PokeGym Judge's Table - Deck Check

[bulbasnore]

On this PokeGym Podcast we pull the Roundtable and present, the Judge Table! This episode is a video-podcast or vodcast.

Pokegym Roundtable Podcast

Judge Table: Pre-tourney Deck Check

You can turn out a Pokemon Trading Card Game pre-tournament deck check in about 2 minutes 30 seconds, if the players deck is in order. bulbasnore shows a method where you combine speed with accuracy so that you have fewer chances to make mistakes.

Keep from being skewered when other judges look at the list you checked pre-tourney during their swoop and top-cut deck checks! Get a fast, air-tight deck check method. Nothing worse than 57 or 66 cards on the list after your check! Here's my method that I've assembled from what I've leared from other judges, mostly Chrisbo and Team Compendium.

This vodcast is longer than the real deal. I do a lot more talking in the video than in a real check, plus I check off the list, to show that we're checking from the deck to the list, instead of just dropping blocks of cards. When you get on a roll with this method it goes really fast! And I GEHR-ON-TEE you will end up with 60 cards on the deck and the list without adding the list.

Deck Check Method Outline:

1. Smile and ask if the deck is in order as on the list... if not, hand back the list and ask the player to get back in line after fixing it*.
2. Check the player info area for:
   • Legibility
   • Completeness
   • Birthday (make sure the year makes sense and matches the players division)
3. Count the deck while you check the backs for:
   • Marks
   • Excessive wear
   • Illegal sleeves
   • As you come across a possible mark, look at the card face, is there a pattern? e.g. all the Rare Candies
   • Damaged/marked sleeves -- rotate the card in place and continue. If there are too many problems, ask the player to get back in line after de/re-sleeve.
4. Check from the Deck to the List.
   • Drop the groups of cards face down as you see them on the list.
   • Fix minor errors, but if you discover out-of-order, or the player hasn't entered required info, hand back the list and ask the player to get back in line after fixing it.
   • Make note of cards that require translations or most recent printings (MRP).
5. Discuss and note any problems to be corrected in the admin area. De-sleeve if there are just a few damaged sleeves, and make a note.
6. PRINT your initials in the admin area, with "pre" depending on your TO.

*You might not want to be quite so hard-nosed later on, but sending a few players with disordered deck back to the line ensures that all the rest will have decks completely in order... and bless those many players who have mercy on the staff by ordering their decks without this motivation! Trust me, you can get players to put them in order in this way and they do like starting the event on time!

Technical notes:
MP4 format.
Spot the error!
This needs to be re-shot in real time, but that's going to be a while, so here comes the long-winded version.

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[Prime]

Really cool Video Podcast. Good job.

[ryanvergel]

What do you suggest for checking 10- and their decks aren't in order or they have trouble? It's hard to tell a brand new player "these cards are not the same.. you need to check the deck symbols... blah blah". Do I ask an older player to help? Their parent?

[Regis_Neo]

*eagerly awaits a MP3 version*

[bulbasnore]

Originally Posted by ryanvergel

What do you suggest for checking 10- and their decks aren't in order or they have trouble? It's hard to tell a brand new player "these cards are not the same.. you need to check the deck symbols... blah blah". Do I ask an older player to help? Their parent?

Yah, I often do both. If the deck is 'in order' (not hard for the player and parent to understand) but rife with illegal cards, I usually ask a professor to help and try to take care of the Prof later for their help. Sometimes (smaller tourneys) we'll actually get with the parent for a few minutes. Often, in either case, its not fixable (too many illegal cards), so we offer a theme deck at or below cost.

We've also had players volunteer a playable deck and give quick lesson/help with the deck sheet. Deck loans like this, in my experience, usually don't get made for Juniors, but Seniors and up.

So, we don't leave them hanging, but either take care of them ourselves or ask someone to help. In SoCal we have a lot of competent and understanding helpers.

[bulbasnore]

Originally Posted by Regis_Neo

*eagerly awaits a MP3 version*

Being a video-cast, I think MP3 would leave something to be desired.

Try this YouTube link and let me know how it works:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-l0pOrtmoI

[Regis_Neo]

Originally Posted by bulbasnore

Being a video-cast, I think MP3 would leave something to be desired.

Try this YouTube link and let me know how it works:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-l0pOrtmoI

Rofl, I guess I missed the part about it being a video-cast; I don't know anything about Podcasts, and presumed they were all audio, lol.

Anyways, the Youtube link works wine, watching it right now...

[Rocketman]

Kim, this was well done. Great job!
Rick

[Epyon0015]

Dont know if you guys dont know yet. I came across 2 different shades of Blue Lucario Sleeves. Just to let you guys know to keep an eye out for those while deck checking

[PokePop]

Originally Posted by Epyon0015

Dont know if you guys dont know yet. I came across 2 different shades of Blue Lucario Sleeves. Just to let you guys know to keep an eye out for those while deck checking

Well aware of it.
Thanks for noting it, though.

[Mew*]

Will a tournament decklist from Pokepedia.net pass the inspection? I heard that judges like them since they they are %100 legible! (I like them because I don't have to write ) I would like to use one at my next tournament and this subject was not covered in the video.

Great video!

[bulbasnore]

Originally Posted by Mew*

Will a tournament decklist from Pokepedia.net pass the inspection? I heard that judges like them since they they are %100 legible! (I like them because I don't have to write ) I would like to use one at my next tournament and this subject was not covered in the video.

Great video!

The cool thing about the Pokepedia list is the legibility/completeness. The glitch is that the admin area for the judge to write in is not the same as the one on the official forms, but we can cope. I don't recall whether the PP list has kept up with the changes for Nats/Worlds (e.g. the special/basic check columns for energy list).

Acceptability of the list is up to your TO. My strategy would be to use the PP list, but arrive at the event early enough to re-copy it if the TO wanted a single standard list for the event (I can't imagine, but it could be).

[Mew*]

Oh thanks, One time I went to a tournament with both just for the heck of it. I just handed in the official form rather than the Pokepedia form. It took me much less time to make the Pokepedia list but its not a big deal if the TO doesn't allow them since my handwriting is pretty neat.

[Dark Weedle]

it takes less than 5 minutes to fill out a decklist

[Mew*]

Originally Posted by Dark Weedle

it takes less than 5 minutes to fill out a decklist

...... I take my time to be easier on the judges and to prevent penalty and confusion.

[checktheemails]

Can you guys add this to ZENcast.com too? for those of us w/ creative zen's and not ipods?