I played in a cEDH tournament on March 22nd and wanted to share a clear and honest account of what happened that day.
In Round 3, three of us at a table including myself wanted to draw the game so we could grab lunch since there was no break built into the tournament schedule and some of us needed food for medical reasons. After a brief discussion, the fourth player also agreed. Anyone familiar with cEDH knows that when three players want a draw, it usually ends up happening one way or another. However, about 30 minutes after we had all left, the fourth player went to the store owner and claimed he was bullied into the draw. This was surprising, as he had been given several chances to decline and play the game. The issue, however isn't really with the but instead how the store owner handled the situation.
When we returned from lunch, the judge pulled the three of us aside to get our side of the story and determine whether there had been any unsportsmanlike conduct. The judge handled things very professionally, and I have nothing but respect for how he managed it. He calmly asked us what had happened, and we all took turns explaining our perspective. Then the store owner interrupted. From the start, he seemed angry, but then he began directing his frustration at one of my friends (a young woman) who was part of the game that drew. The owner started aggressively questioning her, trying to twist her words and manipulate her into saying she bullied the fourth player. I truly don't believe she did anything wrong as she was extremely nice to the 4th player.
It escalated quickly, the store owner kept raising his voice and talking over her until he was outright yelling. Watching a 70 year old man shout at a young woman over a card game was the last thing I expected when I signed up for that event. She then broke down in tears, but managed to compose herself and finish speaking with the judge after a couple minutes. In the end, the judge concluded that no one had acted improperly, and no penalties were issued.
After the event, a few of us decided to leave honest reviews about our experience. Weeks later, the store owner sent one of the players a bizarre, unhinged message on Yelp (which I'll link below). He also banned us from the store, which I honestly don't mind, but it does mean that the three of us who earned invites to the Timetwister tournament (each worth around $100) are being denied our prizes, despite having done nothing wrong and earning them fairly. read more
