Coby

The biggest issue I see at Yu-Gi-Oh tournaments is victim mentality. I overhear so many conversations that involve shifting blame and shirking responsibility. I suspect this is from a sense of pride and face-saving. But I think the sooner you kill that, the sooner you can actually start improving. "My opponent slow played me" Why didn't you say something earlier? Why didn't you call a judge? Why are you letting them take back plays? Why do you only recognize slow play after the fact? "I got a double loss, that's bullshit" Was there any point you could have made a tactical concession sooner? Did you establish a healthy pace from the start? Were you forced to waste time reading cards you should have been prepared for beforehand? Why were you often uncertain of your own plays? "I lost to Lunalight Liger Dancer and couldn't do anything! (or some similar towers monster)" Did you plan a way to out this well-established threat? Your deck should have some game plan for these situations. Even if it doesn't always materialize, you shouldn't be learning about it for the first time. "I kept bricking all day!" Did this happen just once or is it a recurring trend? Have you taken a critical look at your deck ratios? Are you certain every so-called brick hand or situation was actually unplayable and not just uncomfortable/unfamiliar to you? "I lost all my die rolls" Are you familiar enough with your deck and its matchups to make going second a viable option? Or are you only capable of winning when you go first? Many of the best players in the room lost die rolls today but are still winning. "I lost to a Charmy/Droll" Do you have an intimate knowledge of what your deck can still do under the effects of these cards to mitigate them? Why are you immediately hopeless against commonly played threats? "Well I'm X-3 now so Im dropping" If you consistently find yourself losing to rogue decks at every event, maybe it's in your best interests to stick it out in the later rounds? Even if you don't place well, the experience of playing against unfamiliar decks (and especially in the real-world setting you can only get at a regional or above) is still a good time investment. You're already here, aren't you? People spent time and money to be here and are taking this seriously. Claiming it was entirely out of your control might feel good in the moment, but at the end of the day, you have to take accountability for your results.