The twist I put into it, was if a 7 or 11 came on the come-out and my Don't Pass would lose, I would switch to the Pass line. That worked out at first, but in the end, I ended up $439 down.

     From there, we went to the J Resort, formerly know as Sands Regency. We had a nice late lunch/early dinner there in a restaurant that used to be Mel's Diner. The food and the service was great.

     There wasn't a craps table open this day at this casino, so I played blackjack instead, barely getting my money back after a long struggle. I ended up $12.50 ahead. At least I could say that I had A win today, huh?

     The weather was relatively nice here in Reno for the first three days. This day, it was hot. Our initial plan was to do the river walk in downtown Reno. But it was still hot when we left the J Resort, so we decided to go to Cal Neva instead.

     I played craps first, and I discovered that whatever magic I had in earlier shoots, appeared to have been gone, for once again, I couldn't do sh!t. I quickly lost $363.

     I did win $27 of it back at the blackjack table, for a session loss of $336. My patience by this time had really worn thin. Worse yet, Mrs. MusicalDice had a drink or two, and since it was still hot when we left Cal Neva, we decided against the river walk, and decided to retuen to the Nugget instead.

     My initial plan, once we got back to the Nugget, was to play blackjack first, and then some craps, if I did all right. However, I ran into the worst set of cards, and I really was in a bad mood, when the dealer kept making winning hands. Ultimately, i had the worst session of the whole trip, losing $975, and it was at that point that I declared myself all gambled out.

     As far as gambling goes, this was easily the worst trip I had in 9 years. I ended up with a net loss of $3836. OUCH!!!! But as Mrs. MusicalDice told me, at least I can say that I'm going home with SOME gambling money, and that I'm not like some of these fools who leave with absolutely nothing. I have two cardinal rules when it comes to gambling: (1) Never gamble with what you can't afford to lose, and (2) Always come home with something. I still don't like losing, and especially to this magnitude, but at least I can say that I'm not broke.

     That's because I didn't play at all. Time for me to just head back home to Houston and re-group. Next gambling trip's not going to be until late July. Hopefully, I'll do better then, and hopefully, I'll end up ahead. That's all for now! ☺