Dear Mark,
Are the dice placed on the crap game ever inspected
for imperfections so the same number won’t repeat
itself? Steve B.
Because I can predict
with 100% certainty that every casino has at least
one lazy pit boss—I was one—you can be assured
that the dice placed on the game are near perfect.
The perks for this idle behavior? Going up to the
boss’s office and inspecting dice. This meant
feet on the head honcho’s desk, Oprah on the
tube and talking on the phonelong distance to friends
and family because I knew the secret dial code. Oh,
and inspecting dice with a micrometer to make sure
our
dice
were produced to a tolerance level of .0005 of an
inch.
But we were the second line of defense. Dice makers
who cut this poly-sorbate plastic in lots of five
or six deal in tolerances of .0002, with imperfections
discarded, making the random nature of a dice throw
a certainty.
By the way, Steve, no not you, Steve, my former
boss Steve. You never asked, but those long distance
calls to Michigan were probably mine.
Dear Mark,
How does a pitboss on a crap game identify loaded
dice? Donald M.
Called the “Spin”
or “Pivot” test, a boxman on a crap
game will hold the dice loosely between his thumb
and forefinger at diagonally opposite corners
and gently spin the dice. A fair cube will spin
smoothly and its revolution will stop in a natural
way. A loaded die, because of the extra weight,
will pivot back in a distinguished manner at the
end of its rotation. At home, you can test for
loaded dice by filling a tall glass with water
and dropping the
cubes in gently. Repeat this action several times
Good
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