Are you unconsciously competent? What the heck does that mean?

A long time ago I heard a guy discussing the 4 stages of learning a new habit. We want to have the GTC throw become a habit, and we all need to go through these 4 stages:

1) Unconsciously Incompetent – this is the stage we were all in prior to hearing about GTC. We did not know we were bad at throwing dice. We were just one of the millions of Chicken Feeders throwing dice, and losing money but, in the back of our heads wondering if there was a better or different way. For me, this was about 30 years of losing money while playing Craps and wondering why I keep trying to win.

2) Consciously Incompetent – this is the stage where we first heard about GTC. Maybe through a friend, or finding GTC via a Google search on dice control. Maybe you saw Dom’s story on the History Channel “Breaking Vegas”. All of a sudden you find out you ARE in fact a bad dice thrower, because you now learn that there IS a better way. You buy a book, look at the videos and finally take a Primer Class. The class helps you learn the physical elements and basic GTC throw, timing / cadence of the throw, the GTC grip and you meet some of the best and nicest dice throwers and teachers in the world. This was a major event for me. Meeting the instructors and learning that people really DO care about how I am doing when I play Craps. I learned the GTC way of betting which was very different than what I was doing at the time, and my losses started to get smaller right away. You buy a throwing and receiving station. Maybe you upgrade the receiving station to a ½ table. You start practicing for an hour or two most nights.

3) Consciously Competent – this is the stage where you are thinking about every aspect of the throw, the grip, the landing, are the dice rotating together? Is my throw too high, too fast? Is my grip too hard? Maybe you take the Primer Class, or two. Maybe you take a couple Video Elite sessions and have No Field Five, Billy The Kid and Section Eight help you figure things out. You work to develop your muscle memory, only to find out your mussels must have Alzheimer’s!! This is where I am now. I am thinking about so many things each time I pick up the dice. Getting here has taken me 3 years from my first Primer Class, and I could not be happier because I know I am getting better. Smart Craps is telling me.

4) Unconsciously Competent – this is the final and best stage of learning a new habit. You don’t need to think about things. Muscle memory is completely in charge. You will need to make adjustments based on the table surface and bounce, but the basics of the throw you have down. This is where we are all heading. Literally, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! To quote Frank in his book, "…you start becoming the Casino’s worst nightmare…"

I am absolutely not an athlete. Those of you who have met me will probably agree. I think throwing dice is an athletic endeavor. You need to do a physical task over and over and over again until you have it perfect, and then keep it perfect. I can say that with the help of the dedicated team at GTC I am very definitely on the right track. People like Timmer, Dice Pilot, Glue Factory, Goddess , Randman, Pit Boss, Nick at Night, Stick Man, Mr. Finesse, Doctor of Crapology, Alligator Rose, Skinny, Section Eight, Billy the Kid, No Field Five, Ace-10, Frank and of course, Dominator – I can only say a huge THANK YOU for your help and encouragement over the past 3+ years. I am not yet unconsciously competent but, I know I am heading that way. (I hope I did not leave anyone out. I am going from memory which, as my Wife will tell you, I have none.)

So, for you that have passed through all 4 of these phases, how long did it take you? Are You Unconsciously Competent? Let us know.

Keep ’em flying,
Chevy.

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