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Many players prepare for tournaments in different ways.  I'm going to try my damnedest to do a series based on how to prepare for this year's World Championship Qualifiers.

For some, it's a good night's sleep, nice breakfast, finished decklist already in deckbox, and a group of friends to idly chat waiting for the player meeting.  For most people (myself included, there is a very specific list of criteria to be met for it to be a "real" tournament)

1. Less than 3 hours of sleep
2. You and everyone you came to the event with scribbling down decklists while judges are taking them up, glaring at you for not being ready
4. Not even needing a number 3 on a checklist
5. Pretending that the decks you see people writing down near the front door are the whole meta
6. Prepare to live the whole day off of
a. Sam's club or Laura Lynn sodas
b. Energy Drinks
c. Match Wins
(optional part d. cigarettes, for some)
(optional part e. THERE'S A SUBWAY ACROSS THE STREET?)

All jokes aside, I cannot list on my fingers the amount of events I've been to that I had less than a good amount of sleep the previous evening.  I, personally, do really well when I have very little sleep.  I DO NOT recommend not getting good sleep.  I personally find it hard to focus on more than one thing at a time if I've been awake for more than 36 hours, so I play well because I'm completely 'in the zone' to sound cliche`.  If I were to make a list of the things to take to a tournament (and bring inside with you during the tournament,) here is what I would suggest:
 
1.  Bring your deck
-This may seem obvious, but, you'd be amazed at how often people forget this or parts of it.  Honestly, when it comes to cards, my best advice, if you can't park close to the venue, bring your deck, your WHOLE deck, and NOTHING BUT your deck.  that way, you don't have to worry about trade stuff getting stolen while you are playing.  We all have heard about this happening, it's better for it to, well, just not happen.

2.  Bring a few extra sleeves
-Most sleeves sets come with 50, 60, or 100 sleeves.  Either way, if you sleeve your whole deck, you should have 3-5 extra sleeves left afterward.  It's ok to keep them in your deckbox.  Just make sure to keep them separate from your deck, and not to keep any cards in them.  You don't want a judge to be forced to give you a game loss for having extra cards with your deck.  In the same colored sleeves.  In the same deckbox.  Etc.  Bottom line:  Sleeves split, especially ultra pros (but they're cheap and feel great...), and at a big event, your opponent will ask you to change out the sleeve if you try to play with it anyway.  In the eyes of a judge, that is marking cards.

3.  Pen and paper
-You don't need a TI-84+ calculator to do addition and subtraction.  Pen and paper is infinitely better.  If there is a discrepancy in life totals, pen and paper whens against dice/calculator. *almost* Always.  It also helps you remember epic games to tell you friends about.  There are other times you need it for separate math for battle damage with giga-brilliant or something like that.  It's just useful.  Use it.

4.  Dice
-A Crown Royal bag of D20s isn't what I mean.  Just a couple of six-sided dice or something similar to that.  I personally bring along 8-10 six-siders to most events, just in case.  If you have gorz, you need to have a better token than "I'll turn this card in my graveyard facedown, k?".  If you have a Number 22: Giga-Brilliant, you need to have a way to mark the PERMANENT atk increase amongst your monsters.  Same with Leviathan.  It also helps to determine who goes first. 

5.  A small tote-bag or something similar
-Make sure you bring a smaller bag than a whole bookbag if you are going to focus on playing.  The bigger your bag, the "jucier" it looks to thieves.  Also, make it something that can be easily identified.  Even if it is some sort of logo or picture, something where, if it is stolen, you can spread the word to judges and other players about what it looks like.  It doesn't always work (it usually doesn't, depressingly enough), but, it does make it somewhat recognizable from a distance.  Some examples of bags I've used because you don't see them too much at Yu-Gi-Oh! events:
The main symbol from Fullmetal Alchemist
My Chemical Romance's band name across the front
The cover of Metallica's Master of Puppets Album
A "South Eastern Sports Medicine" bag
None of these things are super unique, but, if you hear someone say that there is a Master of PUppets bag missing, it is more likely to be found than "yeah, it's a black shoulder bag, if has a deck inside and some dice and stuff".

6. A copy of your decklist
-Have it done before you get there.  It's the best feeling in the world just to mess around with friends at big events, especially if it's people from out of town that you don't get to see very often.  There is no need for people to see what you're playing, know all of your tech, AND for you to have to risk a simple error caused by rushing.  I lost a match and didn't top the last regional I went to (11th) because of a decklist error.*

7. Snacks
-Sounds silly, but, stuff that can't be crushed or melted.  We all know it isn't a real event without 'that guy' who smells like he hasn't showered in a week (and actually hasn't), and we all know how hot venues can get just from all the people in the room, so, chocolate and anything that should be frozen is a no-go***.  Beef Jerky is a good idea, chips are good, gummy bears, stuff like that.  I've also seen people bring energy shakes since they're full of calories and things of the like so you won't lose energy halfway through the day. 

8. $20
-All hail the emergency twenty.  I used to live in Florida and one of my dad's friends always carried an emergency $20 on him.  It sounds silly, but, $20 can get you a lot if you're in a bad situation and need food or something like that.  I've seen people stretch $20 (without re-investing it or ANYTHING) over two weeks for food.  Don't spend it on cards.  Don't factor it into your budget.  Just keep the $20 for emergencies.  (This might be more of a life lesson, than event lesson, but, I'm preachin' it regardless).  I cannot stress enough how important, and surprisingly useful this fund is.  Things that this can be spent on
A. Food when you're out of money
B. A Taxi somewhere
C. A Payphone (they still exist, I promise)
D. A Quart of oil if the engine starts making funny "I need oil sounds" on the way home
E. Other non-card related emergencies "when life happens".

That should be all the basics on what to bring to an event.  There are obviously other things to do at events (side events, trading, etc.), but, that's not for this article.  If anyone has any suggestions on what else I should include in this series, feel free to contact me!

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*Don't even get me started**
**Too late already started.  I had 2 Maxx "c"s in my deck, and they couldn't tell if it was a 2 or a 3 on my decklist, so, we can break down the evidence for each

Evidence that it is a two
1. There are 2 in the deckbox/deck
2. The decklist total is a legible 42
2b. There are 42 cards in the deck
2c. If it was a 3, then there would be 43 cards in the deck
3. It might actually be a 2, might be a 3

Evidence that it is a Three
1. It might actually be a 3, might be a 2

(Non Head) Judge decided it was a 3 based on the previous evidence.  I was not allowed to appeal.  I was playing against a friend so I didn't want to raise hell.  He earned the game he won anyway, but, goes to show you, no need to rush.
***I've seen someone ruin their bag and bottom row of trades from trying to bring a sundae cone with a ziplock baggy of ice cubes to keep it cold