As a recent premier event I was helping judge, I witnessed a player using a bluffing tactic. At first, I merely considered it a strategic move. The bluff involved searching his deck, sighing in frustration, then pointing at his prizes and bench, making his opponent "think" that the cards he needed were prized. In reality, he actually retrieved the cards he needed and put them into his hand.
His opponent was a seasoned player and appeared unaffected by the bluff. Regardless, I later researched the rules in order to find penalties specifically forbidding bluffing. The SOTG mentioned Honesty, but it's in regards to misplays. I'm not convinced it rules out bluffing your opponent into making a strategic move.
So, what are your thoughts? Is bluffing, in any way, shape, or form, legal?
The only thing I would consider wrong is if your bluffing caused your opponent to make a misplay. But, if the bluffing merely caused your opponent to perform a different legal move, then I'd say bluffing is OK.
For example, let's say you're holding the card in your hand that will enable you to win next turn after your opponent KO's your defending Pokemon. On your turn you say, "Man! I knew I should've put Scrambles in my deck." Your opponent KO's your Pokemon, after which you play Scramble and KO your opponent's EX Pokemon for the win.
His opponent was a seasoned player and appeared unaffected by the bluff. Regardless, I later researched the rules in order to find penalties specifically forbidding bluffing. The SOTG mentioned Honesty, but it's in regards to misplays. I'm not convinced it rules out bluffing your opponent into making a strategic move.
So, what are your thoughts? Is bluffing, in any way, shape, or form, legal?
The only thing I would consider wrong is if your bluffing caused your opponent to make a misplay. But, if the bluffing merely caused your opponent to perform a different legal move, then I'd say bluffing is OK.
For example, let's say you're holding the card in your hand that will enable you to win next turn after your opponent KO's your defending Pokemon. On your turn you say, "Man! I knew I should've put Scrambles in my deck." Your opponent KO's your Pokemon, after which you play Scramble and KO your opponent's EX Pokemon for the win.