No, I'm not going to talk about insane card prices, official tourneys, or 
cards that dominate the game(there's enough of that 'favourite card 
defending' already!)  In a way however, maybe it is relevant to pose a 
related question or two:  Which card IS better... Chansey or Charizard?  
What wins the game... pokemon or trainers?  As a player who jumped on the 
pokemon bandwagon a little late(card prices were already rising...) I wasn't 
really able to create the customized deck I dreamed of.  Instead, between 
getting by butt rocked by better decks, I developed an understanding of the 
cards and eventually learned how to play my limited deck to the best of it's 
ability... and started to win.  So to answer the aforementioned questions:  
Which pokemon is better?  Neither.  Which wins the game? Trainers.  Now even 
though any fool can see that you need an acceptable deck, I don't mean 
trainer cars such as Bill or Potion.  I'm representationally referring to 
the players, who are the trainers of the pokemon world.
But before I get into that, there is another factor, a very important one, 
that determines the outcome of the game.  It's called luck.  Going back to 
the issue of the better pokemon, I could list all the pros and cons of each 
but it would be a waste of time since most of us know who rules and who 
doesn't, right?  Let me instead put it this way:  How do you know if you're 
going to get the cards you need, when you need them(without hiding them in 
your sleeve)?  Or how about flipping a coin favourably in that critical 
moment of battle(without a two-header)?  Perhaps, as it is in traditional 
card games, luck is what makes or breaks a game.
Now, you're probably thinking that no matter how 'good' you think you are or 
even if you get your best cards out, you won't win without good cards.  And 
you're kinda right.  You could come up to me and say, "Hey loser!  Do you 
think you're gonna win with a deck of pikachu and water energies?!!".  And 
I'd probably say, "Actually my name isn't 'loser', and secondly, I don't 
know whose deck you're talking about, but that sure as heck isn't mine."  
Then I'd walk away shaking my head, mumbling something about an @$$hole.
But the truth is, how could someone win with those cards?  They can't.  
However, in a more realistic set of decks, what determines which player is 
going to win?  We're assuming they're fairly balanced and neither is weak 
against the other(fire vs. water).  It's not going to be the cards, but 
rather a combination of how well a player uses his cards, when he plays 
them, when he sacrifices them, and when he knows when to back retreat.  A 
big part of the game is playing skill and experience.  Know your cards, 
their strengths and their weaknesses(and the little flecks on the backs of 
the one's you want near the top:), and practice with them.
The road to victory is not paved with holofoils; it is paved with your own 
efforts, skills, and a whole lot of luck.
If you have any actual playing skills or tips for mediocre decks, feel free 
to e-mail me at rhyhorn@hotmail.com   (Z.Berkes)
P.S. Pokemon Rules!!!


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