Cheaters draft in MTGO--PROVEN!

[EricBess]

Actually, Mike knows the game very well. A lot of what he does borders on unsportsmanlike, but I don't think there is any evidence that he actually cheats. At one point, there was, but he lived out his suspension and is back.

I've seen him play and he is very intuitive and knows how to play the mental game to extremes.

 

[Notepad]

When you get help in playing --and especially things like drafting-- its called "coaching" and sometimes "scouting" by the DCI (scouting is when you or someone else looks at other people's stuff). There doesn't seem to be scouting in Long's case, but there certainly is heavy coaching. That's the point I was trying to make.

In a DCI tournament, coaching is cheating.

 

[Spiderman]

Originally posted by Ferret
It never ceases to amaze me that Mike Long is still allowed to play in sanctioned events...he's almost like Darrel Strawberry...

Like EricBess said, he served his time for his cheating so no reason why he can't compete again. But whether this was sanctioned in the first place...

Originally posted by SeFRo
In a DCI tournament, coaching is cheating.

Was this a DCI tournament? I did not get that from the article but I could have missed it...

"coaching" is another good word I missed when I first posted but should have used

 

[train]

I'm sure it was sanctioned...

But DCI sanctioning is very different in M:TGO - there aren't any judges - they aren't needed...

You can set the flow of the game by setting when you do and don't pass priority... and get into strong details... but no DCI is needed...

Since ratings and tourneys can get you to Worlds and other premier events though - it's probably best if they wrote a program that activated whenever a player entered a sanctioned tourney, so that there was not a chat function available on a computer...

Such as closing any of the IM type programs, and stopping their systems from running them while the draft is occuring...

We have a program like that - stops employees from screwing with computers when they're bored...

 

[Spiderman]

Why are you sure it was sanctioned?

 

[train]

There's no reason to play otherwise in M:TGO... it's the only one that pays out... and if you weren't playing sanctioned you would rare-whore and drop the tourney...

Sanctioned occurs 24-7 on M:TGO... that's the best benefit of it all...

"Though I don't play much..."

In mike's case - he's probably playing the sanctions to improve his rating... as another way to make it to Premier tourneys including online ratings...

I wasn't there though - so I may be wrong...

There's just no other reason to draft... IMHO.

 

[EricBess]

They are sanctioned "online", but they don't affect the RL ratings or sanctionings in any way. My understanding is that most of the "pros" draft online because they consider it good practice. As such, I see nothing wrong with Mike discussing picks with a friend. Many "pros" consider themselves above needing advice or help (some even go so far as to proclaim themselves as the "best" in certain areas) but I discover that talking strategy before and after can help improve your game.

 

[train]

I understand EB's point... but if I was paying money for digital pics - I would want it to count towards an online rating...

I'm not Long - but I think he'd do the same...

Especially since you get prize pay outs for the sanctioned ones... I don't know of any for non-sanctioned ones... Rkoelsch?(or other, please enlighten me) - Like I've said - play online but not much...

 

[rkoelsch]

the sanctioned drafts online give both prizes and points as if an rel-16(I think). they have casual draft queues but they don't get used because no prizes are attached. You supply the packs and keep the cards you draft.

drafts picks are timed so he doesn't have a lot of time to debate choices.

EB, many pro's have said that practicing online is not very good as the skill level is not there. I imagine that to be true. they are making changes where there is going to be an 1800 room that you need an 1800 online rating to enter. I imagine if they get that going some pro's will meet in there.

 

[train]

they have casual draft queues but they don't get used because no prizes are attached. You supply the packs and keep the cards you draft.

That's what I meant - I didn't know of any casual drafts with prize pay outs...

 

[Notepad]

>> Such as closing any of the IM type programs, and stopping their systems from running them while the draft is occuring...

Everquest had a really good version of this. It closed out all outside windows. Though it could be gotten around by the crafty, I think a few tweaks here and there would stop the cheating pros.

Of course, it does nothing to stop your friend in the room or the guy on the phone.

And how funny it is the pros are cheating.


>> Was this a DCI tournament?

All non-casual room drafts are sanctioned and get you DCI points, which could eventually mean something in real life. There has already been a crossover, with an online invite to the recent Invitationals. Soon we will see more crossovers, and that is why cheating is so important to pros, and why it must be stopped.

 

[Spiderman]

Well, again, I don't think this is cheating. Who's to say that the other participants in Mike's draft didn't have help? Or if anyone does, for that matter? Mike just happened to write about it...

 

[Thallid Ice Cream Man]

That is his site right? IIRC he owns The End Games. So unless WotC is hunting him down he has nothing to fear.