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Month: August 2020
There are lots of Organized Play events to choose from, so it may seem tricky to pick the right tournament.
Most parents begin with the more casual events, and let their child determine what he or she enjoys the most – you know your own child, and best understand his or her interests and social tendencies. Does your child prefer to relax and have fun with friends, rather than focus on serious competition? If so, you should look for Duelist Leagues, small local tournaments, Yu-Gi-Oh! Extravaganza events, and Sneak Peek events that cater to the casual fun of playing the game.
What do I need to know about Yu-Gi-Oh?
Yu-Gi-Oh! is a popular children’s franchise. It’s based on a universe in which characters challenge one another to a strategy card game to gain honor, settle disputes, and protect their loved ones.
See our FAQ below to help answer some of your questions about the game!
Organized Play (OP) is the programs developed by Konami to enable collectors and players to come together and play the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Casual local leagues and tournaments of all sizes are hosted worldwide. This variety offers Duelists in many different areas and of all sorts of skill levels the chance to come together and play where they’re most comfortable.
Trading is a big part of Trading Card Games – after all, it’s in the name! Trading is a great way for Duelists to expand their collections and exchange cards that they already have or don’t need for cards that they are looking for. Since the cards have different values, it can take a bit of practice and preparation to make the best trades. If your child is interested in trading, you can help him or her get the most out of the process. You will find that when your child trades to get the cards that he or she wants, he or she is engaged in an exciting and challenging social activity!
First, help your child organize and store that collection! Providing card boxes or binders keeps cards off the floor and in good condition, and easy to locate when needed. Organization is a good skill to learn, and maintaining a card collection is a great place to begin.
Second, encourage your child to learn about the value of his or her cards. There are lots of collectible magazines and online stores that list current prices. Your child doesn’t have to learn about every card, but having an idea of what his or her more appealing cards are worth will help your child make balanced decisions when trading. When your child adds up the values of different cards to make informed trades, your child is practicing important math and decision-making skills.
When your child is starting out, you might want to put limits on which cards can be traded—if your child has any valuable cards or cards given as gifts, you can let your child know that he or she should not trade them. Let your child know that he or she doesn’t have to trade if he or she doesn’t want to—sometimes children feel pressured into trades. Let your child know that it’s okay to turn down a trade if he or she doesn’t feel comfortable about it.
Almost all Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME players and collectors trade cards, so you can find kids for your child to trade with just about everywhere! If you’re having trouble finding kids for your child to trade with, you can take your child to one of Konami’s Organized Play events. At those events, there are usually lots of kids trading cards and playing the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME.
Once you’ve found an event to attend, there are a few things you’ll need to do to help your child get ready. You’ll both enjoy the event much more if you know what to expect and are fully prepared—reading over this section will give you the basic information you’ll need to get the most out of an event.
If some of the terms seem unfamiliar, you can check out our glossary, which provides a more detailed explanation of these terms.
What should my child bring to a tournament?
A Deck
Most tournaments are Constructed events. This means that your child will need to bring his or her own Deck in order to play. A Deck is not just a random handful of cards from your child’s collection – a well-built Deck includes good cards and strategies. In addition, the Deck must meet certain requirements in order to promote fair play. For his or her first Deck, your child will probably enjoy playing one that contains his or her favorite cards, perhaps with some strong cards recommended by other Duelists. You can also purchase a ready-made Starter Deck or Structure Deck that is ready to play right out of the box.
Most Duelists like to put card sleeves on the cards in their Deck to keep the cards clean and in good shape. Card shops and most other stores that sell trading cards carry these sleeves, as well as Deck boxes in which to store Decks.
If your child would like to build his or her own Deck, help him or her make sure that the Deck meets all the rules. You can do this by reviewing the Format List page. This format will change periodically to promote new Deck ideas and to keep the game exciting for Duelists. Click here for a link to the Format List page, which will explain which cards your child can use in a Deck.
Once you find a local Official Tournament Store, you will usually meet a judge, Tournament Organizer, or more experienced player who can give your child some additional assistance with his or her Deck.
Tournament Supplies
In addition to his or her Deck, there are a couple of other things your child should bring to an event.
First, your child should bring a Deck box in which to keep his or her Deck. A Deck box gives your child a place to store all of the cards in his or her Deck, so that the cards in his or her Deck are always together, and don’t get mixed in with the rest of his or her collection. In a competitive tournament, the Deck that your child is playing with must be kept separate from the rest of his or her collection.
Second, your child might want to put the cards he or she brings to a tournament in card sleeves. Card sleeves help protect cards from becoming damaged as kids play with them. Although your child doesn’t need card sleeves or a Deck box to play the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, most players have them, because using a Deck box and card sleeves is the best way for them to protect their cards from getting damaged, especially if they want to trade those cards later.
Third, your child should bring a pencil and paper. This will allow your child to keep track of each player’s Life Points. Using pencil and paper to keep track of changes in the score will make your child’s games go a lot more smoothly. Instead of using pencil and paper, some kids use a calculator.
Fourth, your child should bring any Tokens or dice that the cards in his or her Deck may require. Some cards in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME will put special “Tokens” on the field, or will require a player to roll a die. If your child uses any of these cards in his or her Deck, it’s always best to bring Tokens and dice to tournaments.
Finally, your child should keep all of these things in a bag or backpack which he or she can keep track of easily. For first events, your child doesn’t need to bring every card he or she owns – it can be hard to keep an eye on a lot of possessions at an event, and you don’t want your child to lose anything.
How can my child learn more about the rules and basic gameplay?
Before your child enters a tournament, it’s always a good idea to make sure he or she first understands the basic rules of the game. We have several online resources to help you and your child prepare for a tournament, by teaching about the rules and basic gameplay.
You can find the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Rulebook, along with a Learn To Play Demo, on the “Gameplay” section of this website:
Another excellent resource for learning more about the game is the KDE Strategy Site – there are new articles weekly to talk about Decks, card strategies, and more:
How can my child and I learn about tournament policies?
While Duelist League and local tournaments are often very casual, there are guidelines in place for all Konami Organized Play events. These guidelines are designed to promote good sporting conduct and a fair play experience for all participants. It is a good idea to go over these polices with your child, so you will both know what is and is not allowed at a tournament. This gives you a good opportunity to discuss the concept of rules with your child, and why it is important to understand and follow them. Tournament policies and rules are in place to help events run smoothly and fairly, not to target or punish the players indiscriminately.
Konami keeps current copies of all tournament policies online, where you can access them easily. You will find them posted here.
How can I talk to my child about being a good sport?
Duelists are always expected to show good sporting conduct. Wins and losses should be given and accepted with good spirits and congratulations to the opponent, no matter what the Duelist’s age. Duelists, especially when they are starting out, shouldn’t be discouraged by or focus on losses, but rather learn from each Duel and think about enjoying the game. Talk to your child beforehand about good sporting conduct—discuss how to be gracious in wins as well as in losses. Games are meant to be fun!
How can I offer my child my support?
One of the best ways for a parent to stay close to his or her children is to learn about and share their interests. Take a little bit of time to learn about your child’s new hobby, so you can talk about it with him or her. Make some time in the family schedule to take your children to some Organized Play events. If your child has friends who are also interested, consider joining forces with their parents to arrange a carpool, so the children will have familiar company at the events.
Like the game of Chess, the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME is a simple game with a lot of complex strategies. At the most basic level, the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME forces kids to use simple math and reading skills, while exercising the social skills necessary to play against other kids. As kids get older, they learn to appreciate more complex strategies involved in the game. At the most competitive level, players use deductive reasoning to make informed guesses about which cards their opponents have, and invoke principles of game theory and risk assessment to plan out their moves.
The Basic Skills: Math and Reading
The Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME is designed for kids ages 6+. As long as your child can do basic addition and subtraction calculations and read the text on his or her cards, your child will be able to play the game.
In the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, players start each game with 8000 Life Points. Throughout the course of a game, players use cards that increase or decrease a player’s Life Points. A player wins by reducing his or her opponent’s Life Points to 0. Players must constantly calculate changes to one another’s Life Points, in order to keep track of how close they are to victory. While most players use pen and paper or calculators to keep track of Life Points, the fast pace of the game also requires players to make many calculations in their head, in order to best plan out their moves. These calculations help kids develop important basic math skills.
Every card in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME has a unique effect. Players need to read each card they see in order to understand its impact on the game. By reading and understanding the effect of each card, a player can strategize accordingly. Children who want to win will read and understand every card, building their reading comprehension skills.
All the while, children exercise important problem-solving skills. They understand the starting point of each game, and make it a goal to win. Throughout the course of a Duel, players are constantly thinking about the different ways to achieve that goal by using their cards.
Social Skills
The Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME can’t be played alone; your child will need opponents to play against. As your child interacts with other Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME players, he or she will learn the importance of fair play, good sportsmanship, and competition etiquette. In addition, when your child engages in trades with other kids, he or she will gain experience conducting business-like transactions at a young age.
There are thousands of kids around North America that your child can face in a Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME Duel. In the search for opponents, many kids forge long-lasting friendships with peers who have common interests.
The Advanced Skills: Strategic Thinking
Although the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME was made for kids, many children who started playing it over a decade ago are still playing as they enter college and start careers. At a competitive level, the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME requires deep strategic thinking in order to win.
Players who engage in critical thinking to develop complex strategies have an edge over the competition. During the course of a game, many of your opponent’s cards are concealed from you. By keeping track of your opponent’s moves throughout the game, advanced players can reason out which cards an opponent most likely has.
Players who have patience and self-discipline also have an advantage over opponents. Players must weigh all of their options when making a play, and think about the consequences of each possible play. They always need to plan ahead. An overly aggressive move may leave a player defenseless, causing his or her eventual loss. The best players are constantly evaluating whether or not the time is right to go on the offensive, and they wait until that time comes before pushing for the victory. While playing the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME and aspiring for victory, your child will learn the importance of having patience and planning ahead.
Even though the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME is educational, it’s also fun! When kids play the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, they don’t realize how much they’re learning. Kids who are eager to play and eager to win are constantly developing math, reading, and critical thinking skills, even though they aren’t aware of it.
Okay, so you’re taking your child to an Organized Play event. What now?
First off, make sure you arrive before the starting time. If a player arrives late to a tournament, he or she may not be allowed to enter, or may be entered into the tournament with an automatic loss for the first round.
Secondly, check if your child needs to fill out a registration slip or Deck List. At some local tournaments, your child can participate simply by telling the tournament organizer that he or she would like to play, and paying an entrance fee (if there is one). At many events, however, your child will need to fill out a registration slip before he or she will be entered into a tournament. A registration slip is a small sheet of paper that asks for basic information, like your child’s first name, last name, and birthday. It’s used to help the tournament organizer keep track of who is playing in the tournament, and enter each player into the tournament software.
The registration slip may also ask your child for his or her COSSY ID number. COSSY is the global ranking system for the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME. Your child’s COSSY ID identifies him or her as a Duelist, and lets you track his or her performance in sanctioned tournaments. Your child can get a COSSY ID for free at any Konami Official Tournament Store, or any event that requires Duelists to have a COSSY ID number to participate.
Depending on the type of event that your child is entering, he or she may need to fill out and submit a “Deck List” before the event, along with his or her registration slip. Deck Lists list every card that is used in a player’s Main Deck, Side Deck, and Extra Deck. They’re most commonly required at Tier 2 events, which are the most competitive Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME tournaments. Deck Lists are used to make sure that a player does not change the contents of his or her Deck throughout the duration of a tournament. For more information about filling out a Deck List, click here.
After all of the players have registered and handed in their Deck Lists (if Deck Lists are required), there might be a Player Meeting. During the Player Meeting, tournament officials talk to all of the players at once to give them important information about the tournament. Players are usually seated alphabetically for the Player Meeting. After the Player Meeting concludes, pairings for Round 1 of the tournament are posted, and the tournament is underway!
Each table in the tournament hall is usually numbered, and the pairings indicate at which table each player in the tournament will be playing. Have your child find his or her name on the pairings sheet, and then report to the table at which he or she will be playing. Pairings will be posted before every round of the tournament. Your child needs to check the pairings each round to find out where he or she is playing.
Although some parents participate in the same tournaments that their children enter in order to stay as busy as their kids, many parents do not. Most events have an area where parents who aren’t playing can wait for their kids, so bring along something to read or do while your child plays in the event. You can also choose to watch from the side of the tournament to see how your child is doing.
If you do decide to watch your child play, remember that you cannot interfere in any of your child’s Matches. If you are concerned about something going on during the game, you can always alert a judge, who can investigate. Before the tournament begins, make sure your child knows that he or she is always welcome to call over a judge too, if he or she is concerned about something. You can certainly talk to your child about their Duels when the Match is over, but offering advice or suggestions during the Match is not allowed.
It’s a good idea to stay at the event with your child, at least for the first few events. Remember that store owners and employees or tournament staff cannot be responsible for looking after your child for the duration of the event. Judges and tournament officials are often a great source of information about the tournament and the game in general, but try to hold any questions that aren’t directly related to what is going on during the games until after the tournament is over, so they can stay focused on the event.
When the event is over, make sure to celebrate your child’s accomplishments! Congratulate him or her on examples of good sporting conduct, games won, exciting trades, or making a new friend.
If you talk to your child about each event after the event is over, your child will also be able to learn important life lessons from every event that he or she enters. In all types of competition, it’s important to lose gracefully and be humble in victory. Talk to your child after each competition to make sure that he or she understands this. Players that display good sportsmanship typically have the most fun and make the most friends at Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME events.
If your child is feeling discouraged by his or her losses in a particular tournament, make sure that he or she understands that it’s impossible to win every time. Even the best Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG player in the world sometimes faces defeat. People must cope with losses in competition throughout their entire lives. A child’s loss at a Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME tournament creates the perfect opportunity for a parent to teach his or her child the importance of brushing aside a loss and moving forward.
At high levels of competition, the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME requires players to have strong math skills and develop complex strategies in order to succeed. Make sure your child understands that the more he or she practices playing the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME and the more he or she develops his or her math and critical thinking skills, the better he or she will become at the game.
If your child had a good time and would like to go back, find out about upcoming events and mark them on the calendar.
If you didn’t participate in your child’s tournament, next time consider joining in the fun! You can always build your own Deck and enter the tournament alongside your child, or become a volunteer at an upcoming event. Many judges and other tournament staff become involved in the game in order to share in their child’s interest.
Michael Jacobs is a local resident brand new to the Yu-Gi-Oh! scene. He found out about the YCS in Atlanta while browsing the official Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME website, and decided to bring his two sons, Sidney and Max, to enjoy the YCS experience. Mr. Jacobs is glad that he did.
Both of Mr. Jacobs’s sons participated in the YCS Atlanta Dragon Duel tournament. Sidney just started playing the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME a couple of months ago, and managed to finish the Dragon Duels tournament with an impressive 3-1 record and Top 4 finish. Mr. Jacobs had a lot to say about his son Sidney’s hobby.
“This is his passion. He doesn’t like playing sports or going to baseball games. He loves this stuff.”
Mr. Jacobs said that his 12-year-old son Sidney has a group of friends in middle school that he Duels against in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, and he’s happy to support the hobby that his son is so passionate about. Mr. Jacobs likes what the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME offers to his son.
“He has to use his brain to play. It’s intellectual – you have to use strategy – but it’s also interactive.”
Mr. Jacobs likes that his son is interacting with other live people while playing the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME. Even though Sidney lost in the final round of the Dragon Duel tournament, he kept his spirits high and was an exceptionally good sport.
“The real world is all about dealing with other people, and there are lots of life lessons that Sid’s learning here by playing against other people.”
Alison Leverett is the mother of 2 well-known Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Duelists: Zachary Leverett and Benjamin Leverett. Benjamin Leverett participated in the 2012 World Championship in Tokyo, Japan, and Benjamin Leverett has recently been very successful in Dragon Duel tournaments. Alison has brought Zachary and Benjamin to at least 20 YCS events in total.
We sat down with Alison Leverett to see what motivates her to bring her kids to these events, and how she feels about the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME. Alison had a lot of positive things to say. Here’s why Alison encourages her kids to play the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG:
“I do it because I think it’s an awesome game. I like the strategy, the math, and the sportsmanship. It has also given us incentive to travel around the United States. We even went to Barcelona, and Ben won a high profile prize card there.”
Alison likes the impact that the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG has had on her kids’ lives as well.
“I like what it has done for my kids socially. They’ve made a lot of friends from around the United States who they Skype with. I like that it gives my kids a feeling of a group they belong to. Through Yu-Gi-Oh!, they meet people that they have a lot in common with. Plus, it keeps them busy during the week – even when they’re not at a tournament – because they’re always test playing or Deck building.”
Alison told us her kids have learned a lot from Yu-Gi-Oh!, too.
“They learned a lot of life lessons, like ‘watch your stuff.’ They’ve learned different strengths that they both have. For example, Ben is an awesome Deck builder. Yu-Gi-Oh! has given them a lot of confidence by showing them that they’re both good at something.”
Alison also believes that the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card game has had a positive impact on other people’s lives.
To me, it’s neat to watch a lot of teenage boys who – if they weren’t doing this – who knows what they would be doing.”
The Dragon Duel division gives younger Duelists their own arena for tournament competition. As the division grows, parents are becoming the unsung heroes of many a YCS! Plenty of Dragon Duelists have chalked up stellar accomplishments over the past few years, but behind every Dragon Duel winner stands a supportive mom, dad, or guardian that’s helping them grow – not just as a competitor, but as a person, too.
We talked to Eve Riskin about her experiences of being a ‘Yugi-mom’. Her twelve year-old son Aden Garrabrant has been a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan for ages, but he started taking the game more seriously about two and a half years ago. His mother’s been an integral part of his growth as a competitor. We asked Eve what kind of impact she felt Yu-Gi-Oh! was having on her son.
“It gives him something to do that doesn’t involve a screen…Being one of the youngest competitors at his locals, Aden’s learning to deal with a wide range of people. He’s learning to assert himself, while still carrying himself with alot of respect for his fellow players. He’s learning how to work a room too, and how to arrange deals between people. I think it’s helping his math skills, too”
“It’s helping him learn to be a good sport, teaching about winning and losing…I think it’s important to be able to go through life and be happy even during the times you’re not winning. There’s a tremendous emphasis on competition these days, in all parts of life, but the reality is that you can’t win all the time. So it’s important to get through those periods and appreciate when you ARE winning.”
With a balanced interest in both trading and on-table competition, Aden’s traveled to YCS’s and WCQ’s; achieved substantial tournament success; and cultivated a level of dedication to local events that’s unparalleled even by most Duelists twice his age. He has his mother to thank for that; without her support, none of it would have been possible. Yugi-parents like Eve Riskin are an integral part of the game, helping usher in the next generation of Dueling legends.
