How Do I Deal with Tournament Inexperience?

[MN Chino]

I'm going to nationals although I've only played pokemon TCG for about a year. I have went to a states, 2 cities, and several league challenges. I am still very inexperienced with tournament play, and would like some pointers on dealing with some habits that come about from this.

How should I shuffle my deck?

When I went to states, I made someone really mad because I was shuffling my deck slowly. He threatened to call the judge on me. I was playing night march, and that does require a lot of deck shuffling. I really agitated him.

I shuffle my deck by holding the cards from the long side, taking half of my deck, and fanning it into the other half of my deck. AKA, I do a riffle shuffle. I count to 8 every time I shuffle my deck to make sure no one thinks I'm cheating.

Another problem is that I sometimes drop a card from my deck when shuffling. I'm worried about someone calling me out on that.

Should I keep the habit of counting?
Do I hold my cards lightly when shuffling them or make sure I have a good grip on them and force them in?
Should I shuffle 8 times?
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How do a recover from a loss?

Sometimes, when, I lose spirit to play or keep thinking about how I lost. Especially when I get my 3rd loss.

Does anyone have any methods of motivation to keep going in the next game? Something to think about?
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How can I play fast and with concentration?

Luckily, I got a taste of the 3 games in 50 minutes time limit in States. I went through it horribly though. In a match in which I was rushing to beat the clock and to please the opponent, I sped and made rash decisions, and lost when I had the opportunity to win (and my opponent even explained that to me).

Does anyone have any way of practicing getting use to this time limit?

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How do I deal with nervousness?

Ok, I'm not a rock solid guy. Maybe you've had this same problem as well as a beginner. I sweat all over my cards. I don't make the right play just because I fear that they can beat it. I can't concentrate enough to count their cards and consider their strategy. I consider everything as an option without checking their discard. I am to fed up about thinking that if I lose, I could lose the tournament.

Sometimes I even consider a match to be an auto loss although I have no idea what people are playing. I went up against an article writer, and because I recognized them, and because they've beaten me before, I instantly felt that they'd beat me and I could only do so much.

Do you have any tips of dealing with nervousness in a pokemon game? Any of your own methods?
Do you know how to clean sweat off of matte card sleeves?
What kind of environment should I practice in to make sure I don't get nervous?
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Small talk?

I don't want to be hostile and silent to every player. However, I don't want to be an annoying player either.

What kind of topics should I bring up to start a friendly conversation?
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I'm a night march player. I need to improve my game play to make a game quick, fun, and less regrettable. When I battle people and win, they really hate it because my deck can feel overwhelming. I hope to have a good experience at nationals and any advice helps. Thanks.

 

[TokenDuelist]

I don't really know how to deal with some of the social anxiety stuff too much but let's get started with the first thing:

If you count out loud, it might make your opponent suspicious. As sometimes people can see what they're shuffling and it might make it seem like you're counting something specific. 8 seconds might seem a bit long but it really depends on how big the deck you're shuffling is. I wouldn't hold it against you if you're shuffling a deck with a lot of cards. However the time you take to shuffle should be much faster as your deck thins out! So keep that in mind. I think it's important to try and shuffle a bit faster.

Recovering from a loss:
We've all been there. Some of us can take it a bit hard. In fact I was fairly upset I only won two of my matches at Cities this year (My opponents won through sheer luck due to me not getting any of my draw acceleration going. I was stuck with no energy to play, they noticed and didn't play any copies of N, etc.) I was so damn heartbroken over it because my deck auto-wins against most of the decks I lost to. It was embarrassing for someone who got Top 8 last year. So if it's something like that, then don't worry yourself too much about it. If you played your hardest that's all there is to it. Look at your deck, look at the meta, and try your hardest to tweak your deck often. Heck, I've seen players lose their cool, stomp out of a store, and swear their heads off for losing so feeling down isn't as bad as that! Remember, it's just a game! Play your best, have no regrets.

If you're nervous, just remember that other people are probably nervous too! Don't overthink your actions, just look at what benefits you in the game right now as a starting point. Look at your opponent's field and get a small idea of something they might do, even with no knowledge of their deck you can still be allowed to read their cards to get an idea of what they do. It doesn't hurt to ask, just try to remember it good! If you'd like, try to practice at a local Pokemon League. They are usually very welcoming and friendly. I was very shy and nervous when I first started playing competitively, but at League you can definitely find people to talk to who are willing to help you. It's a great confidence builder, just try to play people with your level of experience and work your way up!

As for cleaning sweat off matte cards. I recommend using some sanitizer on a paper towel and wiping them down. I use this tactic for my trade binder after a long day of trading. Since you're at a comic store, there's no doubt someone with greasy/cheesey covered fingers will be touching your cards. Especially if they've been passed around. Just try to be careful to not get any sanitizer on the cards. Perhaps remove them before cleaning and let them dry before putting your cards back in.

I hope some of this helps, and I wish you luck at your nationals!

 

[One Approved]

Always always always always riffle shuffle. It's the best means of randomizing a deck. 8 times between every single shuffle might be a tad excessive, I usually only do 2-3 times in the middle of the game. Before the match begins, however, it's completely reasonable. I never present my deck to cut before a match begins unless I've riffle shuffled a MINIMUM of 7 times. On a side note, if my opponent doesn't riffle shuffle, I always do it for them. If you drop a card, don't worry about it. I do this at least once a tournament.

For playing fast, the only solution is that practice makes perfect. When I go to league, I play almost all of my games on a timer, so that I get a sort of internal clock for how quickly my games go by. It also helps me understand when I need to concede a game in order to save time for a new one. Besides this, practicing with a deck in general will help you speed it up. When you're learning something for the first time (an instrument, driving directions, a math equation, anything.) you generally do it slowly because you're less familiar with it and you need to think about things more. If you practice, you naturally become much quicker because you're much more aware of what happens given any situation. Pokemon is the same way.

I really want to touch on nervousness, because it's something that's definitely hindered me in the past:

For nervousness, the only advice I have is to not overthink or underthink. When I'm in a high-pressure game, I try to ask myself two questions: "What do I need to happen?" and "What does my opponent need to happen?" They're very basic questions that prevent me from overthinking: I just find what needs to happen, and do it. I don't worry about anything else, I just do it. Then I look at my hand, and the board state, and can begin to think about how I can make it happen. Nervousness happens to everybody, but ultimately, the fundumental question of "what do I need to happen?" is enough to keep me focused on what's in front of me, and not what will happen if I lose.

As for your getting nervous if you play against somebody who's beaten you, or who you recognize as an article writer or premier player, let me tell you that I completely understand. As somebody who plays in the midwest, I cannot tell you how many times that's happened to me. I had a friend once who played against Jason Klaczynski, google Cawthon, and Kyle Suchevich all in the same tournament. It's scary, but ultimately, it's a mental barrier you have to overcome. If I ask myself "what do I need to happen" it doesn't matter who I'm playing against. If I'm playing seismitoad-EX, my ultimate goal is to throw down a Quaking Punch lock, regardless of who's sitting across the table to me. You have to walk into every match thinking "I can win." If that's a struggle for you, as it has been for me, then focus on your strategy instead. Think "I'm going to get a bunch of Night Marchers in the discard pile and attack for a lot of damage' or whatever your deck's strategy may be, because no matter who you're playing, your strategy won't change.

 

[MN Chino]

Thank you for the detailed replies. I never really ask these questions, but they tend to be important parts of the game.

I have been practicing at my local pokemon league. However, the problem is that no one wants to play me because I beat them in only a few turns easily (I want to play my deck to the maximum potential for practice, so I don't hold back) :> I have a brother to practice against though.

I'll buy some sanitizer for cleaning card sleevese. I've done it before with water, but it takes an hour of scrubbing.

I've never thought as my opponent as worried about losing, but they probably are. They seem so intimidating and hide their expression so well. I guess that's what I have to do as well.

I'll cut back on my shuffling to a pile shuffle before the game and at max, 4 riffle shuffles every time I shuffle. My opponent can cut or shuffle if he / she wants anyway.

Lastly, I get sometimes so wrapped up in other ideas that I forget the goal of the game. To win. I'll try to think more and more about how I can do that and how my opponent can do that as I practice.

I'll start doing this and hopefully, if I play my cards right, I'll get through to Saturday. Thanks!

 

[Chief Wiggum]

Can I add one more thing, Chino? I know I'm new around here, but I think I can be of some help in the topic of nervousness.

My advice is simple: play for fun. Winning is wonderful, indeed, but I think you'll agree with me that when one tends to focus way too much on winning the fun tends to disappear. Do not let that happen. I'm only getting back to the game myself, but this is a concept that can be applied across the board for pretty much any other similar activity. After all, Pokemon TCG is a game, is it not? In my understanding, games ought to be appreciated before anything else. If you end up getting frustrated due to a losing streak, the fun will simply be inexistent.

Win or lose, keep a positive attitude. I know only too well what it is to play against someone way too crazy about sticking to every minute rule and yelling 'JUDGE!' after every fudging minute gone by. What you have to understand is that such people are completely oblivious to what the game is actually meant to be about: having fun. Play your game, learn from your mistakes, and move on. If you persevere, success is but an inevitability of your hard work & fun. To reiterate what One Approved said, start at your own pace; don't fret. The more you fret, the worse it will be. Take your sweet time.

I know this is going to sound terribly like I'm trying to life-coach you, but I speak from experience, as someone who's only just beginning a writing career. I've had my share of frustration; 2014 was possibly one of the worst years I've had in my life. I would fret far too much about what I was doing rather than actually doing it. I think the same concept can be applied to your situation: just do it. Never mind the opponents' reactions, just play on. Odds are many of them are even trying to play mind games with you by acting as such. Play your game and make the best of it, win or lose.

I hope this didn't sound too condescending, and that it may be of some help to you. Best of luck!

 

[Zing]

Eight shuffles is unneccessary. I read an interview with a magician who could watch someone shuffle and at the end, pull out a particular card. He suggested doing a riffle shuffle, followed by taking the middle portion of the deck and putting it on top, followed by a cut. He said if these three steps are done three times total, it is impossible for anyone to stack the deck or track a card. So, I am comfortable that it sufficiently randomizes a deck.

It takes about 15-20 seconds to do this if you are slow.