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The Qualities of the Highly Competitive Duelist
10.08.04 Hey everyone I’m back again with an uncommon topic among the many Yugioh articles I have read. It’s also a concept that is not openly expressed in the Yugioh environment. I’m going to explain what I think it takes to be a highly competitive and great player. In addition, I’m going to share a bit of my personal experiences as go on. Ok, now that I’m done with the basics let’s get started!
When you think of these two words: “Premier Event”, what words immediately rush to your mind? For me the words that come to mind are: Preparation, Confidence, Fear, Skill, Victory, Defeat, Dedication, and most importantly, Fun. I’m sure most of you duelists out there have thought about one or all of these words at one point in your Yugioh careers. Not only do you think about these words in major tournaments but in local tournaments as well right?
As we enter Regionals season I must comment that for some attending Regionals is not a frequent experience due to location, money, etc. Those of you with those issues on mind have these particular words in mind more often than others and also experience more pressure to succeed. Failure, to those unable to attend Regionals frequently, means a LONG wait until they can attend the next one. To others Regionals is the next big test of their skills and ability to think quickly in response to unexpected situations. Sadly, for a select few of duelists, succeeding in Regionals is merely a tool to gather up bragging rights and a sense of supremacy over others.
Moving on…I give you my list of qualities I feel is necessary to be a considered a highly competitive and great player in Yugioh and any other TCG:
On Sportsmanship and being Humble…
I believe sportsmanship is by far the most important quality of a great player. Being humble is also a quality that is closely tied with sportsmanship. It isn’t right to be rude or generally unkind to your opponent. I have encountered many a duelist who are just obnoxious and crude, the kind that just doesn’t respect anyone for some reason. The only way to really combat this during your game with this particular person is to call a judge to fix his/her behavior. Another way is to try to see that person as a friend that way you can concentrate on the game rather than pay attention to their behavior. (It works because you can ignore friends and not rude people, J Get it?)
I would also like to point out those who blow winning out of proportion. Pathetically there are those out there who see defeating you as their life goal or something of the sort. Have any of you NOT come across duelists like this? If you haven’t, please stop reading this article; email me right away because I will be personally amazed. J So, as a tip to all of you future greats out there, please DO NOT be arrogant about your victories. Simply smile, shake your opponents hand and walk away. Being humble will get you in less trouble and also remind you that you are not unbeatable either. Simply put, if don’t give the opponent the courtesy of being humble towards them then you didn’t really win anything and just lost their respect.
It all comes down to your skills…
The unpredictability of a game like Yugioh stresses that you must think on your feet. The best way to develop this skill is first of all to practice and familiarize yourself with your deck. Another way to develop this skill is to constantly think about what you will do given a certain situation while playing. For example, you have Don Zaloog face up on the field, and a Waboku set face down. Your opponent activates Premature Burial and targets Jinzo. Here are two sample choices you could have:
1) Activate Waboku and you opponent will have nothing but a useless Jinzo on the field free for you to take next turn with Snatch Steal. 2) Don’t activate Waboku and let your Don Zaloog be destroyed in battle. The next turn you can take that Jinzo with Snatch Steal thus saving Waboku for later on when it is really needed.
That is just an example of the myriad of choices that should be cycling through your head in that situation. The key is to never let anything surprise you. Expecting the unexpected will save you in many more games than getting caught off guard. Let me also stress that dedication is another key thing to developing these qualities of your game-play. Playing only once a week and expecting to win all the time isn’t going to get you anywhere but at the bottom of the rankings. Always practice and self test whenever you can; it keeps your skills sharp and keeps your in-game awareness at its peak.
Note: Knowledge of the metagame in your area or Regional tournament is crucial to your success in this game. Being caught off guard is something you cannot afford if you expect to win these large tournaments J
The Sixth Sense
I believe that every player out there has a sort of sixth sense about what will happen when they play certain cards. Some have developed their senses better than others but we all have this ability. Have you ever been in a situation where you are about to attack and you get a gut feeling that your opponent has Waboku set face down ready to activate to show you that you wasted your time setting up that large attack? Then when you do attack he activates that Waboku that you were thinking about and you sit there and think, “I knew he had that there! Why did I bother summoning all these monsters?” Don’t worry it’s happened to me and every other Yugioh player out there.
Having played so many games I have been able to “call my own shots”, so to speak. I seem to know that there is trap or quickplay that is going to foil my plans and I either try to avoid it or just draw it out to prove that I was right lol. I challenge you to go out there and try it for yourself. Notice how you just get that “feeling” that something is there. It’s very useful and very fun to experiment with.
You must also realize that you can also “sense” these things by reading your opponent’s body language or looking in their eyes. Did you ever hear of the “Poker Face”? Of course you have, just watch Poker on TV and look at the players. Their faces are unchanging and calm no matter what happens. This is another useful skill you must learn to utilize. The next time you stop by your local store, observe how your best player plays his game. Look at the way he/she sits and the expression on his/her face. Now try playing against this person and try to read their body language. If you can’t then he/she has a good “Poker Face” or what I call “Poker Mentality”. This is a skill that you must learn and use constantly. Never let your opponent know what you are thinking. Remember, if you cannot read the body language of your opponent then you must rely on your sixth sense to determine what play you will make.
Patience and Courage…
Have you ever come across that one deck that always used to beat you no matter what you did? Remember how frustrated you were when you tried your best and still couldn’t win? Give me a silent nod if you’ve been through this before. Now I’m not speaking of playing errors or bad luck because I will talk about that later. I’m referring to the lack of patience some individuals have when facing certain decks and in general.
“Patience is a virtue”, my mother once said. Well guess what? Mom was right and I’m sure your mothers were too. I have experienced this the hard way in my Yugioh career. I’m going to let you know right now…If you do not have patience for this game and cannot seem to cope with the fact of losing then you will NEVER win a single game. This is true because negative emotions blind our thought patterns and our thinking. Its how we are, we are only human after all. So, if you are one of these perpetually frustrated individuals, do yourself a favor and read a book, take yoga, meditate, listen to music, let your little brother or sister bug you for hours so that you can develop the patience of a saint! I know this works because I used to be that frustrated player with no patience.
Next I’m going to discuss fear. “What is he talking about? What is there to fear in a card game?” are questions you might be asking yourself right now. I have to ask all you not to kid yourself and say that there is nothing to fear in a card game. I know from experience in close games where I did not attack in fear of the now banned Mirror Force. Now some of you might not attack in fear of running into Waboku or Mirror Wall (a card that has seen increased play in my area). Players win or lose important games simply in fear of something bad happening when they commit to a certain action. I have come close to losing many important games because of fear. From now on, use your sixth sense and develop some courage. Learn how to draw out traps and other cards that will normally ruin your plans later on.
Have Fun (it’s just a game after all)…
Despite all of the tips I have given about becoming a better player, the most useful information I can give you is to enjoy yourself while playing. Learn the balance between having fun in this game and taking this game seriously. Too much fun results in carelessness and too much seriousness results in no fun whether you win or lose. Always remember that we play this game to have fun and not only to win. Winning is fun but losing is as well because no matter what the outcome may be, you learned something new. Having fun is the first step to being successful in this game and being able to compete with the best in the country.
Well…That’s it for me this week. Be ready next week for my next article. However, this time I’ll surprise everyone by not letting you know the topic. J
Also, for those of you who will be attending the Saturday October 9th Regional event in Fort Lauderdale, I will be there competing for an invite to Nationals. I’ll be wearing a black hat that says Ecko in the front and a black shirt that says Team CC in the front “Feel the Wrath” on the back. If you still can’t find me just ask the judges for DeathJester and they will point you in my direction. So when you see me, don’t hesitate to come up and introduce yourself. I’m actually pretty friendly lol. J See you there!
Do you have any comments or questions? I really appreciate the feedback. Email me at deathjester86@yahoo.com
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