6 results for: mini
The Top 5 Items You Need but Might Forget to Bring to Worlds “Not because the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool will be blinding your eyes at high noon, but because it is hard to keep a stern poker face for two days straight. And I recommend not just any sunglasses. In commemoration of the 10-year anniversary of his World Series of Poker Main Event win, we need to channel the transcendent powers of Greg “Fossilman” Raymer: The reptilian shades project the perfect combo of confidence and confusion. Your opponents won’t know what to make of you. The psychological edge is yours. While you want to strike fear and uncertainty into your opponents, you also do not want to overextend your prowess.…
On Entitlement and Why Winning Should Never Be Made More Painful Than Losing “In two years I have seen two authors (and undoubtedly missed many pundits on social media) implore the community to refrain from entering the last chance for Championship Points events at US Nationals unless an invite is on their horizon. Having too little CP means you have nothing to play for, and having too many means you are “grinching.” I find this discussion interesting, and I’ve done some contemplating to come up with my own position on the matter. But first, a story. Back in 2007, one of my buddies, who is a better friend than he was a player, faced off in an early-round…
On Pokémon as a Live Event and the Importance of Respectfully Spectating “Hello, Prizers! I haven’t written anything for this site in a while, so allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Mark and I’ve been playing the TCG for almost three years now. I play in the tiny Netherlands and started in the “Durant era,” also known as City Championships 2011. My first season was nothing spectacular, but in 2012-2013 I got my invite to Worlds in Vancouver as early as the end of City Championships. A few days ago, I earned my invitation to Washington D.C. I’ve been meaning to write this very article for quite some time now,…
How the Pokémon TCG Became More Popular by Becoming Worse “This is the story of how the Pokémon TCG changed from being a game ruled by powerful groups of elite players to what it is today – a far more open and accessible experience. But that process of change has had consequences, not all of which may have been intended: we may have ended up with the game we deserve, but have we really ended up with the game we wanted? I want to start this story by taking you back to my very first World Championships in 2008. I was 12 years old and we made a last-minute decision…
How Ties Turn Honest Players into Rule Breakers “When it was announced that ties were coming back into Pokémon after a lengthy hiatus, I thought it could be a good idea. After all, a draw is a legitimate result in many sporting and other contests (chess, football, cricket). It gives some reward to both sides who have fought to a position where neither is able to gain a clear victory within the time allowed. In some ways this is preferable to a forced result which is often obtained through highly artificial means such as the random chance of sudden death, or a Prize count which naturally favours fast…
Its shell is overflowing with its heightened otherworldly energy. The ectoplasm serves as protection for this Pokémon’s core spirit. (Cursola)
Restoring the Reputation of Rogue “First of all, I want to say what I don’t think constitutes a rogue deck. Slightly altering an established deck in order to improve a matchup is called ‘teching,’ not ‘rogue deck creation.’ Rarely played or outdated archetypes are not rogue. Decks consisting of Pokémon that no one plays because they are just bad aren’t rogue. So-called ‘fun’ decks with near-impossible combos aren’t rogue: in fact, most of the time they aren’t even fun because getting them to function at all is just frustrating. Decks that people use just because they are different aren’t rogue either: these are ‘hipster’ decks,…
It kicks berries right off the branches of trees and then juggles them with its feet, practicing its footwork. (Raboot)
