Subject: Example of an oops
Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 01:35:10 EDT
From: TooClutch@aol.com
To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com

     Hello all of you Magic players out there in the world.  All I have
recently been seeing is alot of articles having to deal with cheating and how
everyone does it.  What percentage of the calls to a judge on cheating are
accidental?  Well, I have only ever been called on cheating once in my whole 3
years of playing Magic.  I don't agree with Brian Hacker, but some people will
do whatever it takes to win the money and have the fame...yet, it seems that
the fame they are getting is being called a cheater.
     During PT Paris Qualifier last year at the Queen Mary during PTLA '97 I
was in the 5th round when the altercation happened.  At the time I was 4-0 as
well as my opponent.  It was late into the match, roughly 50 minutes, and we
were still on our first game.  I had 7 cards in hand and a Sylvan Library on
the table.  I set my hand down like I had been doing to grab the 3 cards from
the Sylvan.  That day I was wearing my hockey jersey and my sleeve hit my
playing hand onto the floor.  Not really thinking, I kept the 3 cards from the
Slyvan in my hand as I picked up the cards that fell on the floor.  Still not
thinking, I laid down a land and began to play my turn.  My opponent quickly
called the judge and wanted me DQed for my action.
     I was very displeased with my opponent as he saw what happened.  Even
though he did see the truth and I did not mean to knock my cards on the floor
(and I had him locked up so badly with an 3 Icy's and a Winter Orb) he wanted
me to lose the game.  I about jumped over the table at him.  I was so pissed
that he wanted to get a free win for a mistake that gave me no advantage.  The
judge was called over and he was told what happened.  In the end, I got a
warning for doing what I did, had 2 cards randomly chosen from my hand be put
back into my library, and lost 8 life.  It was a fair decision on my part,
just as long as I did not lose the game or match because of my action.  I
ended up drawing with my opponent, but won the tournament and went to PT
Paris.  If there was no bending of certain rules by the judges discretion,
then I would of never had the win or the chance to compete in the tour.
Please tell me if you agree with the decision or if stricter or a less strict
of a decision should have been made.

Matthew Collier
Riverside, Ca