I'm a fan of poker.

That's what she said. Literally.

I just came from Chick-Fil-A for lunch... and they have cows holding a sign that reads:

EAT MORE CHIKIN

I think I need to go to a MtG or YGO event and wear a sign that reads:

PLAY MORE VS

Hey Tim... no one runs Hobby League near you? Those Marquee events are pretty good and the incentives are nice (EA Mobilize). Are you gonna go to an Elite Series?

We dont have a elite series in Tulsa, and it isnt worth driving 4 hours to Dallas for one of those. Our Random Punks event was the same day as DMF Austin, so I wasnt able to go to that. Our local VS tournaments dont make 70% of the time, but during the same time period there is a MTG draft at another place in town (where I work actually), so I usually just go there for the guaranteed MTG tournament. (Also, I prefer playing in local MTG drafts more than local VS constructed tournaments, as the MTG player base in my area is more competitive.)

Tim,
Thank you for clarifying your remarks. I totally understand about wanting to play the best players. We've been barely keeping afloat for all CCG's, let alone VS, in the St. Louis area. I have a job where I work 6 days a week so I don't get to play on Sunday's with the VS crew we have left. My financial situation does not allow me to play any other games right now. The only WoW box I've opened is the one I got for judging the first regional back in January. I traded my PSP w/games and movies to get boxes of MTU.

The lack of playing weekly has shown and I made so many stupid mistakes at the City Championships (last major event played in) that I barely got in the top 4 (only because we had like 8-10 players.) I need to start playing on OCTGN and getting together with my friends that sometimes get together on Tuesday nights, but when that's also your only day off during the week, it's sometimes hard to squeeze everything into one day.

Since the only people I know that play CCG's in the area still play VS mainly that's what I've stuck with. Even if I get my 10th PCC and can get to GenCon to play in my 3rd straight GenCon Pro Circuit some of the luster may be lost because 2/3 of the best UDE CCG players will be on the other side of the room playing WoW. I always had the dream of working really hard and getting to the VS PC Top 8 by beating the greatest players in the world from the Donkey's, TAWC, Your Move, etc.

Now I wonder if the Indy PC winner will be looked down upon because they "beat a weak field." I hope not because it would still be an accomplishment to win a VS Pro Circuit even with fewer players and a $16K first prize instead of a $40K first prize.

Edit: We in STL are also faced with a 4-hour drive of our choice between Chicago, Nashville, and Ames, Iowa for the Elite Series. We have multiple people that need to get qualified for Indy, and since we have no sanctioned tournaments/HL in the area, we can't get ratings invites. We haven't made up our mind which way we're going yet. We really need to go to more than 1 event but I don't know how we as a group could afford it.

Befor you read just a warning RANT RANT RANT RANT RANT RANT RANT.

Well every one here know of me. I Love VS for the simple fact that it's the BEST game on the Market. I've played my share of really good game and Bad game. I always give a game a shot. I'll buy a whole bunch of stuff around 250.00-300.00 I'll spend on a game so that I can.
A. Get a real feel for the game.
B. I can trade it off when I find out I Hate the game.
(WoW being the most resent)

I don't play a game for the Glory or the Cash (but having them is good). I play because It's a game I like to Play. I Play because I DON'T like to follow the leader. I Play because I want to. I Will Not Play a game Just because Everyone else is playing it or because competition is awsome.

I had to build my Player Base from one person ME to a steady 8-10 players in a year. Now we have regular HL and Marquee Events. All the Players are Loving how there more focused on HL because thats were we get the most Players to join the VS LOVE.

Not Everone Plays for Glory and Cash. If you do than your right Please leave the game if that is what you think you have to do. On the same level don't expect me to be nice to you for leaving VS. So go on follow the leader.

I Help the game grow as much as I can (everyone knows this).
I've pritty much converted all the Yu-gi-oh Players and Magic Players(most of them being everyone 17 and up ) in my area to VS. All I had to do was have them play it. We're helping new players out all the time.

I know I'm going to get all kinds of hate for this or I'll just get "my head hurts reading your posts". I really don't care. (Anyone that knows me knows I'm a really nice guy but I'm also an A-Hole.)

Tim I hope you come back to VS when they annouce that OP is back.
If you have NO VS competition in your area. I guess you don't have very good gamers where you are and I fell bad for you. I have some of the most amazing group of players in my area. We're always looking for each other to bring something new to the Table or someone. We always do.

We Play Everything Except WoW we're boycotting it. We even still Play Magi Nation (Haven't made cards or OP for it in like 3 years) now there's a game worth Playing.