Are my 7 outs unusual?

Dear Frank:

Why don't you address the following:

1. Majority of my "7 Outs" are 6/1 or 5/2 combinations with a rare 4/3. I've noticed these outcomes over several years of playing craps. I've become highly sensitive to these unusual results.

2. Finally, on my last visit to the Borgata of Atlantic City I kept track of the numbers. After 210 rolls ending in a "7 Out," 175 were a 5-2 combination, 26 were a 6-1 combination, and only 9 were a 4-3 combination.

3. What is also unusual is that often times just before a 7 Out, you will see a heavy incidence of craps with 1-1, 1-2, 6-6 combinations - - - all not involving the 4 & 3.

Any thoughts?

Mr. N

Dear Mr. N:

If you are not a controlled shooter using the Hardway set (all hardways around the faces of the dice with the six-spot and one-spot on the sides), there is no way for me to tell if what you are experiencing is some kind of pattern based on your skill at a given table or just a random fluctuation.

Believe it or not a run of 210 rolls of seven-outs is not that significant when it comes to a random game, nor is your noticing such craps numbers appearing before most of these seven-outs significant - randomness can be quite pattern-filled yet not predictable. Maybe the next 210 seven-outs will be different.

However, if you are a controlled shooter using the Hardway set then every time you see a 1:1 or a 6:6, your dice have flipped over to one side or the other. Every time you see a 6:1 or 1:6, both dice have probably flipped in opposite directions. Those 5:2 and 4:3 or 2:5 and 3:4 seven-outs, while disheartening, mean that you dice are on axis but that you are double-pitching - meaning one die is turning twice in relation to the other die bringing up the 7. Your double-pitch is resulting in a 5:2 or 2:5 respectively.

If you are a controlled shooter, the first thing to look at is the placement of your fingers on the grip - chances are they are not even across but one is slightly lower than the rest. That means either your ring finger (most likely) or your pointer. You can fix your double pitching by getting those fingers straight. Although many dice adviocates would have you mesing around with changing your set the real culprit in most on axis seven outs is usually the grip.

There is a wonderful device called the "Gripper" that can be bought at http://www.goldentouchcraps.com/dice.shtml. This ingenius device teaches you how to have a perfect grip and is recommended for some who is constantly double pitching.

I am giving you a free month on my private web site at www.goldentouchcraps.com for your question. There are over 5,000 members and I think you will enjoy the lively conversations.

All the best in and out of the casinos!

Frank Scoblete