November 20 and 21 brings duelists across the United States a rare opportunity—a chance to get their hands on the new set before it hits the street and to be among the first to find new combos and new deck ideas. Upper Deck Entertainment has run Sneak Previews for new sets before, and if you’ve already gone to one, you’ll probably want to go this time. If you haven’t attended one before, try and work it into your schedule. Sneak Previews are definitely something you don’t want to miss.

The first step in attending is finding one near you, which is pretty easy.

There’s the listing of all the scheduled Sneak Previews. Tournament locations are spread pretty evenly across the country, so with luck there’s at least one in your area. Why should you go to one? There are plenty of reasons to attend a Sneak Preview, and I’m about to give you a list.

The big attraction for most duelists is the chance to get the cards before they actually hit the market. Especially if you know what to expect in the set, either from Japanese spoilers and rumors or from card previews from Metagame.com, Sneak Previews are a fantastic opportunity to try and secure the “hot” cards in the set before their high values can really get nailed down. Duelists also like the opportunity to see what cards made it into the set, what the final templates and rarities are, how the names got translated, and of course, what art made it through. Most Sneak Previews also offer a pretty good card-for-cash value. The entry fee gets you about five booster packs, with more offered as prizes. If you enter more than one flight, you can stockpile new cards early and at reasonable prices.

The best thing to do with the cards after getting them is to play with them. Duelists attending a Sneak Preview are among the first to check out a new set and see what it can do. Being able to actually get your hands on enough new cards to put a deck together gives you the chance to find new combos before they hit the Internet and everyone knows about them. If you like to get Japanese cards and spoilers and build decks with them, then you’ll enjoy a Sneak Preview. The translations are final, at least until a card receives errata, so you won’t have to guess how the cards will actually work. Who knows? You may be among the first to discover a unique combo.

Regional tournaments have been running all over the place since this past summer and feature a really heavy level of competition. This isn’t surprising, given the prizes at stake. Sneak Previews offer a break from that high-end competition. They focus on experimenting with new cards, rather than on building the ultimate winning deck. The competition is usually a bit more relaxed, since the focus is on the new set and some extra booster packs as prizes, rather than on invites to Nationals. It’s a chance to loosen up a bit and pay attention to the cards. You can focus on what they do and new ways to use them, instead of where you are in the standings, especially if you have a number of friends to attend with. Sneak Previews are a chance to indulge a bit more in the enjoyment aspect of a TCG. It’s a refreshing break from the more intense grind of the Regional tournaments.

If you haven’t done much Sealed Pack play, you’re missing out. It’s a great way to improve your grasp of the game, since you’re going to have to do a lot more thinking on your feet than you will at a Constructed event. Not only are the cards new, you have less control over what will go into your deck. You’re stuck with whatever you are lucky enough to pull and smart enough to put together. It definitely will break you out of your usual approach to the game, and the insights and mind sharpening you pick up by playing a lot of Sealed Pack will carry over to Constructed later on. If you’re tired of seeing the exact same types of decks, over and over, then Sealed Pack will give you a bit of a vacation. You’ll certainly see the same cards, and sometimes you’ll see similar strategies, but there’s usually a lot of variety in the decks that duelists will put together. It can be just as instructional to lose to a duelist who made better use of the cards he or she received as it can be to defeat a duelist who made less-skilled choices. It’s a really concentrated field of playtesting.

Now you know why you should go—but what will you do when you get there? Depending on the size of your event, there may be side events in addition to the main Sneak Preview events, but Sneak Preview events are run along similar lines.

After registering, duelists will receive a specific number of sealed boosters from the new set. The number of packs depends on whether or not the event is Sealed Pack, or Booster Draft. The usual format for Sneak Preview is Sealed Pack, although TOs are able to offer Booster Draft as either an alternative or as a side event, so you are most likely to be playing Sealed Pack as the main event. You’ll receive five booster packs, and you will construct your deck from these. You can only use cards you pulled from your boosters—no adding of outside cards or trading is allowed! If you do either of those, you risk a disqualification for cheating. The Sealed Pack format features some important changes in deck construction. Instead of a 40 card minimum deck, you will build a 20 card minimum deck. Duelists will still begin each duel with 8000 life points, and any remaining cards can go into a side deck. The Sneak Preview main events will be run Swiss-style, where players that lose don’t get eliminated from the tournament, so you’re guaranteed the chance to play several rounds. Prizes will consist of more boosters from the new set and any additional product or goodies the TO might throw in.

Many Sneak Previews will also feature a casual play area, where each duelist will get five packs to build a deck from. The cost and prizes are reduced, so it might be a good area for younger or less experienced duelists, or for friends who want to kick back and play in a more leisurely manner. It’s also a source of an additional five packs, for those duelists who are determined to get their hands on as much of the product as possible. Add in side event Booster Drafts, and it will be a rare duelist that doesn’t get his or her fill of the newest set. If you’re unfamiliar with Sealed Pack play, then there are a number of articles on Metagame.com, including one available here, that go into more detail, both explaining the format and discussing strategies. Curtis Schultz has a series of Sealed Pack articles dealing with previous sets that are well worth reading. Read up on those before you head to the event, and you can also find some information on Sealed Pack on Upper Deck Entertainment’s website.

Take another look at the event list, find one near you, and make plans to be there. Most of the Sneak Previews have a link to the TO’s site. You can get event-specific information there, which is a good idea to make sure you’re totally prepared and you know what to expect. Metagame.com will provide coverage of at least one of the events, and we’re also bringing you some card previews to whet your appetite for the new set. Sneak Previews are a highlight of a new set release. Don’t miss out on your chance at a head start on the new cards and strategies, plenty of Sealed Pack play, and some great experience for the upcoming Regional tournaments.