VGC Superstitions / Habits / Quirks / Lucky Charms

[Marzbar]

I don't consider myself a superstitious person at all. Bring on the black cats and open umbrellas indoors. But when it comes to tournament day, I suddenly become a superstitious OCD freakshow!

If I win the first round, suddenly whatever side of the table I was sitting on becomes my "lucky side" and I HAVE to continue to sit on that side for the rest of the event, rushing to the table to claim it before my opponent does. If I won while using a particular pen, suddenly that's my lucky pen and must continue using only that one, regardless of whether the ink starts to run out. If I have to go to the toilet between rounds and then lose the next round, suddenly I can't allow myself to urinate again for the rest of the event. And so on and so forth until I'm literally sitting there all day on one side of the table with the stylus only held in my left hand but not actually used to touch the screen at all, and my lucky shorts on with nothing in the pockets, and my headphone only in my left ear, with the volume at a lucky level that can't be changed, and I'm only allowed to have two sips of water every second round, and I have a notebook that can't have certain things written in it and a new page must be started every round but not until I'm sitting at the table, etc etc. If I lose a round, I need to identify the culprit and change it, like the potentially unlucky water bottle I may have used! It becomes exhausting and typing it out now I'm just laughing at myself

Am I the only one that does this? And if so, what are your tournament quirks, habits and superstitions?

 

[Serpens007]

Yeah, not that much lol

I pretty much just have my Feraligatr Ex japanese card that I found in a random pile of used card the day I made my first top cut, as a reminder that I can do it.

 

[ck49]

I brought a plush to my last event and started using it to cover up my notepad. I don't think anyone is actually looking at my notes and my handwriting sucks but it makes me feel a little better. Same with the card over my screen, although that also helps with glare.

Also I have this weird quirk of losing in the last round and not getting cp.

 

[R-B-Y]

Am I the only person who doesn’t use a notepad? I find it just distracts you when you think you have to write down every time some guy sets up tr or something.

I always run a lap around all the tables just to get all the mii things lol

As for lucky charms, I have a froakie shirt I won at my first irl vgc event way back in 2015. Always bring it with me.

 

[Bright Size]

Am I the only person who doesn’t use a notepad? I find it just distracts you when you think you have to write down every time some guy sets up tr or something.

I always run a lap around all the tables just to get all the mii things lol

As for lucky charms, I have a froakie shirt I won at my first irl vgc event way back in 2015. Always bring it with me.

I bring a notepad to events... Though I don't tend to use it during the set itself I use it more to keep track of what I've played. It can be helpful if I top cut and have to play an opponent again though as a refresher on what that person was using.

Anyway I suppose a quirk I have when I go to events is I pace around the venue an ungodly amount. I remember at one Regional back in 2016 my friends were playing "who could find Bright Size first"

Sometimes I bring my Greninja plush to events though I don't really consider it a good luck charm since I can't remember any trends of having better luck while having it with me.

 

[Adamant Zoroark]

Am I the only person who doesn’t use a notepad? I find it just distracts you when you think you have to write down every time some guy sets up tr or something.

I always run a lap around all the tables just to get all the mii things lol

As for lucky charms, I have a froakie shirt I won at my first irl vgc event way back in 2015. Always bring it with me.

I don't think Gavin Michaels uses a notepad, at least I don't remember him using one either of the two times I've battled him. I use one, but I don't really write down Trick Room turns anymore (it's no longer necessary as you can access that info on the bottom screen). I just think it's nice to write down information about your opponent's sets and such (like how much damage your Pokemon does to it, how much they do to your Pokemon, etc.), which can be nice if you rematch in Top Cut.

I sometimes have "lucky charms", but generally only if I have a plush or amiibo of a key Pokemon on my team. For instance, I carried around an Alolan Vulpix plush at events back when I was using Ninetales in '17 and used it as my "good luck charm" but it was really more of a decoration as opposed to any kind of personal superstition.

 

[ck49]

Am I the only person who doesn’t use a notepad? I find it just distracts you when you think you have to write down every time some guy sets up tr or something.

Brendan Zheng doesn't use one. I asked him about it when I played him in Charlotte and he said he never needed one to remember stuff.

I've seen some people use it to keep track of every turn in every game, but I don't like that. Most people just keep track of moves + items + abilities. I also keep track of speed/ev guesses, damage outputs when relevant,and Pokemon led/brought in each game. That way i have some idea of what people will bring to the second/3rd game. Also it let's me remember what moves a Pokemon has used, and more importantly, what 4 moves it has so I don't start playing around something it doesn't have.

Also I think it's easier to look over your notes at what Pokemon your opponent has than pressing the icon on screen.

 

[Marzbar]

I use a notepad for all the above reasons (especially to keep track of what foe is packing a Z move or pinch berry). But it also comes in very handy when you're wanting to write a report/war story.

 

[Serpens007]

Yeah, I use it for BO3 matches specially, since it helps tracking the moves and items.

 

[R-B-Y]

I find that in irl vgc events, the pressure really gets to you more than on showdown. On showdown I hardly break a sweat, but in events I burn through like 3 paper towels. Predictions matter a lot more, cos getting nailed by one can really send you reeling in the mind department.
Stay hydrated bois.