NEED Craps Stick Calls - - - - New Dealer

So I am a NEW craps dealer. I want some new stick calls that my co workers don't have. I dont want them to think I am copying or whatever. PLEASE HELP!!!!!! I got one today...... "Ten, Hard Ten, Girls Best Friend"..

THANKS for the help!

Stay with the tried and true stick calls,,, don't try to get cute yet. Its too early to be fancy. Just call everything correctly and in the correct sequence so your team mates can do their job in the right order.

You can get fancy later.

Most common standard calls (terse, and use very often to be concise and keep the game moving)
===================
two crap aces double
ace deuce, single
four easy, field roll
four hard four, field roll
five no field five
six easy, no field
six hard, no field
seven out
eight easy, no field 8
eight hard, no field
nine, center field
ten easy, field roll
ten hard, field roll
yo eleven, good field and come
twelve crap dice, triple

Hard six: Two treys, like me at the buffet (if you're a big guy especially works for a laugh), Average white guy
Hard ten: Sunflowers, puppy paws
Hard four: Deuce deuce. Twenty two!
Hard 8: The square pair.

To assist dealers who have not completed their jobs and think they have:
comes and don'ts travel
dc travels to the <announce number>
FIELD roll <roll>

On the comeout selling the prop bets:
<standard verbose not used often>: crap check, yo bet, whirl bet, hi's lo's and yo's, get 'em now while the dice are in the center
comin' out: crap eleven any seven
specific to player .. hold hand out "you want your yo/crap-check/horn/high-high-whatever"

When the same number hits three times in a row or more "don't bet the ____ it's a trap!"

When the same hard way comes back to back: "the parlay that got away!"

Selling (higher edge) place bets: when the point is 9, place the 5. When the point is 5 place the nine. You generally always sell the "place side" of the point especially when the player is focusing on the 6 and 8 and not getting place bets on the 4, 5, 9, and 10 for a $5 bet.

I'm sure others will have other stuff, and there are whole websites for this, but that should get you enough to get in trouble!

I called dice very straight up. Friendly, serious about the game, and focused on the game.

The standard calls are the calls to use, straight forward beats being slick.

the one you have come up with may be hard to beat. Only problem is you can't be sure there won't be a problem in mixed company. I'm wondering in particular if you work with women dealers. If so, it's probably doomed.

Quote: jtrier01

So I am a NEW craps dealer. I want some new stick calls ...

OK, here ...

dealer stick calls

The best one: "Two die outside! The OJ roll"

At Caesars this weekend I heard this one:

Ace-deuce, son of a yo.

I agree with odiousgambit.

Quote: Paigowdan

I called dice very straight up. Friendly, serious about the game, and focused on the game.
The standard calls are the calls to use, straight forward beats being slick.

Hear! Hear!

That is the way to do it. You are called "Stick" not "Comic". The dice call reports to the dealers what the roll was and instructs them what they should be doing in the order they should be doing it. It is a serious part of the game. It is not an opportunity to get creative and offend or confuse players or distract them. Do the calls, have your base men follow their instructions from the call in the sequence given and keep the game moving.

Its not sinful to be capable competent and focused. If you from time to time find it boring, so be it, but stay focused.

Yeah, some stick chick will occasionally have a patter about sucker bets, S & M bets, etc. but the stick call part of her job will still stay serious. Its not a time for horseplay or word play. Its a time for serious financial transactions in a defined sequence. Act it!

When the dealers have an eleven bet placed for them, the stickman could lead in prayer, "Our Father who art in Heaven, may this next roll please be Yo Eleven!"

Frankly, a new dealer should concentrate on being a good dealer before being an entertaining dealer.

And that applies no matter what game you're dealing.

One of my favorites is for a hard 4 - Little Joe from Kokomo!

Little Joe is the little brother of Big Dick (the hard 10, obviously).

Anying finding a stick call offensive has no business at a craps table.

ahhh: Anyone

In Reno I hear one dealer when ever there is a craps says something like "Heb dad" then calls the value of the craps.

("Heb dad." WTF)

i had a dealer once who called out the numbers as famous athletes jersey number. "Air Jordan. dice came 2-3" or "Pete Rose. dice came 1-4". some weren't as well known as others, but he named them all. and some he had multiples... like using Shaq for the 3-2, instead of 2-3. i can't imagine the time he spent memorizing them all.

Quote: Paigowdan

I called dice very straight up. Friendly, serious about the game, and focused on the game.

The standard calls are the calls to use, straight forward beats being slick.

AMEN !!! .... you are not a Dealertainer

the absolute worst call I hear too often from a Stick is Yo-Eleven during a non-Come-out roll .... which either tells me the Stick does not respect the game or is an aszhole .... the phrase Yo was developed why ? -- because of the universal belief that Eleven sounds too much like the dreaded 7 .... so why say it in conjunction with Yo during the middle of a roll ?!!!

Quote: Ahigh

When the same number hits three times in a row or more "don't bet the ____ it's a trap!"

That one will really get him in trouble if the shooter sevens out on the next roll. I can't tell you how many good rolls were killed by a dealer or floor guy's smart remark.

Also, one the always cracks me up is when the dealer says "see a yo, bag a hoe".

3 crap: acey deucy juicy Lucy. Swallows the come and spits it on the field.

I like to do that - last trip to New Orleans I had the whole table including the dealers calling for the ole Larry Bird (hard 6)!

Quote: GiorgioFromYuma

I can't tell you how many good rolls were killed by a dealer or floor guy's smart remark.

Quote: Beethoven9th

I can..........ZERO.

ALWAYS ONE HERETIC IN THE CROWD.

For a die in the rail,
"Die in the lumber, can't call a number"

For a die in the bank,
"Die in the rack, got to send em back"

For a die in the rail: "No good in the wood."

For a die in the bank: "No throw in the dough."

For a shot-taking shooter: "shooter's looking for a Nine, - and a date, here in Vegas..."

For a tapped out dice setter " This way to the Egress ".

***********

Let's get back to giving our dice dealing student here some real crap-dealing advice:

Keep the stick calls straight and straight-up,

learn the "math in your head" cold for prop bets,

practice your chip cutting and chip handling,

learn to deal with brutal floor supervisors and nasty players in a very rough industry with serenity, - or you won't last your first WEEK in a casino.

Trust me - your job as a casino dealer is to suit up and show up on time, prove yourself reliable and honest, be curteous and reliable, not get offended by either player or supervisor, and to show up the next day for more black eyes.

All for $7.50 an hour plus some very small tips in the break-in house. And to be happy with that for years in order to advance.

You're more like a cab driver as a break-in dealer, than auditioning for the tonight show with Jay Leno.

And if you want to socialize and converse with players, trust me, learn Pai Gow. A jammed up crap game will have a break-in dice dealer drowning in sweat and wetting his pants, just to keep up with the game and keep his job for the first three months.

By the way, where did you go to dealer school?

If you're asking us all for the slick stick calls, and not to legitemately learn the game cold first, then know now that the fancy stuff can wait. I tell you, if a floorman or pit boss hears a newbie dice dealer being slick with his calls when he doesn't have his basic game down pat, - he'll be shoe Blackjack for his first YEAR. It looks BAD.

To appear professional as a dice dealer when you start - know how to deal the base game without any fancy swirls and whistles, which'll just piss of your new boss as a show-off show-boater.

Just deal the game by the book, and deal it WELL, as you have humbly studied the basics, - and you'll make it.

I dealt dice for seven years with Stations Casinos, and I kept it straight up, as well as dealing Pai Gow Poker. My two games, only and really. The other dealers were Blackjack and Roulette. Dice was more interesting and exciting to deal, true - as well as much nastier for the action - and you'll see. It got to the point where I was so relied upon as a "reliable dice dealer who did his job without getting fancy pants," - I begged - and got, my last month dealing Pai Gow Poker, - just to finally get off of dice. And trust me, in the end, that was a TREAT.

Paigowdan,
I've heard the term but could you throw in some for instances of shooter's "taking shots"?
Is that to you as someone attempting dice influencing?
Have you witnessed at a live game where you believed someone could influence the dice positively in their favor more than a random roll?
thanks, Petro

Quote: petroglyph

Paigowdan,
I've heard the term but could you throw in some for instances of shooter's "taking shots"?
Is that to you as someone attempting dice influencing?
Have you witnessed at a live game where you believed someone could influence the dice positively in their favor more than a random roll?
thanks, Petro

Pedro -

A shot-taker is a player who tries to slip a "cheating bet in" on a dice game: "Algo suave," tu sabes.....
- taking back a DC bet when a 7 or 11 is rolled during the point;
- claiming that he had another bet up that he "should have won on, and must be paid on," - when he made a different bet that really lost.
- claiming that you gave him less money in chips that he gave you in money,
- etc.

Nothing to do with the roll or the dice setting at the roll. Always something to do when the dice are in the air, the dealers are calculating the payouts and losing bets, the 'busy" dealer time when the 'money is busy" - and there may be confusion made, - to change the dollar amount......

Any claim that "the casino dealer made mistake #'x' - and he owes me money!..." or by trying to take back a losing bet quickly off of the table before it is noticed, etc. Stuff like that. A shot taker may just even try to be upsetting to a casino dealer, just to make him angry and "lose his professional bearing."

A lot of crap is attempted with Tony or John walk in off of the street, to see what "they can do for a little money." Most people are not like that, but when you see a thousand people a week, you see a little thievery and nastiness on a casino table, especially a dice table.

I am retired from dice dealing, now working in a casino industry office. I do not miss this part of the casino floor.

Quote: petroglyph

Paigowdan,
I've heard the term but could you throw in some for instances of shooter's "taking shots"?
Is that to you as someone attempting dice influencing?
Have you witnessed at a live game where you believed someone could influence the dice positively in their favor more than a random roll?
thanks, Petro

I don't want to answer for PaigowDan and I'm not a craps dealer, but DI isn't what he was referring to when talking about shot taking. Shot Takers are players who attempt to win, or at least not lose, through some deception. In blackjack it's the guy with the indistinct hand signal that could pass for 'hit' or 'stay', or any number of other ways players try to gain an advantage by seeming to do one thing and then claiming another.

Quote: MonkeyMonkey

I don't want to answer for PaigowDan and I'm not a craps dealer, but DI isn't what he was referring to when talking about shot taking. Shot Takers are players who attempt to win, or at least not lose, through some deception. In blackjack it's the guy with the indistinct hand signal that could pass for 'hit' or 'stay', or any number of other ways players try to gain an advantage by seeming to do one thing and then claiming another.

This is exactly right. Setting dice is NOT shot taking at all - like any of that other jazz. And I dealt a lot of dice. Past-posting, arguing calls for money, and even Card counting is arguably shot taking, as all those provably have an effect the house edge. But DI is nothing at all, nothing to swear, and is all okay, or should be "that way" 100% okay - if done quickly and curteous on the game. 100% the story here as a dice dealer.

At the casino I worked at, you were allowed to set the dice, just as long as you didn't really slow down the game. I swear, I worked at the most reasonable, decent, and least superstitious casino in the United States. We were like, "Yes, please set your dice, so as long as you don't hold up the game."

ALL were fine with that. The crap tables drop tons of money and action, - and held 20%.

Dice setting was good & fine, and not a problem, where I dealt, - because the management saw that it didn't help or hurt the players, and our management was wise and decent to BOTH the dealers and the players. No floormen was allowed to be jerk or a dick, and those that were needlessly rude to players OR to dealers - were transfered to other properties, or fired as dead weight as "detrimental to our warm sustomer service." All players got comped generously, and were greated warmly and authenically - on a first name basis - by all dealers, as a rule. I mean, card counters who were backed off were only flat-betted, and THEN given a comp to the Fuego Steak House as an apology for it, - and were then invited to play dice and our CSM game.

"CRM" - our openly card-counting mathematican was totally welcome at Fiesta, was comped, and at at the worst just flat-betted, and invited to play ALL the other games - and I can testify to this! [So can he! just ask him] I - personally - was flummoxed by the politeness and tolerance of it all, - as a casino cop that I am. And boy, did we get customers and action. I do have to admit that!

I worked at a ridiculously "warm and fuzzy" casino, - a casino that treated both players and dealers very fairly - just so as long you didn't crinimally cheat, or abuse dealers or cocktail waitress. If it makes them happy, and they buy in, then quick dice setting has NO EFFECT - no mathematical basis - Then this is GOOD. Set dice reasonably quickly, rub a rabbit's foot, pray to San Muerta, just keep the dice game moving and happy.

Except for one floorman, "Louie," - who came from old school casinos downtown, and was paranoid and superstitious about table loses and dice setters. He was superstitious and moronic as all hell about dice as a boxman. Just horrible to work with! I almost hit him with the stick as part of my stick calls, as did the rest of the crew! When the dice got hot, - and when the dealers were actually making tips, - he'd be muttering the Rosary, or moaning and cursing...."I'm gonna get fired, Danny...we're down $3,000 on this table - they're WATCHING me lose the money for the house, they're gonna fire me, Danny, TURN THE DICE!! AAAUUGH!!" No one took him seriously, and even the dice dealers talked back to him to stop his asinine "sweating the money." Especially me, although I like him in many other ways. it was like, LET the shooter roll or set a die for a moment, sheesh, if he likes to, - leave him the hell alone when he is shooting!! I came damn close to asking this old fool to tap me out on stick and run the game - if he didn't do a fill on a BJ game on the other end of the pit!

He was told many times to not sweat the money, to allow crap players take a moment to set the dice, to not turn the dice when on box if the table was hot, - and to not tell his dealers "your losing money on MY crap table, - and I'll send you to Roulette if you sing!" Hector and Bill were like, "Louie, you're pissing off players and dealers, - and you are COSTING US MONEY BY SWEATING THE MONEY, AND PISSING OFF PLAYERS AND DEALERS, FOR NO FUCKING REASON, - AND WE DON'T LIKE IT."

The day Louie turned 62 and retired, there was no party, no nothing, and he never was seen again at the Fiesta - or ANY stations property. As far as I know, he wasn't seen in Las Vegas. He had money and property, and he LEFT the business - practically on demand at the end. He was about as knowledgable, as pleasant, and as productive in his gaming work as a ghost in his last ten years of a 40 year career, because he trusted superstition instead of mathematics and reasonable business practices. [Now, card counting CAN beat the house; DI cannot].

This is to say, because he feared that dice setting worked, and by turning the dice on players, and by saying the Rosary under his breath - when the dice got hot - he pissed off crap players - who ARE our very business and life-blood - and UPSET casino operations from the dealer level on up to an unacceptable level.

By all means - set the dice if you want, when they are in your hand, but just take a moment. IF a boxman so dares as to cry, bitch, moan, or say a Rosary - then GO TO another casino! And...write a note to the Shift amanager/Casino manager, that some old fool needs to leave your business.

You can take a second or two to hit or stand on 15 against a 10 in blackjack. And you can also take that moment ot two, to "get the dice into your hands."

Dan, thank you for your thoughtful reply. I've asked sticks and basedealers but they really couldn't really elaborate. From what you say here and in you next post this helps me. It seems to me "taking a shot" any way is stroking the dealer [meaning i recently learned], but capping and swithcing the money to me is cheating. That's crossed over the line and is at least attemted theft. Ok, I got that. I'm loosely friends with some crap dealers whom I've played with for years and they treat me well and pleasant, accurate with my wagers, courtious. I do not want them to lose their way of supporting themselves because somebody is top capping their stack or other. I'd personally let the box or floor know about it discreetly if it were'nt picked up on during the confusion. I don't want these dealers losing their liveliehood cuz someone is a thief.
Those dealers try to give me the best deal available, like they told me, your tipping won't change the payout but it will improve your service. I as a customer want it no other way. The OP on this thread, you being a professional dealer is way more important to the game than making funny. It seems some newer dealers are trying to bluster their way thru with talking alot, or covering up they don't have the know figured out like they should and the humor is a nervous trait to cover insecurity. There'll still be plenty of time to cut up with the clients without making it a goal right now.
Thanks for the op on dice setting! I have been doing it for about 3 years now and I just can't stand to pick them up and throw them like a girl. I have a little finesse, swagger even. When they fly together it looks really cool. And sometimes I get some good numbers, and sometimes I don't. I've not been able to prove di works even to myself who is attempting to, on a topic that's been hashed over and over. I've seen other's take their shot at it and every single player I have seen seven's away. Most rolls are short with rolls not seeming any longer than other's, just seems like some style to it.
I'm glad you responded to the question, it would have been easy to shy away as it is still a hot topic, but to me it's mostly about attitude of either the shooter's announcing they are going to cause a big table dump or just generally putting the pit crew on high alert. The numbers don't change very much if at all. IMO

Quote: Stoney

i had a dealer once who called out the numbers as famous athletes jersey number. "Air Jordan. dice came 2-3" or "Pete Rose. dice came 1-4". some weren't as well known as others, but he named them all. and some he had multiples... like using Shaq for the 3-2, instead of 2-3. i can't imagine the time he spent memorizing them all.

Do be careful about this, when I was in dealer school the instructor said they were working a deal with a local, famous running back and while it was OK to do it in class don't do it on the floor because it could have affected negotiations or been some kind of infringement.

Shot taker... a player who tries to gain some undeserved break by lying such as falsely claiming to have had a bet down that the dealer removed or to having called his odds off or some other brazen attempt at cheating.

Dice Setter.... one of these infernal Control The Universe types that often take forever and a day to position the dice so that the axis is in alignment with the Stars. I pick two dice up and I throw them down the table... no song, no dance, no hem, no haw.

Sweat The Money... an attitude adopted by the House and telegraphed to the players by the employees that its OUR money and you are not supposed to be winning, only losing. The cheap floors who think a player who wins is taking money out of the floor's own pockets are the people who such all the fun out of the game.

Sure dealers can talk and crack an occasional joke or engage in some banter with that half naked cocktail waitress and the like. Its okay to make it a sociable event but don't try to turn it into a Party Pit. I'm there to shoot craps not pay a cleavage tax and shoot the breeze about some football game or football legend. Even if I only have five dollars on the line, I want to hear the number that was rolled, not some obscure sports code relating to it.

Hard 4 "The Bishop...Desmond....TU TU

Quote: Hunterhill

Hard 4 "The Bishop...Desmond....TU TU

Not funny, not clever, just annoying. I've got five dollars riding on that roll. It took me a long time to panhandle that money...I'm serious about it and I don't want no jokes about tutus or mumus.

Quote: Hunterhill

Hard 4 "The Bishop...Desmond....TU TU

Bishop Muzerewa.

Just very quickly, I will say that I never developed any sort of shot at Fiesta Rancho. There are many variables to each table. I would gamble here and I enjoyed the $3 minimums. The 20% hold is a feature of low-minimum tables where more pays are rounded down.

But there were many things at the table at Fiesta Rancho that a player who intended to gain an advantage from would not find.

The last time they re-felted, they left the previous felt under. This caused the table bounce characteristics to change dramatically. I won't talk about other details that prevented me from having more favorable outcomes on this table, but there are many.

Some things that I liked about Fiesta Rancho was that there was not a whole lot of big action and I enjoyed the personal service that Dan refers to.

When you are developing a controlled throw, however, landing the dice where you intend to land them is something that you can practice on any table, and it was worth my penny-a-roll plus tips to get time to play on this table.

If you live in Vegas, you really don't need your own craps table to get good at throwing the dice. It's cheap enough just to bet the minimum on the line and nothing else and practice that way.

Quote: FleaStiff

Shot taker... a player who tries to gain some undeserved break by lying such as falsely claiming to have had a bet down that the dealer removed or to having called his odds off or some other brazen attempt at cheating.

Dice Setter.... one of these infernal Control The Universe types that often take forever and a day to position the dice so that the axis is in alignment with the Stars. I pick two dice up and I throw them down the table... no song, no dance, no hem, no haw.

Sweat The Money... an attitude adopted by the House and telegraphed to the players by the employees that its OUR money and you are not supposed to be winning, only losing. The cheap floors who think a player who wins is taking money out of the floor's own pockets are the people who such all the fun out of the game.

Sure dealers can talk and crack an occasional joke or engage in some banter with that half naked cocktail waitress and the like. Its okay to make it a sociable event but don't try to turn it into a Party Pit. I'm there to shoot craps not pay a cleavage tax and shoot the breeze about some football game or football legend. Even if I only have five dollars on the line, I want to hear the number that was rolled, not some obscure sports code relating to it.

Good post Fleastiff! I really like the part about "cleavage tax" lol, I gotta borrow that

When do you guys feel a place is sweating the money? Say a shooter is going on a pretty good streak, say 25 rolls without a 7, and all of a sudden the table is surrounded by suits for a while. Would you guys call this sweating the money, or just being cautious and ensuring they're getting a fair shake?

Quote: GiorgioFromYuma

When do you guys feel a place is sweating the money? Say a shooter is going on a pretty good streak, say 25 rolls without a 7, and all of a sudden the table is surrounded by suits for a while. Would you guys call this sweating the money, or just being cautious and ensuring they're getting a fair shake?

Both.

Suits have a responsibility to oversee action, especially heavy action, and if they ignored what went on in the pit, they wouldn't be doing their jobs.

And yeah, if the losses are great, some would be concerned and nervous.

Another thing to note here, is the shift you are on. If you are on days, stay more "by the book." Swing and Grave can have a little more fun. There's nothing wrong with making entertaining calls as long as you do your job. Never have the call belittle a player. If a call makes fun of someone, I don't know, the hard four for instance, have it belittle you or a base dealer you know well enough. MOST craps players enjoy some entertainment as long as the seriousness of the bets and the integrity of the game stay intact. But, I agree with the earlier comment of people taking offense at a dice table have no business at a dice table.

On that note, I did have a woman (not even on the game) walking behind me one night get a little upset when she heard me call, " eight, easy eight, no field, five-three and easy, just the way I like 'em." So, you never know. Be aware of your players and your crew and as I said, always hold the integrity of the game as priority number one.

If the casino is hemoraghing chips the suits should be there ... but "sweat the money" is mainly an attitude. It should be that the players think of it as "the Crew and The Players against the casino" instead of thinking of it as "the players against the crew" even over a measley few bucks.

Executives can wear cheap suits but they should never be cheap suits and try to end someone's winning streak. No one knows if Benny Binion ever sweated, but they all know he sure never acted as if he was.

Keep your calls pure and clean... that way you won't have any memos or write ups to worry about.

The only people you can ridicule at a craps table is a sports team that is in last place and even that is touchy ground.

Quote: FleaStiff

Stay with the tried and true stick calls,,, don't try to get cute yet. Its too early to be fancy. Just call everything correctly and in the correct sequence so your team mates can do their job in the right order.

You can get fancy later.

AMEN to that.

But my all time favorite is: "No number if it's in the lumber."

Very safe stick call.

I've heard the eight called as "8-beer goggles"...
I like when one stick man passes the dice to the shooter and says "take 2 .. leave a few".
At a busy, noisy table, calling the number rolled by the 'book' is easily the best way to call the numbers.
And call them loud so both sides of the table can hear the call.

>loud so both sides can hear the call.

Yes. Indeed.

Remember the PURPOSE of the stickman's calls is to DIRECT the base dealers as to what was rollled and what they should do and the proper sequence in which they should do it.

It also alerts the players as to what happened and what the base dealer will shortly be doing so as to end any clamors about "pay me" from some idiot who doesn't know there is a proper sequence to the base dealer's activities.

The Stick should call an entertaining game and a fast game and he should be "pushing" the center bets that make the house so happy rather than those darned leeches and their passline bets. However the primary thing is to keep the game moving at a speed that does not run over either of the base dealers or confuse the players.

Quote: Sabretom2

Anying finding a stick call offensive has no business at a craps table.

++1

Quote: ewjones080

++1

Sorry folks...
Its no longer a saw dust covered floor and a bunch of drunken males with all the females being upstairs as hookers.

Its a politically correct world for the casino execs and for the craps crew.

Heck, one stick man said "dark side" and one end of the table was largely black players so they thought he was talking about them. (And one lady from Atlanta said "Please don't make a fuss, I don't mind if he plays" when a 21-dealer announced "Blacks Playing" in reference to the chips a new player had bet).

I think some nice safe stick calls go a long way and you dont have to walk a fine line with some drunken minority who happens to be Kokomo or something.

Just make your bets and keep track of your chips and have fun.

Quote: Sabreton2

Anying [sic: "anyone"] finding a stick call offensive has no business at a craps table.

-4

Crap dealers have a job to do, and they really do need to be reasonably professional on the job with other people's money on the line. A busy crap game is no place to be dicking around.

If people find inappropriate stick calls offensive, then they may also find inappropriate payouts unprofessional, for that matter.

Clean work at a table, - especially at a busy crap table with money on the line - means a lot.

A little leeway with known dealers and players is one thing. When money playing players find things from the dealers offensive and wrong, they have a case. No reason to be called out-of-bounds on a money game should happen because of shit-talking by the stickman. No question of error or offense should ever be the cause of the stickman. Go to a comedy club after the game, and drink and laugh up there, if you have to.