Strategy Time - Grafstein's Pensioner's PLay
Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2020 1:51 pm
Time to talk about something "old school," and today I think it's going to be Sam Grafstein's "Pensioner's Play." The Pensioner's Play is essentially a grind strategy for old farts on a limited income to play while enjoying a few comped drinks, maybe scoring a comped lunch, and perhaps locking up a day's wagers in the process. And none of that "never drink while you're playing" stuff today. There's nothing wrong with an adult having an adult beverage as long as you don't drink to excess. By excess I mean drinking to the point that the alcohol clouds your judgement when it comes to your betting. Otherwise, enjoy that White Russian - or whatever your beverage of choice may be. Now on with the Pensioner's Play.
The play begins with you charting for a cold or trending cold table. Then you place ONE unit on the Don't Pass. Parlay come-out craps numbers. In the Heavy version we'll allow you to replace ONE Don't Pass knocked off by a natural. If you get knocked off of a second bet you wait for the next shooter. However, today we're playing the Grafstein version, so if you get knocked off by a Come Out seven or eleven you stop betting and wait for the next shooter.
Once you get a Don't Pass bet establish you follow it by a ONE unit bet on the Don't Come. That's the strategy in a nutshell.
This play has a strict money management limit of 18 units per session, so for a $10 game you'll have a $180 buy in and you start with 3 units in hand to potentially bet one unit at a time until you complete the 18 unit cycle.
Let's run through the rules again by the numbers.
1. Should the first roll be a 7/11 – stop and wait for the next shooter
2. Should a 2, or 3 rolled the win should be parlayed
3. Any box number establishes the DP wager and triggers a one unit DC bet
4. Your limit is ONE loss per shooter. Say after winning the DP & DC you receive 4 units total, then lock up the 1, and use the three for the next shooter.
5. After playing thru the 18 units, if you have a total greater than 18, start again with 18; otherwise find another table.
That's it. The Grafstein Pensioner's Play. It's as true of a Grind strategy as you'll find.
Now what are the Heavy mods?
The basic rules still apply. However, my initial Don't Pass wager would be one and a half units.
1. My initial Buy In and Total Risk would be $250.
2. On a $10 Table that would be $15. My DC bet that follows would then be $10, giving me a total off $25 in Don't action.
3. Instead of Parlaying on the 2 and 3 I could increase my bet by ONE unit to $20 on the Don't Pass and lock up $10.
4. As with Grafstein's move, should I win both my DP and DC bets ($25 total) I would lock up $25 and use the remaining $25 for my next bet.
5. After playing ten hands (all of my $25 units) if I have more than $250 I continue to play at that table. Otherwise I change tables or end the session and change casinos.
That's it. My changes are basically geared at getting more action on the table while hedging my Don't Come bet against a second roll seven to guarantee a small win at that point as opposed to a push.
Thoughts on this play? Would you make any "tweaks" to the Pensioner to improve it or make it your own without completely abandoning its basic principles? Let us know?
The play begins with you charting for a cold or trending cold table. Then you place ONE unit on the Don't Pass. Parlay come-out craps numbers. In the Heavy version we'll allow you to replace ONE Don't Pass knocked off by a natural. If you get knocked off of a second bet you wait for the next shooter. However, today we're playing the Grafstein version, so if you get knocked off by a Come Out seven or eleven you stop betting and wait for the next shooter.
Once you get a Don't Pass bet establish you follow it by a ONE unit bet on the Don't Come. That's the strategy in a nutshell.
This play has a strict money management limit of 18 units per session, so for a $10 game you'll have a $180 buy in and you start with 3 units in hand to potentially bet one unit at a time until you complete the 18 unit cycle.
Let's run through the rules again by the numbers.
1. Should the first roll be a 7/11 – stop and wait for the next shooter
2. Should a 2, or 3 rolled the win should be parlayed
3. Any box number establishes the DP wager and triggers a one unit DC bet
4. Your limit is ONE loss per shooter. Say after winning the DP & DC you receive 4 units total, then lock up the 1, and use the three for the next shooter.
5. After playing thru the 18 units, if you have a total greater than 18, start again with 18; otherwise find another table.
That's it. The Grafstein Pensioner's Play. It's as true of a Grind strategy as you'll find.
Now what are the Heavy mods?
The basic rules still apply. However, my initial Don't Pass wager would be one and a half units.
1. My initial Buy In and Total Risk would be $250.
2. On a $10 Table that would be $15. My DC bet that follows would then be $10, giving me a total off $25 in Don't action.
3. Instead of Parlaying on the 2 and 3 I could increase my bet by ONE unit to $20 on the Don't Pass and lock up $10.
4. As with Grafstein's move, should I win both my DP and DC bets ($25 total) I would lock up $25 and use the remaining $25 for my next bet.
5. After playing ten hands (all of my $25 units) if I have more than $250 I continue to play at that table. Otherwise I change tables or end the session and change casinos.
That's it. My changes are basically geared at getting more action on the table while hedging my Don't Come bet against a second roll seven to guarantee a small win at that point as opposed to a push.
Thoughts on this play? Would you make any "tweaks" to the Pensioner to improve it or make it your own without completely abandoning its basic principles? Let us know?