How to deal with people playing for prizes?

[maeos]

So my lgs recently held a 2hg commander tournament with a set of the brawl decks for prizes and smaller prizes for other placements.

My friend and I were interested in trying our hand at the main prize and signed up with a Rashmi value control and an Arahbo kittens deck. Our first game were against saskia warriors + kadena morphs where we won narrowly after breaking out of a pickles lock. Come quarter finals we realized that we had come unprepared as half of the decks that were moving forward were leaning towards very combo centric higher end decks. Our next opponents were najeela hulk + urza stax, which we only beat because we we triumph of the horde turn 4 with several cats and they didn't have an answer. Unfortunately for our last game, we were against a Tyma & Thrasios fish hulk and a Kess consultation. We were able to stall them by countering their tutors but was unable to respond to the flash as I had run out of steam. We stuck around and watched the finals where it was just a snore fest where it was Urza dramatic scepter with Tymna Thrasios breakfast hulk vs the pair we had just lost against. Both teams just sat there with combo in hand but unable to play it as their opponent's partner had control magic ready. The stalemate was broken finally when the Kess played an addle with a boseiju who shelters all and forced the t&t to play their flash which the other t&t played their own flash and won the ensuing counterwar.

While I am happy that we were able to come get some prizes, at the same time, I think that we could have maybe even gotten second if we were playing against decks that we had normally seen at fnm. Outside of playing on the same kind of decks as them, are there any other things we could have done to do better at these kinds of tournaments?

[Jim Wolfie]

probably practicing and playing tighter in 4 player games. the skills do transfer.

[DirkGently]

If there's prizes on the line, you've got to expect people to bring the most powerful decks they can. Having good skills certainly helps, but there's only so much you can do. Getting a cat tribal deck as far as you made it seems pretty lucky. If you expect to do better in the future with the same decks, I think you're likely to be disappointed.

probably practicing and playing tighter in 4 player games. the skills do transfer.

Can't say I agree. 2HG plays very differently than 4 player. There's no politics, communication with your partner is crucial, you can build decks to deliberately work well together, etc. Sure, tight play is tight play to a certain extent, but I'd be more likely to suggest a different format in 2HG, or even 1v1, instead of a 4 player FFA.

[Legend]

We have local players that play wherever the prize support is best and sometimes won't play unless it's enticing enough for them. And they are objectively very good players. So I sympathize. But to answer your question, "No". Either join the dark side or get used to losing more often than not. Spikes don't come to play, they come to win. Playing is just the means to that end. Hence they pilot only the most efficient net decks they can copy and paste afford. It's all very boring to me. It isn't that I haven't won any prize support over the years (I've won plenty). But I only feel like a winner when my presence, personality, and play patterns make people happy.

[toctheyounger]

I'm with Dirk on this one. I think end of the day in a tournament scenario you do sort of need to bring your heaviest artillery.

There are some skills that'll do you good and playing your lines spot on and not missing a beat is great but ultimately in a tournament setting with prizes on the line inevitably you're going to see the very top tier of decks crop up and bringing a gun to a knife fight won't cut it.

I guess it depends on your approach though - if you're just in it to sling some cards, see how far you get and nothing lost if you don't win it, you're fine - game as hard as you can with what you have available. If you want to win the whole thing you'll likely have to fight fire with fire.

[pokken]

I find the whole idea of playing commander for prizes for winning completely distasteful. I've done it a few times and it always left a bad taste in my mouth.

So henceforth I will not.

I do want to organize a participation based FNM so that the store gets paid for hosting. That's high on my list.

[RxPhantom]

Yeah, the social contract gets thrown out the window then there are prizes on the line. It won't be the most exciting Magic ever played, but it comes with the territory.