Dice influencing... many a player has taken up the hobby but few really grasp the depth of what all is involved to be successful. There are a few reasons for this.  
 
1. It takes a lot of practice and real practice can get boring real fast.  
 
2. Dice tossing is like golf or a similar sport involving hand I coordination. If you learn it wrong, you will do it wrong.  
 
3. Very few dice setters know how to critique their own toss, let alone make the necessary adjustments for improvement during a live game.  
 
4. Most dice setters put too much importance on their own ability and disregard other players. (As you noted with "Randies" and hot hands)  
 
5. The longest rolls that I have witnessed were from random rollers. Dice is a random game.  
 
6. Dice setters tend to measure success by the clock rather than by results. This is to say that the number of times the paying numbers roll and especially repeating points is directly proportional to profit. It is not the length of time from come out to seven out. The speed in which a game is played varies from situation to situation.  
 
7. I have heard too many stories like, I held the dice for twenty minutes! Nice, but you know what, in those twenty minutes, the number of rolls may have been 15 times. If you figure in a few crap rolls, the come out rolls, and the ending seven, you have a hand with maybe ten or eleven paying rolls. That could be okay, depending on the numbers rolled and wagers made, but no monster by any means.  
 
8. If points are not rolled during a hand, the seven is always live. It is important to have the come out roll every 6-8 rolls. It works to the players' advantage having the safety of a seven, on the come out during a hand. Think about this before discounting the statement.  
When you think about a dice influencer's mission in the game, it has to involve controlling the game as much as possible. Being able to avoid the seven when it is deadly and influence its appearance on the come out rolls, in effect, you are altering the odds but at the same time keeping the dice in probability with the sevens showing up when they are welcome. Make a note the next time you see a long hand, notice if the come out rolls had sevens. Then look at the sevens to roll ratio.  
 
My last time out, my dice were perfect. My results were point and out or 5 rolls and done. In truth, I knew I was not aligned to play. I did not "feel it" but after driving an hour and a half to the casino, I played any way. As a result, I received confirmation for what I already knew. So, I stopped shooting and switched to the don't to win back my losses. There will be times when your dice look good but the results are ugly. Then there is the flip side to this, ugly dice but great results. Probably a reason why it's called a crap shoot.  
 
The secret to tossing good dice has to do with consistency. If you study your shooters and you should, you will notice long rolls, even by random players, usually happen when the shooter does the same thing with every single roll. Yeah, even random rollers will hit a groove, like a train on a track, just like we do when we are "switched on" with our sets. If you watch closely when the shooter finally sevens out, it is usually because they changed something with their toss.  
 
Frank, I know what you are saying. What you are looking for is to develop your own consistency with better results. Relax a little, draw it to you, don't chase it and it will come. Practice and learn to scrutinize your toss. Remember the best practice takes place in a live game when it is for real. Homework is necessary and that goes without saying. Keep it up. Home practice is where you perfect your grip, pick-up, and learn how to lock in the range. Home practice provides you with the talent to adjust to any table position and any table conditions. Consistency and adaptation is the true mark of a dice shooter who can influence the outcome.  
 
Cheers! The Professor  
See you at the tables,  
Michael Vernon  
www.playing4keeps.com  
 
 
 

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