Musical Dice -- My Craps Blog

     My wife and I had booked this trip prior to these treatments that had kept me sidelined for the past six weeks. I am glad to be back in action again. Hopefully, this comeback of sorts will be a success.

     Despite the trip to Biloxi MS, and the check-in to the Beau Rivage casino having gone relatively smooth, I still felt mentally and physically exhausted. when me and Mrs. MusicalDice got into the room. In fact, neither of us felt like doing anything prior to our 6:00 dinner reservation at Morton's Steakhouse (in the Golden Nugget casino). That is unusual, since I usually play once before dinner.

     After a very delicious dinner at Morton's, I played blackjack, still at Golden Nugget. As I tend to do lately with the first session of the trip, I made sure it was a nice easy session, which in this case turned out to be a $125 win. From there, I tried to get onto the craps table, but it was pretty full, so I decided to go back to Beau Rivage, locking up the win.

     After returning to Beau Rivage, it really hit me how tired I was (an adult beverage at Morton's helped as well). I thought I'd be able to play later after taking a rest. But once my head hit that pillow, that was all she wrote for the day. I guess today was only meant to re-charge my battery. There'll be much more tomorrow. I promise.

     Anyone who knows the way I gamble, knows that I am basically a hit-and-run gambler. Apparently this was really on display this day.

     After breakfast at the Palace casino, I played craps first. This was a $10 table, with only one side open, and there was already a shooter standing at the the right end. I entered the game after the shooter made a point. Unfortunately, he crapped out shortly thereafter. Then it was my turn to shoot, from Stick Right 1, my least favorite position at the craps table. I set the dice to the Hardway dice set, shooting the dice somewhat harder than normal. Surprisinly, this seemed to work, for I ended up shooting 20 times, enough to make my Best Craps Shoots Hall Of Fame page. I ended up $92 ahead at the table, leaving as soon as I crapped out.

     I then played blackjack, and got behind at first, then battled back to finish $25 ahead after getting my money back. Again, hit-and-run, but that's how I ended up $117 ahead for this session.

     Just before lunch, I played craps back at Beau Rivage. There, there was this shooter who did reasonably well, winning me $58, with me basically only playing 6 and 8 on the Place bets. I left just after he crapped out. I felt people giving me dirty looks as I colored up and leaving the table.

     I then played blackjack, and once again fell behind. The battle back wasn't as long as it was at Palace. I felt it was right to leave ahead before the table could turn south again, and I felt it was about to do so. I left the table $75 ahead, amidst the dealer giving me crap for leaving the table with only one round left in the show. Once again, hit-and-run, yes, but hey, I won $133 for the session. Plus, I was focused on getting lunch.

     We had a very delicious lunch at Woody's. My cajun burger was top-notch. We returned to Beau Rivage, and our initial plan was to go swimming, but then the clouds started rolling in, and we scrapped that idea, and decided to chill out. Maybe I'm still recovering from my treatments, for I didn't have the energy to play as much as I thought I would.

     I had one more gambling session this day. This was a poker session, playing 1/3 No-Limit Hold 'Em, still at Beau Rivage. I fell behind, and I certainly didn't intend for this session to be a long session either, but I was determined to try to get my money back. After about 4 hours, I finally got a big double-up to get my money back. I left the table 5-10 minutes later, during which I won another hand. When I announced I was leaving the table, one or two of the other players were giving me crap for hitting and running. Hey, I wsd there for 4 hours, and usually sessions that last that long for me, usually end up being losers. But I didn't care what they said. I was exhausted, and besides that, I won $308 at that table, for a total day win of $558. I'm currently ahead $683 for the whole trip thus far. Will this continue tomorrow? Stay tuned!

     This day, the gambling didn't start until the afternoon, after w wonderful lunch at Shaggy's. Unfortunatelyy, the gambling at the following casino wasn't so wonderful. At the I.P. casino, I first played craps, and virtually nothing was going right, no matter what strategy I did. I left the table $312 down.

     From there, I played blackjack, usyally the game I win the most at. But the blackjack was even worse. I eventually left the table $350 down. A total session loss of $662. As of the end of this session, I was still up for the trip, albeit $21.

     After returning to Beau Rivage, we decided to go swimming. For me, especially, this was just what I needed. For the pool and especially the hot tub were both vert relaxing, and just what I needed to take my mind off what happened earlier in the afternoon at the I.P. casino. A nice relaxing dinner followed at one of the restaurants still at Beau Rivage.

     I was tempted to just declare myself all gambled out at this point, but I felt I needed at least one more session that had some craps in it. So after dinner, I played at the craps table, still at the Beau. It ws a very quick session, winning $46 off someone else's shoot, playing conservatively (6 and 8 only), however. I needed to feel like a winner again at the craps table, which was the main reason for this.

     From there, I played blackjack, where I was even less willing to risk losing a lot. It was a battle to get my money back, which I did, plus $25. If I was to declare myself all gambled out here, I would have more than quadrupled my profits!

     But no, I just had to play poker again. As was the case the previous night, this turned into a longer than expected session, during which I fell behind. For the first 2½ hours, I hardly picked up anything worth playing. It was only in the last 45 minutes that I started getting some decent hands and winning some decent pots. The coupe de grace came when I cracked pocked kings with Ace-King, courtesy of an ace coming out on the flop. I left soon afterwards, after 3¼ hours, and a win of $249. A total casino win of $320, and a total day loss of $342. Still, as I now declared myself all gambled out, I ended up $341 ahead for the whole trip. Multiplied my profit margin over 16 times from where I was after I'd finished at I.P. Not bad at all.

     Of course, for this trip, the big winner in all this was poker. I won a total of $557. I was ahead on craps and blackjack until what happened at the I.P. I ended up with a net loss of $116 playing craps. For blackjack, I ended up down $100 for the trip. Not overly bad. If it weren't for my playing poker, I would definitely have been down for the trip. Go figure. In fact, I've now had five poker wins in a row, which I hadn't done in years.

     So what's next, now that I'm back in circulation? My wife and were already planning to go back to Biloxi toward the end of the month. Well, earlier today, not long after returning back home to Houston, we also decided to head out to Lake Charles for a two-day trip, starting 10 days from now. Stay tuned for all this! And I definitely think there'll be more gambling than there was on this trip. Remember, this trip was just post-treatments, and I was still recuperating from all that. Hopefully, these trips coming up will be winners as well. That's all for now! ☺

     Since our last trip to Lake Charles nearly three months ago, some things have changed. For one thing, our usual driver has retired, and we once have a bus that has a toilet (unlike our last two trips to Lake Charles). There are other changes as well. but I'll mention yjese as I present to you the results of this trip.

     After a couple of hours in our room at Golden Nugget, we decided to play. I played blackjack with the intent of playing craps afterwards. However, it was such a battle getting my money back that I was at that table for two hours before I finally succeeded. I left just $20 ahead (and this only because I got to spin the wheel 3 times after getting a blackjack--the last of those winnings brought me over, and that's when I left). My wife and I just had enough time to get over to L'Auberge to make our dinner reservation at Ember Steakhouse.

     After a great dinner at Ember Steakhouse, I decided to play craps, still at L'Auberge. I fell behind at first, but got it back on another shooter. I left the table $37 ahead. Enough to say I got my feet wet. Total win for the day: $57.

     The initial plan from there was to watch the musical game show Beat Shazam. and then spend an hour by the pool or in the hot tub, until closing time. Unfortunately, one of the changes at Golden Nugget, is that the pool and the hot tub closes a 9:00, not 10:00. Damn. I remember when the hot tub used to stay open until 2 a.m. Then they changed it to midnight, then midnight, then 10pm, and apparently now, just 9 pm. Obviously, the pool idea was scrapped.

     As you'll soon see, the title for this day has more than one meaning.

     Before I did any gambling, Mrs. MusicalDice and I had breakfast at Claim Jumper, like we usually do when we stay at Golden Nugget. But today, the food was horrible. Even when I asked the people to warm up my sausage links, when I ate them, something wasn't setting well with my stomach, for I could feel it closing up, when I ate the other stuff.

     After breakfast, I played craps, still at Golden Nugget. There, I fell behind at first, then got my money on my shoot, shooting from Stick Right 1, using the Hardway dice set. I shot 13 times, enough to win $64.

     I might have stayed longer, but after that craps session was over, I had to beeline it to the restroom (the after-effects of that lousy breakfast).

     Later in the day, I played at L'Auberge, and boy was I in for a battle, both at the blackjack table, and at the craps table. First of all, at the blackjack table, I got off to a very rocky start, having to buy in for an additional $500, before getting my money back. On the last round, I got blackjacks on both hands, putting me ahead $75, and that's when I left the table.

     I then played craps, and also got into enough trouble to necessitate a Round 2 buy-in at this table too. A strategy that I'd been hesitant to use at the casinos, and also hesitant to publish, I used to get my money back, is what I used here. I'm going to call it my Hesitation Regression strategy (look for a new article on my website in the near future on this subject). L was able to do the regression, and barely get my money back. A few rolls later, the shooter crapped out. I won $86 at the craps table for a total session win of $161. At this point, I was ahead $282 for the trip.

     Nrs. MusicalDice and I then had a late lunch at Olive Garden, which is off-property. We'd eaten there many times before, so this should have been no big deal, right? I had my usual, which was fettucini alfredo with a side order of Italian sausage. Well, as I was eatinng my meal, and especially the Italian sausage, once again, I could feel my stomach closing up. I only ate half of one of the two sausage links, for I felt my stomach almost literally telling me, "If you send an more of that my way, I'm gonna throw it up!" Nt wife told me that her spaghetti and meatballs were cold. Another very disappointing meal. First Claim Jumper, and now Olive Garden? What the hell has happened here in Lake Charles these past three months??

     From there, we took an Uber out to the Horseshoe casino. As we were getting close to the casino, I found myself yawning a lot. A lack of energy, perhaps? But I didn't want to turn around and head back to Golden Nugget, since we were already so close to the Horseshoe, but clearly, a better play here was to do exactly that.

     I played craps, the only game there worth playing at the Horseshoe (they had already taken out the poker room, and the only blackjack tables that pay 3 to 2 for a blackjak, were $50+ tables, and if I wanted to play two hands, I'd have to do it for $100 each--not my cup of tea). But the dice were ice cold, and NOTHING I tried was working. My shooting was crap too, and I left the table $584 down. Just like that, I went from being $282 up for the trip to being $302 down for the trip. ARGH!!

     As Mrs. MusiclDice and I were leaving the Horseshoe, it occurred to me that this place has really changed too. For this casino was the very first casino I went to in Lake Charles (back when it was called Isle Of Capri). In fact, for a long long time, my biggest win in Lake Charles came from this casino, dating back to that first time back in 2013 (just 10 days before I met my wife, in fact). Back then, I could play craps, blackjack, and poker there. Then it started going downhill, and it was destroyed by Hurricane Laura several years ago. Caesar's Entertainment eventually bought the property, and renamed it the Horseshoe. But now, it too is going downhill. What the hell has happened to Lake Charles??

     The initial plan was to play at the Horseshoe, and from there, go swimming back at Golden Nugget. When we got back to Golden Nugget, we both decided that going swimming at that point and time was out of the question. For it was a very hot day in Lake Charles (it had gotten up to 98° here, in fact), and Mrs. MusicalDice wasn't about to risk getting another heatstroke, like she had in Vegas several years ago. And I was feeling wiped out anyway. So we went back to our room at Golden Nugget, where I promptly crashed. We figured that we'd go swimming once the sun went down. But when that happened, I was still knocked out. Just as well, for it still was very hot.

     The day wasn't over yet for me, when it came down to gambling. However, it wasn't until after 10:00 at night when my wife and I went downstairs to gamble.

     I first played craps, with me initially standing at Stick Right 1. This ended up being a major struggle, for despite earlier good rolls from this position, it wasn't happening here. Plus nobody else was shooting good. I had to buy in for an additional $500. Eventually, the player at Stick Left 1, left the table, and I switched to that position. There, I had a good roll, rolling 17 times, using my Hardway dice set. When I crapped out, I was still down, but I was much further down before that roll. But what really killed it was the fact that after my shoot, theu were shutting down that table!! So I left that table $334 down.

     From there, I went to the poker room. By the time I got there, it was after midnight, and there was only one table open, and it wasn't even a full table. In fact, the pit boss said that the table might be breaking up soon. Well, I was there for about an hour, during which I won three hands. On the last of those hands. I held ace-king. The person in front of me had raised pre-flop to $24, a pretty big raise, given that this was only a 1/3 No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em game. I figured that the guy had a good hand, but was a very vulnerable one. So I re-raised to $72 to isolate him. That didn't quite work, for a third guy, went all-in for about $260, and then the initial raiser went all-in for aboyt $430. I am really thinking to myself "What the hell is going ON here??" At this point, I had resigned myself to being down for this trip, and since I had a very decent hand, and I had them both covered, I slapped my hand down on the table, and called. I was greatly relieved when the flop came out, and one of those first three cards was an ace. My top pair held up, and I busted both my opponents! I then yelled out "BOOYAH!!" for that was a huge burden that was just lifted off my shoulders. The table broke up shortly thereafter. Closing time here too, apparently. Turns out, I had won $691 at that table, turning a losing casino session into a winning one, winning $357 for the casino session. Not only that, the win was enough to get me back into the black for the whole trip! At that point, I was up $55 for the trip. In fact, for the whole day, I had a net loss of only $2. What a way to close out the day, given what happened earlier!

     For this final day, I had one simple goal, and that was to get my profit margin back to where it ws before I lost at the Horseshoe. Would I achieve that goal?

     After a nice easy simple breakfast at Starbuck's (at Golden Nugget, across from Claim Jumper--f88k Claim Jumper!), I went into the gaming area to play. First, it was blackjack, where I won $27.50, after a battle to get the money back.

     From there, I went to the craps table, where I got to stand at my favorite position, Stick Left 1. But I crapped out early the first time I shot the dice, using the Hardway dice set, and I figured out why. Apparently, this table was bouncier than the one I played at last night. So I lowered my toss the next time I shot the dice, but not before I got into some trouble. By the time I got the dice again, I had to buy in for a total of $900. When I shot the dice again, I shot 15 times, enough to get a good portion of my money back, but not all of it. I accomplished that with the following shooter, a random shooter, who calls himself DJ. But surprisingly, DJ had a real good roll, enough for me to get my money back plus $102. When his roll ended, I made a point of saying "Hail to the DJ." A winning session of $129.50. Not a bad start to the day.

     After my wife and I checked out, we went to L'Auberge (where our bus would pick us up to take us home to Houston). I had one final gambling session at L'Auberge, and it was at the blackjack table. After some initial drama, the two-deck pitch ended with my being up $125. I decided that was enough for me to reach my goal. I won $254.50 for this day, and I ended up $309.50 ahead for the entire trip.

     I have one more gambling trip planned for this month, and that's another trip to Biloxi at the end of the month. Stay tuned for those results! ☺

     As promised in the report on the recent Lake Charles trip, I've published a new craps strategy, which I used in Lake Charles. It's called the Hesitation Regression Strategy. Check it out! ☺