Subject: What exactly is cheating?
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 22:41:31 EDT
From: JNalani@aol.com
To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com

I would like to comment on the resently debated issue of cheating. I would be
the first to say that anyone who blatently attempts to defraud not only the
game rules of magic but also their opponent (who likely spent hard-earned
money to compete) is a gutless, spineless worm. My question is however, how do
you define exactly what cheating is? If someone intentionally breaks the rules
then of course that's cheating. But what about someone who accidently makes a
mistake? I will openly admit that even I have drawn an extra card, but
accidently (I think I was using those red-backed plastics that stick together,
they suck). Who hasn't? Ever dropped the wrong land and asked to pick it up,
or picked it up real fast and played the one you really wanted because that
wasn't what you meant to do? I think those are forgiveable mistakes, not
cheating. Cheating is cunningly executed, calculated attempts to gain an
unfair advantage in my opinion. Cheating is obviously unsportsman-like. While
we are on the subject of sportsmanship, what about people who play what I call
the "sly" game? People who place opposite mana producing lands together, or
place their other permanents behind their lands to distract you? (e.g.
mountain, on top of island, on top of 2 forest or "hiding" their creatures
behind their lands). Maybe when you play a card to force them to discard,
instead of letting you choose the card from their hand they make you choose
numbers? Maybe they ask you if you're done, say, during your upkeep? They tap
your deck instead of cutting it? They play PORTAL or BETA lands???? (Sorry,
that last one's a joke). These are the people (even if they don't) that I am
more likely to suspect of cheating and even if they aren't breaking any rules,
they are violating the ethics of sportsmanship.

Avery J. Callenback
E-Mail: JNalani@aol.com