Hello.  I'm here to report on my latest tourney at Games Galore in
Raleigh, NC on 2/26/2000.  It's crazy, it was supposed to be at a park
but they had to move it to the store.  Oh well. . . the gym leader gave
everyone a Mew, so now I have three. About 20 people were at this
tournament.  I built a poison deck, which is my favorite status effect
and used Muk, Nidoking, and Weepinbell.  Muk's to kill Rain Dance, which
I really REALLY hate.  Nidoking and Weepinbell can poison and that's
good.  Here it is:

Pokemon (19)
4 Grimer
3 Muk
3 Bellsprout
2 Weepinbell
3 Nidoran(M)
2 Nidorino
2 Nidoking

Energy (22)
22 Grass Energy

Trainers (19)
3 Bill
2 Professor Oak
2 Gambler
3 Gust of Wind
1 Pokemon Trader
2 Computer Search
4 Energy Removal
2 Super Energy Removal

CPU Search and Trader are in to search.  Gust will bring out weenies
like Mr. Mime.  Bill, Professor Oak, and Gambler are for card advantage,
and Gambler sometimes puts cards back into my draw pile.  Energy
Removals are for all important game control.  Here we go:

Round 1 vs. John Estevez (Fossil potpourri)
I had a Bellsprout and he had an Electabuzz.  I had the Nido line in my
hand and was going to power up my Nidoran (M), but energy removal kept
me down.  I had to trade a Weepinbell for a Grimer to keep the game
going and I did get started with a few Muks.  He controlled the first
half of the match but I came back. So now I have two prizes and he has
one. He has a Magmar L31, two Electabuzz, and a Ditto.  I have two Muks,
a Nidorino and an active Weepinbell.  I needed to Oak with a Muk in my
hand and after the Oak I had three cards left in my draw pile.  I could
kill Electabuzz with my Weepibell, but he had a Magmar that I was
concerned about.  My Oak gave me two Energy Removals and I used them on
Magmar.  I killed Electabuzz with Razor Leaf, but to my dismay he had an
Electabuzz, charged it, did Thunderpunch and that was the game.  This
guy and his brother was really cool, this was a fun match.  Record 0-1.

Round 3 vs. Jake Burgdorf (Another Fossil potpourri)
He had an Electabuzz Fossil Gastly out, a Hitmonchan, and a Chansey.  I
used a Grimer and eventually a Nidorino just to stall.  Then I had a Muk
in my hand a Grimer out.  I need another turn so I evolved my active
Nidorino into Nidoking to give me more time.  Then I started rolling
with Muk.  I killed his base set Gastly and his Electabuzz.  A
Hitmonchan came in and started Jabbing and Special Punching my Muk and
he was dead so I sent in Weepinbell.  Energy Removal saved me but
Hitmonchan kept being Super Potioned, but eventually I killed his
Hitmonchan from Poison and then his Fossil Gastly.  Yay, I won!  Record
1-1

Round 3 vs. Clint Postlthwait (Energy Denial, water)
He quickly had out a Poliwrath and my Grimer was in danger.  He was
using lots of Energy Removal.  I was lucky to get some more basics and
some Energy Removal.  Some lucky coin flips had Poliwrath dead and then
with Muk killed his Golduck and then I started rolling with Nidoking.
Win!  Record 2-1

Round 4 vs. Matt Cole (Lightning deck)
He had an electabuzz and my Grimer had to minimize a lot and when it
wouldn't help, Nasty Goo, which got me through.  His Electabuzz died and
then he had a charged Zapdos.  He killed some of my Grimer but I was
lucky with some S. Energy Removal and I busted out a Nidoking.  I then
killed his Raichu, Zapdos, Ditto, and Jolteon.  I needed to win this to
be in the running for some of the prizes.  Record 3-1

Round 5 vs. Sammy Durall (Lightning/Water deck)
Two Nidoran I had and he had an Eevee.  I got a Horn Hazard off and he
had some Tail Wags.  He got out snorlax and I had powered up my other
Nidoran to a Nidoking.  My first Nidoran died and my Nidoking was
limited to thrash because of thick skinned, until I got out Muk!  I had
also powered up another Nidoking, but it didn't matter I won!  Record
4-1

I won in the 12-14 age bracket, which was my first success in a
tournament.  I got three Jungle packs, a Fossil, and a Base Set 2 which
was really cool and also a foil stamped Kabuto.  If you want to know,
the Base Set 2 foils use the foil used in the Japanese cards.  What a
day!  Drop me line if you have any praise or suggestions.

Props:
Games Galore for holding the tournament
My dad for taking the time to drive me to the tourney
Everyone who lost to me, no J/K

Slops:
None, really!  It was a great day for me!

Daniel Duterte
dduterte@earthlink.net

(go heels)