Subject: Mike Long and Origins
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 12:32:50 -0500
From: Colin Durham <Colind@EHSMED.COM>
To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com

Let me first say that I was at Origins and watched three matches in
which Mike Long played during the type 2. Now most of these matches were
at the "public corner" of the room at the featured match table. There
were people 4 deep on 2 sides of the table, behind where Mike sat and to
the side of he and his opponent. This was the case for at least two
matches I watched. During these matches I can report that Mike did not
cheat. I watched the matches very closely, there was a table judge there
watching everything and they did a good job in handling situations.

 I was surprised at how careful Mike Long was playing, being overly
cautious to not give any question of impropriety in his play. I
understand why he was doing so now, one mistake and you are called upon
by the world to be DQ'ed. When he would Meditate for 4 cards, he would
put those four face down from the top of the deck on the table for the
opponent to count, before taking them into his hand. After a natural
balance or any shuffling of his deck he would present it and ask the
opponent to cut it, shuffle it, etc. One opponent decided not to cut and
Mike insisted that he cut it or shuffle it. When taking the initial 7
cards he would make sure the opponent knew he was taking exactly 7 cards
into his hand. Very careful and very up and up.

Now picture this scene, 4-5 people deep watching your hand size, your
drawing, shuffling, etc. plus judges sitting at the table watching every
move. I know his reputation follows him but come on, you have to be a
freakin' magician to pull this one off. Literally 30 people were close,
watching every move, every card drawn, every card in hand, knowing every
choice you had to make and watching it unfold.

The "incident" occurred when during a shuffle after a natural balance he
lost a card out of the deck. The judge, the crowd saw this but Mike did
not. At this time he is 11-0 and 50 people watching his every move.
After spending the previous rounds so careful and deliberate, with 20
people seeing his hand (the spectators behind him), with game closely in
hand,  why would he expect to sneak the "key" combo card into his hand
without a cry from the crowd. It wasn't going to happen. Almost every
Bloom game ended with how many cards in Library, how many in hand and
how many in graveyard. If the judge did not see the card fall out during
the shuffle, then it would have been caught later in counting the size
of the drain life.

My 2 cents. Huh..

Colin Durham
the Pineapple giving man
Team Redneck Magic
Level 4 judge for a day :)