Goals and Limitations

By the time you read this, I will be in Indiana for the Pokemon Trading Card Game Regional Tournament. Don't congratulate me-- they let everyone into the regionals. Only top cut matters and the rest of us just play for fun. My first tournament last year was at Regionals.

After about a year, I'm pretty comfortable in my position as a Pokemon card game player. I'm at the "less competitive" end of the tables.

I'm a fairly busy person and devoting more time to Pokemon than I do just isn't going to happen. So, I accept my fate. Though, to be honest, I'm not sure I mind being in the "Loser Bracket." It's a lot less stressful, meaning I'll have more fun. I'm not very good playing under pressure and tend to forget what I'm doing. Unlike many of the top players, who I have nervewrackingly played against, I don't have most of the current cards memorized. Since I don't, I'm not likely to be able to predict what will happen next. Or sometimes, even remember what a certain card that's in play continues to do.

I accept my limitations as a part-time hobbyist, non-competitive player. I go mainly (entirely!) because Hubby likes to go. If it wasn't for him, I'd spend more Saturdays at home. I enjoy the game and I enjoy traveling with him. I'm just not real crazy about competing.

Though, I do still have goals for my day. I'd like to win more games than I lose. The bigger the tournament, the more rounds that are played. If I win more than I lose, then I consider it a good day. (If I win a door prize, it's automatically a good day, regardless of win/loss ratio ;-) If I do okay in my wins, then I've built a decent Pokemon deck and I've played it well. Though, there's something to be said for luck, but a string of bad luck can be any day rough, whether it's Pokemon or something else.

It's important to know one's limitations. It'd be foolish for me to think that, as a hobbyist, I have much chance of beating the top players. Especially since they seem to have a lot better luck than I do (as evidence by them never starting with the worst damn cards in the whole deck! Forfeit!) But just because I'll never be a top player, doesn't mean I can't still strive to be the best player I can.

Same, of course, goes for writing and all other things in life. I doubt I'll ever be considered one of Great Writers of Our Time or something high and migthy like that. But I'll be happy if I write some good stories that people enjoy.