Today we’re going to talk about “rule sharking.” If you’ve ever had it happen to you or someone you know, you know how much you dislike it. Today is your lucky day—I’m going to tell you how to make yourself virtually shark-proof. Next week, I’m going to continue the theme, and explain what to do if you do end up playing someone who’s trying to shark you.

If you’ve never encountered this kind of behavior, you’ll want to know what it’s all about. “Rule sharking” is a tactic by which one player tries to catch his or her opponent in a gameplay error, in order to intimidate the opponent or secure a fast win due to penalty. Some players take the opportunity to shark only when it presents itself; others treat it as a dueling strategy. Either way, it causes a lot of frustration.

Before I continue with the article, I want to make one thing completely clear—a player who reports a major procedural error or the like to a judge is not automatically a rule shark. According to the official policy document, players are obligated to point out significant errors that the opponent makes. Judges can’t be everywhere or see everything, so when the game becomes irreparably damaged, it is up to the players to alert the judges. Don’t lump any and all such reports as rule sharking, because that’s an incorrect assumption.

That said, you want to avoid this happening to you, right? A game or match loss to a penalty is a disappointing way to lose, and sitting across the table from an opponent who keeps calling a judge over for even minor misplays can be unnerving. The good news is that with some foresight and extra attention to detail, you can all but eliminate the risk.

First off, you need to actually know the penalty guidelines and tournament policies. This is easy. All you have to do is go to the website and download them (bear in mind that the documents get updated from time to time, so you should make a habit of looking them over regularly). Then read them, read them, read them! When you don’t know what you can and can’t do, you’re easy prey for rule sharks. Print out the documents and bring them with you if you want to, but learn what they say and remember it. It’s hard for a rule shark to get to you when you know what the policies and penalties are.

You also need to know the difference between penalties. Some people use game loss, match loss, and disqualification interchangeably, but trust me, those are all very different things. Learn the difference, and be accurate.

Once you’ve learned what you’re not supposed to do, don’t do those things. Avoiding doing things that can get you a penalty is the best way to not get a penalty! When you shuffle, draw, and so forth, do it with care and deliberation. Pay attention to what you’re doing. You don’t have to agonize and stress over every move you make, but no one who is paying close attention has ever picked up the graveyard and shuffled it into the deck.

It’s a good idea to use new and clean sleeves. If your cards are sticky, you’ve got a pretty good chance of picking up two when you meant to pick up one. If you have dirty or marked-up sleeves, your opponent might claim the marks are deliberate. New sleeves can be slippery, so be careful. You don’t want to squirt a newly sleeved deck all over the table when you try to handle it. “Revealing extra cards! Judge!” (I can’t say enough good things about pile shuffling, by the way.)

Make sure you de-side deck after each match. It’s easy to forget if you’re eager to leave the tournament floor. You might be hungry, need to use the restroom, or the like, but if you get a deck check and you didn’t put your deck back to its original state, you’re going to be sorry. Make it a habit to de-side immediately after the match is over, and carry a copy of your decklist if you have a bad memory.

Verify actions with your opponent when they are not crystal clear—don’t make assumptions. If you are going to activate a card that could lead to problems (Graceful Charity for example), don’t assume your opponent won’t have a response. If your opponent doesn’t say anything, ask. “I activate Graceful . . . any response?”  Once you’ve picked up the cards, your opponent can claim, “I was about to activate Solemn Judgment, and I didn’t have time—he drew extra cards, that’s a game loss!” Honestly, it doesn’t take more than a few seconds to make sure.

Lots of players seem to find it demeaning to actually state what they are doing, preferring to resort to obscure gestures, waving cards in the air and murky phrasing. It’s also a good way to get an opponent a game loss. “Mumble, mumble,” (hand wave)—if the opponent interprets this as “I’m done, you can go,” then the player can turn right around and scream “JUUUUUUUUUUDGE!!! I wasn’t done with my turn and my opponent drew a card!” Ask if you’re not sure. “Are you done with your turn?” then wait for a “Yes.” Don’t accept a grunt as an affirmative.

While we’re on the subject of making sure, let me add this. I’ve seen more games than I care to think about end in a game loss to a player who wrongly interprets “I don’t think there’s anything I can do” as a formal concession, and scoops up his or her cards. Most of these have been plain misunderstandings—I say things like that all the time, with no intention of conceding—but it can be a way out for a player who has no options left. Make a vague statement like that, hope that the opponent a) takes it as a concession and b) is naive enough to scoop up all his or her cards without bothering to verify that that is what is actually going on. Ask. Never scoop up your cards, or do anything else that will damage the game state past the point of repair, until you are absolutely certain of what is going on.

You also shouldn’t assume your opponent will activate an optional effect. Sometimes they won’t want to, and if you do something that pushes the game into an irreparable state, then, sadly, there’s not much that can be done for you. The temptation to take advantage of someone jumping the gun is too much for some players. They can claim they weren’t going to activate the effect and you’ll end up paying for it. Slow down, pay attention, and ask.

All of this requires an investment of time and attention on your part, but the rewards are well worth it. If you’re confident, in control of what you’re doing, and make the effort to avoid some common mistakes, your chances of becoming a meal for a rules shark are greatly diminished. You still might encounter one, though, and there are ways to deal with them on the floor. Next week, we’ll discuss what to do when you’re sitting across the table from someone who’s trying to shark you out of the game. Be sure to return!