Subject: Time to Target Cheaters (fraud and abuse included)
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 17:55:00 EDT
From: DiskTripp@aol.com
To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com

Frank,

Well, here is something new that we all can do to target cheaters (other than
having a paintball gun handy).  I do understand that may top players cheat, I
guess to be on top and have respect you must cheat your friends and buddies
out for the almighty (insert your local currency here) dollar.  At the exodus
pre-release I was at, I caught three cheaters myself, and played two of them.
I reported them to the judges and alas, nothing happened.  Well, here are some
ways you can target your local cheaters:

1.  When the attempt is made, raise your voice stating the problem, this will
attract attention, then call for a judge...oh, and watch your opponent, lest
he/she decides to reverse whatever they have done, hold them to it.

2.  Be careful of land stacking, if your opponent puts different types of land
under others, ie: swamps and forests that look similar.  This is almost as bad
as mana stacking.

3.  If playing a known cheater, watch every move they make.  Count the deck
they are playing with, get the deck list checked...this NEVER happens anymore.
A 36 card deck WILL be more consistant than a 40 card deck.  A extra fan or
thunder can take you a long way.

4.  Ask for their hand size every 2 rounds, and watch that 8! cards are not
drawn at the beginning of each match.

5.  Watch your opponent's eyes, if they follow your deck when you shuffle, and
see a key card or color, they will be better prepared than you.  (ie:  "Hey is
that a bloom I just saw?  I will wait to play my priest, first let me cast
disenchant on the squandered")

6.  Quit bitching, no one likes a bitch or a whiner either.  If you must whine
(you know who you are) do it in the privacy of your own home to mommy, if I
have to play you and hear you moan and bitch, I WILL moan and be a bitch right
back at you.

7.  Watch the graveyard closely and keep track of what hits it.

8.  If you wear glasses (like me) do not look at your cards any more than you
have to.  You opponent CAN see your hand in the reflection.

9.  Check to make sure the lands are not facing away from the spells in your
opponents library, just shuffle the deck different ways.  And check for marked
cards as well, you do not need to let your opponent have a "field of dreams"
for him only.

10.  Some people do not know the rules fully, I understand this.  READ ALL
YOUR OPPONENTS CARDS, never assume, sometimes when you take a minute, you will
see how it 'really' works. (ie: abeyance)

---As for the fraud and abuse of DCI rankings, a high ranking to me means two
things:  You either have friends that hook you up, or you enter a tourney,
play the first round, win, then drop, ad repeat until you hit the 2000 mark.
I know that there are good players out there, but I believe the current
ranking system is moot.  Until WotC gets the database up to speed no ranking
will be correct.  I should not have to fight over the phone for hours to clear
up one match because of someone losing my data to input (better hope that the
data processing clerk does not get hold of your match records on friday) and
then pay $15 or so bucks for a match history to correct everything myself.

---Here is another solution:  reset the rankings to 1600, and then you ONLY
get points for each tourney you actually play in fully...means ALL the rounds,
not the first or the second, but ALL.

---As for the intentional draw rule, make it 0, zero, nada, points.  Maybe now
the 'Top 8' will not draw in and give 9th - 16th a better, more rounded chance
to fight for the top spots in the PTQs and remove the INTENTIONAL security
blanket.

Charles Becker
Guardian of Elves
Creator of the Undiscovered Valley deck
SC State champ in T2 and Limited in 97 :)  (no cheating involved)
DiskTripp@aol.com

Comments are welcome, but flames will be hydroblasted