I haven't seen the video, but it has been inspected and the third card is crimped, as it's pressed against the table, making it look like two cards in this snapshot.
Again, I haven't seen the vid myself, but some respectable folks looked it over very closely and reported that Alex is Bstorming appropriately here.
That's a godly brainstorm under the camera. such a baller.
man i need to start playing explores in my legacy deck. it's so good when you can go 2 explores.
Originally Posted by Tha Gunslinga
"We are goblinkind, heirs to the mountain empires of chieftains past. Rest is death to us, and arson is our call to war."
Has SCG responded at all to these claims?
"Swiggety Swagtusk, Here comes the Thragtusk!""The last top 8 slot went to the winner of that Death and Taxes mirror, or as I like to call it, the White Supremacy Mirror.
In response to "What's the best replacement for Force of Will?"
Please see the first page of the thread:
As is correct, IMO.
Personally, I think the brainstorm evidence is not conclusive, heres a quick csi:
I do see how it could be interpreted to have a card in between RY and YB, but the shadow between the yellow and blue is not present above his pinky finger, suggesting that it is just the sleeve warped, also note the slight deviation in the angle of the shadow as it passes his ring finger.
Not defending him or anything, just saying that grainy stream footage is not really conclusive. That explore video however was definitely not right, was that being secretly taped?
If you compare like that, check sizes of the Usea and the cards in hand, they appear much wider at least.
Edit: The library looks like it ain't straight, thus wider.
http://blip.tv/scglive/scgatl-leg-rd...-smith-5554549
what you call this then huh? you gotta look at the actual video footage.
his brainstorm is so godly it's a recall and then it gains flashback.
so SCG as tournament organizer does not care if the player cheat to win the prize? How about the players who actually deserves to get the money and the powers.
This is a very irresponsible act done by SCG. So I suppose SCG is promoting cheating at their Opens I guess.
That is what they should do - but I think they want a statement from the DCI before doing anything. I mean if Alex gets banned for cheating then SCG can retract the prizes saying "We don't want cheaters" or something.
I just miss some thread where are tips how to found this kind of play. I focused on card tricks for a while, and it had some results against such player here.
However the psychology of the play is more complicated. It seems that most players are too focused on some things. Even in our non-competetive play we stop in game and ask ourselves "did I play a land this turn?", and no one in the game actually knows...
Once it came to competetive play such things also happens, but even judges are not omnipresent... Players used to fact that someone is guiding them in play - many times the oponnent. So the game is not being controlled and checked by two players, but only by one player. Thats such power... And players who dont want to play game, but win know that...
I also have to say that this brainstorm could be somewhat misleading.
The reflection of the cards back sometimes create the effect that it looks like more cards were drawn, but really arent. I had this problem as well, as I thought my opponent did that exact same thing in tourney, but he did not.
I am definetly not in the position of defending Bertoncini, but this picture wont proof anything when it comes down to banning him from competitive play.
That video with the Explores ('ssss) was pretty disgustig though, and he really did that one on purpose. He looked very carefully at his lands and piled them directly afterwards. Just obnoxious.
I would be really disappointed, especially keeping in mind the other stories that he is somewhat famous for, if he doesnt have to give back that money and has to give away his title of Poty from SCG, plus, obviously, getting banned from competetive play from the DCI.
This is wrong on so many levels and is simply unaccetable. Cheating should really be the death sentence to a competetive player.
PS:
Catching your opponent cheating, calling the judge and not getting a fair penalty from it is propably one of the most awkward things that could happen to you as a magic-player and I feel truly sorry for those players who faced that, really.
Two of the better stories that happened to me in 2011:
My opponent is playing ANT. While he is in his combo-turn and resolves a hellbent Infernal Tutor.
He is now in the tank to figure out which card he should grab, while a friend of him is standing right behind him (nearly sitting on his lap) and talking about how much mana he has floating and then finally says something like: " Man, whats wrong with you, just grab that other Infernal for Tutor-chain."
I was like rocket-firing my hand to the ceiling, calling a judge.
Judgement: That guy who was standing behind my opponent got a gameloss for his next round. Nothing else.
Just for your info, this was a 90+ player GP Ams-Trial (BUT felt even betterso to place 2nd, this ANT match beeing my only loss at that day).
2nd story: Last round of the tourney (80+ players, relevant price payout in the Top8, 1st place 4 Trops) game 3.
My opponent mulls to 6 and starts to shuffle as I recognize his Delvers of Secrets are visible through his sleeves, calling a judge.
The judge went back and forth, then gave him a warning.
Not only did he had the Delvers prepared all day long (I am truly not interested if that was on purpose or not), but also drew at least 2 in each game.
Result: G3 we went to time and in the 5th extraturn my board consists of Tarmogoyf, active Loam/Punishing Fire and Jace TMS, while my opponent had like 3 cards in hand and 2 lands. Due to the draw I missed Top8.
In response...Hypothek!
I think if you check the brainstorm befor that one you can easily count 4 cards.Personally, I think the brainstorm evidence is not conclusive, heres a quick csi:
I do see how it could be interpreted to have a card in between RY and YB, but the shadow between the yellow and blue is not present above his pinky finger, suggesting that it is just the sleeve warped, also note the slight deviation in the angle of the shadow as it passes his ring finger.
Not defending him or anything, just saying that grainy stream footage is not really conclusive. That explore video however was definitely not right, was that being secretly taped?
I think what's really suspicious is that he played his 1st Brainstorm uberly safe, drawing each of the 3 cards on their own (even if he didnt put cards back, which is somewhat a whole different story).
He cant be that irritated or distracted while playing against his former petdeck to such an extend that he is "forgetting" the most basic things in the format. Never, ever.
He is really fast with his hands and flicks everything around during the game in general which doesnt create the most honest impression.
I would definetly call a judge to watch the match if my opponent would behave like a nervous thief or drug addict, bouncing around in his seat, moving his hands incredibly fast allover the place.
In response...Hypothek!
http://imageshack.us/f/249/only3cards.jpg/
Crappy link i know... but it still only shows 3 cards.... in the other pictures the sleeves are just wrinkled from him bending them making them look like its 4 cards....
Now im not defending him or anything... I still think he should "incert pissed off comment here." I'd honestly punch him so hard in the face that he would have to use all the money he's cheated to win to fix it, if I ever saw him in person.
I hope you are. I personally don't feel compelled to auto-punch my face just because I'm Italian. Anyways, I'm reporting to the Godfather, expect a horse's head in your bed anytime soon.
Team Stimato Ezio: You're off the team!
People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.
-Kierkegaard
Whether its 3/4/5 in that one case is irrelevant. It's just one of many documented cases in which he cheated. Preboard sower, really? Also, the video of double explore. Yeah... he straight up said "I cast 2 explores", it can't be more blatant.
So the question is how long and not if he should be banned. Saito got a really HARSH sentence for something like time stalling/wasting which is pretty subjective, whereas this guy is like blatantly cheating. Saito got freaking 2 years. I think Alex should get 3 if the world is just.
This shit storm is everywhere now. The dci cannot just shut up and ignore it.
That mother fucker is a goddamn cheater and a really bad one! You can easily notice him. That judge must either be paid to not give him a game loss or he is retarded! I mean come on, ancestral recall with flash back???? SHAME ON SCG for not "beating the cheater to death"! Every other guy PAID to participate to a FAIR competition! They HAVE to give their money back plus their expenses to get there otherwise they MUST be sued for promoting cheating and stealing people's money by setting up games! This guy should be banned for a decade. He repeatedly cheats!
That's disgusting! And to think that I wanted to go to their events!
The real question is : were these plays intentional or not ?
If the answer is yes, it deserves at least a ban. At the very least.
Unintentionnal mistakes happen : pressure, prize, environment … I can understand and admit that. Even if, at a competitive level requiring to be extremely focused on the game, I have trouble to see how that kind of mistakes could happen not once, but several times. And more frequent are these mistakes, more suspicious I become.
I’m far to be a judge and I wasn’t there at these tournaments, so I won’t claim anything as being the truth or not. I’ll wait the decision from people who know. But at this point, if I consider only video as basis, my personnal impression is that videos appear like an evidence of intentional cheat.
From SCG today:
What a class act.Meanwhile, Alex Bertoncini continued celebrating his Invitational championship and waltzing his oversized check around the hall to endless congratulations.
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