Last week, I began with a list of “head games” players sometimes play that cross the line of acceptability in sanctioned play. Some of you were probably surprised to learn that you can’t do those things; others were probably relieved that someone finally pointed them out. I, for one, am hoping to see less of these kinds of shenanigans!

This week, I’ll continue the list. Again, it’s by no means comprehensive (you can observe all manner of bizarre behavior if you go to enough events), but it will help set the record straight on plenty of things players do that they absolutely shouldn’t. Ready? Of course you are. Let’s dive in!

Interfering with your opponent’s cards.

You’re entitled to look at your opponent’s graveyard and removed from play piles, but you should not handle his or her other cards in any way. Ask before picking up the graveyard or removed from play pile, and keep your investigations to a reasonable limit. Do not change the order of the cards when you look at them.

Ask to look at an unfamiliar card if you must, but do not reach over and grab at monsters when you attack them, or pick up spell or trap cards and throw them at the graveyard if you activate an effect to destroy them. If you do this before your opponent has a chance to respond, you can mess up the game state to the point that a penalty needs to be assessed—for instance, grabbing at and flipping up a set monster when your opponent intends to activate Mirror Force in response to your attack. Now you know what the monster is when you shouldn’t. You could face anything from a game loss to a disqualification if the head judge believes you’re doing it deliberately to gain an advantage.

Never look at your opponent’s hand, deck, or set cards, unless a card effect directs you to do so. If you’re discarding a card due to Confiscation, Spirit Reaper, or something similar, you don’t get to peek at the cards before you make your decision. Younger, excitable players often do grab at their opponent’s cards when they are playing, and should be told firmly but calmly to keep their hands to themselves. A player who continues to ignore requests to not mishandle an opponent’s cards will probably face increasingly severe penalties. Players make a significant investment in their cards, and that investment needs to be respected. Both players also need to avoid any actions that may result in a corruption of the game state, which is what happens when cards are unnecessarily revealed.

Keeping your fusion and/or side decks hidden from view.

You aren’t allowed to play with your deck tucked into your deck box, in your pocket, or up your sleeve, and you shouldn’t keep your side or fusion deck in any of those places either. Your opponent has the right to know if you are using a side or fusion deck, both of which should be kept on the table in full view. No one merits the “advantage” gained from keeping your opponent in the dark. Attempting to hide your cards to keep your opponent guessing is unsporting, and failure to display them properly will net you a warning at the very least.

Claiming you are a judge in order to get your way on a ruling, or to intimidate your opponent into not calling over an actual judge.

It’s possible to annoy the actual judges more than trying to be a judge while you’re registered in a tournament, but I guarantee it isn’t easy. It doesn’t matter if you’re lying, or if you really are a judge: once you’re registered as a player, you have no business trying to get your own way by asserting yourself as a judge. If you are caught intimidating an opponent by claiming something along the lines of, “Well, I’m a level 4 judge, I know that card doesn’t work that way, and I’m continuing with my turn. Are you stupid or something? Don’t you know how this game even works?” then you’re going to find yourself in serious trouble.

Misrepresenting the game state.

A surprising number of “pro” players violate this policy all the time. Misrepresenting the game state is not an appropriate way of keeping the upper hand in a duel, and too many people think that it is. Doing things like setting your hand down on your spell and trap zone so that it appears you have no cards in hand, or holding your hand in front of your spell and trap zone, hoping your opponent will think that zone is empty and attempt something rash, are expressly against tournament policy. Misrepresenting the game state can earn you a match loss right off the bat if the head judge believes you’re doing it intentionally to mislead your opponent.

You are obligated to let your opponent and the judges know exactly what is going on in the game, right down to how many cards are in your deck, how many cards (and which cards) are in your graveyard or removed from play area, how many cards are on the field, and how many cards are in your hand. Attempting to conceal any of that information from your opponent or a judge is a serious violation of tournament policy. Don’t believe players who try to tell you otherwise.

Dressing inappropriately.

Wearing clothing or hats with offensive or distracting images or slogans is against tournament policy, and listed in the policy document. You might be asked to remove or replace any item of clothing  deemed inappropriate. Likewise, if you come to an event with the express intent of using clothing or accessories to distract your opponent or create conflict, you may be asked to leave. It’s more common for female players to attend wearing excessively revealing clothing, but the guys do it too sometimes. Showing up in a shirt cut down to your navel might help you win duels, but it might also get you eliminated from the event. Plan on using a superior deck and decent dueling ability to win your games instead.

Using distracting images on tokens, mats, and so forth.

This is the same deal as the clothing—if you want your opponent to be so busy drooling over your lucky pin-up mascot or suggestive Sheep tokens that he or she won’t pay attention to the game, or so intimidated by a obscenity-laden playmat that he or she will roll over and give you the win . . . well, let’s fall back on that whole “improve your deck and play skills” approach to victory.

Playing with excessive speed.

Some players just play fast, and that’s how it is. Others play fast, and try to force their opponents to play fast, too. “Are you done? Can I go? Is it my turn yet? Are you responding or not?” all while jiggling their legs, scowling impatiently, and tapping their hands on the table. The point? To deny their opponent time to think, because an opponent without time to think is an easy mark. (And we’d hate to have the game come down individual skill in decision-making, right?) If judges catch you doing this even semi-regularly, you’re looking at an unsporting conduct penalty of varying severity. Why? Because it’s not a mind game. It’s flat-out unsporting conduct.

Stalling.

This is the flip side of rushed play. Stalling drives your opponent crazy and gives you control of the game through time. It’s really a low way to win. Stalling includes very slow play, constant checking of the graveyards, asking about cards in hand, saying, “Hold it, I want to respond,” and checking and rechecking set cards that you can’t respond with while the minutes tick by. Stalling also includes taking too long to shuffle or make your side deck decisions. Players with a habit of stalling will find that habit catching up to them, and incur the appropriate penalties.

Nitpicking play.

The accepted protocol for play is for the turn player to proceed through his or her turn, allowing adequate time for an opponent to respond if he or she wishes. Phases should be announced, since entering or leaving a phase gives players a chance to activate effects. Since timing can be everything, it’s best to be clear. Neither player needs to constantly ask, “Do you have a response?” and so forth, but both players are responsible for making sure that they clearly understand each other’s intentions.

Constant questions and comments such as “You didn’t announce the end of your draw phase,” and “Do you have a response? Do you have a response? You didn’t ask me if I have a response,” “You resolved Graceful Charity incorrectly,” “You’ve taken three seconds to look through your hand and decide what to summon, I’ve been timing you,” and so forth are not appropriate, especially when you are doing it specifically to irritate your opponent. It’s disruptive and rude, and most judges will view it under the “unsportsmanlike conduct” section of the penalty guidelines.

Tricking your opponent into making a mistake, then calling a judge on them.

This is often the end result of all the tactics we’ve seen listed earlier: screw with, rush around, and otherwise distract your opponent until he or she makes an error, then move in for the penalty-induced win. What you need to realize is that judges keep track of these things, and when we see a number of, “Judge! My opponent screwed up, I get the win, right?” scenarios coming from you, it’s going to be pretty obvious what you are doing. I’ve yet to see a player happy about raising his or her hand, expecting to collect the win, and instead receiving a game loss themselves.

What I’m trying to get across here is the importance of thinking twice before you use tactics that are unrelated to deckbuilding and play strategy to gain the upper hand in a duel. Mind games are definitely part of the entire tournament experience, and your mental, physical, and emotional endurance has as much to do with your success (or lack of it) as anything else. But there are games that are fair, and there are games that are not. When the players as a whole try to drag too much unfairness into the game in an attempt to win, the whole tournament structure suffers. Judges waste valuable time putting a stop to sophomoric behavior, players lose their tempers, and the game ends up looking very childish.

Do you need to give yourself an unfair advantage over your opponent in order to win? Luck of the draw and topdecking will always be a factor in just about any TCG. Are you unable to accept that and fight it out on even grounds? If players expect respect for themselves and for the game in general, then they need to do their part, and trying to edge out an opponent with sheer bad sportsmanship isn’t going to cut it. Think it over before messing with your opponents.