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Before we begin I like to thank Pojo
for putting this up for me!
Frank’s Pojo Screen Name:
http://www.pojo.biz/board/member.php?u=30037
Ally: Lets start off with a easy
question, what is your name?
Frank: Franklin Delano Almeida
Debrito
Ally: Interesting name. What language
does your name come from?
Frank: I was born in Brazil. Parents
were fascinated by US President Franklin Delano
Roosevelt so I was named after him.
Ally:
Well, you
definitely have a cool name wish mine was like that
:<. Anyways, what level YGO! judge are you?
Frank: I am a Level 3 Yu-Gi-Oh! Rules
Knowledge Judge.
Ally:
Cool! What
made you want to start judging YGO?
Frank: The store I used to attend did
not have an official judge and drew a crowd over 100
on their weekly Sunday Tournaments so myself, along
with fellow Level 3 Judges, Simon Sangpukdee, and
Feroze Ramcharan, would always be asked if a play
was legal or not., so to help out the integrity of
the South Florida Metagame, we decided to take the
Rules Knowledge Tests once Upperdeck Entertainment
released them.
Ally:
Thats a
good way to start out. What made you want to become
a higher rank in judging when you passed the level
one YGO! test?
Frank: At the same time the Level 2
test became available, our store owner became the
PTO for South Florida and we were his Judge Staff.
With the desire to make the South Florida players
happier, we wanted to increase the C-Value of the
Tournaments we judged so when we found out the test
was available at the Mall Tour here in Aventura, we
made the drive to take the test. This was also the
first Time I got to meet Jason Graber-Meyer, Julia
Hedberg, and Ian Estrin (Though I am sure they do
not remember it lol)
Ally:
Wow! I bet
you had fun talking to them? What was it like
meeting all those people?
Frank: At the time, Jason and Julia
were "Duel the Master" Staff. Ian was there to
administer the Judge Testing. In fact, Simon was
more of the "Resident" judge and probably made more
of an impact on Ian/UDE than we did. Feroze and I
always let our ethics and test results show what
type of judge we are. Simon has always been more
Vocal when it comes to introductions lol.
Ally:
Speaking
of ethics on the test results do you think a judge
level means anything with ruling wise?
Frank: All Judge Level signifies is
that you are good at taking tests. I know plenty of
Level 1-2 Judges who deserve to be Level 3 but are
not very good Test Takers. Don't be fooled by the
Level 3 symbol, for that is all it is.
Ally:
I couldn't
agree more. How were you able to take the level 3
YGO! judge test?
Frank: I actually did not pass the
test until my third time taking it and when I
eventually did pass, I became the 15th Level 3 Judge
at the time. I originally took the test at Megacon
Orlando when the test had first come out. I failed
the test with a 70. I than flew to San Diego a few
months Later solely to take the Level 3 Test.
Unfortunately I failed with a 74. I then took the
test for a third time during the first ever Shonen
Jump Championship at SoCal and passed the test with
a score of 80.
Ally:
Third
times a charm as the saying goes! Made better then
what I did the first time I took my level 3. I made
a 67 on mine. So do you have any inspiring judging
tips for the new judges out there?
Frank: Hmmm. Well, do not let a
score on a test tell you how good of a judge you
are. Work hard and you will be recognized for your
hard work and dedication, not because of your Judge
Level. Study hard for there is always something to
learn with this game.
Ally:
This is
true. Well random question time! What your favorite
ice cream!
Frank: Vanilla and Strawberry
Ally: Awww
mines Vanillia and Mint yuck on Strawberry ~_^.
Anywhoo! What you think of the new banned list?
Frank: Personally I am not a big Fan
of Snatch Steal returning but it has definitely
opened the way for new decks to appear in the
mainstream Metagame. Just look at the most recent
Shonen Jump Championships, so many diverse decks.
Ally:
I couldn't
agree more! What’s your favorite card and why?
Frank: That is a tough question. My
original favorite card used to be Nimble Momonga. I
ran those little Furry Flying Rabid Squirrels in any
deck I built. It then Became Kuriboh, can't really
go wrong with that little Furrball. Now, I do not
really have a favorite.
Ally:
Kuriboh is
cute <3. Hehe well anyways I'm going to wrap this up
with one final question! What would you like to
accomplish more in your judging career?
Frank: Well, Last year I was asked to
Judge along with Julia Hedberg Yu-Gi-Oh! Worlds in
Tokyo, Japan, but I had to pass on the offer.
Personal Obligations made it so that I would be
unable to make it on those days. I would like to
Head Judge a National Championship and Possibly a
World Championship one day. In addition, eventually
getting a job with one of these gaming companies. I
have alot to offer and feel that my track record has
proven that I am capable of holding my own at
Premier Events. In addition, earnin the respect of
not only my players, but fellow co-workers has
always been a goal. I am only as good as my staff.
If not for them, none of these accomplishments would
be possible.
Frank: Oh yeah…
Frank: And though it might not really
be "Judge" related, I would eventually like to be
recognized as not only one of the most respected
judges in the Nation, but also as one of the most
respected Players as well. My teammates on Team
NeXus and the players at B.R.A.D's Sportscards and
Collectibles all respect me as both, but would like
that respect to go beyond just local.
Ally: I
respect
you ^_^, and I'm sure others that know you respect
and you and hopefully others will too. Also, this
concludes the interview. I appreciate the time you
haven given the Pojo readers. Would you like to say
and final words or advice?
Frank: Everyone judges for their own
personal reasons. But do not forget your roots. We
all began this crazy game as a Player and by playing
every now and than, it does make you a better judge
as you can see multiple point of views on different
situations. Besides that, all I can really say
is...Trust in the Heart of the Cards and Get your
Game On! Muahahahah
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