Life of the Intern

So with our Las Vegas class coming up I have been reflecting on what my role as an intern for GTC involves.

The first experience was our last class in Atlantic City. What struck me foremost was the dedication of the group of instructors that Dom has gathered to teach, and their love and commitment to the game of Craps. The whole team flies in on Wednesday evening and gets settled and prepares for setup on Thursday morning. The amount of equipment that a course requires is impressive: from filming equipment for the Video Elite class to the full and half size craps tables and throwing stations for Advanced, Refresher, and Primer students. All of this needs to be hauled and assembled before Friday morning.

After almost twenty years, they have it down. Everybody pitches in like we are putting up a circus tent. As an intern, I have a pretty good idea of what needs to be done now and it is just nonstop grunt work until everything is just the way Dom likes it. Dom likes to ere on the side of generosity when it comes to instructors and equipment so that there is a maximum of individual teaching time and resources. After having attended all of the courses on several occasions as a student ,it is interesting for me to see how much thought has been invested over the years to optimize the experience.

My first GTC class was seven years ago and the courses have evolved a great deal since then and I believe the main shift I have seen has been the added emphasis on proper betting and bankroll management. Now, as an intern, I spend most of my time looking for any instructors that might need someone to lend a helping hand. I’m more in a roll of trying to glean the direction of the instructors and the GTC philosophy coming from Dom. I like to see how each instructor delivers their message and conveys the information being delivered. I’ve been a teacher most of my adult life in a physical trade so it is not new to me but nevertheless, it is a different subject matter. There is so much nuance and yet as NoFieldFive would say, “It’s just a grip and an arm swing”. So, like in so many things in life, on the surface it seems so simple and yet as most of you know, it can be a very humbling experience.

In Atlantic City, I had the opportunity to work and intern with Dom as he instructed the students. Our team was called Rolling in the Dough. Because all students rotated through our table, I was able to really get to know all of the students attending the class and the students likewise had the opportunity to have each instructor view their toss. As an intern, my main function was to observe and listen and absorb as much as possible of the GTC philosophy underlying the instruction. I have to admit that I just don’t think there is any substitute for this hands on/ eyes on method of learning the GTC toss. The progress that was made from day one till day two was remarkable and I think only possible with the amount of commitment that the GTC team displays in wanting each and every student to understand the underlying physicality and mechanics of “the toss”.

Because each and every one of us has a unique way of learning, I think exposure to as many sets of eyes as possible is a great way to go and I know for a fact that the great group of instructors that Dom has assembled for this next class are some of the real heavy hitters in the world of Craps. I just love being part of an organization that doesn’t need to apologize, but instead, can be proud of what it delivers: no nonsense strategies in betting and throwing that give the dedicated student the ability to beat the casino at their own game. As an intern, I also have a commitment to myself to learn as much as I can about the GTC method and how I can best represent that as a potential future instructor. I continue to work daily on my own throw and know that the difficulties I experience can only help me become a better instructor as I overcome each one of them. I think a healthy portion of empathy can go a long way as an intern and future instructor. My struggle with the dice, is not very different from your struggle.

Let’s continue to make Vegas a real success story. I look forward with excitement to the Vegas class and connecting with each of the new students and reconnecting with all of you that have taken a course and coming back to upgrade your toss. Anyway I can help the cause, I’m ready. If you are not signed up yet, or plan on just attending the open house of Friday, I look forward to seeing you. A tuneup with Doctor Crapology and Aligator Rose is money well spent

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