I participated in a tournament at Mirkwood Coffee and Games in Richfield,
Minnesota on December 29th.  There was 19 kids and adults and the
"Metagame" was definitely Haymaker.  There tournament started with 5
games of Swiss with a 20 min. time limit to determine the top Eight.
Then, the eight played best 2 out of 3, and winners went on.    Here it
is

4 Magmar
4 Electabuzz
4 Scyther

7 Fire Energy
7 Electric Energy
5 Grass Energy
4 Double Colorless Energy

4 Energy Removal
3 Plus Power
3 Professor Oak
3 Bill
2 Scoop Up
2 Energy Search
2 Energy Retrieval
2 Gust of Wind
2 Item Finder
1 Comp. Search
1 Super Energy Removal

Round 1  Me vs. kid with a Dodrio/Dragonite Deck
I had never played a deck like this before.  I had a Scyther and a
Magmar while he had a lowly Doduo.  He went first and did 20 with "Furry
Swipes."  I told him it was fury, but he wouldn't stop.  I gave my
Scyther a Grass energy and Swords Danced.  He ER'd my Scyther and did 10
to it.  I gave Scyther an Electric Energy and said Go.  He did 10 more to
Scyther.  I gave Scyther a DCE and Slashed for 30.  He did 10 more to
Scyther.  I slashed for the win.

Points: 3

Round 2  Me vs. my friend Mike H.
I knew he had a deck like mine only his had Hitmonchan.  For the major
part of the game we traded prises.  It was 2-1 (left) my lead when his
Scyther killed my Scyther.  I sent out a Magmar with 40 HP left and used
Smokescreen for 20.  He attached a Plus power and tried Slash but the
flip was tails.  I Scooped Up Magmar, brought out a fully powered
Electabuzz and attached a Plus Power.  I flipped a heads for the win.

Points: 6

Round 3  Me vs. little kid with Energy Trans Deck.
He went first and started with a Promo Mewtwo, which scared me.  He gave
Mewtwo an energy, Comp Searched discarding 2 Psy Energy, and used Energy
Absorption. I ER'd him twice, and Smokescreened his Mewtwo.  He tried to
Energy Absorption, but he failed.  I Smokescreened him, while powering up
my Electabuzz.  He powered up his Pinsir while he succesfully Energy
Absorptioned.  I smokesceened him a third time while making my Electabuzz
fully powered.  He did 40 to my Magmar.  I Scooped him up, and KO'd his
Mewtwo with Thunderpunch.  He sent out Charmander.  I Thundershocked him,
flipping tails.  He played a Bulbasaur, and finished powering Pinsir.  I
Thunderpunched and flipped heads for the K.O.  Then he sent out his
Pinsir and Gulitined for 50.  He also evolved Bulbasaur into Venusaur.  I
finished powering up a Electabuzz and my active Electabuzz Thunderpunched
for 30 and 10 to itself.  Than the Pinsir KO'd my Electabuzz.  Then my
Electabuzz KO'd the Pinsir.  I then got my Magmar out and ripped through
all the rest of his pokemon for 6 prises.

Points: 9

Round 4  Me vs. Nate Nering
He was playing almost the same deck only he had didn't play with Grass
Energy.  He started with a Electabuzz and I started with a Scyther.  I
used Swords dance and said go.  He ER'd me and said go.  The whole game
he never got any energy, and when he did I ER'd it.  I chushed him for 6
prises, he only got one on account of Electabuzz killing itself.

Points: 12

Round 5 Me vs. Kid with same Pokemon in his deck.
This was for the top seed in the tournament.  We both started with a
Scyther and a Magmar.  I went first, and Gusted out his Scyther and
Smokescreened him for 20.  He retreated, ER'd my Magmar and used
Smokescreen.  I gave Magmar an energy, ER'd his Magmar and sucessfully
Smokescreened him.  He ER'd me, and he didn't have any energy so he said
go.  I didn't have any energy either, so I said go also.  This went on
for 3 or 4 turns untill he got a Grass energy for his Scyther.  Then I
didn't get anything, and on his next turn. he gave Scyther an electric
energy.  I picked an electric energy and I played down a Electabuzz and
gave him it.  The game went on for a while untill I got a 4-2 advantage
over him.  My Electabuzz kept punching and I kept ERing untill I got my
6th prise.  I had finaly got into the top Eight, and as the first seed!

Points: 15

Quarterfinals  Me vs. Nate Nering

Game 1:  This game was a lot like my first game againt him.  He got no
energy, so I KO'd 6 of his Pokemon for the win.

Game 2:  This was a tight game.  I started with a Magmar and he had an
Electrabuzz.  We traded prises until it was 3-3.  I had a magmar with 30
damage and he had an Electrabuzz with 30 damage.  He tried a thunderpunch
and flipped tails.  I Scooped Up my Magmar, and sent out my Electrabuzz
for the KO.  I just beat the rest of his pokemon for the win.

Semifinals  Me vs. Tony Vasquez
There are usually a couple Vasquez's at the tournament, and today was no
execption.  Tony advanced, beating his own son in the quarterfinals.He
also played a Magmar/Electabuzz/Scyther deck, only he didn't use grass
energy.

Game 1:  I played a pretty good game.  I don't remember exactly what
happened, except that I won 6-4.

Game 2:  He had a pretty good game, getting good flips.  I only had
pokemon that were his weakness.  I had 2 of my Scyther, and he had a
Electabuzz and a Magmar, fully pumped.  He had the advantage, 2-1, but he
kept killing my Scyther, until didn't have any left.  Then, he wasted a
Magmar and a Electabuzz to win.

Game 3:  I had all kinds of energy, and he had none.  He went into stall
mode, retreating, Scooping Up and the like, while I had a Scyther doing
30 each turn.  I only had one prize left.  I couldn't find a Pluspower.
I finnaly found one, when he KO'd my lead Scyther.  He picked a Gambler
for a prise and used it with only 1 card left in his deck.  He shuffled
his hand into his deck.  I only had 3 cards in my deck, while he had 6.
He flipped, and the coin hung in the air.  I could see the Arcanine
spining, and it landed...heads!  He picked his whole deck.  I attacked
the Pluspower and KO'd his lead pokemon for the win.

Finals vs. Justin with WigglyHay
This guy usually won the tournament.  Last Sunday he took second, so he
was wanting revenge.

Game 1:  I just flat out beat him at every turn.  I don't remember
exactly what happened, exept that I won 4-6 like always.

Game 2:  I started with only an Electrabuzz and a Magmar.  We traded
prises, and I lost both of them.  I was left with 4 Scyther and no DCE.
I tried to switch them around while powering one up, but he ER'd it.  He
got two from sheer beatdown.  He then got out a Wigglytuff and
slaughtered my other two for the win.

Game 3:  I had a good hand, with an Electabuzz and energy.  I kept it
going, and after a while, I was leading 4-2, but he was about to make a
comeback.  He got out a fully powered Wigglytuff and did 60 to my Magmar.
I Smokescreened it while I finished powering my Scyther.  He flipped
heads and KO'd my Magmar.  I ER'd the DCE on Wiggly, and I slashed for
30.  He did nothing, and I Slashed again.  He couldn't do much, and I
Slashed for the KO.  He did the same thing as Tony, until I picked a
Pluspower and KO'd his Pokemon for my 6th prise.

I won 6 Fossil booster packs and I got Holo Ditto, Muk, Articono,
Dragonite, Haunter, and Raichu.  And now for Props and Slops

Props to Mirkwood for holding the tournament
Props to Justin and Tony for losing graceouly
Props to my Burger King Electabuzz, who kept me from loosing.

Slops to Nate and the other kid who I played in round five who accused me
of cheating and had to count my deck.
Slops to myself for losing two.
Slops to the boosters for only having 1 Holo.

-Nathan P.
Any comments, sugestions, hate mail, fan mail, or anything else, e-mail
me at Wedge37@juno.com.