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Author
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Topic: Bluffing
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Avatar of Might
Member
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posted December 22, 2000 09:13 AM
       
We all know Bluffing is a good strategy in Poker. A good Bluff may well mean the difference between winning or suffering a painful defeat.But does bluffing work in Magic as well? I think so- here is an example from a game i had long ago:
I was playing my ususal Blue tide/ankh deck. My oponent was playing a green creature deck.
I had already put into play 2 Ankhs, and i had a Boomerang in my hand. All i needed is to play a Tide and i wouldve won the game same turn, cutting down all my oponents 20 life.
The problem was i didnt have a tide in my hand. For some reason, its just my kind of luck i guess, the cards i need always end up at the bottom of my library.
In addition to the absence of a tide i was facing 2 more serious problems:
First, i was begining to run low on life and my oponent was already attacking me with several lesser creatures.
The second problem was that i had no counterspells in my hand... in my deck the counterspells were my only chance of defence.
Anyway here is where the Bluff comes in: i was sure my oponent had a heavy creature in his hand: (Later he told me it was a Blastoderm) and if he'd come to play it i would be surely doomed.
However he didnt want the Blastoderm to be wasted because of a counter-spell. So he plays a lesser creature(i.e. Llanowar elve) and asks me "Ok?". I know he is just testing me to see if i had a counterspell in my hand (which i didnt) and make me use it on that creature so that his Blastoderm can come in safely. So i make my best poker face and i pretend to be thinking if to counter it or not. i reach out for a card in my hand and i make it look like i am gonna play a counter but then i tell him "well ok" in a voice Which sounds like "i have a counter but i'm saving it for a better moment"
The Bluff worked and my oponent decides not to play the BLastoderm for the moment and rather wait for a better opportuniy(i.e. i used all my mana). That bought me the time i so urgently needed. A turn later i really did draw a counterspell, and a few turns afterward i drew the Tide and won the game at the last moment (i was at 1-2 life)
So Bluffing can be a good tactic if used wisely. If you have had similar experiences or other suggestions on how Bluffing may work please comment
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da-odd-templar
Member
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posted December 22, 2000 09:25 PM
I think bluffing works great in magic, and by far the best deck that bluffing helps is a deck running counterspells or mass removal. You either act like you have a counter when you really dont (like you did), or you pretend that you have something like a wrath of god, so that you force them to hold something back.__________________
Stinky cheese is still cheese. Last night I stayed up late playing poker with Tarot cards. I got a full house and four people died. - Stephen Wright ICQ Number: 7801268 Email: mlava@flash.net One of the best Magic: The Gathering sites Current Banned and Restricted List: Here
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Fooath
Member
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posted December 23, 2000 10:55 AM
Or act like you DONT have the cards.
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HanSolo6385
Member
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posted December 23, 2000 10:21 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Fooath:
Or act like you DONT have the cards.
Exactly. If you act like your beat, maybe your opponent would skip his Main Phase, not put anything into play (A game-determining card) and then you play the game-determining card (Devouring Strossus  ) and BADDA-BING BADDA-BOOM game over, you win!  __________________
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Magic1264
Member
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posted December 23, 2000 11:51 PM
Yeah, showing some sort of weakness to your opponent usually causes them to go through their turn to fast that they don't consider all options they have because they are impatient to win. Then, when they make that fatal mistake, you capitalize and win.__________________
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Fooath
Member
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posted December 24, 2000 03:51 PM
I have also found that rushing them works quite well. Just always act like you are a in a hurry. If anything it keeps them on there toes....
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da-odd-templar
Member
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posted December 24, 2000 08:39 PM
Actually, my opponent did this one time to me at friday night magic. He would play his turn quickly, and I naturally thought that I too had to play that fast. I made mistakes constantly, which gave my opponent an edge. He forced me to play his game, not mine, and by doing that, he wone easily. Now everytime we play, I play MY game, and the results are much better.__________________
Stinky cheese is still cheese. Last night I stayed up late playing poker with Tarot cards. I got a full house and four people died. - Stephen Wright ICQ Number: 7801268 Email: mlava@flash.net One of the best Magic: The Gathering sites Current Banned and Restricted List: Here
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Fooath
Member
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posted December 25, 2000 10:38 PM
heh, I did that at the last prerelease. One guy ended up forgetting to make things untargetable. One guy forgot my fearies didnt have flying...and hey who was I to remind them?
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TheFireStarter
Member
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posted December 26, 2000 11:22 PM
I think Bluffing is one of the hardest things to master for some people, and the easiest for others. I personally am at the point were I can pertend to slip by saying whats in my hand (when its not) then cursing loudly at how stupid I am to think out loud...__________________
~Stupid Rambleing Ends Here~
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fatman
Member
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posted January 09, 2001 04:13 PM
i believe bluffing was the original intent for cursed scroll...this is a great bluff card...scroll you naming counterspell...
think combo will try to go off if they "know' you have a counterspell?__________________
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AIM rabidfatman
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reinhart
Banned
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posted January 09, 2001 09:16 PM
rushing? are u joking, fooath? In all the games we've played together, i never once felt like the speed of hte opponent should make me feel nervous lol
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Fooath
Member
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posted January 09, 2001 11:58 PM
That is because you are not sitting across from me with hundreds of people around.
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iakae
Banned
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posted January 10, 2001 07:48 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Fooath:
I have also found that rushing them works quite well. Just always act like you are a in a hurry. If anything it keeps them on there toes....
I love it when people do that, because it really annoys them when I just proceed at my own pace. The one thing that you learn from experience is that your turn is YOUR turn, and that while you shouldn't play at a slow pace to work tricks with the clock, and you should take that turn at your own speed. I don't care how many people are around the table (hell, I played in feature matches at both Regionals and States this year, so there are times when my games draw quite a crowd); I don't let psycological crap from my opponent get to me. I'd suggest that everyone does the same thing and not let the opponent into your head like that.
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Fooath
Member
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posted January 10, 2001 05:04 PM
Well, if they show no reaction I am not going to continue and try and rush them. If they want to play the game at there pace then fine by me. Not like slowing myself down will hurt my game.
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gedren_y
Member
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posted January 11, 2001 10:42 AM
A way to make sure your opponent isn't bluffing (if you are using blue) is to play Wandering Eye. A sweet Nemisis card that goes in all my blue decks.
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TheAdjudicator
New Member
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posted January 21, 2001 03:50 PM
gedren: seer's vision would be better overall, although white would be required. You don't have to reveal your hand if playing seer's vision, while you do with wandering eye (I think? someone correct me if I'm wrong)__________________
"Don't run, you'll just die tired....."
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DarkWaters
Member
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posted January 23, 2001 06:24 PM
This article reminds me of a play I made once. I had just stolen a guy's Cursed Scroll with Steal Artifact, and used it, naming Counterspell, even though there was only 1 in my hand. Needless to say, he pulled it and went "oh s***"__________________
I am the flood, the tide that will not be stemmed
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shadowdrifter
Unregistered
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posted January 23, 2001 11:57 PM
I think confidence in your game play is the best bluffing out there. I always play the game like I'm winning, even if I'm losing horribly! It makes some opponents wary and overly cautious, even if they have an advantage.__________________
Later,
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BoltBait
Moderator
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posted January 25, 2001 04:50 PM
Great concept and article.Here is one thing that I do... When playing blue, I always arange my lands before the end of my turn by placing two untapped islands together slightly away from my other lands. Makes my opponent think twice before casting that important spell.  __________________
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da-odd-templar
Member
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posted June 06, 2002 12:44 AM
At FNM last week, I was with my Tog/Heave deck (more along the lines of Budde's version), and I was playing against u/g Opposition. He forced down an opposition with 2 mana guys in play and an active nest, so I start moaning about how all I can do is topdeck land while he is drawing threats. So I get him in the mindset where he thinks he's already won, so when he passes the turn, he doesn't tap any of my stuff during my upkeep. I proceed to Upheavel/Tog him because he didn't tap down my mana, and I win. __________________
Ari - We'll miss you.
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*Tedman*
Member
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posted June 08, 2002 07:10 AM
quote:
Originally posted by da-odd-templar:
At FNM last week, I was with my Tog/Heave deck (more along the lines of Budde's version), and I was playing against u/g Opposition. He forced down an opposition with 2 mana guys in play and an active nest, so I start moaning about how all I can do is topdeck land while he is drawing threats. So I get him in the mindset where he thinks he's already won, so when he passes the turn, he doesn't tap any of my stuff during my upkeep. I proceed to Upheavel/Tog him because he didn't tap down my mana, and I win.
One of the most fun things about being in a losing situation is that if you have a psychological advantage, you can force your opponent to make mistakes. Love it! __________________
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wilandirene
Member
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posted June 11, 2002 09:32 AM
Yeah, I've been psyched out a couple of times by opponents in PTQ's and such. I'm not used to playing with so many "nasty" opponents. __________________
Now I need some Nether Voids and Beta cards. Please trade them to me!
Also looking for Summer Magic cards and other promos/misprints.
Wil and Irene
wil.mak@3web.net
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NHA Kamikaze
New Member
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posted June 26, 2002 09:58 PM
Its always great to sit there and act like you're losing. By saying stuff like "Damn, I shoulda done that instead..." Or "I shouda killed that last turn..." or get all up in their heads and say stuff like "You got this game won..." Or "I can't win against that so and so deck..." It gives them the satisfaction of wining and sit back, and maybe go into overkill mode, and drop their hand just in time for the almighty FOG(i dont personaly play it, but i kno those that do) But yea, Bluffing is another part of the game that we've all mastered to a point__________________
**** Happens
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Gate-of-Destiny
Unregistered
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posted November 17, 2002 02:45 PM
i like attacking with a 1/1 llanowar elf when my opponent has like creaturs at 3/3 and 4/4
they not sure if i have a trap ready.
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HanSolo6385
Member
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posted November 17, 2002 04:04 PM
Wow....I said Devouring Strossus was a game determining card.Excuse me while I shoot myself. __________________
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