Who: Sandman
What: Pre-Release GYM Tornament
Where: Wizards of the Coast Santa Monica,CA
When: August 5, 2000
How: Many players 36


This was the Gym Pre-Release Tournament. The rules were handed out at about 10:30am before the store let anyone in. They told us that only the first 18 would be able to play seeing as they only had three tables capable of seating 6 people in each. everyone was angry but later they announced the second session would be at 2:30pm. They held a raffle to see who would play in the first one. None of my team was selected so we were pretty mad. We had about 3 hours till we would play so everyone who wasnt allowed in the first session sat on the floor and played friendly games with other players. Then it was time for us to play. There was a big confusion on the scoring part. The gym leader announced that the scoring would be 2 points for a win and 1 for a loss. That, I was fine with but then she announced that we had 1 hour to play as many games as we wanted. So in essence if you went 3 and 0 you would be behind a kid who went 0 and 7 which sucks. So here is my deck.

Sponge Removal X
4 mewtwo Promo
3 electabuzz
3 ditto
2 scyther
2 oak
4 bill
3 SER
4 ER
3 Switch
3 Gust of wind
4 scoop up
2 item finders
4 DCE
7 electric
10 psychic
2 grass (sabrinas gaze,GYM card)

I then added a sabrinas gaze and a gym card in case anyone would use energy denial gym and removed my grass energy.

match 1  vs. colorless stall deck
This match was long. I had my buzz active and he had a snorlax active. He also had a snorlax on the bench and an articuno. I KO his snorlax and he brought up an energyless snorlax. I KO him and he brought in articuno fully pumped. He KO my buzz and I brought in a fully powered ditto. Then I ER all his energy and hit him twice for the win.
1-0

match 2 vs. Alakazam stall deck
I had a mewtwo active and he had a TR abra. Believe it or not he took out my mewtwo with abra. I then brought up schyther who took him out in 2 turns. He brought up an alakazam with no power and no benched pokemon. It took 3 turns to take him out for the win.
2-0

match 3 vs. Lickingtung stall deck
What is with all these stall decks. Well this was a looooonnnnnggggg match. He began with lickintung and I began with scyther. I took him out then he brought up another lickintung. I KO that one then he brought up a kangaskhan and I KO him. I scoop up scyther to bring in ditto against his fully pumped Gym Tauros. He flips 2 heads and deals 40 damage to me and himself. Then retreat and bring in my other fully pumped scyther in for the KO. Then he brings up mime. I bring in buzz and keep dealing 10 for the KO.Finally he brings in a kadabra and takes out my buzz in 2 turns. So I bring in ditto for the Win.
3-0

match 4 vs. Psychic Deck
This girl was one of the lucky ones. She got energy denial gym in one of her packs. She brings in mew to my ditto. We each stall a bit to get pokemon in our benches. I get mewtwo out first and she gets an abra right after that. 2 turns later she evolves into alakazam on her  turn with a breeder and gets a chansey with her comp search. She then brings in alakazam and beats on my energyless ditto for the KO. I bring in mewtwo with no energy. She then uses energy denial gym and then hits me for 60 and confuses my mewtwo. Good news I draw a sabrinas gaze and get 11 new cards. I get a bunch of energy removals and energy. I use my bill and draw another mewtwo and MY GYM card. I think its brocks something but I only put it in to stop people from using Energy removal gym. I then ER her alakazam 3 times and then switch and attach an energy to my mewtwo for the sponge. She the powers up chansey leaving alakazam to die. I KO alakazam and my prize is scyther. She brings in chansey and I g!
!
ust of wind to KO Mew. She brings in chansey again and I bring in scyther. 4 turns later I KO chansey for the win.
4-0

Well it was over and we had 2 people with 5-0 records and me and another guy with 4-0 records. Also 2 others with a 3-1 record. So we had sudden death matches of 1 prize.

Sudden Death match vs wigglytuff deck
We both only draw one pokemon to start the game. He gets jiggly and I get Buzz. I win the toss and thundershock him for 10 and Par. He attaches an energy and tries to evolve him but I let him know that its his first turn so he can't. He does nothing. My turn and I ER him and thunderpunch him for 40. Next turn he evolves and slaps a double colorless on him and puts me to sleep.  So I flip and wake up then do thunderpunch for the win.

The gym leader then refused to let me and my teammate Luis who won the 5-0 match play for first place. So even though I went 5-0 I got third place. That sucks big time. I got 2 boosters Luis got 6 so congrats to him. My other teamates Rene got 7th place and Jenny went 1-3 but she lost to the 1st and 2nd place players so I wasnt dissapointed in her.

Props to pojo for the cool Magazines this month(I got both covers), for Luis for winning it all, and for the gym trainer Sabrinas gaze for being an awesome card.

Slops for the poor scoring, for the small space to play, and for the first kid who beat my sister and bragged all day about it.

Thanks Pojo

Sandman
Sabumike@aol.com