AWC 4: Thinking of Cheating
As the game grows with more and more expansion coming, the way of cheating becomes more advanced, even hardly to be proven by the judges itself. Continuing my article in AWC 3, I would like to expose the advanced way of cheating that’s really hard to be recognized
1. Playing with the time and make it as your advantage a.k.a “time stalling”
How:
You already know that “1 round best of 3 games” only be given 50 minutes to play, and if you end the game with just 1 winning you already won the round. Here’s how it’s worked, when you already won the first game, check the time, if it’s only 10 minutes left, it’s most likely the second game won’t be played until finished. This is great if you play with control deck or semi-control deck (a.k.a blue deck), this doesn’t really work with an aggressive deck (ex. Sligh deck). Make sure you know the time, wearing a wrist watch also helps. This is an example of nice time stalling:
In the condition when you already won 1 game before, with only 10 minutes left, you can use card such as Sensei’s Divining Top (Champion of Kamigawa) Use this at the end of your enemy’s turn, pretend to think hard and put it in order as you like, after that sacrifice your Sakura Tribe Elder (Champion of Kamigawa) look for a basic land you need, shuffle your deck and let your opponent cuts for you. During your upkeep, spend your mana, active your sensei again and arrange the card as you wish. And do you know something? If you do it nicely, you have spent 5 minutes just for doing this thing thoroughly. One thing to remember don’t let your opponent notices it, and if he realizes, stop your stalling and play normally, look for another chance.
Sensei, oh Sensei how powerful you are…
Not only the card, also the time advantage you gave..
Sensei oh, my sensei
(Sensei’s Divining phrase 1:54)
Counter:
This method is proven very difficult to be handled. There is no way to know whether your opponent is thinking or stalling, coz it’s all inside his mind. But if you think your opponent is stalling, call the judge and state the condition. Sure he won’t do it again and starts play faster, well... at least for that round. I will like to see if WoTC can make another way to prevent this for example extending time limit for a round
2. Win / Win condition with your opponent
How:
I know you feel guilty doing such a cheating which hurt your opponent, how about a cheat which makes your opponent even happy with you? Give him a reward! If you face an opponent, you can offer card or split the prize if he lets you win this round. If your opponent smart enough, he will like to accept it and let you win, then you just play formally as if nothing happened, and don’t forget to write 2-0 for your winning on the round paper. Oh, I forgot to say something, a shock land (ex Sacred Foundry, Overgrown Tomb, etc) is a very nice treat for your opponent, a sure winner!
Counter:
Another hard decision to attempt, not every one knows that this way is considering a cheating. This is very difficult especially if you know that you can’t become a winner even though you pass this round, a high chance you will accept this offer. This can be prevented if every table has a judge to watch over the game, but I think this is impossible while every tournament usually only has 2 – 5 judges to watch over 30 tables.
It’s all goes with yourself, if you feel it’s a cheating; just refuse it, that’s all
Hmmm... I am thinking when I should do my cheating...
Which methods should I use?
3. Swapping cards and deck outside the table
How:
You’ve drafted the cards, you’ve drafted the boosters, now you feel you lack of certain cards, what should do? Swap the cards idiot! Before the draft starts, you can have an agreement with your side to play certain color of deck and if you want you can even trade cards with him after the booster but before the round starts. You can even do this by yourself, swap with your cards that you bring from your home, do this especially on release party wherever booster is already available days before, or you can do this also in any sealed deck tourney. Be sure you do this smoothly without any notice from surrounding you. Judge is you enemy now.
Counter:
Still haven’t found a good way to handle. I heard this always happening in National tournament especially when someone plays with a very good deck and no one notice every card he drafted. Maybe taking note for every card the player had after the draft will help much to prevent this method or we can follow the World Magic Tournament rule, they give stamps for every cards days before the draft started. Hope the judges will consider doing this, or finding a better way.
Conclusion;
I made this article not to encourage becoming a cheater, I only revealed what the fact which happens in every tourney and sadly not every player realizes the danger. Cheating is benefited only for the cheater but the long-term effect will damage the game itself. This is already happened, some of nice players already quit from Magic because of this reason. They say Magic is a good game as long as it is a fair game, if all these facts occurs Magic itself is not a fair game anymore, otherwise who want to play an unfair game anyway?
Now the choice is all yours
Copyright 2006 by ANCOLL
Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation, and that the document not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution without specific, written prior permission.
