A Small Bite From Poisoned Apple Some of best hands I’ve EVER thrown have ended when I had just a small lapse in judgment or discipline. For instance, in one case I’d had dice for a little more than 15 minutes. For previous 24 rolls, I had remained calm and focused. I hadn’t interacted unnecessarily with staff or other players and was in a perfect state of relaxed concentration. The next roll I hit a two way hard ten that had been parlayed. Everyone cheered including dealers. I turned to stick, and said, “you should leave yourselves up on that hard ten, I’m going to throw it right back.” In other words, I took a bite of poisoned apple. The next roll? No, not another hard 10 but a seven out. You see, one of lessons I’ve learned from my past failures is to limit my interaction with everyone else at table while I’m throwing. In addition, I CALLED MY SHOT. In other words, I completely altered successful dynamic that I had established, and failure came shortly and even worse, it was self-inflicted.

As a precision shooter, you will be tempted by all sorts of poisoned fruit on your dice influencing journey. I guarantee that you will stop and take a bite from time to time. No matter how disciplined you are, you will have lapses in judgment. But, if you are able to learn from your previous failures, you will disregard poisoned fruit in your path more often.

As they say, those who choose to ignore history are doomed to repeat it. “Failing Better” doesn’t guarantee that you won’t repeat your previous failures, but by acknowledging and addressing your errors, you’ll put yourself in a better position to sidestep them in future.

~woof~

Now we get to "A and E Special." It's my opinion that truth lies somewhere between what was broadcast by A and E, what has been written on various web sites, and what is written in this book about special. What Scoblete wants you to believe is that A and E decided not to broadcast footage of all winning sessions that actually occurred. This despite fact that A and E special was basically a feel-good piece. The funny thing about A and E special is that dicecoach, who was main focus, invited Frank Scoblete to join him. (Scoblete then invited several other folks. What a guy!) Remember how they'd become "friends" during their marathon craps shoot several months earlier? It seems that 'ole Scoblete is beginning to have a change of heart again. You see, Scoblete in A and E chapter elaborates these wonderful stories about GTC folks involved, but basically trashes everyone else who is not involved with GTC like dicecoach, Soft Touch, and Hardways.

Blah, blah, blah. A couple more chapters not even worth mentioning.

Ah...finally we're heading to conclusion of book. Scoblete closes book with his Las Vegas Diary. This portion of book was published on his site several months back, so I was familiar with this part already. I'll give you long and short of his 15 day diary here. Frank wins. Frank says wonderful things about various GTC folks he plays with. Frank says nasty things about various other people he comes across. They lament that Treasure Island isn't as friendly as it used to be. Boo-hoo-hoo. Frank and his playing partners lose, but miraculously have a comeback! Heard this before? What is really interesting about diary is how Scoblete trashes dicecoach, again. Remember, in opening of book, Frank and Beau are "newfound friends." Now, just a year later, here are just a few things that Scoblete now has to say about dicecoach. When asked if Frank knew dicecoach, he replied,

"No, no" and "I barely know him."

Apparently he doesn't even have cojones to refer to Beau by his name or his moniker at this point. Throughout diary he refers to him now as "Crapsguy" and basically lays blame on Beau for whatever heat they experience in casino. Frank writes,

"Some GTC members had a theory that Crapsguy, freelance dice-control instructor, had been too public, aggressive and up-front at tables about what he was doing..."

This coming from Scoblete is a hoot! He goes on to say,

"even when GTC did our course at Sam's Town in Tunica we were laid back at tables and never talked about dice control or handed our business cards across table to drum up new business as Crapsguy is wont to do."

Again, from Scoblete's pen, this is a riot. I mean, he's holding a seminar in a casino for Pete's sake and he complaining about dicecoach handing out his business card? Besides, just a few pages earlier in book, Scoblete had elaborated following story which occurred at Green Valley Ranch crap tables.

"..a dealer at Sunset Station, who likes to play at Green Valley Ranch, complimented me on my style. I gave him one of our Craps Club Black Chips with our phone number, and whispered to him if he was interested in learning how to roll like that give us a call."

So, Frank will deride you for behavior that he himself exhibits. Hmmm. What's that saying? Oh yeah. Pot - Kettle - Black.

I wonder how Beau dicecoach would have been portrayed in The Craps Underground had he accepted GTC's invitation to join their organization. You think perhaps THAT had something to do with Frank's change of heart, from "friend" to "the Crapsguy?"

Basically, book in a nutshell is this. 70% of book is an infomercial for GTC. 20% of book is various trip reports. Don't worry. The few sessions which aren't profitable for Scoblete? Just read on, a miraculous comeback is in store. The final 10% of book is subtle trashing of anyone who is not involved with GTC or a member of GTC flock.

If you read jacket cover of book, and anything else Scoblete writes for that matter, it says,

"Frank Scoblete is number-one best-selling gaming author in America.."

If that's true, and people really do think Scoblete has something to say, well, then, my mother was right when she said,

"Never underestimate power of stupid people in large groups."