[Yu-Gi-Oh! Tips by Black Obsidian]
1. First match of a duel toss a coin and the winner chooses to go first or second. All matches with the same person subsequent to the first one, the loser of the previous match chooses to go first or second.
2. If a magic/Trap/Monster is played into a specific Field Zone it should stay there until otherwise decided by a card played. Even if there are empty zones in front of the monster you are about to attack, DON'T MOVE IT. This may seem like a silly rule until you look at cards like Needle Wall. Had a monster just been moved and then the dice rolled you're likely to have arguements about where the monster was before you moved it.
3. Declare EVERYTHING you do and wait for a response. There's nothing worse than the situation my mate Dave had in the Nationals last year when someone played Pot of Greed straight into the graveyard and drew his cards. Dave had Imperial Order set and would have played it but he's too nice - He never said anything and subsequently lost that match. As I said to him, if that was my opponent I'd have said no way and called a judge.
4. KNOW YOUR CARDS!!! If you're using a card in your deck, check out the OFFICIAL rulings on it (www.netrep.net). People shouldn't ever have to question one of your plays. It's even worse when they question your play and the judge agrees with them that you're wrong.
5. Always ask your opponent if they wish to Chain to one of your cards or Continue with a chain. I.e. If you activate Ring of Destruction and are intending to chain to it with Barrel Behind the Door, activate Ring and then ask your opponent if they want to chain - If your opponent chains a card you cant't use Barrel Behind the Door. If you play Ring of Destruction and then immediately chain to it with Barrel WITHOUT offering your opponent the next link in the chain they may invoke the Replay Rule and the step will be repeated in the correct manner. This can also cause a Minor Penalty in the Duel.
6. ASK before you start looking at an opponent's Graveyard, Deck etc.
7. When using a card which allows you to Search your deck for a specific card or when drawing cards from cyber jar etc, show them to your opponent and allow them time to read the effects and stats if they wish.
8. When flipping a card down that has been face up on the field (i.e. from the effect of Book of Moon), you should tell your opponent the effects and stats of the card if they ask. Show them the card if they ask to see it when you declare the action. Once play has continued you are not REQUIRED to reminded them of the stats or effects on the card - If you WANT to tell them it's your choice but it's polite.
9. Mystical Space Typhoon does NOT Negate a card, it just destroys it. If you play Mystical Space Typhoon and declare an opponent's face-down card, they can chain to it if they wish providing the card they chain with does not need to stay on the field (Call of the Haunted as an example CANNOT be chained but Waboku can).
10. Read the section of your Yu-Gi-Oh! Manual on Chains. Familiarise yourself with Spell Speeds. Again I've seen quite a few people trying to chain a Spell Speed 2 Trap card to a Spell Speed 3 Trap card. For example, I summon a monster, they activate Book of Moon, I chain to Book of Moon with Spell Shield Type-8 and they try and chain to that with Ring of Destruction. Ring of Destruction is a Spell Speed 2 card meaning it can't be chained to Spell Shield Type-8 which is a Spell Speed 3 card.)
Questions? Comments? Feedback? Email me - BlackObsidian@ukf.net