Hi guys.  I went to the Game Trader today for a tournament.  It is on Portage
Trail road in Cuyahoga Falls Ohio.  I played my modified sponge and I was
really happy about how it performed.  Here's the deck-

Electabuzz and His Absorbing Friend

10 Pokemon
4 Electabuzz
3 movie promo Mewtwo
3 Scyther

32 Trainers-
4 Oak
4 Plus power
3 Bill
3 Gust of wind
3 Scoop Up
3 Computer search
3 Lass
3 ER
2 SER
2 Energy retrieval
2 Item Finder

18 Energy
8 Psychic
7 Lightning
3 DCE

The Lass turned out to be helpful occasionally.  Evergything else is pretty
obvious.  I might add another retrieval, I normally had enough energy but I
had a couple tough situations.  Here's the report-

MATCH 1
vs. Brandon with fire/elctric (Magnemite, movie Pikachu, Vulpix, fossil
Magmar)
This was Brandon's first tournament.  I don't think there is much to report
here, my Electabuzz thunderpunched 6 Pokemon.  In the end, he had all 6
prizes left and Electabuzz had about 50 damage, mostly from flipping a few
tails thunderpunching.

RECORD: 1-0

MATCH 2
vs. Raindance (Blastoise, Articuno, Lapras)
He opens with Lapras while Squirtle is on the bench.  He went and water
gunned for 10.  I then went with a lone Scyther, computer searched for
Electabuzz and Oaked.  Attached energy to buzz, layed down another Scyther,
retreated and thundershocked with no paralysis.   He went, tried to confuse
me but failed.  I went and thunderpunched to KO Lapras.  He put Aritucno out,
evolved Squirtle into Wortortle and added energy to Articuno.  I removed the
energy and thunderpunched, heads.  He goes, evolves into Blastoise,
raindances energy and uses Blizzard for 50 and damages his bench.  I send out
Scyther to finish up Articuno so I could save Electabuzz for Blastoise.  The
he send out Blastoise, lays down a couple basics, and eventually KO's
Scyther.  I send out buzz who finishes up Blastoise.  Buzz KO'd another
Pokemon or two, and eventually KO's a Blastoise with 2-3 Plus powers to win. 

RECORD: 2-0

MATCH 3
vs. Psychic deck (Gengar, Mime, Kangaskhan)
This guy was pretty good, but he never got Gengar out and he used base
Haunters (lol).  He stalled for a while with Kangaskhan and Mr mime, but I
eventually drew all 6 prizes.

RECORD: 3-0

MATCH 4
vs. Sponge (oh no!)
This guy is ranked 2nd in Ohio, and he playes Magic.  My friend Jeff (who
plays Sponge) got paired with a sponge in the first round and lost.  Our
decks are fairly similar, and I thought I might be in trouble.  I roll to see
who goes first, and I roll higher.  flipped over a Mewtwo and a Scyther and
he has a lone Ditto.  After Oaking a couple times, I got enough energy in the
discard pile to absorb.  Before that however, I Lassed and he shuffled his
precious Scoop Up, Plus power, and Oak into his deck.  He drew no more basics
that turn, and I psyburned Ditto to win second turn.

RECORD: 4-0

I make the top 4, and make it to the semi-finals.

MATCH 5, semi-finals.
vs. Raindance (same as round 2)
He was whining about how he didn't get Blastoise out early last game (it was
about fourth turn) and how he would get him out second turn this game and
win.  Well, I go first with Electabuzz and he has Lapras out and 2 Squirtles
on bench.  I gust out a Squirtle and KO it with 2 plus powers.  He gets
Blastoise out fourth turn again and his deck just doesn't work very well
again.  I go on to the finals and I'm guaranteed at least  second place.

RECORD: 5-0

MATCH 6 finals
vs. Andy? ( think that's his name)
Andy was playing with his Electabuzz/fossil Magmar/Scyther/Lickitung deck
that is almost the same as the deck I used to play except he plays with more
energy removals and (?!?!) no Bills or Oaks.  His Lickitung stalls for a long
time, while he scoops it up when it has enough damage.  I can't manage to
draw plus powers to surprise him and KO Lickitung.  I have a little bit of
energy problems because of his 4/4 removals, and I eventually deck myself
when the prizes were tied at 3-3.

Me and Andy have played before (and have been matched up in a tourny) and I
beat him about 90% of the time.  Before the match, we agreed to equally split
the 1st and 2nd prizes money and I leave with a base 2 booster, 2 base
boosters, and $10 in store credit.  I got a base Clefairy and Imposter Oak,
and a base 2 Item Finder.  Not great pulls, but oh well. 

Time for PROPS and SLOPS
PROPS to the Game Trader for having another good tournament.  They organize
it well and normally make fair rulings.
PROPS to me, for taking second.
PROPS to Scott, for the sponge deck type (just can't leave him out)
SLOPS to me for decking in the finals

Well I'll probably go to Pokemon League this Tuesday and/or the Tournament
next weekend.  If I go to league, I'll test out my Wigglytuff/Mewtwo deck.

Comments go to:
Radar (seamorebns@aol.com)