The Best in the Game

[yoyofsho16]

Well the HJ there was the HJ of HJ's so whats done is done. The moral of the story is just make sure your opponents deck is randomized before you start your match.

I always shuffle at the beginning of a game instead of cutting it for personal preferences like this. There is a kid at my league who runs a 4-3-2-1 Torterra line with no Rare Candy, but he always stacks and gets the line out perfectly turn by turn, by organizing his deck after each match, and since all of our players are new, he just draws his 7 cards without shuffling or anything. He actually won a BR with this method (he is a junior and we have no competitive juniors), but I didn't notice he organizes after each round until a couple months after. From observation on him, I decided that I should just shuffle everyone's decks.

 

[Jaeger]

I always shuffle at the beginning of a game instead of cutting it for personal preferences like this. There is a kid at my league who runs a 4-3-2-1 Torterra line with no Rare Candy, but he always stacks and gets the line out perfectly turn by turn, by organizing his deck after each match, and since all of our players are new, he just draws his 7 cards without shuffling or anything. He actually won a BR with this method (he is a junior and we have no competitive juniors), but I didn't notice he organizes after each round until a couple months after. From observation on him, I decided that I should just shuffle everyone's decks.

You should tell a judge about this, I don't mean you have to run and tell a judge he is cheating. But if you would tell one of the judges even before the tournament starts say "hey he has a hard time shuffling maybe you could watch to make sure he gets it shuffled well enough and give him a hand if he needs it." You would seem like a helpful guy.

 

[ashinto]

a great player is a player with a memory, skill, a great deck, and a bit of luck. in the last CC i went to, i used a deck i only tested on redshark against only a single deck. yet by memorizing my deck, the opposing deck (which was used by half of the people in the top cut, and they both made it into the finals) i was able to come back in even an impossible match up (like being down by 5 prizes, taking 5 K.Os in a row, and then loosing due to my opponent having a tad bit of luck.)

 

[smacktack15]

Another good quality of a good player is to not let things get to you. If you have a perfect thing set-up and your opponent wagers you, you just have to have your best poker face. Also, play with self-confidence. I do this all of the time and it has helped me become better at the game by alot. Here is an example:

You are 4-0 at a CC and you are paired vs your auto-loss. Now, since you know this is your auto-loss you have to think a bit out of the norm. Go to a mirror and just stare and say what the pros are, leaving out all of the cons. It doesn't matter if you can't beat this certain player, it is only your confidence that will hold you back. Say all of the negative things about your auto-loss (not to your opponent but, to yourself). You come into the matchup seeing your auto-loss as an auto-win and you will play better throughout the matchup. I myself use this technique all of the time and I see myself as an unbeatable person going into a match-up. If you lose, well it happens. You have to take losses with a grain of salt, it is just 1 loss. don't let it get you down.

 

[SlimeyGrimey]

There's no reason to delude yourself like that. Just accept the matchup for what it is and then make the best decisions you can in the game and see what happens.

 

[Ardoptres]

You see the ruling change after Diamond and Pearl, before you were allowed to play supporters like Holon Mentor and Holon Transceiver if you went first. Before Diamond and Pearl, it was a little harder to T1 someone and the Power Creep wasn't as great. I think the Power Creep will slow down after Stormfront... and is slowing down...

Wrong.

Pre-DP you could play Trainers (and not supporters) on the first turn, even if you started.

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:

Another good quality of a good player is to not let things get to you. If you have a perfect thing set-up and your opponent wagers you, you just have to have your best poker face. Also, play with self-confidence. I do this all of the time and it has helped me become better at the game by alot. Here is an example:

You are 4-0 at a CC and you are paired vs your auto-loss. Now, since you know this is your auto-loss you have to think a bit out of the norm. Go to a mirror and just stare and say what the pros are, leaving out all of the cons. It doesn't matter if you can't beat this certain player, it is only your confidence that will hold you back. Say all of the negative things about your auto-loss (not to your opponent but, to yourself). You come into the matchup seeing your auto-loss as an auto-win and you will play better throughout the matchup. I myself use this technique all of the time and I see myself as an unbeatable person going into a match-up. If you lose, well it happens. You have to take losses with a grain of salt, it is just 1 loss. don't let it get you down.

So what if you opponent sees that you're annoyed s/he wagered you? It won't change a single thing.

Keeping yourself positive going into an autoloss won't make you draw better, have a better matchup or make your opponent have a bad start. Again it won't change a single thing.

 

[Alazor]

Wrong.

Pre-DP you could play Trainers (and not supporters) on the first turn, even if you started.

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:

I think you're right, it's just been a while since Pre-DP. But you could still grab basics with Dual Ball, Great Ball, Masterball, Pokenav... You could avoid donks even if you played lots of trainers...

 

[sgtdarryl]

IMO there's more to being a good player and being to the best you can be that playing a net deck.

If you can win worlds with a theme deck you you win hands down as greatest player ever.

I agree with that!!! being a good loser as well as a good winner ( something called SOTG) you don't learn anything in winning but alot in losing -remember that

 

[gashmoigidy]

I think the way to become great is what many others have said. Know your deck. But i do something most people don't do. I use a different deck every single week at leagues. Some fail, some work. After I've used about 5 Tier 1-2 decks I think which one I wielded the best. Which one I felt comfortable and won with. But here's the important part: you now know how a bunch of the top decks work. You learn more about certain deck's weaknesses by playing it your self.

 

[afstandopleren]

So...from what I get is the following:

1. Play the game A LOT
2. Train vs good opponents A LOT and learn from it
3. Lose A LOT and learn from it
4. Know your deck.
5. Be a great sport.
6. Have a good attitude.

Am I missing some other things on my little list?

 

[bullados]

But the greatest one hasn't yet been said...

Know Thyself.

Beyond anything else, this is an absolute.

Know yourself. Know what you play best. How you play best. What forms you play best.

I realized a long time ago that my strategy is energy acceleration. That has been the basis of all my tournament winning decks. And they've always been the decks that I've played the best.

Jimmy is a technician.

Jason is a gambler.

Alvis is a trickster.

Everybody plays their own decks and their own styles.

Know yourself. Know your strengths. Know your weaknesses.

Only then, will you be great.

 

[gallade]

But the greatest one hasn't yet been said...

Know Thyself.

Beyond anything else, this is an absolute.

Know yourself. Know what you play best. How you play best. What forms you play best.

I realized a long time ago that my strategy is energy acceleration. That has been the basis of all my tournament winning decks. And they've always been the decks that I've played the best.

Jimmy is a technician.

Jason is a gambler.

Alvis is a trickster.

Everybody plays their own decks and their own styles.

Know yourself. Know your strengths. Know your weaknesses.

Only then, will you be great.

you win this thread, but i need to find out how to, i like spread and lock, but does that mean i should play lock decks?

 

[Ruiner]

I have to wholeheartedly DISAGREE with Bullados.

If you accept players inherently having aspects of the game they accelerate at, that is accepting having weaknesses and flaws.

I consider myself better at using set up decks than disruption or speed decks. Not because I cannot play them, but simply because I devote more time to them as more often than not, I feel they are the superior choices in a given format. This format, I have played AMU and Kingdra, both with heavy emphasis on disruption, because I recognized they are the best decks. ( Well, AMU was before SF )

If I let myself get pidgeonholed by what I'm "supposed" to use, I am 70%+ of the time playing less than the best decks. Anyone who is good can play any style of deck perfectly fine. They just may need to play a few games as the deck to get it down. A GOOD player might need to focus on a play style they are very used to, but a GREAT player can pick up a deck, and be proficient with it regardless of its list within 5 games.

Taking Bullados's advice will actually inhibit your ability to grow in the game.

It is useful to identify your weaknesses, but only pay attention to that so you can work on eliminating them.

For example, Bullados references energy acceleration. There are effectively no real viable decks using that approach. The top decks are Kingdra, Dusknoir, Obamasnow, Regigigas, Machamp...roughly in that order. Unless you count Gigas ( which is a lose extrapolation at best of the concept ) none of those are energy accelerated decks. By sticking to your self classifications, your forcing yourself into a tier 2 deck at best.

Last format was EXTREMELY bad for speed decks, for example. Scramble Energy made things brutal for them. GG, and Empoleon ruined them. If you consider yourself a better speed player than anything else, and stuck to your guns, not only did you have a terrible, terrible season, but you also gained little to no growth as a player.

If anything, identify your strengths...don't play them. Play what your worst with, until your get better. You become a more complete, well rounded player. Growth isn't quick, it takes time, don't try to take shortcuts.

 

[vanderbilt_grad]

It’s hard to disagree with Runner, but I find myself liking some middle ground between him and Bullados.

I think that it’s important to know your tendencies, to understand your strengths and weaknesses as a player. This self knowledge is a great tool for building and choosing the decks you use and is indispensable for choosing areas to grow ... learning to mitigate or work around weaknesses and to emphasize your strengths. Love Runner’s point about playing with what you are weak with to grow.

Runner’s point about playing the “best decks” is important as well. Without understanding how all the top decks in format work you aren’t going to get anywhere. Knowing how to play them will also give you the knowledge of how to beat them. Plus playing a wide variety of decks during testing also serves as a tool to help you identify the strengths and weaknesses you may have.

Then there comes a moment before an event where you combine these two things. You determine what the “best” decks will likely be in your area. You decide what you want to run based on what you think can beat those decks and your own style of play. For instance you may pick one of the “best” decks that doesn’t really fit your preferences as much, but tweak the trainers and techs to fit your style better. Or one might build something new old that’s a good personal fit ... I've seen some great reports of really odball stuff, designed to counter a local meta very well, winning Cities.

Regarding Energy Acceleration ... Regigigas, T-Tar, Raichu, Magnezone, and any deck with Weavile (dark G&G) or Sceptile (Torterra & Tangrowth) had some form of “energy acceleration.” The only decks to do well without it were Kingdra & Gengar (didn’t need it), Dusknoir & Abomasnow (cheap attacks & usually partnered with a free attacker in Bronzong), & AMU (usually used Energy Pickup as iffy acceleration). I would argue that if you count the number of “viable” decks unweighted by number of wins you would find that more of them had energy acceleration than not. Admittedly when you weight by number of wins then Kingdra & Dusknoir give more of a tilt away from energy acceleration.

 

[smacktack15]

So what if you opponent sees that you're annoyed s/he wagered you? It won't change a single thing.

Keeping yourself positive going into an autoloss won't make you draw better, have a better matchup or make your opponent have a bad start. Again it won't change a single thing.[/QUOTE]


I wasn't talking about luck. I was talking about confidence. Some people see people as being awesome players so when they face them, they lose focus as they are nervous. I decided that every opponent of mine should be treated the same as skill of player so I can't ever get nervous.

 

[kristi]

Thank you all for your wonderful advice and discussion. This thread has turned into exactly what I wanted it too: full of well-thought statements and helpful tips as well as constructive arguments. I agree with 90% of what has been said, and I'll continue to try to factor in some of these tips when competing. Thanks again, and please, continue.

~Sam

 

[bullados]

Ruiner, it's the only way that I've been able to excel at this game.

Every attempt that I have made to create a non-Energy-Accelerator deck failed miserably. Yes, this includes the vaunted LudiCargo and GG decks.

Every tournament that I've ever won was because of some sort of energy acceleration or manipulation. Blastoise base. Feraligatr NG. Gardevoir RS. Electranite. Dark Heart. Leaftile. Professor Cup.

I recognize my limitations with utilizing complex decks, and I've tempered myself against over-TecHing. I recognize that energy acceleration or manipulation is my favorite and best strategy. Considering that I'm in college currently working towards a Computer Engineering degree, that's about all that I need to know.

You also say exactly the same thing that I said.

Know Thyself.

Understand your strengths, and more importantly, your limitations.

We use different ideas centered around the same thoughts.

I play to my strengths.

You minimize your weaknesses.

Neither is wrong.

But certain methods work better for certain players.

 

[Chuckles]

Then there comes a moment before an event where you combine these two things. You determine what the “best” decks will likely be in your area. You decide what you want to run based on what you think can beat those decks and your own style of play. .

I'd first like to add my kudos to a very informative thread. I will be sharing quite of few of your insights with my senior daughter. For Poke Parents reading this: My daughter has profited a great deal this year from me building every deck in our metagame that I can find a decent net list for. She played 2 decks thruout BR and CC: Dusknoir and Magnezone. She knows them inside and out. And several nights a week we'll sit down and play. I play well enough to give her an idea of how a deck will run. We talk about choices and options. We play "take-back" .... as in she can take back any play she makes if she realizes it wasn't the best play. And sometimes she will play one of the decks I've built. But I don't ever play her tournament decks against her ... I don't want to affect her play style. But I will redshark quite a bit, mostly against myself with various builds, sometimes on-line to check for consistency.

Now my question, based on the above quote. It was not too difficult to get a handle on the New England metagame for BR and CC. But, ith the new set coming in, how do you gauge the metagame? We're playtesting some ideas already using proxies, but are the decks that will start showing up at leagues in a few weeks going to be a decent barometer? I think the "best players" will have a solid handle on this as I can assume they are quietly playtesting the heck out of the new anticipated cards. That's why they are so good. So any advice or thoughts on how the rest of us can tune into the metagame would be much appreciated.
:redface:

 

[kristi]

^ My advice is to not think too hard about the up-coming meta. It is almost impossible to determine what decks will be at states at this point in time. I'm sure that no one would have thought that regigigas was good until jayson started winning CC's left and right with it. I would say to just look over the translations on pokebeach, look at a couple of threads on the gym about the new cards, and just try to see anything that might majorly affect the current meta. That way, you might not know exactly what is coming, but you can know that you have a decent deck to fall back on if what you try out of the new set doesn't work out. However, I wouldn't listen to me if I were you, so yeah...

 

[Mew]

I must agree fully with what Bullados has said here. I always perform better with the same types of decks.

About 4 years ago, this Maldonaldo kid told me about this guy named Jason Klaczyyznikiik and his Terrible T-tar deck (the Speed Grind T-Tar/Pidgeot Deck). Anyway, after about a week of playing with the deck I go on to win a Gym Challenge.

Pretty much all the tournaments I've won or done very well in have been with decks like this. Consistant, fast pokemon that hit for a fair amount of damage. When I play decks like LBS, or Metanite, I tend to do poorly.

E.g. Pow! Block, Dark Steelix, JynxFett, BanDoom, Honchkrow, Kingdra, Blissey. All of these are super consistant and they all can do like 70+ damage easy (well not JynxFett, but that was so rediculosly consistant).


So to reiterate Bullados' post, find your style. Play with the cards that fit your style. Try out all sorts of decks (power hitters, T2's, Energy acceleration, Set-up, Consistantcy, anti-meta red face paint, ect.). Then when one of them feels really comfortable in your hands, try out similar types of decks. When new sets are released, look for the good cards, and then categorize them based on what they do best (like Kingdra is a Consistant, fast card). Keep practicing, and whatnot.

K that's it.