Travis Yeary (Zupwat on the forums) wrote an article awhile ago on losing gracefully. I’ve decided to do the flip-side and write an article on winning gracefully. Winning ungracefully is something everyone hates. It makes you look cocky, conceited, and just plain rude. You want your reputation to be a good one, and the way you win is part of that. In this article, I will analyze donking, winning a long game, and the death trap.
How to be Graceful at Donking
Donking has been around since Base set and is very common in our MD-on format. There are donks, such as an Overconfidonk, a Machamp Donk, or an Uxie Donk. They all focus on the same thing. Knocking out your opponent’s active Pokemon on the first turn. Donks gained a huge boost from HGSS Triumphant with the addition of Seeker, letting you donk by bringing your opponent’s benched Pokemon to their hand and then knocking out their active Pokemon. Here are a few tips when donking:
Actually Say What Your Doing
I see countless people announcing “Machop, Rare Candy, Machamp, Fighting Energy, Good game”. This is just insulting. If you want to be respected as a player, please announce your attack, such as “Take Out”, before saying “Good game”. Another example is starting with a Sableye, showing your opponent the Special Dark Energy in your hand, and saying “Overconfident” and then “Good game”. Actually attach that Energy before announcing you’ve won. This makes your opponent feel a bit better about the donk, as well as making you look more fine-tuned.
Let Your Opponent Tell You
I really hate it when my opponent tells me they’ve just won and I should sign the match slip. If you know you just donked, you may want to say “Take Out”, look around the board, and wait about 3 seconds; if your opponent doesn’t say “You win”, you should say something like, “Well, you’ve got no more Basics so I guess I win.” Then would be a good time to put your hand forward and say “Good game”. This tip is more directed at Juniors and Seniors but I think Masters may want to pick this up. (Some people disagree on this matter and some may want to skip this completely.)
The Handshake
This is very important when donking in both positive and negative terms. Shaking hands is good if you shake when your opponent looks happy enough. If your opponent doesn’t seem frazzled by the donk, definitely shake hands with them. If your opponent seems upset by it, don’t bother. Shaking hands at the right time can prove very helpful to your reputation. Say you just got donked by a player, shaking hands with that player will be something they’ll remember you by. They’ll think: “Hey, there’s that guy I played who had a really positive attitude. He must be pretty experienced.”
The Patter
Like the handshake above, only do this if your opponent doesn’t seem too frazzled by the donk. Inquire about your opponent’s deck, ask them if they have any neat techs, how long they have been playing, etc. I like to ask them how they have done in the tournament so far and such. You may want to memorize your own routine. It’s totally up to you. Avoid saying: “Hey, you’re playing Vilegar! I’m playing Machamp! If I hadn’t have donked, you easily would have beaten me!” This makes your opponent wish they hadn’t gotten such a terrible start and opt the revenge route.
After that, sign the match slip, say “Good luck”, and pack up.
How to be Graceful at Winning a Long Game
Have you ever seen a Gyarados player take down an Expert Belted Regigigas LV.X with a Magikarp? It is ridiculously funny and ridiculously embarrassing for the ‘Gigas player. People crowd around the table and just laugh. The ‘Gigas player just sits there, unable to move. And then they finally scoop. Winning a long game basically involves your opponent scooping, so this will cover how to win gracefully when your opponent has just scooped.
The Check
This is pretty simple. After your opponent says they scoop, simply say: “Are you sure?” This tells your opponent that your were enjoying yourself and you enjoyed playing against them. This can lighten the blow quite a bit for them.
The Acknowledgment
In this step, simply acknowledge that your opponent has scooped. A simple “okay” will do the trick. This is a great time to ask your opponent if they’d like to play again for fun. Shaking hands is good to do right about now and saying “Good game” is appropriate here as well.
The Patter
After winning a long game, your patter should be away from their deck. Ask your opponent what kind of Pokemon they prefer, how they’ve done in past tournaments, etc. Another aspect of your patter should be telling your opponent they played really well and saying it was a privilege to play them.
After that, sign the match slip, say “Good luck”, and pack up.
How to Win with a Death Trap Gracefully
A “Death Trap”, as I like to call it, is when your opponent has no way of winning at all. In the above Regigigas LV.X versus Magikarp, the ‘Gigas player had a very good chance of topdecking an Energy or a hand refresher. The fact that he didn’t is what made him lose in the end. A “Death Trap” would have been if the ‘Gigas Player had a loaded ‘Gigas against the lone Magikarp. The Gyarados player would realize they have no chance of winning and scoop. Here is what to do if you put your opponent in a “Death Trap”.
Talk through the Options
When your opponent sits there, acknowledging the “Death Trap” you may want to play over the options your opponent can do. You may want to suggest an option to your opponent. After all, if it’s a true “Death Trap”, your opponent won’t be able to play out of it no matter what you tell them. This just tells them that you want the game to continue and you’re having fun.
Let Your Opponent Tell You
Your opponent will probably tell you you’ve won. When your opponent tells you this, say “Good game” and pack up. This is neither the time for patter nor is it the time to shake hands.
Sign the match slip and wish your opponent good luck.
Conclusion
As someone who has done a lot of losing, I know what kind of things are comforting when you’ve lost. Many of you may disagree with me and I’m totally fine with that. If you have any suggestions to be a better winner, just write them in the comment box.
Happy winning,
Genguy.
