Coleman Drake

Ranking            #71 (as of 08/14/2000)

City/State        Cleveland, Ohio

Age                12
                  Compendium Collectibles

[POJO]    What do you like best about the Pokemon TCG?

[CD]      The ability to make a few adjustments to a deck and change it a lot and that you do not have to buy boxes of cards to do good.

[POJO]    What do you dislike about the pokemon TCG?

[CD]      Nothing really besides one huge flaw, COIN FLIPS

[POJO]    Do you find casual play or organized tournaments more fun? Why?

[CD]      I would definitely say organized tournaments because of the intensity and that after a few rounds you are always going to verse someone that is good (since I usually win my first few matches).

[POJO]    Where do you usually play?

[CD]      Gamekeeper twice a week and Compendium Collectibles.

[POJO]    How often do you particapate in organized tournaments?

[CD]      Once a week

[POJO]    What was your most thrilling victory?

[CD]      Probably an old match against Chris Fulop (DCI 14), I was playing my normal raindance and he was using a Dugtrio deck.  He had all of my pokemon heavily damaged and could knock them out in on shot with Dugtrio, however he had one card in his deck and one prize.  I confused his dugtrio with a Lapras, on his next turn he tried to retreat and failed and then hit me with a slash.  The next turn I knocked the Dugtrio out with a  Blastoise, he decked and it was my game.  However he would have knocked out Lapras if a pluspower was not his last prize.

[POJO]    What was your most crushing defeat?

[CD]      Probably an old match against a kid that does not play any more named Teddy.  I was playing my Raindance deck which has earned me my ranking and he was playing a Fossil Muk deck.  I started of bad and had to Oak six energys away, after a while he pulled a Muk and I continually tried to confuse it.  By this time if I could confuse it once with a Lapras I could bring out Two Gyrados and a Blastoise in one round, but I used my three gusts and got three tails.  I then used two Item Finders and got two tails.  After this he brought out a ton of Electabuzz and finished me.

[POJO]    Who is your toughest competition? Why?

[CD]      Chris Fulop, he is the toughest player I know but we usually break 50/50 winwise but he has a higher DCI being able to go to more tournaments has earned him this.  He is the toughest player I know because he constantly brings new decks and has a Ninetales deck that is extremely strong and if I do not play Raindance I'm dead.

[POJO]    What is your favorite card? Why?

[CD]      Blastoise!!! I have my DCI because of it, Raindance is just too powerful.  The ability to attach multiple energy is too strong, I have been playing a Raindance for almost a year and Blastoise has never not won 90% of the matches I play.

[POJO]    What kind of deck do you dread to play against?

[CD]      Any deck that has Electabuzz is a problem.  80 damage at once hurts, and since they can knock out a Lapras, Squirtle, or Wartortle in one shot is incredibly bad on my deck.

[POJO]    What does it mean to be ranked as one of the best pokemon players in the world?

[CD]      Barely anything.  There are some people who should be ranked much higher then they are but they are not in the Top 100, I know I am a good player but still I have not found DCI accurate in who are and are not good players.   Still they

seperate good players from bad but thats about it.

[POJO]    Do you play the Pokemon Video game?

[CD]      I used to but after beating it alot I stopped, but every once and a while I still play it.  But I will play gold or silver a lot coming October.

[POJO]    Do you whatch the pokemon animated series?

[CD]      No.

[POJO]    Do you have a favorite character card? Favorite video game character? Favorite animated series character?

[CD]      My favorite card by far is Blastoise, for the video game I like Zapdos due to all its victorys over all the Elite Four, and I do not watch the animated series.

[POJO]    Do you have a collection of pokemon toys?

[CD]      Yes, I have about ten pokemon Burger King toys and a bunch of various other Hasbro toys along with Topps cards and giant cards.

[POJO]    Anything else you would like to add to this interview?

[CD]      Pokemon is a great game and I intend to play for a long time and I believe that Pokemon league is a great way to start, not tournaments.  I also play Dragon Ball Z and Netrunner which are both fun, but pokemon is definitely the best. Besides that I would like to say play to fun, not for DCI.