Hands and noise

[ScatmanX]

There are several players that, while on the opponents turn, keep "shuffling" the cards on their hands. It produce a quite annoying sound for the opponent, who is trying to think his move. Is making noise with the cards in your hand a legal action? If I'm disturbed, can I ask my opponent to stop, and if he doesn't, can I call a judge?

I'm asking because I get a little annoyed when my opponent do that, and think it should not be allowed. Is it?

If it is, so snapping my fingers whenever I fell like it, or doing any other annoying sounds in my opponent turn, like bashing my fingers on the table, or talking loud, are allowed to?

[cdr]

If you get annoyed at something pretty much everyone does, that's unfortunately your problem. You can politely ask your opponent to stop, and maybe he will, but often it's not a conscious behavior and a judge shouldn't be trying to make your opponent stop just because of your sensitivity.

No, you're not allowed to do weird things like snapping your fingers to be deliberately annoying.

[ScatmanX]

But my opponent is doing something weird to be deliberately annoying. Why is he allowed to do that? Just because"pretty much everyone does"?

[cdr]

Flicking cards is a habit, not something done deliberately, and it's something most people don't even really notice. That almost everyone does it and almost no one cares makes it your problem.

[ScatmanX]

Got it.
Don't think it's fare, but ok.
Thanks.

[Fuzzy]

The game rules allow me to slap my own face like Saitou?

[Shimi]

The game rules allow me to slap my own face like Saitou?
If it is a habit , why not?

[cdr]

A judge might tell you to stop a behavior if it's especially disruptive, but flicking cards or giving yourself a light slap is not.

[Julian23]

But my opponent is doing something weird to be deliberately annoying. Why is he allowed to do that? Just because"pretty much everyone does"?

Here's the point:
Flipping cards = not weird
Bashing your head on the table and all that kind of crap = weird

It's less about rules than it is about general rules of society.

[Tammit67]

One of my friends specifically shuffles his cards loudly and all the time to aggravate his opponent. But that's fine?

[cdr]

If it's being done specifically to annoy, it's more borderline. If it's obviously being done to annoy and your opponent complained, a judge could reasonably tell you to knock it off - especially at regular REL with its greater emphasis on having fun and greater emphasis on "don't be a jerk".

[Jason]

A judge might tell you to stop a behavior if it's especially disruptive, but flicking cards or giving yourself a light slap is not.

I slapped my face once in a match because I was playing like garbage and wanted to snap myself into playing better.

[Sims]

I normally don't reply to these not being a judge and the like.. but i would echo the "it's a habit, not intentional" sentiment and go even further as to say it's a nervous twitch that turned into a subconscious habit. Let me explain:

In my case, i shuffle the cards in my hand (say the 2 left or rightmost cards in my hand) over and over again. I try not to "flick" them loudly, i just repeatedly shuffle them over and over at a constant pace in I want to say 8 out of 10 games of magic i play. I never did it when I only played casually, I picked it up when i started attending tournaments and it became more frequent when i started attending larger events. When I was calm i'd just look at the cards in my hand, set them face down on teh table when it wasn't my turn or i wasn't making a response, and let the game progress... but I noticed as I got nervous about the gamestate or what position i was in... i'd start fidgeting... rapidly tapping my foot or my fingertips on my knees... and i realized i was annoying... so i started channeling it into my cards and shuffling them around in my hand. After a while, people picked up on the fact that it meant i was nervous about board state, and that my hand probably wasn't strong as i'd like... so I started consciously doing it every game. Gave me an out for nervous energy but since i did it every game it was no longer a twitch so people couldn't tell if i had the nuts or junk. From then on it became second nature, and i do it almost constantly while playing now.

The only times I tend not to do it are if i'm deep in thought projecting plays in my head. For example when i'm counting mana and storm counts in my head i rarely flick my cards because i'm concentrating on lines of play.

So for the community as a whole who tend to do this as a habit/twitch/or just to cover their tells: I'm sorry it offends you or annoys you, but there's nothing really wrong with it and it's not an actively disrupting act unless the person is inentionally doing it loudly to annoy you. If you feel that's the case, ask them to stop.. if they persist and continue to do it loudly. call a judge. That's really the only thing i can tall you.

[Esper3k]

I will also always shuffle my hand after I draw any cards, just to reduce the chance of my opponent figuring out what I just drew, especiay if I intend to play the card immediately or that turn.

[rockout]

I will also always shuffle my hand after I draw any cards, just to reduce the chance of my opponent figuring out what I just drew, especiay if I intend to play the card immediately or that turn.

Not a bad idea. I do every draw without thinking. It's the first thing I do once my newly drawn card hits me hand I will shuffle it to some place in my hand then begin my turn. It's one of those focus up type things without talking to myself. On my opponents turn its a "god you are taking forever I might as well do something on your turn to entertain myself."

[Koby]

http://magiccards.info/scans/en/uh/63.jpg

Oblig.