3/28/2022»»Monday

Great Craps Rolls

3/28/2022
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  1. Great Craps Rolls Using
  2. Craps Roll Names
  3. World Record Craps Roll
  4. Longest Craps Roll

Any 7 is a one-roll bet that pays off if any combination resulting in 7 appears on the dice. The possible combinations are 1-6, 2-5, and 3-4. Any Craps is also known as a Three Way bet and is a bet on the shooter rolling a 2, 3, or 12 (crapping out) on the come out roll. Also known as C + E, this is a combination bet. The previous record for longest craps roll was held by Stanley Fujitake of Honolulu, Hawaii, at 3 hours and 6 minutes, and took place on May 28, 1989, at The California Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, also owned by Boyd Gaming Corporation.

Craps isn’t like blackjack, poker, or sports betting, where there are clearly defined skill elements that separate good and bad players. Instead, craps is widely considered a game that deals with dice probabilities and luck.

This makes it difficult to determine the best craps player in the world.

Figuring out the world’s top craps player largely depends upon if you believe in an advantage play technique called controlled shooting (a.k.a. dice control).

Let’s discuss the merits of dice control along with those who are considered to be the world’s best players. We’ll also cover three amateur players who’ve set records and crush casinos.

How Do You Determine a Great Craps Player?

Craps strategy revolves around making the right bets. Moreover, there’s nothing separating players beyond who makes wagers with the lowest house edge.

This means that you could walk into a casino and identify the top players based on who’s making pass line bets and backing them with odds.

But there exists a dice control community who believes that you can influence dice roll probabilities.

These controlled shooters claim that one can change the outcome by holding the dice in a specific manner and practicing one’s toss. This concept is steeped in the logic of sports like bowling or pool, where one can improve their technique and results over time.

To believe in dice control, you also have to believe that it’s possible to influence probabilities when throwing dice off a rubberized, diamond patterned wall. And if you think that controlled shooting is real, then this is definitely a way to determine the world’s best craps player.

Is Controlled Shooting Real?

Great craps rolls recipe

The biggest problem with controlled shooting is that it’s not easily measured like blackjack card counting or poker. These games offer tangible evidence showing that skilled card counters and poker players make long term profits.

Dice control is different, though, because the jury is out on whether this technique is even real. Furthermore, land based casinos don’t monitor controlled shooters like they do card counters.

Controlled shooters don’t claim to be able to influence results on every roll. But they do purport that dice probabilities can be manipulated through this practice.

A pair of dice offers 36 combinations, including six different ways to make a 7. A dice control expert’s goal is to beat the odds and give themselves a long-term advantage.

Here’s an example:

  • The average player rolls a 7 on six out of 36 tosses (6:1 ratio).
  • If you’re skilled enough to throw five 7s, then your ratio is 6:25:1.
  • This is more than enough to beat the house edge on bets that involve avoiding 7s.

Controlled shooting begins with setting the dice, or holding them in a specific manner. There are numerous ways to set the dice.

One of the most popular ways is the 3 V shape, where one holds the dice so that the threes form of a “V.” This conceals the 7s while showing other probabilities like a six (5 & 1), hard six (3 & 3), eight (6 & 2), and hard eight (4 & 4).

Once you’re comfortable with your set, you should begin practicing your roll. The goal is to develop a toss that keeps the dice tight and hits the back wall with minimal force.

If you can do this, then you’ll have a much better shot at throwing the dice with consistency and producing desired results. Many dice control advocates rig a homemade craps table so that they can practice away from the casino.

Of course, whether you go to this much effort depends upon if you truly believe in controlled shooting. And it’s very hard to prove that dice control actually works.

Dominic LoRiggio may be the World’s Best Craps Player

Much of what goes into determining the top craps player depends on if you believe in dice control. I’ll suspend disbelief while discussing some of the world’s most notable craps players.

Dominic “The Dominator” LoRiggio is often given credit for being the top controlled shooter.

LoRiggio has authored several books, including Golden Touch Dice Control Revolution! – Win at Craps Using a Controlled Throw, and is a renowned expert on dice control.

LoRiggio’s gambling career began in the late 1980s as a card counter. He eventually became interested in craps after reading multiple books by Frank Scoblete.

He started practicing controlled shooting in the late 90s. LoRiggio says that it took approximately six months of practice before he became really good.

He met Scoblete on the Las Vegas craps tables and the pair began playing together. LoRiggio recalled how they each rolled for half an hour straight during their first session together.

LoRiggio preaches practice regarding controlled shooting. And he avidly suggests that you can influence results, even with casinos requiring that your dice tosses hit the back wall.

Most of the tales involving LoRiggio’s success come from himself, Scoblete, and other controlled shooting experts.

The Dominator says that he once had 56 straight rolls before the first 7 came up. LoRiggio also says that he had one session where he rolled 30, 33, and 38 consecutive times back to back to back.

Thanks to his reputation as a craps master, LoRiggio was once featured in a History Channel special along with Scoblete.

LoRiggio says that the show made it wrongly seem like he was part of a dice control team. But he also praises them for doing an accurate job on portraying his strategy and how he acts in the casino.

Today, LoRiggio teaches Golden Arm Touch seminars with Scoblete to make a living. He also remains a staunch supporter of controlled shooting.

Other Notable Craps Players

Frank Scoblete

As mentioned above, Scoblete is another famed craps player and dice control expert. Scoblete lays claim to an 89-roll streak without a 7 being rolled.

While Scoblete is a respected craps player, he’s even better known as an author.

Some of his books include Beat the Craps out of the Casinos, Golden Touch Blackjack Revolution, and Beat the One-Armed Bandits.

Scoblete often speaks of a mysterious craps legend named the “Captain”.

Great Craps Rolls

He claims that the Captain is the greatest craps player he’s ever seen. Scoblete references a time when the Captain tossed the dice 147 consecutive times before seven-ing out.

Richard Favela

Richard Favela was featured in a 2017 LA Times piece about controlled shooting.

Favela has earned the Golden Arm award four times in his career. Anybody who’s rolled for one hour or more is eligible for this honor.

“If you place the dice a certain way, the odds of throwing a seven are less,” says Favela.

“You see a lot of people just throwing the dice any which way and there’s just hoping on luck. But when you try and control the dice, it works.”

Favela also claims that he “never lost” within the first eight years that he started playing at the California Casino & Hotel.

Garton Mau

Garton Mau was introduced in the LA Times article as a 4-time Golden Arm champion.

He proved his skills to the media by producing 72 consecutive rolls without seven-ing out. His run that night lasted nearly an hour.

The multi winner of California Casino’s Golden Arm tournament continues to play around the Vegas area.

Three Amateurs Who Crushed Craps

Patricia Demauro

Many craps controlled shooters brag about their long-lasting rolls. But the longest streak in history belongs to a complete amateur named Patricia Demauro.

According to Time, Demauro rolled for 154 straight times at Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino& Spa on May 23, 2009. She lasted for 4 hours and 18 minutes, breaking the world record for both the most consecutive rolls and the longest time rolling.

Stanford University statistics Professor Thomas Cover says that the odds of this happening are a one in 1.56 trillion. Your odds are far better of winning the lottery (one in 100 million) or being struck by lightning (one in a million).

“Let’s say we have a million gamblers trying a thousand events at any one time,” said Cover. “That’s a billion different rolls of craps.” Out of a billion different games, the probability of getting an event that special is reduced to one in 1,000. “It’s not out of the realm of possibility.”

What makes the story more amazing is that Demauro did all this on just her second ever craps session.

The New Jersey grandmother went to the Borgata with her friend, John Capra. She initially started playing penny slot machines, only to later try craps with Capra after she got bored.

Demauro received the dice at 8:13pm and started with a bankroll worth $100. She didn’t even know the best wagers and relied on Capra’s advice.

Demauro established a point number of eight. And this is where her journey began since she didn’t roll a seven until 12:21am.

“There was a woman there, and we happened to catch each other’s eyes,” Demauro says, “She smiled at me, and I smiled and said, ‘I don’t know how to play the game.'”

Her record of 156 straight rolls is both an official and unofficial record.

Great craps rolls slot machine

The previous unofficial record was set by the Captain in 2005 when he tossed 147 straight times (as per Scoblete). The official record is 118 rolls by a player named Stanley Fujitake in 1989.

Demauro wouldn’t say how much money she made. However, experts believe that she likely turned her initial $100 bankroll into hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Stanley Fujitake

Before Patricia Demauro, Stanley Fujitake was the record setting amateur who defied all odds. He rolled 118 consecutive times before seven-ing out, which became the official casino record at the time.

The Oahu native was playing craps at the California Casino & Hotel on May 28, 1989. His legendary streak began with a $5 bet on pass line.

Craps roll names

Fujitake began increasing his pass line bets as he continued rolling winners. He increased his wager to the $1,000 table maximum to take full advantage of the hot streak.

Guido Metzger, who was dealing at a nearby table that night, noticed how more and more people began squeezing onto Fujitake’s table.

“They had trouble keeping up with the chip payouts that night,” said Metzger, who now manages Boyd Gaming’s downtown Vegas casinos.

“My table was empty. But there were at least 30 to 40 people trying to place bets at his table. They couldn’t get fills to the table fast enough and had to start issuing scrip [casino credit] because not enough people were going to the cage and cashing in their chips.”

Fujitake had rolled for almost three hours before his streak finally came to an end.

“Half an hour is average, over an hour is amazing, but more than three hours is totally astounding,” said California casino manager John Repetti at the time.

Fujitake earned $30,000 on what started with a simple $5 bet. The casino paid another $750,000 in winnings to other players who made bets on his rolls.

Fujitake passed away in 2000, but his legend still lives on in the craps community.

Anonymous High Roller Who Won $5.3 Million at Tropicana Atlantic City

In June 2011, a craps high roller won $5.8 million from the Tropicana Casino and Resort. This came just months after famed blackjack player Don Johnson burned the Atlantic City casino for $5.8 million.

Tony Rodio, Tropicana’s CEO, spoke with the Press of Atlantic City about the matter. And he said that the player got hot during a six-hour craps session.

The high roller was really excited about the win and left a $150,000 tip that was divided up among the Tropicana dealers.

Rodio didn’t give the craps player’s name for privacy purposes. But he did say that it isn’t Johnson, who went on a $15 million blackjack win streak in 2010 and ’11.

The CEO added that the craps player will be invited back any time they want. The anonymous winner was betting $100,000 at the time of their windfall.

Tropicana is known as a destination for high stakes gamblers. And they kept this tradition going by inviting the $5.3 million winner back.

Can You Play Craps like the World’s Best?

Let’s assume that dice control doesn’t really work. If this is the case, then you can play like any of the world’s best craps players simply by making the right bets.

But what wagers do you need to make to lower the house edge? Let’s start with the two basic craps bets:

  • Pass line = 1.41% house edge
  • Don’t pass line = 1.36% house edge

How Does Pass Line Work?

A pass line bet is placed on the come-out roll, which is the first roll of a new round.

Pass line wins when a 7 or 11 is tossed on the come out, and it loses when a 2, 3, or 12 are thrown. If you roll any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10), a point is established.

You then need the shooter to toss the point number before a 7 in order to win your pass line bet. This wager pays 1:1 and has 251:244 odds of winning.

How does Don’t Pass Line Work?

A don’t pass line bet is also placed on the come-out roll. Don’t pass line wins when a 2 or 3 is rolled, loses when a 7 or 11 is tossed, and pushes when a 12 is rolled.

Any other number establishes a point. And you need a 7 to be rolled before the point number to win.

Don’t pass line pays 1:1 for a win and offers 976:949 odds of winning.

Back These Bets with Odds

Pass line and don’t pass line already offer you a good chance to win. But you can lower the house edge even further by backing these bets with odds.

Odds is a side wager that you put behind either pass line or don’t pass line once the point is established. You should notify the dealer before putting an odds wager behind your original pass line or don’t pass line bet.

The best thing about odds is that it doesn’t have a house edge and pays at true odds of winning. The payouts depend upon if you’re backing pass line (a.k.a. “laying odds”) or don’t pass line (a.k.a. “laying odds”).

Here are the payouts for when you place odds behind a pass line wager:

  • 2 to 1 on point numbers of 4 and 10.
  • 3 to 2 on points of 5 and 9.
  • 6 to 5 on points of 6 and 8.

Here are payouts for when you put odds behind a don’t pass line bet to:

  • 1 to 2 for point numbers of 4 and 10.
  • 2 to 3 for points of 5 and 9.
  • 5 to 6 for points of 6 and 8.

The amount of odds that you can bet differs based on the casino. Many casinos have 5x or fewer odds.
A select few Vegas casinos offer 20x odds and above. These include Main Street Station (20x odds) and the Cromwell (100x).

Ideally, you’ll take the highest odds you can get because this lowers the house edge more. The table below shows how low the house advantage can be when you take more odds:

OddsPass Line/ComeDon’t Pass Line/Don’t Come
0x1.41% house edge1.36% house edge
1x0.848%0.682%
2x0.606%0.455%
Full Double Odds0.572%0.431%
3x0.471%0.341%
3x 4x 5x0.374%0.273%
5x0.326%0.227%
10x0.184%0.124%
20x0.099%0.065%
100x0.021%0.014%

The obvious drawback is that you have to bet more money when you take higher odds. And even without a house advantage, this gets really expensive.

For example, you’d need to bet an extra $200 and put 20x odds behind a $10 wager. But if you can afford to take the highest odds, then it’ll make you more likely to win and be a better player.

Conclusion

Much of what goes into determining the world’s best craps player depends upon whether you believe in controlled shooting.

Those who believe can point to Dominic LoRiggio as the top player. After all, he has the strongest reputation among the control shooting community.

Other notable players who can challenge for the top spot include Frank Scoblete, Richard Favela, and Garton Mau.
If you don’t believe in controlled shooting, then anybody who makes the best craps wagers can be a top player. This involves making a pass line or don’t pass line bet backed with high odds.

The most serious craps player should head to Las Vegas and take advantage of the highest odds they can. Or you can simply bet whatever odds you can afford.

In any case, craps offers a low house edge that can make anybody feel like a pro.

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Craps is one of the most popular games in the casino. Therefore, it feels like craps is an open book for many players.

But there are also things that the majority of craps players don’t know about the game. Knowing these secrets can make the game more entertaining and help you win extra money.

I’m going to discuss 7 craps secrets that every player should learn in order to improve both their knowledge of the game and their odds of winning.

Perhaps you already know some of these secrets. Keep reading to see if there are ones that you don’t know.

1. Craps Features a Bet with No House Edge

Craps offers two of the best wagers in casino gambling including pass line and don’t pass line. Here’s how both of these bets work:

Pass Line

  • Pays 1:1
  • True odds are 251:244
  • 1.41% house edge
  • Wins on come out roll (first roll of new round) when 7 or 11 are rolled
  • Loses on come out roll when 2, 3 or 12 are rolled
  • Point is established if 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 are rolled
  • Point number must be rolled before 7 to win

Don’t Pass Line

  • Pays 1:1
  • True odds are 976:949
  • 1.36% house edge
  • Wins on come out roll (first roll of new round) when 2 or 3 are rolled
  • Pushes on come out when 12 is rolled
  • Loses on come out roll when 7 or 11 are rolled
  • Point is established if 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 are rolled
  • 7 must be rolled before the point number to win

Considering that the pass line and don’t pass line have such low house edges, they give you a great opportunity to win.

But the number one secret craps players should know is that there’s also a wager called “odds,” and it doesn’t have any house edge.

An odds bet is placed behind your pass line or don’t pass line wager. These bets pay at true odds, which is why they don’t have a house advantage.

The higher the odds you take, the lower the overall house edge you’ll be facing. Here’s how much the house edge drops based on the size of your odds:

OddsPass Line BetDon’t Pass Line Bet
0x1.41% house edge1.36% house edge
1x0.848%0.682%
2x0.606%0.455%
Full Double Odds0.572%0.431%
3x0.471%0.341%
3x-4x-5x0.374%0.273%
5x0.326%0.227%
10x0.184%0.124%
20x0.099%0.065%
100x0.021%0.014%

Some players are unaware of odds wagers because casinos don’t list them on the table. Instead, you need to notify the dealer that you’re going to back a bet with odds.

Here’s what you must know when putting odds behind either the pass line or don’t pass line:

Odds with Pass Line

  • Called “taking odds”
  • Placed after point number is established
  • Point number must be rolled before a 7 for you to win
  • Pays 2:1 on point numbers of 4 and 10
  • Pays 3:2 on points of 5 and 9
  • Pays 6:5 on points of 6 and 8

Odds with Don’t Pass Line

  • Called “taking odds”
  • Placed after point number is established
  • 7 must be rolled before a point number for you to win
  • Pays 1:2 for points of 4 and 10
  • Pays 2:3 for points of 5 and 9
  • Pays 5:6 for points of 6 and 8

2. The Cromwell Offers the Highest Odds Bets

Great Craps Rolls Using

Odds is the only wager in the casino where you’re not facing a house advantage. This is why some gamblers take the highest odds they possibly can.

The downside is that you actually need to front the money for your odds bets. Here’s an example:

  • The minimum bet is $10
  • You want to take 10x odds
  • You’ll need to bet another $100
  • Your total wager is now $110

Despite this larger investment, craps players are willing to bet more money to improve their chances of winning.

If you want the highest odds possible, then you need to visit The Cromwell in Las Vegas.

The Cromwell currently offers the world’s largest craps odds at 100x. This casino also lets you make a $5 minimum wager, which is incredible considering the size of odds you can bet.

Main Street Station is another Vegas casino that offers generous odds. Their maximum odds are 20x, combined with a $5 minimum bet.

If you don’t plan on taking a trip to Sin City any time soon, then you’re out of luck as far as getting really high odds. You can take advantage of Betsoft and Playtech craps games though, which both feature 3x odds combined with a $1 bet.

3. Casinos don’t Offer Big Comps to Craps Players

Many beginner craps players come into the game with visions of racking up big comps. But the truth is that craps is one of the worst games in terms of rewards.

The reason why is because craps gives you such a strong chance to win that casinos can’t afford to generously comp you.

Therefore, you’ll often receive a 0.1% comp rate on your total bets. Some casinos offer a 0.2% rate, but this is becoming more rare these days.

The only craps players who earn big rewards are those who place several wagers on each turn. Of course, this also exposes you more to the house edge, especially when you’re making risky prop bets.

Here’s an example of what you’ll typically receive in terms of craps comps with minimal betting:

  • Casino comp rate is 0.1%
  • You make $25 pass line wagers (1.41% house edge)
  • The average number of rolls per hour is 119
  • Your pass line bet requires an average of 7 rolls to be decided
  • This puts you at 17 bets per hour, or $425 in total wagers
  • Your theoretical comp value is $0.43 each hour (425 x 0.001)
  • Your theoretical losses are $5.99 per hour

Obviously, no craps player would continue rolling just for comps that are worth just 1/10 of theoretical losses. Nevertheless, you should definitely put yourself in line to earn craps rewards.

The nice thing about playing online craps is that the software will automatically keep track of your rewards points. At most online casinos, all you need to do is sign up and make a deposit to be part of the rewards program.

Land-based casinos are different, though, because you actually have to sign up for the program yourself. You can either do this by going to the casino’s website or visiting the player’s desk in person.

Once you’re part of the rewards program, you can give your player’s club card to the craps dealer and tell them that you wish to be rated. The dealer will then give your card to the pit boss who will keep track of your bets and assign comps fairly.

4. You’ve been Lied to about Dice Control

Some casino games have an advantage play method that allows skilled players to win long-term profits. Dice control is allegedly the advantage play method in craps.

Dice control begins by holding the dice in a specific manner (a.k.a. setting). The V-shape – where you hold the dice with 3s forming a “V” – is one of the most-popular sets.

The second aspect to dice control is that you need to practice tossing the dice in the same manner every time (a.k.a. controlled shooting).

Controlled shooting enthusiasts often rig a craps table in their basement so that they can practice. The idea is that with enough practice, you’ll eventually be able to control some of your throws. This is similar to how a pro basketball player will practice their shot over and over until they’ve developed great technique.

What’s great about dice control is that you only need to produce a desired throw (usually avoiding 7’s) once in a while to win. Here’s an example:

  • You’re trying to avoid tossing a 7 on point throws
  • 7 comes up an average of seven times per 42 tosses
  • You’ll gain a long-term edge if you only toss a 7 on six out of 42 rolls

All of this sounds great in theory, but can you really control a craps toss with any certainty when you have to bounce dice off the rubberized back wall?

Dominic LoRiggio and Frank Scoblete claim that you can, and they’ve made a fortune selling books and training courses on the subject.

Actual craps rolls

Scoblete often references “The Captain,” a late craps player who was supposedly banned from many casinos, as proof of controlled shooting.

But there’s no proof that The Captain ever existed, nor that dice control works.

Gambling legend Stanford Wong was skeptical of controlled shooting and challenged Scoblete on the matter. Wong eventually came to the conclusion that dice control may or may not be possible. This is the closest I’ve ever seen regarding an established expert outside of LoRiggio or Scoblete claiming that dice control might work.

This isn’t like card counting where we have verifiable proof that it works, including successful players being banned. Instead, dice control is a theory that has never been proven as a whole.

5. The Longest Craps Roll Belongs to a Complete Amateur

One account that shatters the controlled shooting theory is the story of Patricia Demauro.

This New Jersey grandmother once produced 154 consecutive rolls before sevening out. The odds of this happening are just one in 1.56 trillion.

Craps Roll Names

One especially interesting thing here is that Demauro was only playing craps for the second time ever when she embarked on her legendary turn.

She was visiting Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa with a friend. Demauro planned to play slot machines while her friend was playing table games, but she got bored and found her friend who suggested that they should play craps together. Little did they know that Demauro would end up rolling for 4 hours and 18 minutes.

A crowd gathered around to witness craps history as she kept rolling again and again. Demauro was surprised at the spectacle and even admitted to the table that she wasn’t an experienced player.

Nevertheless, she produced 154 consecutive tosses and made a fortune in the process. This story shows that any craps player, regardless of their experience, can get hot.

6. World War 2 Soldiers Popularized Craps in America

Historians have traced craps back as far as 900 BC, when Etruscans held a priestess ceremony that involved a hybrid version of baccarat and craps.

The Etruscans would have a potential priestess throw 9-sided dice to determine her fate. If she rolled an 8 or 9, she was destined to be a priestess.

Rolling a 6 or 7 meant that she wasn’t fit for the duty, but still got to live. Rolling anywhere from 1-5 had dire consequences in that the woman was drowned in the sea.

English soldiers played a craps variation called Hazard during the Crusades. This is the first known point in history when craps began to take its current form.

The French quickly adopted Hazard and began playing it in their gambling houses. The French also brought Hazard to America where Cajuns coined the term “craps.”

While craps retained some popularity in the American gambling community, it wasn’t until after World War II that the game truly took off.

WWII soldiers frequently played street craps during their downtime. The reason why they played craps so often is because it’s easy to carry around a pair of dice and money.

World Record Craps Roll

Soon, soldiers were playing the game on ship decks, air force bases and in the cargo beds of trucks. These same WW II veterans made craps more popular in casinos when the war ended.

Longest Craps Roll

Craps’ popularity has continue to remain strong ever since. Many players have come to realize that this game features camaraderie unlike any other in the casino.

7. Craps Features Hidden Superstitions that you should Avoid

Some of the biggest craps secrets include the numerous superstitions that you should avoid. Otherwise, you can upset veteran craps players who are also highly superstitious.

The casino doesn’t require you to know any of these beliefs, but other players count on luck to win, and they don’t want anybody bringing bad karma to the table.

Here are the biggest craps superstitions that you should abide by in order to get along with fellow players:

  • Don’t roll the dice off the table. Many players believe that dice hitting the floor is a bad sign.
  • Male virgin shooters, or those taking their first turn shooting, are bad luck. In contrast, female virgin shooters are considered good luck.
  • Don’t touch a hot shooter in any way (e.g. high-fives, pats on the back), or you could theoretically disrupt their rhythm.
  • Avoid saying the word “seven” at the table.
  • Keep your hands off the table. Dice hitting a player’s hand is another bad sign.
  • Some players won’t bet on a new shooter since they think the dice will be “cold.” The new shooter needs to “warm up” the dice.

Conclusion

The main craps secrets that will help your bottom line include knowing about odds bets and where you can find the highest odds.

Also note that there’s no way to beat craps beyond backing the top wagers (pass line, don’t pass line) with odds. Controlled shooting might sound interesting, but I strongly believe it’s a hoax.

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