Tournament Violations

Good afternoon,

My concern is whether intentionally separating a group of cards and then deliberately distributing them throughout the deck before presenting it for a cut constitutes "manipulating which cards are drawn from your deck", as described in the Tournament Rules.

5. Tournament Violations

5.1. Cheating

Manipulating which cards are drawn from your deck or from an opponent's deck

I understand that players are expected to randomize their decks. However, in this case, the procedure appears to intentionally preserve a selected group of cards until the end of the shuffle and then distribute them throughout the library in a controlled manner, rather than randomizing those cards together with the rest of the deck, affecting directly to the density of how those cards are distribiuted among the rest of the library being the whole interaction as follows:

- The player looked through part of the deck and separated a number of cards into a pile.
- While continuing to examine the deck, additional cards were added to that separated pile.
- The remaining portion of the deck was then divided into three blocks.
- The first block was shuffled.
- The second block was added and the combined cards were shuffled again.
- The third and final block was added and shuffled once more, while the initially separated pile remained untouched.
- After finishing the shuffle of those three blocks, the player distributed the previously separated cards evenly throughout the deck before presenting it to their predator for a cut.

This matter was reported to both the tournament organizers and the Spanish leadership shortly after the event. As of today, I have not seen any official clarification as to whether this procedure is considered legal or illegal under the Tournament Rules.

For that reason, I would appreciate an official answer from the Rules Team or the Tournament Coordinator to the following question:

Is the shuffling procedure described above legal under the current Tournament Rules, or does it fall under the prohibition against manipulating which cards are drawn from a deck?

I believe an official clarification would benefit the entire community by establishing a clear standard for future tournaments. If this procedure is legal, players should know that they are free to use it. If it is not, then players should know that it is prohibited so that tournament rules can be applied consistently.

If the procedure is determined to be illegal, I would also appreciate clarification regarding whether any disciplinary action is being taken. This is particularly relevant given that the player involved serves as a Prince in one of Spain's most active playgroups and therefore occupies a visible leadership position within the community.

I find this especially concerning in light of what happened during last year's European Championship final. Incidents of this nature, particularly if they appear to go unaddressed, risk damaging the credibility of organized play, the reputation of the community, and the image presented to prospective new players.

I also understand that it is not the responsibility of other players to prevent someone from cheating. Some of the responses we have received have suggested that the responsibility lies with the predator, who has the opportunity to shuffle or cut the deck before play continues.

However, I do not believe this addresses the issue. The Tournament Rules prohibit players from manipulating the order of cards in their decks, regardless of whether an opponent is later given the opportunity to shuffle or cut them. Otherwise, the burden of preventing cheating would effectively be shifted from the player performing the questionable action to their opponent, which does not seem consistent with either the letter or the spirit of the Tournament Rules.

For reference, I have included a link to the video of the National Championship final, where the shuffling procedure can be observed.

Separation of the cards:
www.twitch.tv/vtes_es/clip/SpineyTalentedPlumKappaWealth-ZCjN83F1qFsj2RJ-?filter=clips&range=30d

Distribution:
www.twitch.tv/vtes_es/clip/BlitheMotionlessPepperoniCeilingCat-ThzcmfC1dhjt_D3o?filter=clips&range=30d

There is a full clip where the whole interaction can be seen.

Thanks for your time.

beg your pardon, but what is the point of disqualifying a player after a tournament has already concluded? I fail to see how that constitutes a meaningful penalty.

If a player has violated the Tournament Rules, shouldn't there be consequences beyond simply acknowledging the infraction after the event has ended? Otherwise, it is difficult to see how such a ruling serves as either a deterrent or an effective enforcement of the rules.

If there is an ethics committee investigation regarding this, no one will tell you about it because those processes are confidential. I suspect you will not get any further word on this matter until any such investigation is complete and possibly never.

Thank you for the clarification.

I completely understand that any Ethics Committee investigation and its deliberations may be confidential. I am not asking for access to those discussions. That is not open for discussion.

What I do not understand is why the outcome should also remain confidential.

If it has already been established that the shuffling procedure was illegal and that the player was disqualified, then I believe the community has a legitimate interest in knowing whether any further disciplinary action has been taken, particularly in a case arising from the final of a National Championship.

Without some level of transparency regarding the outcome, it is impossible for players to know whether the Tournament Rules are being enforced consistently. A disqualification issued after the tournament has concluded, by itself, appears to have no practical effect, so it is natural to ask whether any additional sanctions have been imposed.

This is not about seeking confidential details of the investigation, which I trust not be needed. It is about maintaining confidence that the rules are applied fairly and consistently, regardless of who the player is. To maintain that confidence, the community needs to see that the outcome reflects those principles. Otherwise, even if the process has been handled correctly, the lack of transparency risks undermining trust in the organization and the integrity of competitive play.