Ruling Slow play win scenerio

K_la

Aspiring Trainer
Member
If playing a best of three and your opponent is playing slow, you won the first game, and time runs out, is it a win as you won the most games or a tie as you didn't win two?
 

Nyora

A Cat
Member
I've always had that sort of situation coming as a win for me, but I've heard otherwise. It's happened a lot, especially when two control decks come face to face lol
 

Merovingian

Dead Game Enthusiast
Member
Ok. This sort of question can go two different ways, so I'll address them both:

LEGAL PLAY:

In a Bo3. If you won the first game, but the game gets dragged out to where time is called and both players finish the final turn + 3 additional turns--and no winner has been determined, You would win as per the rules. I would highly recommend the guidelines for this.

ILLEGAL PLAY:

If an opponent is playing slow, CALL A JUDGE. It is illegal to run the clock. That said, some players aren't fast players, so it's up to you to figure out in game play "was my opponent playing fast in game one and won, and now they are playing rather sluggish". Watch for changes in gameplay. Make sure a judge watches gameplay between the both of you.
On the flip side, if a player is constantly hounding you to play faster, CALL A JUDGE. It is illegal to rush an opponent as well.

"Didn't you just say we should tell opponents to play faster for playing slow, but now we shouldn't tell them to go fast?"

There's a fine line between being reminded to speed up your plays, and then there's belligerant "c'mon, we're gonna tie! finish it up!" to deliberate attempts to fluster an opponent to get them to mess up in critical game points.
 

Pokefam

300 something/400
Member
one time in a cup top 4 we didn't finish a match. He was playing zorocontrol but I won cuz I took 5 prizes with judges sitting next to us I finished the game with 2 cards in my deck had to do whatever I could to make it so I was turn zero



Playing your cards to chew clock is not illegal but don't be really slow about it
So against control I had a huge hand and played all my cards so I could be turn zero.

Nothing illegal about that.
 

Otaku

The wise fool?
Member
@Merovingian

It has been a long time since I was a Professor, so I wanted to address something I'm not sure the powers-that-be in the game accept:

Timed matches are a necessity for organized play. Winning "via the clock" is only bad when done in the wrong manner. Last I knew, there was specifically a time limit for certain actions; if my opponent cheats and tries to just sit there "thinking" until the clock runs out, that's illegal. If they have enough actions they can carry out on their turn to eat up the time, that's legal... and I believe still a valid win. For better or worse, once matches are timed, then managing your time becomes a legitimate game skill.

I wonder if the official rules need to call it "excessive" slow play and "excessive" fast play. No, you can't just sit there for 20 minutes thinking, or even shuffling your deck. Nor can you expect your opponent to understand a bunch of jargon (spoken or gestured) as you try to complete your turn at a record pace; your opponent needs to understand what is happening during your turn, or at least, they shouldn't fail to understand because you're doing too much too fast for them to follow.

I do apologize if this seems off topic. I've been spoiled a bit by the PTCGO's built in timers, so I know my opponent can only stall play excessively slow so much.
 
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