Croatian_Nidoking, you said you have played the game for 10+ years. How often do you judge? If you were asked to go into the ATRT board, pick a random 10 threads on the first page and try to answer them, how confident are you that you get them correct? Be honest.
If it sounds like I'm being rude, I apologize. It's just that I'm not sure exactly how to practice (for example) self-control or learning how to think a few moves ahead. If people could give me a few tips and tricks on how to do these things, it would be greatly appreciated.
Again channelling what pokemonplayer101 said, don't be stubborn. In practice, realize that practice is practice. If you play the wrong card and you don't want to follow it through, tell the opponent and take it back and do something else. If you want to practice if you can get out of a mistake, fine. However, if you realize the mistake and want to play it right to test the deck's full potential, do so.
In practice, talk you play through with your opponent or even ask for help in a situation. If the goal is to get better in testing, confess that you have no idea what your next move should be and ask for a suggestion. If the player you are testing with is there for practice as well, he/she will help you.
I was practicing with a friend last weekend. At a critical point in the game, she paused and said "the point of this is to get better, so I'm going to go through my thought process." At that point, I highlighted various factors she should consider. vaporeon's post,
"Something that I started doing is keeping an eye on my opponents resources. If I see my opponents has 4 Junipers in the discard pile,..." and follow up post #4 is very good. At a point in the game, you have to look at your opponent's ability to respond to you. Your active pokemon, what is its remaining HP. Can the opponent accomplish it and how? Do the cards in hand allow the opponent to do that? If not, what cards could allow the opponent to find the necessary cards. Juniper is a safe card to check at that time because you draw so many from it: how many Juniper are in the discard pile? What are the big hitters your opponent has played and how many are now in the discard pile? Are you concerned about a threat that may not be there (worried that the opponent may play Juniper but there are already 4 in the discard pile)?
At a little past mid-game, there are questions you should be asking yourself in order to get a pulse of the game and/or if you are at a point where you feel a make-or-break play is about to happen:
*What are the quantities of key cards in the discard pile: Juniper, N, Level ball, Ultra Ball, Pokemon Catcher, HTL, Colress Machine?
*What and how many stadiums are in the discard pile?
*Has the opponent played Super Rod?
*What is the opponent's Ace Spec (relevant in best of 3 or if you saw it because of a Skyla)? What does this tell you about the opponent's options? Each one has its advantages but also tells you about threats you should not be worried about.
*Has the opponent played an Ace Spec?
*How much damage is needed to KO any of my own key Pokemon and is that possible? Perhaps ask yourself how would you do it if it were you (a combination of an attack + HTL + Virbank; a Pokemon Catcher + Night Spear; Dark patch + Energy Switch + Rush In + Retreat; a Super Rod + Ultra Ball + Colress Machine? Do you see in these questions how many rely on the answers to above questions to check their possibility?)
*If my main attacker at this point in the game is KOed, what cards in my hand will allow me to get a replacement going (How am I going to retreat the new active, do I have a Level/Ultra Ball to find the necessary pokemon or do I have a way to get those cards, do I have an energy and if not how am I going to get it, did I use all of a Supporter I think I now need (so, check your own discard pile at this time))?
*Does the opponent appear to be out of energy cards? If so, how many are in the discard pile and is it realistic to think he may be out (more useful in best of 3 when you already have an idea of the energy counts because of the energy cards the opponent put into play in the previous game)? Were any retrieved by Super Rod?
Problem is, I can't really afford to play a lot of different decks - just 1 or 2.
Proxy cards.
Which is why I never posted any other links so I'm sorry I fail to see the issue here? ... if pokegym isn't keeping up, then what's the issue with pointing him in the direction of other places?
It is a criticism of the state of PokeGym more than a criticism of your recommendation. :wink: . I expect the information to be on PokeGym because this is a site with a purpose to discuss the TCG. We shouldn't have to google something that should be here.
Your suggestion is valid and may even be helpful because other websites present information differently.
Think of the clutter in Ask The Rules Team because someone needs a ruling answered... that has been answered, repeatedly, including situations using the exact same, currently legal cards as the most recent question.
This is more positive than negative.
