Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Laying to rest the specter of impropriety.

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Deck lists are no good at all if no deck checks are done during the event.

I was at a pre-release this last Sunday. We opened our cards & made out a deck list, then turned it in.

Then, while waiting for the event to begin, packs & boxes were being sold!!!
I could have bought some, picked out the best cards & switched some out. No one would have known any different since there wasn't any kind of deck check throughout the entire event.
 
Big Daddy Snorlax said:
They were selling Magma/Aqua packs? I didn't think TO were doing that any more.

BDS
Click to expand...

Yes they definitely were. I bought a few packs myself, then after the main event, I bought a box.
Some of the people that work at the store & were staff know what they're doing, but when the owner overrules them, what are they to do?

I've seen this place do other things against PUSA rules as well & told others before we ever went there that I'd bet they'd sell packs. I didn't expect it to be during the event though!
 
Furret wanders out of the Room looking for Marril 2k.

Espeon and Umbreon continue their conference.
Umbreon "I think we need to study the opposition."
Espeon "Hmm..."
Umbreon "Their are at least 4 different types of cheaters.

One - Those that are new to the game and cheat because
they don't have good enough cards and don't know the rules
very well. They have never attended a serious event and
therefore really don't understand Pokemon or good sportsmanship.
They put three fire energy on their Charizard every turn and
tell newbies that water is weak to fire.
These people don't really present a serious threat to good players.
Once they see how the game should be really played and they
are exposed to good judges and professors, they improve.

Two - Those that cheat because they don't play well and
make poor decks. These are the kind of people good
players beat. They also are somewhat easy to catch at
cheating. Sometimes, simply calling a judge over to correct
situations is quite enough to keep them in line.
The existence of Team Compendium is extremely important
in dealing with these type of players. Without a standard for
everyone to go by, the game would never get past this stage.

Three - Those that cheat because their self esteem is very low.
These people feel that they always have to win. Selfishness
prevails in their life. They have been to tournaments, they have
good decks, but that is not enough for them, they always are
discontent. They have learned to put up a good front, but
the mask usually drops when they play. An opportunity to cheat
appears and they take it regardless of the rewards or risks.
This is one of their flaws and it makes them more likely to be
caught. These players study judges and try to predict when
deck checks will happen. They play fast and quick without
always explaining what they are doing.

Four - Those who are very, very good card sharks. Their skill level
is high at illusion. The hand is faster than the eye. They can play
well. They can act like they are drawing a card, but instead pluck
something off the top of the discard pile. These players are very
rare. Not many of them exist in Pokemon. Other games are more
profitable and more suited to their temperament. They know about
loaded dice, but keep regular dice for most rolls. They measure
fear versus greed. How much they will gain and how big the risks
are. They study the judges well. They play fast and quick.
They could be children or teenagers taught by other adults.
They would be greatly handicapped by a strict system of security.
Slowed down enough for a really strong player to win. Eventually,
they might become haughty by how much they can get away with
and grow too bold. Once caught these people are remembered
because they play in high level competitions.

Umbreon continues analysis...

Furret returns with a fistfull of Green Stampers thanks to Marril 2k.
Furret wanders into the next room looking for a Black marker...
Furret returns with tape, poster board, some sticks and a Black marker.
Furret settles down in a corner of the room and begins making a sign.
 
Espeon "Now, we look at our allies...

One - The players themselfs. Pokemon has the nicest
group of players of any TCG. Most of them will not cheat.
Most of them know the rules well and like to teach others.

Two - The parents. This is the greatest untapped resource
that Pokemon has. More on that later.

Three - The PokeGym with great moderators.
The other good websites about Pokemon.
There are at least half a dozen. Hats off to all of you.

Four - Team Compendium

Five - The Premier Tournament Organizers and Judges
who have done their job and kept thing going during the transition.

Six - The Professor Program which Nitendo needs to
learn to trust and value.

Seven - The Local Tournament Organizers and Gym Leaders.

Eight - God himself, who watches over the nice things in this
world like Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Walt Disney World, etc.

Without all this Pokemon would not have survived the switch
in Companies from WotC to Nitendo."

Furret goes and gets Doug's drafting equipment and uses the
T square and Triangles to pencil in lettering.
 
Umbreon and Espeon go over to look at Furret's layout
on the Poster Board.

Espeon "Perhaps if you switched them?"
Umbreon shakes its head "Chronologically is more logical."
Furret pauses and walks back a few paces to get a better look.
Furret nods to Espeon.

Umbreon and Espeon return to Furret's notes.

Umbreon "Now, the big question, how do we increase staff
efficiency to make sure deck checks are performed often
enough to make a difference?"
Espeon "I think it can be done, and understanding the importance
of it would give it a better priority."
Umbreon "You mentioned Parents - why? Some of them don't
know the first thing about Pokemon."
Espeon "Good Judges are essential to Pokemon, if fact one of
Doug's relatives says good judges are more important than
tournament organizers.
Umbreon "I definitely see your point."
Espeon "Judges are given things to do that do not require judging
skill to handle."
Umbreon nods
Espeon "Like keeping track of the slips that say who won and lost."
Umbreon nods "You would need someone you trust for that job,
but they would not need to know anything about Pokemon.
All they would need to know is that they must make sure both
Players understand what their are signing. If both players do not
agree on who won the game, then a judge should immediately be
called over. At least one-third of a judge's time is spent on this task."

Furret turns the poster over and studies the back of it.

Umbreon "Perhaps players could raise their right hand to call a Judge
over or raise their left hand to signal that they are done with a game."
Espeon "Still, we need deck checks themselves to be faster."
Umbreon looks over at Furret.
Espeon continues "What do we need to check for the most in a deck
check?
 
Furret smiles and starts lettering the back of the Poster.

Umbreon "What is a deck check for?"
Espeon "Right, it is to stop cheating."
Umbreon "So, what are the cheaters going to do?"

Furret continues lettering

Espeon "Hmm..."
Umbreon "8 Dunsparce and 8 Rare Candies in one deck?"
Espeon nods
Umbreon "Changing color types to take advantage of their next opponent
or to protect from weakness to their next opponent."
Espeon nods again
Umbreon "Putting illegal cards into their deck that don't belong in
the Modified format."
Espeon "Players would see that. But it sure could be a hassle if the
deck was not caught by deck checking before the event began."
Umbreon "Totally switching one deck for another one."
Espeon "A good reason to deck check Unlimited tournaments, where
most deck types have been thoroughly analyzed"
Umbreon "Placing cards into a deck that where not part of the sealed
product that the Player received or drafted."
Espeon "Hmm..have to think about that one..."
Umbreon "Stacking a deck so that Evolution cards are beside the
Basic Pokemon cards that they evolve from."
Espeon "A distinct problem in Sealed Tournaments where drawing
power is rare."

Furret gets out a Green Stamper and smiles.
 
Furret begins madly stamping Green ink all over the poster.

Umbreon "One does have to be careful with deck checks
so that other Opponents do not see what is in the deck."
Espeon "What about deck checks at the beginning of the
Tournament where a Player could walk by a spy on what
is in somebody's deck before they turn theirs in.
Umbreon "I would considered that a form of cheating if
the player is taking care not to reveal their deck. Judges
should make deck checks behind a screen or do something
to hide the deck if they are making a check before the
tournament starts. In a smaller tournament,
knowing what some of the best players have already turned in
is a huge advantage."

Espeon "Also, during a tournament or right before the finals
it is not good to let someone see how many of a certain
key card is in someone's deck."
Umbreon "So, Judges have to handle this carefully, or
deck checks could turn into cheaters spying on their opponents
and then not worrying about any deck checks later in the game.
Because there aren't any being done."

Espeon "It is time to really rethink how to do Deck Checks."

Furret's stamper runs out of ink.
Furret tosses it over its shoulder and
begins madly stamping with another one.
 
Umbreon "Notes??"
Espeon nods solemnly
Umbreon "A judge could have a note card, piece of paper, or a black book
with a player's name and a simple definition of what their deck is like."
Espeon "Like E/G, Amphy EX, Magn, Muk Ex, POR."
Umbreon "Exactly, with more of less detail as desired."
Espeon "Ok"
Umbreon "So, let's say as the Judge is filling out slips.."
Espeon "Wait a minute, somebody else can do that!"
Umbreon continues "...the Judge picks up the winner's deck..."
Espeon "Why the winner??"
Umbreon "Because at the moment it really doesn't matter
what is in the losers deck because either way they lost."
Espeon nods
Umbreon "the Judge quickly flips through the deck..."
Espeon "What are they looking for?"
Umbreon "Well, that should vary, randomness is important."
Espeon "Like more than 4 of certain key cards?"
Umbreon nods "And other things, like what is the basic
type of this deck."
Espeon "I bet they get out their little black book to look that
deck up too."
Umbreon "Anyway, in this example, the player had removed
Muk EX part way thru the tourney because Muk EX turns off
Amphy EX's Pokemon Power."
Espeon "So, when a key element of the deck was missing,
then the decklist is brought out for a full deck check, and
of course, the situation was handed over to the head judge to
handle."
Espeon "How did the black book get all that info in it to begin with?"
Umbreon "One way is to just start adding it into the book during
round one in your first set of deck checks. The other way is to
go thru the decklists before the tournament starts and write
down what you want."

Furret's Green Stamper runs out of ink.
Furret looks at it and shakes it a couple of times
and then throws it over its shoulder.
 
Furret gets out another Green Stamper and
begins carefully moving around the edges of
the letters.

Umbreon "What if part way thru the tournament, a Judge
felt pressed for time?
Espeon "After perhaps the third round, or after lunch?"
Umbreon nods
Espeon "Let's say there are 68 people in a tournament.
Three rounds have gone by. Where is the most attention
needed? Who has the most to lose or gain?"
Umbreon rolls its eyes, laughs and says "The person
at table 34 who just dropped out of the tournament?"
Espeon "Tables 1 thru 8 are very important now."
Espeon "Tables 9 thru 16 are mildly important."
Espeon "Tables 17 thru 34 are least important."
Umbreon nods "Most of the winners are sitting in the first 4 tables.
So, we give them more attention and deck checks."
Espeon "A judge could start picking up decks at Table 1 right
before the rounds began. Randomness is important."

Furret turns the poster over and reaches for the Black Pen.

Espeon "Let's see what you have done so far, Furret."
Umbreon walks over.
 
old man said:
Deck lists are no good at all if no deck checks are done during the event.

I was at a pre-release this last Sunday. We opened our cards & made out a deck list, then turned it in.

Then, while waiting for the event to begin, packs & boxes were being sold!!!
I could have bought some, picked out the best cards & switched some out. No one would have known any different since there wasn't any kind of deck check throughout the entire event.
Click to expand...

You bring up a VERY good point. While all my opponents at that event were friendly, smart, and (above all) scrupulous people, this could have not been the case for an unfortunate person who lost illegitimately. There was plenty of time to sell packs AFTER the tournament...not lke they'd just run away anytime soon, eh? People who bought these would have STILL bought them, and security would not have been sacrificed to such an extent. I've had the pleasure of playing under great Professors, and the owner is a nice guy as well, but better safe than sorry, I think.
 
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Snorlax,

rolls over blinks the sleep from his eyes and sees all the spammy posts; he yawns, then looks at the rankings and jolts awake angry now to be disturbed.

WHAT IS THIS... TO's playing in their own tourneys, rankings for fictious players, all tourneys getting a K value of 32 regardless of size or quality of judges, players openly admit to cheating and getting praised on the boards, TOs and PTOs admit using unlicensed software and to maladministration of events.. and over it all PUI looks down and says .. it's ok we'll use these rankings for invites to WORLDS!!

You may as well throw the whole lot away as the system is seriously flawed! But we'll never admit that says PUI and lays down a sleepgas attack of even bigger tourneys and prizes there they'll never notice just how PUI it is with all the shiney prizes to keep them occupied.

Snorlax blinks at the shiney goodies and yawns rampage over and turns over to sleep ... mmmm ground lumpy .. ah snorlax picks up bodies of Umbreon, Espeon and Furret and throws them behind a bush.. that's better, he snuggles down for some sleep.. SNORRRRRRRRRRRRRELAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
 
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What I noticed on this last pre release was a really fascinating evolution of cheaters magneton style, I mean, we are used to lone cheaters, but this was a head on encounter with the cheating-gang, we had some cases of people joining forces so they could upgrade their chances of victory, after uncovering some of them (hope we caught all) we talked to them and found out some very useful points they mentioned, since the cheater is a loner, for changing good cards with another player would obviously increase that other players chances to win, though they mentioned some security that since it was a 76 persons event, it was unlikely they would meet, and frankly, when you got 2 archies, 2 aqua's conspirator and 2 aqua's schemer, what would seem wrong about trading that useless zandoose for that so needed second walrein.
Fortunately they did not knew about the new booster distribution, and I easuly spotted a 3 zangoose deck, and even a deck with 7 rares, and a teen swearing he got that kyogre and sharpedo and seviper on the same booster.
I agree that strict control helps on the case, but frankly we usually are not capable of doing this so easily, so a keen eye might help more than 3 extras judges.
I suggest you simply pay a lot of attention while watching the games, that way you can see and learn more than many know.
 
Furret picks itself up out of the bushes and
starts pulling leaves out of its hair.
Furret looks over and see its sign is bent.
Furret picks it up and tries to straighten it out.

Umbreon dusts itself off.
Espeon does a Psyscan of the area
to analyze to situations.

Furret rushes towards Snorlax with sign in hand.
Furret starts hitting Snorlax with the sign.
Furret "Get up, you big lug."
Furret sign get more bent.

Umbreon walks closer to Furret and sits down.
Umbreon glances at Espeon.
Espeon uses Future Sight.

Furret continues thrashing Snorlax with the sign.
Furret "Wake up, you are sitting on Doug's drafting equipment."
Umbreon mildly says "It doesn't appear to be sitting to me."

Espeon uses Teleport and disappears.

Furret pauses and starts to smooth the sign again.
Furret looks to Umbreon for guidance.
Umbreon and Furret go looking for Furret's Backpack.

Later...

Umbreon dumps Furret's backpack on the ground
and begins sorting thru the contents.
Furret pull out a Full Heal and hands it to Umbreon.

Furret walks over to Snorlax.
Furret "I am not afraid of you."
Furret begins thrashing Snorlax with the sign again.

Umbreon clears its throat.
Furret pauses.
Umbreon "We have been complimented by him."
Furret listens and nods.

Espeon teleports back in.
Umbreon hands Espeon the Full Heal.
Espeon "Wish me luck!"
Espeon teleports out.
 
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