What to do when someone acts like an @$$ at a tournament?
Social forum
Posted on Feb. 14, 2016, 1:04 p.m. by TheAnnihilator
We've all had that one person. You know them, they usually say something like "Your deck sucks." or "You're a terrible player." or just generally act like a jerk and get salty while ruining the fun of the game.
My question is this: What can you do about it? For example, I'm attending an Open in a few days -- what if my opponents is a real piece of work? Can I call a judge, and what will they do?
What about at the LGS level? (LGS = Local Game Store) What if there is no judge to call?
Epochalyptik says... #4
This thread was moved to a more appropriate forum(auto-generated comment)
February 14, 2016 1:19 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #5
Handle it like an adult. People aren't obligated to be nice; you'll eventually encounter someone who acts like you pissed in their corn flakes. Ignore them and get on with your life.
If they're actually harassing you for some reason (e.g., persistent behavior, sexual/racial slurs, etc.), call an official at your event (judge, store owner, event organizer) and report them.
February 14, 2016 1:21 p.m.
Shuffle their deck every time they have to fetch a land.
Trust me, that will shit them, and it's officially allowed.
Other than that, just play as well as you can, don't interact with them other than talking about what is going on in the game, and ignore them once the game is over.
February 14, 2016 1:24 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #7
Play the game like any other. Sometimes people aren't in the talking mood, so make your plays and pass the turn. Every match doesn't have to involve conversation. When the match is over, regardless of who won, shake your opponent's hand and move on.
February 14, 2016 1:31 p.m.
DERPLINGSUPREME says... #9
burn their house down and leave a note saying "you know what you did."
February 14, 2016 2:53 p.m.
blasphemale says... #10
Seriously, making this into a thread is ridiculous. There are social guidelines for that, if you're not socially competent or strong enough to either deal with it or point it out you shouldn't be attending any social events at all.
February 14, 2016 3:53 p.m.
Tell them that you've killed people for doing less and that you're not afraid to go back to prison
February 14, 2016 4:32 p.m.
blasphemale That's incredibly rude. I think that although everybody agrees on what to do, just because one person isn't sure doesn't make them an incompetent person. For instance if I asked you something relating to the psychological motives behind German officials pre 1914 and you didn't know what to say, asking for help somewhere is completely acceptable, and to me, encouraged.
February 14, 2016 5:34 p.m.
I have actually found that the best "revenge" is to be extremely happy having a very good time without / in spite of them.
Don't play game 3 unless necessary - because you are too busy waiting and playing at the edh table.
Make really good trades ... with someone else that is fun to spend time with and not so obviously mean and cut-throat.
Minimize time on turns you do have left. Cut the chatter. Deal with them for as long as you must before doing other things ...
...things that are so much more fun than dealing with the person in question.
Tournaments do force you to put up with these people but they have exactly zero additional power over you unless you give it to them, so minimize them by focusing away from them instead.
Sometimes I chuckle at people like this as well. That may be a bad idea as it can get turned against you. Really, the more distance, minimization, and redirection, the better.
February 14, 2016 5:52 p.m.
InfiniteParadoX says... #14
rorofat however some very specific, trivial, history fact is different from very common, taught at a young age, social behaviors.
February 14, 2016 5:59 p.m.
Laugh. Just agree with them while laughing. It has a really great effect.
I sideboarded some cards against a person, and when he lost to those card, he said, "why would you even sideboard such incredible bad cards? They are only good against my deck!" (implying that I was bad). And I just responded, "yea, hahahaha, they are some shitty cards, hahahah. But they worked, hahaha", and for some reason, it really worked. No-one can be angry at you, if you are like this!
February 14, 2016 7:20 p.m.
Pull out a gun and shoot them in the face... -_-
I make it a point to avoid aggressive people, even if that means I miss an event. I just don't want to be around people who ruin the fun of others.
There's also a good chance that the reason they act that way is that someone did it to them when they first started playing and their deck wasn't very competitive, now they're paying it forward to you. In a weird way, you should almost feel sorry for them. Of course, they might just be a tactless ogre that has always been like that, too.
February 14, 2016 8:03 p.m.
TheAnnihilator says... #17
InfiniteParadoX If nobody ever talked about socially "understood" behavior, then how would anyone learn it?
In addition, not everyone has the same parenting background that you do -- if I had no parents (thus few role models) around as a kid and supported myself from a young age, you'd look really foolish for what you're saying right now. For all you know about me, that may be the case.
Further, not all families agree on what should be considered acceptable. Rude words and vulgarity in general are just a few examples of debated topics, and what is acceptable to say actually changes depending on who you're with. Thus, conferring with the kind of people who will be around you about what is acceptable/not-acceptable is somewhat important.
As a disclaimer, if I sound condescending, I don't mean to be and I'm sorry for the confusion.
February 14, 2016 11:02 p.m.
InfiniteParadoX says... #18
Well having no parental influence was something that I experienced, however paying any attention to the people around you who are successful, will show you how to act.
February 15, 2016 8:52 a.m.
TheAnnihilator says... #19
@InfiniteParadoX Agreed. By making this thread, I'm trying to pay attention to how the Magic community in general acts in the given situation.
February 15, 2016 12:18 p.m.
Very scary things can happen when people start making decisions based solely on what people around them are doing without trying to understand.
Group "think"
Lemmings
By all means, simply asking is not a problem in and of itself.
Assuming that everyone would choose the one correct way to respond? Well, you know what they say ...
Fitting in might be as easy as mimicking others but what value does that have? What is the cost of checking out, silencing your inner voice, and becoming a clone of someone else?
I get that learning by observation is a thing. One sign that learning is happening is the asking of questions.
There may be venting or even whining masking itself as a question - or it may be a legitimate question. It seems best to assume the second case because this is something that many of us deal with - and we do so in different ways. So obviously there isn't just one right way to competently deal with such awkward situations.
February 15, 2016 4:24 p.m.
As an LGS employee I can say this -
Magic has a lot of people who love to become self-infatuated and self proclaimed superior, complete, and absolute 100% scumbags... because of a damn card game.
There is a number of people who frequent the shop who could do with a lesson in social etiquette, or in simply giving a shit about other people's perspective on things. A little bit of active empathetical (not a real word unfortunately) behavior can go a long way. Too bad it's a scarcity in the world.
Epoch pretty much hit it square on the head. Dealing with doucehbags in MTG is no different than dealing with them in real life. Smile and nod and avoid all unnecessary interaction. It will not only serve you better, but also your dbag opponent and everybody else around you.
There are players who are infamous for being unnecessarily rude or sore players. Some have had to even been confronted about it at my LGS, but I still treat them with the same respect I do everybody else, regardless of whether or not I'm behind the counter.
With that said, don't take unnecessary amounts of shit from them. That isn't the expectation of MTG, and that comes straight down from the top. LGS owners and MTG judges are expected to do their best to create a safe, fun, and a comfortable environment at all times. That's a mandate straight from Wizards. If you feel there's a real violation here let the authority where you are know, discreetly, and let them handle it.
If this guy is a serious issue then read carefully over the MTG tournament rules (not to be confused with game rules). Sanctioned LGS tournaments run at the Regular REL (Rules Engagement Level) and I can tell you that most of the responses to Major and Minor Unsporting Conduct offenses do not differ that often from the severity of enforcement at any other level of REL. If he violates a Major Unsporting Conduct rule than chances are you can very quickly, appropriately, and swiftly get him disqualified and/or banned. Knowing tournament rules is a valuable asset no matter what tournament you're playing at. Talk to a verified L1 or L2 judge sometime about Conduct offenses or do some thorough research about it and learn very well your personal rights as an MTG player. It will help you better enjoy the game in the long run. It may even serve you well to take the time to studying MTG rules and become a Rules Advisor. You could be the judge your LGS needs shortly after that if you choose to follow up with it.
Best of luck.
February 15, 2016 4:35 p.m.
TheAnnihilator says... #22
Thank you very much for referencing the specific rules book -- I didn't know where to look before. According to the Infraction Procedure Guide, a warning is issued for the first minor offense of unsporting behavior, and a game loss for each offense thereafter. As for major misconduct, the first offense is a game loss and subsequent offenses can lead to removal from the tournament.
@all
After reading through everyone's responses, here's my opinion on how to handle it (at a competitive REL):
- If my opponent just seems to be in a bad mood, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and I won't do anything unless it becomes a problem.
- The first time they say anything particularly bothersome, I'll politely warn them that their behavior is bothering me and that I will call a judge next time it happens.
- Then, if the behavior continues, I'll call a judge. If they still continue to be unsportsmanlike, I'll call a judge again.
I feel like giving my opponent a chance to change their behavior before I involve a judge is fair enough, and I'll be mindful of whether or not they mean to be offensive before saying anything at all. The reason I believe "Do nothing and just play the game." isn't the right advice is because there are real penalties for this kind of behavior, and you can't allow yourself and others who may play against that opponent to be treated so poorly.
InfiniteParadoX says... #2
I'm pretty fucking sure nobody cares if you say ass.
90% of the people on this site knows what lgs means.
For actual advice, just ignore them.
February 14, 2016 1:07 p.m.