Hello trainers,
 

As promised, I will continue to spice up my articles leading toward Regionals.  Wow, it's so soon.  In fact, the first set of Regionals is this Saturday!  (April 8)  So, as you all getting ready for your Regionals and beyond, let's look at something that I know other great Pokemon players do - objective playtesting.

 

First of all, playtesting isn't about you vs. Joe, same decks, same matchups, and you beat him 20 times in a row.  That is not playtesting.  Playtesting means you chose the deck that you think gives you the best chance to win, and you test it against a variety of decks, that you believe you'll have to face against and overcome.

 

I won't do the "dirty" work for you.  You have to figure out what decks you need to test/practice against yourself, based on your region.  (For example, what decks are your biggest threats?)

 

Form a chart: something like deck A vs. deck B, and deck A vs. deck C.  Each time, you can maybe somehow distinguish the number of times you've won vs. a particular deck, and the number of times you've played vs. a particular deck.  As needed, use a notepad or alike and take notes.  Do it while it's fresh in your mind.

 

This will give you a general idea how to handle different decks, and give you a solid gameplan.  Think of coaches in big-time sports - such as basketball and football.  They've got a very tough job - they have to use track times (speed), height, talent, and all the other nitty-gritty information to try to assign favorable matchups, and hopefully win the game.  They do this every game, while having to somehow improve their player squad in their athletic abilities.

 

I don't necessarily think investing that much time is the right thing for everyone.  I don't even know if it's right for myself.  Nevertheless, hard work and determination plays a crucial role in determining your success or failure, in whatever you maybe trying to accomplish.

 

Good luck in your Regionals.

 

Take care,

William Hung