DeathJester's Dojo
Money, Power, and Respect: How Far Will You Go to Win???
Bryan Camareno a.k.a. DeathJester
04.05.05

Hello again everyone, I hope you enjoyed reading my interview with Mike Pianka. Before I debut my next interview with Justin Carter I’ve got some news and a different article for everyone. First, Team Fire & Ice’s manager Ayami Shockley has got a great Anime website up and she updates it daily. She’s got an amazing stock of Anime merchandise on sale including:

Anime Posters
Anime Action Figures
Anime CD Soundtracks
Anime Soundtracks
Anime Clocks
Anime Pins
Anime Art Books
Anime Playing Cards
Anime Wall Scrolls
Anime Stationeries
Anime Collectibles
Anime Portraits & Large Posters
Anime Resin Kits
Anime Plush Toys
Anime Pillows
Anime Mouse pads
Anime Apparel
J-Pop CD Soundtracks
Game CD Soundtracks
Japanese Snacks

Also, coming soon is the Team Fire & Ice Online YuGiOh store in which we’ll be selling various YuGiOh items including Singles, Booster Packs, Booster Boxes, and much more. So if you like anything Anime or anything YuGiOh we’ve got what you need. We’ve got great prices and sweet deals so check us out at www.fireniceanime.com. Remember, the website is updated on a constant basis so keep checking back to it if anything isn’t there.

Next up in the news; Team Fire & Ice has got a new member in the team…Aron Yu. At 16 years old he just finished 2nd out of 198 at the April 2nd Fort Lauderdale Regional Event qualifying for YuGiOh Nationals 2005. He dominated the Chaos and Zombie flooded environment with a teched-out Gravekeeper Deck featuring the all purpose Solemn Judgment. Playing two copies of it in the Main-Deck, he was able to counter any surprise mass removal and of course any of those “God-Luck” top-decks many players seem to whine so much about. Aron Yu went 7-1 going into the Top 8 and I went to the Regional with a Chaos/Warrior deck finishing with a 6-2 record in 20th place out of 198. If you’re ever at a major Florida event look for us and you’ll see us there. Our whole team is qualified for Nationals; look for us while you’re there and introduce yourself because we’re more than glad to meet any fellow players. Now; let’s get back to today’s article: Money, Power, and Respect: How Far Will You Go to Win???


With the current season of YuGiOh progressing fantastically, serious tournaments and major events are more plentiful than ever. This game has graduated from giving out booster packs to rewarding successful players with laptops, iPods, Nintendo DSs, uncut sheets of ultimate rare money cards, and of course…the much sought after Cyber-Stein worth as much as $5000 today. Anyone can see that Konami & Upper Deck is taking a more serious approach to this game by offering prizes that tournament winners can sell for profitable amounts of money. This approach has been long awaited by serious tournaments players and the myriad of parents out there. It’s no doubt that UDE will be giving out cash as a prize at major events…maybe even at Nationals this year. With this in mind you can expect next season to be even hotter than the last two combined.

This approach comes with a price however…the promise of money brings with it a tidal wave of problems. Yes it’s evident that even now we have our fair share of thieves, scam artists, and annoying troublemakers, but they’re all small time crooks. What I’m talking about are the players that try to cheat their way to the Top 8 of an SJC or Regional event. I cannot debase the players and/or teams that have previous agreements between their friends as to who wins or loses when they match-up against each other; most of the time it’s for the good of the team or friends. Those circumstances are outside of the jurisdiction of any UDE Judge.

However, I can say that there are those out there who bribe others to give them wins; this is done with cash, cards, or whatever is worth the opponent’s while. There are also those who attempt to rig the Top 8 at a major event by convincing someone to drop so that their friends can make Top 8. When I Head Judged a VS System PCQ in Fort Lauderdale I had to disqualify two players (Whom I will not share their names) for what Upper Deck calls “collusion” in their policy documents. To my dismay however one of those two players received a courtesy invite to the Pro Circuit for various reasons I will not discuss.

In my experience in both Magic: The Gathering and YuGiOh, I’ve seen my fair share of bribes and Top 8s rigged for the benefit of another. This happens all the time and is rarely ever noticed by those in charge. I’ve been bribed numerous times for wins and I can proudly and honestly say that I’ve never accepted anything from anyone in exchange for a win. Surprisingly enough, bribery occurs at the most prestigious of events like an SJC for example. The promise of money, fame, and respect is hard to ignore for most. It’s the driving force that attracts so many to these events. Fame and respect is what all top players seek in this game, recognition is important. You don’t want to talk to someone and they reply “Who are you?” If you’re a good player, this is a death knell to your reputation.

So my question to all of you scam artists out there is: How Far Will You Go to Win??? YuGiOh is evolving into a game that can offer large amounts of money to anyone who can conquer the rest of the competition. As noted at SJC L.A., there’s a plethora of teams looking to make it to the top of the game by traveling and staying at hotels. This task requires money that most teams don’t have readily available. Hence, there is a need for sponsorship by businesses such as local card shops. Team Comic Odyssey has shown us that this route can be successful and they’ve been the pioneers for an honest operation since last season. I congratulate you guys for running a clean operation. Every team after Odyssey has tried to follow in their footsteps and only a select few become successful in both traveling and winning honestly. To those teams who are successful in your operations, I congratulate you and respect your effort.

Unfortunately, there’s always a negative aspect to everything. There are teams out there with sponsors who can shell out large amounts of money for wins and/or recognition. When you have near unlimited resources and various “contacts” that you can call for things to get done, things start to get a little crooked. Those of you who are “in the know” know exactly what I’m talking about. Who do you have to know to get a bit of national recognition in this game? How much money do you have to pay someone to give up their Top 8 spot at a major event? These are questions I’m asking you dishonest players as I observe recent developments in the game. I assure you that any top player in this game can smell a pretender from a mile away. If you can pay your way to victory, then what does that say about this game or any game for that matter? Where is your sense of pride and respect? Where is your respect for those who work hard for their success?

If you’re looking to make it to the top with the “big boys,” then you better come correct. My reason for saying that is that you can’t buy your way to the top of Nationals or Worlds. Your real skill shows when you match-up against players who’ve actually earned their success and recognition. I can guarantee you that if you are one of those who’ve paid or bribed their way to victory, you’ll be sent home packing; whether it’s by me or any of the hard working qualifiers out there who deserve their success. You won’t even get past Round 3. Remember the old saying: “What goes around comes around.” I trust that by the time Nationals rolls around UDE will have a tight operation that will prevent anyone from buying their way to the top.

Later this week I will have two interviews up and available for reading; Justin Carter from Kentucky and Kane Provis from Australia. Until next time everyone; remember to practice, stay focused, and most importantly…have fun!

You can always email me at deathjester86@gmail.com with any comments, questions, or suggestions. I’ll do my best to get back to you quickly as quickly as possible.