Going along with my previous article “Tools of the Trade“, I thought I would write a brief article about the very next question I get asked:
“OH GOD STATES IS TOMORROW WHATDOIDOWHATDOIDO?”
Maybe I just think too much, but I’m often bewildered by players, especially high level players, who aren’t fully prepared for tournaments the night before, or even the day of. Luckily for them, I’m here to provide a handful of tips that will guarantee* tournament success.
* – No guarantee.
Decide on a deck
Everyone has different opinions on deciding what to play. Some players play one deck the entire season, becoming insanely good at playing it. Others decide the night before a tournament after hours of hotel room testing. Others decide the morning of the tournament. Whatever your choice, the first step is to pick one deck. We can go into what makes a good deck choice and anticipating your metagame and playing what you’re comfortable with, but that’s another article for another time.
S.O.D. (Sleeve, Order, Decklist)
After you’ve chosen your deck, you’re probably going to want to sleeve/resleeve it. I always resleeve at tournaments State level of higher, cause I can’t be dealin’ with penalties and game losses, nahmean? If you trust that your sleeves are in sufficient condition, then go for it, you GAMBLER.
Next, you’re going to want to order your deck for deck checks, and our third step…
Printing a decklist. I use SteveP’s program just because it’s fast and simple, but there’s nothing wrong with using one of the POP provided ones available on Pokemon.com. I highly recommend against writing out your decklist at the venue, but maybe that’s just because by that time I’ve usually gorged myself on Red Bull and hotel waffles. Whatever your decision, all tournaments require a decklist so you should probably get on that.
Check, Check, 1, 2
As you’ll learn from my previous article I am some kind of special a very prepared, organized individual. This means that, during the morning of the tournament I’m known to check my storage box multiple times ensuring I have my deck, extra sleeves, dice, mascots, playmats, decklist, etc. all organized and ready to go. If you’re not like me you can probably just check once and go live a normal happy life, but I digress.
Bathe
Oh God this is the most important step. You don’t even know.
The morning of the tournament, you should set your alarm 30 minutes earlier than you would typically, and hop in the shower. Use soap, water, shampoo, and conditioner (if you’re into that) to make yourself presentable for not only your opponents, but also the gorgeous single male/females/etc. that are sure to be flocking to the top tables.
It’s also probably a good idea to apply deodorant before and possibly even during the tournament.
No, your smell is not a ruse to distract your opponent. Stop that.
In conclusion, there are several different ways of preparing for a tournament, and no method is truly right or wrong (but please GOD do bathe). I’d love to hear your thoughts about what you do differently than me, or even what you do the same, what you need to work on, etc. Hit up the comments.
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