I went to Texas Game Company in Allen Texas last night
(Friday October 29) and competed in the Swiss-style
torunament. You play for 8 prizes per match. Each game
you put out 4 prizes and if one player wins, by
drawing all 4, decking, or clearing opponent's bench,
he gets 4 prizes. Then you start a new game with 4
prizes each again. Once you get 8 prizes you win the
match and 10 points. Because of the new House Rules
you had to play with at least 1 Stage 2 evolution and
7 cards in that line. I had to scramble around and get
a gengar and extra gastly to fit the requirement.
On to my deck.

3 Scyther - 0 R
3 Magmar (fossil) - 1 R
3 Ponyta - 1 R
2 Rapidash - 0 R
4 Gastly (fossil) - 0 R
2 Haunter (fossil) - 0 R
1 Gengar - 1 R

2 Professor Oak
4 Bill
2 Item Finder
1 Scoop Up
3 Energy Removal
2 Gust of Wind
3 Energy Search
3 Plus Power

9 Fire Energy
6 Psychic Energy
4 Grass Energy
4 Double Colorless

The best thing about this deck is the speed and
versatility. The numbers and Rs represent the retreat
cost. So I pretty much do what I want with whoever I
want and gust of wind is no problem if they're trying
to stall me. heheh.

Round 1: vs Stephanie (water)

Game 1: She started Poliwag vs my lone Ponyta. 2 turn
kill for her, I'm scared.
Game 2: Ok need something big here. I get a scyther
and kill her squirtle in two turns then dispose of two
magikraps and win the game. whew...
Game 3: Gastly and Haunter make a great first
impression, killing off her first two basics, then
Rapidash came in and cleaned up. I avoid a washout,
but with all the raindance running around, I'm getting
worried.
Points: 10   Record: 1-0

Round 2: vs Trevor (old stall

Game 1: Funny how Jungle has become old so
fast...seems like yesterday I was buying my first
packs of 1st ed. jungle. I started Scyther vs his
kangaskhan, I kill it in three turns, he sends out
mime. free retreat! gastly comes out and blasts the
clown, then I evolve to haunter to fight kadabra. He
evolves again to alakazam, with 40 damage. I retreat
again for Scyther, plus and kill. He sends another
mime, back comes haunter and game over in a couple
turns.
Game 2: Magmar makes his first appearance a success.
Mr. Mime is the opponent. Smokescreen, then smog +
poison to kill.
Points: 20   Record: 2-0

Round 3: vs Keith (grass)

Game 1: Grass, mmm juicy. Well I get to fight Muk for
the first time, and it is not fun. I got nothing I
needed and Muk just sludged my to death in not too
many turns, but it took a while because of the
contemplating done by both of us.
Game 2: Ok this was the freakiest thing that
happened...I started a Magmar vs his lickitung. I
smokescreen to start, then he flips for tongue wrap.
It's successful then he also paralyzed me. Then he
proceeded to paralyze my magmar SEVEN straight times
and kill it. Good greif. Then Rapidash Scyther and
Haunter get mad and start raising up a storm, grimers
and glooms fall before their wrath as I take Game 2.
Well we hit the time limit tied 5-5, he offered to
flip for it, he calls heads, we all laughed, then we
decided to paper/rock/scissors for the win, but the
owner wouldn't allow it and gave us both a tie, which
basically translated into a loss for each of us.
ARGH!!
Points: 25   Record: 2-0-1

Round 4: vs Jacob (water)

Game 1: uh-oh more water, but this guy only packs one
blastoise and 2 articuno, so I think I have a chance.
I thought I did at least...youngest kid I played too.
ouch. A second-turn blastoise kills my ponyta, magmar
and gastly before I have a chance to start anything.
Game 2: can you say deja vu? Almost but no blastoise
this time...woohoo, just one angry articuno. Not even
my haunter's trancparency can save me now. Dagum...
Points: 26   Record: 2-1-1

Round 5: vs Ben (water)

Game 1: no, not more water, I'm staring my first
2-loss tourney right in the face. noooo, I can't let
it happen. I smokescreen a squirtle with magamr, then
retreat and smashkick +power to win. whew...
Game 2: may my luck continue...I start good with
Scyther and Haunter keeping him reeling, but then
Blastoise comes out and lays the smackdown. I finish
it off with a magmar, but gyarados finishes the game
for him.
Game 3: oh let it be, that I can pull off a win out of
this mess...ok good start my pony vs squirtle. I kick,
but he paralyzes, and thinks he still has a chance.
Rapidash says, "Nada"
Points: 36   Record: 3-1-1

Well, I finish in 5th or 6th I think, that 1-point
loss killed me. Keith finished 3rd and gave me the
jungle pack he won cause of the crap tie. Cool. I got
a holo-victreebell. Won't help me, but hey, I'm a card
closer to getting all Jungle cards. Still several
holos and a few rares away.

Hope to get back next week, where Venusaur's going to
show them all the true power of a Stage 2.

----David Laubenberg (d_laubenberg@yahoo.com)----