Bad dice throwers, chop their hands off!!!

The key is the dice ricochet against no fewer than 2-3 ledges before they fall to the drop. That way you can no longer cheat as you do.

I worked for a couple years as a professional dice dealer at a casino. I’ve also done some research into “dice setting”, and seen it attempted on a daily basis when I was employed as a craps dealer. I would consider myself to be an authority on the subject.

First, it is possible to influence the outcome of a dice throw. Research “dice setting” if you want to know more about it. Second, there is a difference intentionally influencing the roll, and unintentionally influencing the roll. One amounts to cheating, the other amounts to bad form from someone who is probably oblivious to what he is doing. I think this point is crucial; a person with bad form and a not-very-random roll is most likely NOT intentionally cheating. Also, it’s entirely possible that a guy is influencing the roll, but in a counterproductive manner.

If you want to keep your rolls random, the best way to do this is to know how to influence the roll. Knowing how to influence the roll will let you know what not to do. Knowledge is power!

Here is a quick and dirty tutorial on how to influence the roll:

If you drop the die and it barely rolls or tumbles, you could also possibly influence the roll, the ways to influence the roll are many and varied. Imagine if you attempt to roll the die in a manner where it spins on an axis. Imagine taking a die, and drawing an imaginary axis through the 3 and 4 (which are always on opposing sides). Now imagine throwing the die in a way where it spins on this axis, while the axis always remains parallel to the horizon. If you do this perfectly, the only possible outcomes are {1, 2, 5, 6}. In Axis and Allies terms, this means your defending infantry (2s) will hit 50% of the time. Also note, if you pick up the die with the “1” facing up, and spin it in a manner where the axis of rotation severs the 2 and 5, your 2s will hit with only 25% effectiveness! Noteworthy is the fact it’s impossible to improve the odds of a 3 hitting using this method.

This would be a good time to point out that if you simply put the dice in your hands, cup them, and give them a shake, that’s plenty good. If you use a cup or dice tower, that’s plenty fine as well, but for me, I think that’s a bit of overkill. However, if you have a cup and don’t mind using one, or have a fancy dice tower, rock on, more power to you.

Personally, I like scooping up the dice, and throw them at the corner of the box. I recon that’s about as good as you can get without a separate device. No matter your preferred method, as long as you throw the dice, and they land with any degree of force, and you are not trying to rotate them in a specific, pre-examined manner, your roll is probably “sufficiently random”.

@Imperious:

If you roll in the box your all cheaters.

See, now you are making me paranoid.

I have a rep for having dice go my way in board games but I don’t do anything like what is described here (or at CaspSub).  I typically select dice base on which ones I can reach, maybe attempting to get ones that “feel like the right color” and occasionally insisting that the other guy give me the dice he is hoarding just to “break his luck”.

I’ll cup the dice in both my hands (think making a snowball) and rattle them around a bit, then rub them back and forth to “heat them up” all the while talking trash about how my five infantry are going to all roll 1’s on this attack.  Then I toss them into the box lid with enough force to make sure they scatter to all corners of the box.  Then I look at the five 1’s I rolled and declare myself to be able to control the dice through mental powers alone.  That claim comes in handy when I tell the other player he is gonna roll all 4s with his defending tanks.  He rolls the dice and I laugh insanely at the four 4s and one 6.  He cries as my five infantry kill his five tanks with out a loss.

I don’t see that I’m doing any cheating with the dice.  Maybe it is all in the presentation…

:evil:

I made a Dice tower.  Probably after reading about yours Craig.  It was a couple years ago.  The main reason I did it was to conserve space on the table.  The biggest problem was that a couple of the guys used it and got bad dice, then refused to use it anymore.  No amount of logic can defeat the “it’s bad luck” argument.  I will probably build another eventually so I can have one at either end of the table.

MightyAirforce:

That was a great first post. Welcome to the forum. Im taking your ideas to Vegas next time i go.

@Imperious:

MightyAirforce:

That was a great first post. Welcome to the forum. Im taking your ideas to Vegas next time i go.

Trying this at a crap table will cause loss of fingers…

One thing that should be followed:

All the dice should be rolled together… rolling 2 dice has a much different result than rolling one at a time.

white: ones

Red: twos

Black: threes

Blue or Green : fours

Note: blue can also be air units.

@Craig:

Larger width or longer tray? :?

Knowing you it’s both! :roll:

Craig

Yoper, this is quite elaborate, but gives you an idea of the base I was thinking of…

http://www.io.com/~beckerdo/games/articles/DiceTower/RalphHendrix640.jpg

Squirecam

holy crap, now that’s what I’m talking about!

Another tower set, not as good looking, but with a large base.

http://www.geocities.com/crosstowngames/photogallery.html

for sale here…

http://www.vixentorgames.com/deluxe.htm

@Craig:

Interesting.

All flash and not much substance. :lol:

It looks like they are using 1/4" thick plywood and then everything is just glued together.  Maybe some small brads or finishing nails.

Also, if you like collapsible towers, fine.  But if you are throwing a lot of dice like you will be in A&A, then I like mine better since they are permanently affixed into the ready position.Â

Plus, mine are 1/2" thick pine board throughout.  I use dowels (with glue) to attached the different pieces to each other so as to retain an all wood appearance.

My are heavier, but I prefer it that way.  If you accidentally knock mine off the table, you will probably do more damage to the floor than you will to the tower.  If you knock their tower off the table, well…you can always use it for kindling.   :-D

To each his own.

Craig

And you deliver them personally.  :)

Squirecam

is that your picture criag?

as a sleepy and often tired person, i’d say you look tired as well.  :lol:

i think thats a healthy tan  :wink:

or maybe i’m just crazy.  but if not, cool.

Come on dont you think thats a bit much?  Craig is a great contributor to AA community.

@Craig:

@Baghdaddy:

…then rub them back and forth to “heat them up” all the while talking trash about how my five infantry are going to all roll 1’s on this attack.Â

As long as you aren’t specifically rubbing the “1” side only.Â

The term “Blanket Roll” is used to describe a roll in which the dice are vigorously rubbed on a specific side to induce a static charge on that side.  It helps that side of the die to push away from the rolling surface and hopefully end up on the top or showing.

It sounds as if that is not what you are doing.

Maybe you should just back off on the antics and only enjoy your dice dominance occasionally.

Craig

I doubt I could be consistant at just heating up one side of the die.  Even if I could I would probably end up heating the “6” side….

As for backing off the antics, no way!!!  Dice are random but convincing the other player they are rolling in my favor is worth an army or two in any territory he is contemplating attacking.  PSYOPS rule!!!

@General_D.Fox:

…"hey, you big stinking cheater, learn to throw the dice against the side of the box or I’ll break your damn fingers, you friggin’ cheater!"Â

That sounds appropriate to me!  :evil:

Whoever you’re playing, their momma didn’t raise them right. Throwing dice is not part of the skill of the game, it’s “cheating”.

If you don’t want to offend them, I’d just get a dice tower and insist they use it. You only bought it cuz you think it’s neat (or better yet, it was a gift from your girlfriend or mom or whatever) and you don’t want to have wasted your money.

Once they get a taste of the excitement of not knowing what the dice will be, they may realize the game is more fun that way.