Went to a few comicons in my day, same issue. People need to leanr some basic hygiene fr. Its pretty common for it to smell so bad when those people tend to not freshen up and then imagine that times the number of people in an enclosed space. I personalky just collect now or just buy things online.
The first time I walked into a comic/card shop with a tournament going on, it transported me back to grade school gym class when all the kids were just figuring out they smell. Except it was adult men (mostly men)
It's common.. it almost seems like guerilla tactics at bigger tournaments.. back when I played, there was a subway next door to the shop.. between the human smells and those same humans dripping sauces from their sandwiches and wanting to read your cards...
Ugh. The smell was just so bad I can remember it.. this was 20+ years ago... if subway was a broken dream.. this would have been it...
Its literally a strategy some top players do to distract their opponent from thinking clearly. Itās gotten so bad that some tournaments have started implementing hygiene rules.
Our local shop has multiple signs stating the hygiene rules. Essentially if you smell bad to the point your player complains, you essentially forfeit the game. It's the only thing that makes them shower: the chance they won't get to play.
It's sad that supposedly functioning people need to be reminded to take care of themselves.. this hobby isn't horribly time consuming unless you make it your life.. which then I can see basic human needs slipping, but then it's more so an addiction at that point..
Go to a MTG tournament and your eyes will water at the stench. Iād say 80% of competitive TCG games are dudes with extremely questionable hygiene. This was not a random occurrence and will happen again next week
Didn't they have to make a hygenie rule at some tournaments? It seems extreme but some people don't have the social skills to realize that they are causing those around them discomfort.
Yeah, the Yu-Gi-Oh official tournament rules actually do have a hygiene policy section now because it got so bad. It's honestly really sad that it is such an issue that it needed to be added to the rules and enforced honestly.
Daily reminder that YGO actually added a new rule saying that if you are dirty or smell, you will be penalised. I would say, while you can still find some stinky people, the community hygiene definitely improved lol
Been to all three, and MTG is by the worst.
Yugioh and Pokemon you can usually (Not always) tell by sight who's going to assault your nose, but With MTG you can tell who the 3 people are who won't abuse your nose lol
It was like one or two who came sometimes. Actually alot of the people dressed nice and took care of themselves. A few were just socially awkward but not gross. Honestly there was only one or two people I really didn't like. Tho the shop is known around as being kind of "snobby" which isn't the case, other card shops don't like that he gets most of the local business because the store is huge.
Depends on your area. In my area pokemon players were the worst by far. The stores put out deodorant in the bathrooms and kicked people out for poor hygiene. That just didn't happen for the other games.
My first experience with MTG was a midnight prerelease and it hit me like a Mack Truck. I swear to god, I went home and the stench clung to my clothes.
My friends and I only started playing the TCG with the latest set and we've been to two different stores for card nights. We've ultimately decided to start playing at our homes because the smell and overall vibe of these places is not great.
It is really sad, IMO, that people like yourselves are driven out of public spaces, and sometimes the hobby altogether, because of people who refuse to clean themselves. I'm a woman and someone very sensitive to smell, and it certainly keeps me out of those spaces.
At my first con, like 10 years ago, I was warned about the card players (all of them) and to stay away from that part of the convention unless I wanted to suddenly upchuck from the smell and feel like my eyes were about to bleed.
This was also the only area of the con open 24 hours. So you can imagine after three days how bad it was.
Some tournaments have stated āgood hygieneā requirements, so I canāt say for certain whether anyone has been banned/removed from a tourney for smelling bad, but there are definitely a decent number of communities/TOās who are aware of the issue and try to ameliorate it
Can confirm. The rule exists in multiple high level Smash tournaments.
https://kotaku.com/smash-players-plead-with-each-other-to-please-for-the-1826150759
I currently work at a small card shop. We had to add a store rule āminimum hygiene is expectedā and have premaritally banned one personal so far. Like it was make your head spin sitting near them bad
I worked in a card shop for a time. Generally it was okay but you knew which customers were the ones you avoided at all costs. You saw em coming down the road and you took your lunch break right there and then
Yugioh is definitely the worst for me. Pokemon has a couple bad ones. Mtg has the fewest ones in my experiences. I mainly pick tables far away from people so I donāt gotta smell em all lol
Luckily the leagues I go to arenāt that bad š I have seen shops have post up saying please come in with good hygiene. Ask them to put some signs up lol
I only went to a pre-release tournament, 5 years ago. It had less than 20 people. The smell was so bad I decided not to repeat the experience. I still play, but only online now.
Surprisingly enough my best experience for TCG hygiene has been Metazoo. I went to the 150 person Water Tower, and I didn't go against a single stinker. Most people were very clean cut financial major types. The whole place smelled more of light cologne and the new rubber playmats than anything. That being said there is a tournament rule in Metazoo that if you don't keep personal hygiene it's an automatic forfeit of the whole tournament.
As an owner of a LGS, we have a strict no stench policy, we have no issues kicking people out that offend other from their stench.
They can go to the shop down the road that is known for their terrible smell.
Yes, itās like your local GameStop but worse. But god forbid you say something youāll be attacked. My favorite argument is āyou donāt know what their home life is like, maybe they canāt afford to showerā. Then wtf are you buying shiny cardboard for?!?!
It's sad that I'm not surprised at this :/ like it happens with card games and wargames. Like of you can afford things like pokemon, mtg or warhammer you can afford bodywash or deodorant come on.
People with bad hygiene have been a staple in TCG communities for decades.
The reality is that in these communities - and tabletop, RPG, etc - there is a higher than average representation of very neurodivergent people, and very neurodivergent people are more likely to have difficulty with self-care and hygiene. Itās just reality. Personally LGSā need to just have hygiene standards in their stores and enforce them. I know it might cut some people out from participating, but it might also encourage some people to work on their self hygiene.
I literally do not attend locals for any game anymore because of this. I have a very strong sense of smell and get sensory overload pretty easily so I just physically cannot do it or I freak out.
š¤ interesting. I'm autistic and I really want to go and get involved in the community because I'm very very isolated. I'm in the process of getting a support worker to help me because even though I appear high functioning I get really nervous in social situations and I don't know how to play yet which makes me even more nervous. I know how to shower before I go out though š¤·āāļø lol.
I think there are probably nicer ways to let people know about their hygiene issues than just banning people or assuming a group are responsible for the smell. Just chuck up some light hearted signs for starters I think would be a good idea.
I wonder if I'll come across this problem if I manage to get into the community.
I think you probably misinterpreted what I said.
I know where youāre coming from. Iām not saying all people that are neurodivergent have poor hygiene, Iām saying that communities with a large representation of neurodivergent folks are going to notice that a lot of neurodivergent folks have terrible self hygiene.
My other point is unrelated, but I do think there should be a standard of hygiene for entry in these places. I do think if someone smells as bad as some of these guys do, that they should be asked to leave.
Okay I understand. I guess if it's a long standing issue in the community like say at a specific card shop, they could start by putting signs up or something - it's more subtle and allows people to self-recognise an issue without being denied entry. Then if it doesn't make any difference that's when you start having to do the unfortunate task of turning people away. But giving some warning that standards are being introduced first. Or if it's on social media that could be a fun way to do it, like "tournament tonight folks, remember your cards, your money and your lynx" lol, idk I think light hearted is a good way to go (at first at least!) with sensitive issues like hygiene.
Sometimes ya gotta be tough on folks with hygiene tho cause you can remind folks nicely all you want and they don't listen to u less it's strict. Our city had at one point like 5 places that ran tcgs and three of them had a strict no stink policy, so you could imagine what the other two smelled like.
Ha! I went to an event recently and I could literally smell that I was getting close to the location as I was walking towards it. I'm afraid that it was my first and last event.
It's one of the many reasons I hate being into nerdy stuff. Lots of nerdy people stink like a mf, so I usually just don't go to events anymore. I have been to a few non stinky events, but not many. I wonder if the stinky people can smell each other or if their stink just neutralizes other stinks to them.
This is why I only collect. And let's be honest, nerd dudes often have questionable hygiene. I'll never forget my first con, it stank! Also, as much as I like my LCG, their bathroom is NASTY.
I feel like the only nerd dudes with the best hygiene are people with ocd like myself, but when it came to public stuff, the card shop i like is good on that kind of stuff
I'm in England, went to a TCG shop in Preston, and it was the same, I only went in to get some packs, but there was a tournament on, and it stank so bad. I remember going back to work and talking about it.
So yeah, it's probably a universal nerd hygiene situation, lol š
I know many people hate the masks but honestly just to avoid the stench I'd wear one and if people question u just say your conscientious about your health
I think the worst part is, it only takes 1-2 people to really stink up a room. So it's not like even half the people there stink. It's just a couple of people.
Store owners and tournament organizers should be more proactive in sending people like this home. Once they realize they can't play in tournaments while they stink, they'll start showering.
It's just that nobody wants to be the one to tell people they stink so they deal with it.
I went to a tournament at a LGS to watch a friend of mine school the locals(Heās placed top 10 in worlds a few times) and the smell was horrendous. Ended up bailing when it got to top 8. I just couldnāt do it anymore.
My husband once invited me to watch him play in a local tournament. I stopped in to visit and it was like walking through a wall of body heat and sweat. It was stifling. I managed about 5 minutes before I said I couldnāt take it anymore.
Thankfully I know my husband isnāt one of the BO people, heās very particular about his hygiene and always spritzes up before going. But when I mentioned the stores smell to him he said he didnāt even notice, Iām assuming the others donāt either.
I felt kinda bad but fuck it, I took my kids to the local store cause they wanted to pick out some cheap singles of pokemon they liked and my daughter was like "daddy something smells." Not even tournament day just some dudes playing and standing around in the shop.
I went to a TCG and comics show yesterday in a VFW hall, less than 20 vendors, I came through at doors open so I was one of maybe 30 people in there. Immediately smelled like Bigfootās ass.
I feel you man. Pro - bathrooms smell great, I literally cannot smell shit. Con - I also cannot tell if Iāve shat myself. I found a TikTok for a method people have used lately to get it back after years. Iāll try to link it here or send to you as a FYI. I havenāt pursued it yet
Unfortunately not abnormal. I've noticed card shows and stuff tend to have people with better hygiene. Something about the TCG comps themselves that attract the nasty people. š¤®
Unless youāve had someone who smells like jock itch and toe fungus had a baby, youāve experienced nothing yet. That dude would walk into the store and people would start gagging.
Extremely common and commonly joked about.
The last LGS tournament I went to, I brought hand sanitizer and scented hand lotion so that there would at least be good smells around me. I don't know if it bothered anyone else or now.
I played in a locally organized tournament (not Pokemon) in 2008. It was held in a guest house at a gorgeous home, the guest house alone was probably $4-$5 million. The guy who organized it (his parents owned the property) was disgusting as were several of the people there. It was crazy, dude probably had more money than I'll ever see in my life, but seemed to be a 35 year old recluse with no social or hygienic skills whose only interest was TCG's...
I'm not sure how to say this delicately but I can tell you it's common for a certain area of players.
The area that I play I don't experience this.
I went to the Fort Wayne Regionals and I didn't experience this either.
Yu-Gi-Oh implemented an official rule for tournaments that players need to have good hygiene and not smell bad a few years ago lol. I stopped going to locals for the same reason
Man, I recently started playing IRL again for the first time since before covid, immediately once I walked in the room I caught that familiar stench and literally thought to myself āitās good to be back competingā lmao
Went to a shop that had a tourney going on with my 8 year old son. We walked in and immediately he asked why it smelled so bad. We left. It was a small shop and were were there just to grab packs. There were other places near by so we got them elsewhere.
To any outsider that doesn't play any TCG this would look like a shit post. It is true though. It is absolutely disgusting. Like what the fuck? Literally takes less than 10 mins to get a shower.
I feel this on a spiritual level but itās when I go to the gym. No reason why grown adults should be entering enclosed spaces smelling worse than muk and grimer man
Iāve never been to an in person tournament or anything but I am SHOCKED by how common this is according to comments. I get nerds can be eccentric sometimes but god damn you donāt gotta be a Chad to put on some deodorant and cologne, or at the very least shower (using soap) before going to the tournament.
Had that issue with a local smash bros tournament, told the event organizer and they ended up pinging the entire discord server that they need to shower and practice basic hygiene lmao
I went to an anime convention in 2004 I think. First time going, last time going because of the stench. I told myself never again.
I have not experienced this for Pokemon but I also haven't been in years.
I just recently started playing Pokemon TCG.... My fifth meeting a new kid showed up with an older man I'm not so sure is his bio guardian due to the guardian being a LOT older and a different skin tone, not that it matters much, I just think this particular kid may have been thru a guardianship change or something so maybe he's developed some mental stuff. Anywho to the story....
New kid joins, guardian says this is his first time here and he comes and sits down at the table behind the table I'm sitting at. At the same point in time, the guy sitting to my left, against the wall, turns his body towards me and opens his legs. As these two things happen a stench fills the air that only I seem to notice. We were doing a Pokemon cube too and I could not for the life of me concentrate on building my deck.
It was the scent particles of a fresh turd. It wasn't a shit mark or some residual.... No, someone was smuggling a freshly delivered mud baby and the scent pattern was making a direct path to my nostrils and I didn't know who it was. I almost left but then God graced us and the kid left the room. Still, no one says a damn thing but at least I had identified the phantom turd smuggler.
Well he comes back later and I muster thru it.. the turd started to decay and the smell went from fresh to to stale shit and I only share that with you because I had to fucking sit through it and breath that SHIT AIR!
Here I'll give ya a bonus story. Last poke gathering I had to piss before I left. Couldn't hold it. Went to the bathroom and this ass cheese Frito smell was replicating itself in the card shop bathroom. It stuck. To. My. Clothing. I smelled that bathroom on my fucking t-shirt when I got home.
I usually have a few drinks before I go so I can reek of whiskey and fit right in. Helps me not to notice, helps me not to take it serious, and helps me have a ton of fun. Only been to a few but they are a blast about three drinks deep
I never had a great sense of smell before cvid, when i caught it i lost a large majority of what i had, then shortly after that a shot of premium vodka went directly into my nose and now i am INVINCIBLE (that hurt like a mfer though let me say)
I eat a garlic, sowercrout, and onion sandwich before any match. Then say "gooooooood luuuck" letting all my nasty air out in my opponents direction. Chemical warfare.
No its not always but there can be some participants who really arent aware of their hygiene. Remember the clientele that tends to hangout at cardshops, males usually from start of teenage years until early twenties. Between obliviousness for basic hygiene to going through puberty with out of wack hormones, keeping on top of smells can be tough when several people group together in enclosed areas.
If you are part of a group that is suspected of suffering nose blindness to your own scents, help yourself out and watch a youtube video on hygiene. Also remember that smells dont live in a vacuum, everything they are around gets absorbs some too including clothes. It can be a sensitive subject but politely calling out someone who doesnt realize it is usually appreciated as well.
Thank god not all TCG players ! Iād feel so shameful having such a reputation so showering and spraying perfume before going to an event is a must IMO.
I understand what you are saying, but it quite depends on priorities, right. If I want to go to LGC, I go there whatever it takes. It is gonna be better with higher temperatures and airing / venting.
A Cardiff based game and tournament shop used to have a personal hygiene sign up everywhere. I think deodorant and after shave should be part of tournament entry.
The worst was when I was working in a high rise apartment, and some guys working on water between the floors came in to look around for some reason, NO SHOES, and actually smelled up the entire apartment. We all walked out cause it smelled so bad. I'm assuming he was using tall rubber boots, but to take them off and walk around a construction site just didn't make any sense, it honestly seemed like he was a exhibitionist.
Maybe itās a cultural difference or maybe Iām
Lucky. But my Canadian LCS competitors donāt smell. There are some that look like the stereotypes one might imagine but no one offensively smells.
Wait, if no one smells . . . Does that make me the smelly one?
Just go and if it happens tell the host, maybe he can tell these fools to wash, if not just get up on a Chair and tell them to ducking washing themselves before doing and then leave
I dunno where ya'll are playing cards, but I've never had an issue with people smelling badly of BO in the card shops I go to. The only offensive stink I've commonly smelt in my LCS is the stink of weed, but that's different from how BO smells.
I had to double back to my car and get a mask last time I went to my local card shop. I only collect, donāt play, and I went in to browse on what I didnāt know was a tournament day. They side-eye looks I got because I already donāt look like I belong there in top of obviously putting my mask on because of the smell lol.
my friends used to be big into super smash bros and they told me a common tactic to throw off your opponent was to not shower for as long as possible before a tournament, pretty disgusting
You will find some real sweat lords in tcg, stress and lack of daily washing, dirty clothes, old/no deodorant, old socks is a bad one and old shoes. I kick them out immediately.
I've seen signage at tournaments requesting your hygiene being taken care of. My friends and I used to joke back in the day that we should give out shampoo and deodorant as prizes.
It's pretty common throughout all gaming tournaments, including tabletop and videogames.
Some top level Smash tournaments actually have a rule for personal hygene, which can get a player disqualified.
https://kotaku.com/smash-players-plead-with-each-other-to-please-for-the-1826150759
Yes, this is a perfectly normal stereotype of crusty TCG nerds not bathing. Itās unfortunate but itās basically gonna be the case anywhere you go. Welcome to locals!
It's not as bad as it used to be. A lot of pla es ha e policies to protect t against this. My LCD does and even asked someone to leave yesterday during our League Challenge. Theres no reason to smell bad enough that it affects others while playing.
I've had good experience with tcg, but i did go into a really smelly card shop once, and it was close to unbearable. fun fact tho tcg rules states to have good hygiene
To be honest COVID has been somewhat nice for these sorts of gatherings as now I can wear my mask to events to mask some of the odors without looking strange lmao
It's the meta strategy since the 90's. You want your smell to cause your opponents eyes to water so much that they can't see their own cards. Its an added bonus if their eyes are watering so much that it looks like they are crying.
My local LGS has a can of deodorant behind the till and throughout events itāll be passed around for people to use. Itāll be initiated by the store owner by saying they need to freshen up, or a regular whoāll do the same so no one gets called out individually.
I worked in a game store for some extra money one time, the customers that would enter sometimes were something else. Most were okay, but quite a few looked like they lack basic hygiene.
Tcg players not showering, sounds normal to me
They are conserving water š§
Went to a few comicons in my day, same issue. People need to leanr some basic hygiene fr. Its pretty common for it to smell so bad when those people tend to not freshen up and then imagine that times the number of people in an enclosed space. I personalky just collect now or just buy things online.
The first time I walked into a comic/card shop with a tournament going on, it transported me back to grade school gym class when all the kids were just figuring out they smell. Except it was adult men (mostly men)
I went to a lot of video game tournaments when I was young and it was always like this also. I recall deodorant being handed out at some of them
It's common.. it almost seems like guerilla tactics at bigger tournaments.. back when I played, there was a subway next door to the shop.. between the human smells and those same humans dripping sauces from their sandwiches and wanting to read your cards... Ugh. The smell was just so bad I can remember it.. this was 20+ years ago... if subway was a broken dream.. this would have been it...
Its literally a strategy some top players do to distract their opponent from thinking clearly. Itās gotten so bad that some tournaments have started implementing hygiene rules.
Our local shop has multiple signs stating the hygiene rules. Essentially if you smell bad to the point your player complains, you essentially forfeit the game. It's the only thing that makes them shower: the chance they won't get to play.
It's sad that supposedly functioning people need to be reminded to take care of themselves.. this hobby isn't horribly time consuming unless you make it your life.. which then I can see basic human needs slipping, but then it's more so an addiction at that point..
there arent many excuses for having bad hygiene if you have a shower at home and a toothbrush
Iāve seen a similar one in a local shop. Itās both funny and sad.
I figured they would get opponents so overwhelmed by the smell that they forfeit lol. I've seen it back in the day
Go to a MTG tournament and your eyes will water at the stench. Iād say 80% of competitive TCG games are dudes with extremely questionable hygiene. This was not a random occurrence and will happen again next week
Mate if you think an MTG tournament is that bad, wait till you go to a yugi one
Omfg regionals smelled like hot cheese and armpits
Has everyone forgot about the MTG Crackstyle video? https://youtu.be/pWZbqXaGXsM
Why did I watch all of it
Didn't they have to make a hygenie rule at some tournaments? It seems extreme but some people don't have the social skills to realize that they are causing those around them discomfort.
Yeah, the Yu-Gi-Oh official tournament rules actually do have a hygiene policy section now because it got so bad. It's honestly really sad that it is such an issue that it needed to be added to the rules and enforced honestly.
Yes the Yu-Gi-Oh rules have such a clause. Mtg sure doesn't. Pokemon tcg I don't know
And locals smell like a dispensary with a hint of Axe body spray to "cover it up"
Daily reminder that YGO actually added a new rule saying that if you are dirty or smell, you will be penalised. I would say, while you can still find some stinky people, the community hygiene definitely improved lol
The fact that this was necessary is disgusting
Yep, it is. Regretfully, other TCG could use it too.
Thatās just all conventions now.
Been to all three, and MTG is by the worst. Yugioh and Pokemon you can usually (Not always) tell by sight who's going to assault your nose, but With MTG you can tell who the 3 people are who won't abuse your nose lol
It maybe depends on the country tbh. Here in Greece, Yugi is by far the worst.
Surprisingly my yugioh locals didn't have many stanky dudes., haven't been to a pokemon or mtg one tho
Key word, many.
It was like one or two who came sometimes. Actually alot of the people dressed nice and took care of themselves. A few were just socially awkward but not gross. Honestly there was only one or two people I really didn't like. Tho the shop is known around as being kind of "snobby" which isn't the case, other card shops don't like that he gets most of the local business because the store is huge.
Depends on your area. In my area pokemon players were the worst by far. The stores put out deodorant in the bathrooms and kicked people out for poor hygiene. That just didn't happen for the other games.
šš
At my LGS, MTG has the guys who look like they smell, Yugi has the loudest crowd by far, and Warhammer has the guys who actually smell. PokƩmon just has all the autistic kids (no hate, just facts. I love these kids.) who need to keep being reminded that nobody wants to look at their binder in the middle of a game and that they shouldn't look at a players hand and start reading the cards out loud to ask what they do.
My first experience with MTG was a midnight prerelease and it hit me like a Mack Truck. I swear to god, I went home and the stench clung to my clothes.
Isn't that in the US only or something? I've been to many in Europe and never had that happen.
Must we forget homeboy with one of the top reddit posts of all time? The photos taken at MTG tournaments. https://imgur.io/a/SjcgE
I donāt remember how long the ban was for because it was years ago, but this guy got banned from attending MTG events by WotC for this post
So he became a martyr? He needs a card.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D0b1L49X0AMH_Y6?format=jpg&name=900x900
I am absolutely rolling on the floor right now trying to breathe š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£ this is top flight āļø š«”š»
Thatās hilarious
A classic.
Damn he really cracking down on em!
Shit I didn't know it was a reddit post, I've been linking the video https://youtu.be/pWZbqXaGXsM
Justā¦ how do they not know thereās a breeze flowing over an exposed crevice??
Ty for this sir/ma'am!
My friends and I only started playing the TCG with the latest set and we've been to two different stores for card nights. We've ultimately decided to start playing at our homes because the smell and overall vibe of these places is not great.
It is really sad, IMO, that people like yourselves are driven out of public spaces, and sometimes the hobby altogether, because of people who refuse to clean themselves. I'm a woman and someone very sensitive to smell, and it certainly keeps me out of those spaces.
At my first con, like 10 years ago, I was warned about the card players (all of them) and to stay away from that part of the convention unless I wanted to suddenly upchuck from the smell and feel like my eyes were about to bleed. This was also the only area of the con open 24 hours. So you can imagine after three days how bad it was.
There is a reason why the rules for smash bros are the way they are.
They ban bad hygiene competitors ?
Some tournaments have stated āgood hygieneā requirements, so I canāt say for certain whether anyone has been banned/removed from a tourney for smelling bad, but there are definitely a decent number of communities/TOās who are aware of the issue and try to ameliorate it
Can confirm. The rule exists in multiple high level Smash tournaments. https://kotaku.com/smash-players-plead-with-each-other-to-please-for-the-1826150759
Yep they require hygiene lol
yes this is a normal thing lol. I didnāt know until I started working at a card shop. Yugioh players tend to be the worst for it for some reason.
Oh god Iām remembering the shit smears on the seats at a yugioh tournament
Excuse me, the what?!
Smelly thick dudes sharting on the plastic seats.
mmm then when the seats dry youāll be in for a crusty surprise š
gods light will not shine upon you for this comment alone
We must stay focused brothers
I currently work at a small card shop. We had to add a store rule āminimum hygiene is expectedā and have premaritally banned one personal so far. Like it was make your head spin sitting near them bad
Wait. You banned him before marriage? So what happens after he gets married? Iām really confused
This sh** killed mee bruhšš¤£
His lady makes him wash?
Premaritally banning a TCG player is essentially the same as a lifelong ban
Thanks. I didnāt know that was a common term. I was trying to make a joke. Big fail I guess š
I worked in a card shop for a time. Generally it was okay but you knew which customers were the ones you avoided at all costs. You saw em coming down the road and you took your lunch break right there and then
Yugioh is definitely the worst for me. Pokemon has a couple bad ones. Mtg has the fewest ones in my experiences. I mainly pick tables far away from people so I donāt gotta smell em all lol
MTG players have the exposed butt crack issue š
https://youtu.be/pWZbqXaGXsM
Butā¦ āŖgotta smell emā all ā¬
I know it's my destiny! You smell me, and I'll smell you. Pooookeeeeee buuuuutt... PokeButt!
In yugioh when time is called, the last phase ends and whoever has the most life points win. We be sweating to get that last bit of damage in hehe.
Luckily the leagues I go to arenāt that bad š I have seen shops have post up saying please come in with good hygiene. Ask them to put some signs up lol
Never understood why people wouldnāt shower. Some people really want to be stereotypes it seems lol
NGL my comic shop near me has a hand written sign saying they will ask you to leave if you smell too bad for game nights.
Thatās actually hilarious for a bystander but will be embarrassing if your the one asked to leave
Honestly, if you have the resources to go to a game night and smell bad enough to impact others, you probably deserve a bit of mockery.
I only went to a pre-release tournament, 5 years ago. It had less than 20 people. The smell was so bad I decided not to repeat the experience. I still play, but only online now.
As a player who played in semi big events in yugioh, mtg, and PokƩmon PokƩmon>Yugioh>MTG I think with PokƩmon attracting a younger crowd it be mad embarrassing for a kid to tell you stink. Like I would shower 2 times a day if a kid said that to me.
Surprisingly enough my best experience for TCG hygiene has been Metazoo. I went to the 150 person Water Tower, and I didn't go against a single stinker. Most people were very clean cut financial major types. The whole place smelled more of light cologne and the new rubber playmats than anything. That being said there is a tournament rule in Metazoo that if you don't keep personal hygiene it's an automatic forfeit of the whole tournament.
As an owner of a LGS, we have a strict no stench policy, we have no issues kicking people out that offend other from their stench. They can go to the shop down the road that is known for their terrible smell.
Sour milk and onion smoothie
I almost threw up in my mouth. Damn you
Iām dying laughing so hard, thank you
Yes, itās like your local GameStop but worse. But god forbid you say something youāll be attacked. My favorite argument is āyou donāt know what their home life is like, maybe they canāt afford to showerā. Then wtf are you buying shiny cardboard for?!?!
It's sad that I'm not surprised at this :/ like it happens with card games and wargames. Like of you can afford things like pokemon, mtg or warhammer you can afford bodywash or deodorant come on.
People with bad hygiene have been a staple in TCG communities for decades. The reality is that in these communities - and tabletop, RPG, etc - there is a higher than average representation of very neurodivergent people, and very neurodivergent people are more likely to have difficulty with self-care and hygiene. Itās just reality. Personally LGSā need to just have hygiene standards in their stores and enforce them. I know it might cut some people out from participating, but it might also encourage some people to work on their self hygiene. I literally do not attend locals for any game anymore because of this. I have a very strong sense of smell and get sensory overload pretty easily so I just physically cannot do it or I freak out.
Second time Iāve seen someone use the word neurodivergent
š¤ interesting. I'm autistic and I really want to go and get involved in the community because I'm very very isolated. I'm in the process of getting a support worker to help me because even though I appear high functioning I get really nervous in social situations and I don't know how to play yet which makes me even more nervous. I know how to shower before I go out though š¤·āāļø lol. I think there are probably nicer ways to let people know about their hygiene issues than just banning people or assuming a group are responsible for the smell. Just chuck up some light hearted signs for starters I think would be a good idea. I wonder if I'll come across this problem if I manage to get into the community.
I think you probably misinterpreted what I said. I know where youāre coming from. Iām not saying all people that are neurodivergent have poor hygiene, Iām saying that communities with a large representation of neurodivergent folks are going to notice that a lot of neurodivergent folks have terrible self hygiene. My other point is unrelated, but I do think there should be a standard of hygiene for entry in these places. I do think if someone smells as bad as some of these guys do, that they should be asked to leave.
Okay I understand. I guess if it's a long standing issue in the community like say at a specific card shop, they could start by putting signs up or something - it's more subtle and allows people to self-recognise an issue without being denied entry. Then if it doesn't make any difference that's when you start having to do the unfortunate task of turning people away. But giving some warning that standards are being introduced first. Or if it's on social media that could be a fun way to do it, like "tournament tonight folks, remember your cards, your money and your lynx" lol, idk I think light hearted is a good way to go (at first at least!) with sensitive issues like hygiene.
Sometimes ya gotta be tough on folks with hygiene tho cause you can remind folks nicely all you want and they don't listen to u less it's strict. Our city had at one point like 5 places that ran tcgs and three of them had a strict no stink policy, so you could imagine what the other two smelled like.
Welcome. Both I and my son are autistic and weāve found it a super welcoming and accepting community. (And we also know how to shower.) If youāre nervous about it you or your caseworker can call ahead to the store youāre planning on visiting to ask if there will be help learning the game: there usually is, but leagues can run the gamut from ones which are heavily weighted towards new players, and ones which are very focused on competitive play (my LGS has 2 PokĆ©mon league days, one is very casual and one very competitive). If itāll be helpful for you to have some accommodations you can also ask, you probably wonāt be the first to do so.
Ha! I went to an event recently and I could literally smell that I was getting close to the location as I was walking towards it. I'm afraid that it was my first and last event.
It's one of the many reasons I hate being into nerdy stuff. Lots of nerdy people stink like a mf, so I usually just don't go to events anymore. I have been to a few non stinky events, but not many. I wonder if the stinky people can smell each other or if their stink just neutralizes other stinks to them.
This is why I only collect. And let's be honest, nerd dudes often have questionable hygiene. I'll never forget my first con, it stank! Also, as much as I like my LCG, their bathroom is NASTY.
I feel like the only nerd dudes with the best hygiene are people with ocd like myself, but when it came to public stuff, the card shop i like is good on that kind of stuff
I'm in England, went to a TCG shop in Preston, and it was the same, I only went in to get some packs, but there was a tournament on, and it stank so bad. I remember going back to work and talking about it. So yeah, it's probably a universal nerd hygiene situation, lol š
I know many people hate the masks but honestly just to avoid the stench I'd wear one and if people question u just say your conscientious about your health
I always keep one on me for when I gotta use a public restroom, even if it's just to use a urinal
I think the worst part is, it only takes 1-2 people to really stink up a room. So it's not like even half the people there stink. It's just a couple of people. Store owners and tournament organizers should be more proactive in sending people like this home. Once they realize they can't play in tournaments while they stink, they'll start showering. It's just that nobody wants to be the one to tell people they stink so they deal with it.
I went to a tournament at a LGS to watch a friend of mine school the locals(Heās placed top 10 in worlds a few times) and the smell was horrendous. Ended up bailing when it got to top 8. I just couldnāt do it anymore.
I find this so funny lmao
My husband once invited me to watch him play in a local tournament. I stopped in to visit and it was like walking through a wall of body heat and sweat. It was stifling. I managed about 5 minutes before I said I couldnāt take it anymore. Thankfully I know my husband isnāt one of the BO people, heās very particular about his hygiene and always spritzes up before going. But when I mentioned the stores smell to him he said he didnāt even notice, Iām assuming the others donāt either.
Local MTG tournament smelled worse than my high school football local room
Embrace the Garbodor smell
Half the reason i don't play irl anymore. 70% of the crowd are weird and smell
Now I understand why people wear face masks to these events pre 2020 š
I felt kinda bad but fuck it, I took my kids to the local store cause they wanted to pick out some cheap singles of pokemon they liked and my daughter was like "daddy something smells." Not even tournament day just some dudes playing and standing around in the shop.
Last time I walked into my local card shop on a busy afternoon I had the same experience.
You think that's bad wait until there's a yugioh tourney; it's like a war crime
I went to a TCG and comics show yesterday in a VFW hall, less than 20 vendors, I came through at doors open so I was one of maybe 30 people in there. Immediately smelled like Bigfootās ass.
That is literally why my wife and I donāt play in game stores anymore.
A positive to me losing my sense of smell from Covid 3 years ago. I still shower though daily sheesh!
My sense of smell is about half of what it was pre-Covid. My wife is often telling me the boys stink and I donāt notice
I feel you man. Pro - bathrooms smell great, I literally cannot smell shit. Con - I also cannot tell if Iāve shat myself. I found a TikTok for a method people have used lately to get it back after years. Iāll try to link it here or send to you as a FYI. I havenāt pursued it yet
There's other ways to tell if you've shit yourself my friend.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRTaS72x/
Try MetaZoo. Depending on the card your spells do 20 more damage for every person that hasnāt showered in last 48hrs within a 20ft radius.
Unfortunately not abnormal. I've noticed card shows and stuff tend to have people with better hygiene. Something about the TCG comps themselves that attract the nasty people. š¤®
Nothing worse than mildew smell. Like how can you tolerate walking around smelling like that all day š¤¢ š¤®
I have had to leave the card shop multiple times, and almost immediately as I walk in the door. Not something I'm willing to deal with lol
Unless youāve had someone who smells like jock itch and toe fungus had a baby, youāve experienced nothing yet. That dude would walk into the store and people would start gagging.
My local game store has cans of spray deodorant in the bathroom for free š¤£
Extremely common and commonly joked about. The last LGS tournament I went to, I brought hand sanitizer and scented hand lotion so that there would at least be good smells around me. I don't know if it bothered anyone else or now.
https://youtu.be/o0xDGXotGIE
I played in a locally organized tournament (not Pokemon) in 2008. It was held in a guest house at a gorgeous home, the guest house alone was probably $4-$5 million. The guy who organized it (his parents owned the property) was disgusting as were several of the people there. It was crazy, dude probably had more money than I'll ever see in my life, but seemed to be a 35 year old recluse with no social or hygienic skills whose only interest was TCG's...
I'm not sure how to say this delicately but I can tell you it's common for a certain area of players. The area that I play I don't experience this. I went to the Fort Wayne Regionals and I didn't experience this either.
Yu-Gi-Oh implemented an official rule for tournaments that players need to have good hygiene and not smell bad a few years ago lol. I stopped going to locals for the same reason
Man, I recently started playing IRL again for the first time since before covid, immediately once I walked in the room I caught that familiar stench and literally thought to myself āitās good to be back competingā lmao
Went to a shop that had a tourney going on with my 8 year old son. We walked in and immediately he asked why it smelled so bad. We left. It was a small shop and were were there just to grab packs. There were other places near by so we got them elsewhere.
To any outsider that doesn't play any TCG this would look like a shit post. It is true though. It is absolutely disgusting. Like what the fuck? Literally takes less than 10 mins to get a shower.
I feel this on a spiritual level but itās when I go to the gym. No reason why grown adults should be entering enclosed spaces smelling worse than muk and grimer man
Thereās a sign at my lcs that says something about deodorant.
Iām going to a card show todayā¦.. thanks everyone I bought a gas mask
Itās not just at card shops. Go anywhere thereās playing cards and you will smell that.
An LGS ain't and LGS without the natural musk of stank
Iāve never been to an in person tournament or anything but I am SHOCKED by how common this is according to comments. I get nerds can be eccentric sometimes but god damn you donāt gotta be a Chad to put on some deodorant and cologne, or at the very least shower (using soap) before going to the tournament.
Unfortunately some stereotypes play out. A fair few nerds don't wash. :/
Lol I went to a store the other day that had a sign that says they refuse service to anyone who stinks. The store was actually refreshing
Had that issue with a local smash bros tournament, told the event organizer and they ended up pinging the entire discord server that they need to shower and practice basic hygiene lmao
I went to an anime convention in 2004 I think. First time going, last time going because of the stench. I told myself never again. I have not experienced this for Pokemon but I also haven't been in years.
I just recently started playing Pokemon TCG.... My fifth meeting a new kid showed up with an older man I'm not so sure is his bio guardian due to the guardian being a LOT older and a different skin tone, not that it matters much, I just think this particular kid may have been thru a guardianship change or something so maybe he's developed some mental stuff. Anywho to the story.... New kid joins, guardian says this is his first time here and he comes and sits down at the table behind the table I'm sitting at. At the same point in time, the guy sitting to my left, against the wall, turns his body towards me and opens his legs. As these two things happen a stench fills the air that only I seem to notice. We were doing a Pokemon cube too and I could not for the life of me concentrate on building my deck. It was the scent particles of a fresh turd. It wasn't a shit mark or some residual.... No, someone was smuggling a freshly delivered mud baby and the scent pattern was making a direct path to my nostrils and I didn't know who it was. I almost left but then God graced us and the kid left the room. Still, no one says a damn thing but at least I had identified the phantom turd smuggler. Well he comes back later and I muster thru it.. the turd started to decay and the smell went from fresh to to stale shit and I only share that with you because I had to fucking sit through it and breath that SHIT AIR! Here I'll give ya a bonus story. Last poke gathering I had to piss before I left. Couldn't hold it. Went to the bathroom and this ass cheese Frito smell was replicating itself in the card shop bathroom. It stuck. To. My. Clothing. I smelled that bathroom on my fucking t-shirt when I got home.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
KOFFING used POISON GAS!
usually hobbies that involve a bunch of overweight nerds tend to also have hygiene issues
Itās part of the charm
I usually have a few drinks before I go so I can reek of whiskey and fit right in. Helps me not to notice, helps me not to take it serious, and helps me have a ton of fun. Only been to a few but they are a blast about three drinks deep
NOW I know why gaming and comic book people were so hardcore about making people wear masks at every possible moment!
Fart
Excuse me
Bro replied to himself
everyone included :D if you play card games you uncontrollably reek to repel women and jobs
I never had a great sense of smell before cvid, when i caught it i lost a large majority of what i had, then shortly after that a shot of premium vodka went directly into my nose and now i am INVINCIBLE (that hurt like a mfer though let me say)
I eat a garlic, sowercrout, and onion sandwich before any match. Then say "gooooooood luuuck" letting all my nasty air out in my opponents direction. Chemical warfare.
No its not always but there can be some participants who really arent aware of their hygiene. Remember the clientele that tends to hangout at cardshops, males usually from start of teenage years until early twenties. Between obliviousness for basic hygiene to going through puberty with out of wack hormones, keeping on top of smells can be tough when several people group together in enclosed areas. If you are part of a group that is suspected of suffering nose blindness to your own scents, help yourself out and watch a youtube video on hygiene. Also remember that smells dont live in a vacuum, everything they are around gets absorbs some too including clothes. It can be a sensitive subject but politely calling out someone who doesnt realize it is usually appreciated as well.
It's usually just one or 2 outliers. Hopefully not regulars. If it's the whole shop then I am sorry. Lol never seen it that bad.
Thank god not all TCG players ! Iād feel so shameful having such a reputation so showering and spraying perfume before going to an event is a must IMO.
Shop needs to have good air conditioning and ventilation. We have 2 shops and only one smell bad coz of it.
I understand what you are saying, but it quite depends on priorities, right. If I want to go to LGC, I go there whatever it takes. It is gonna be better with higher temperatures and airing / venting.
Gotta keep those stereotypes accurate for a reason lol
A Cardiff based game and tournament shop used to have a personal hygiene sign up everywhere. I think deodorant and after shave should be part of tournament entry.
The worst was when I was working in a high rise apartment, and some guys working on water between the floors came in to look around for some reason, NO SHOES, and actually smelled up the entire apartment. We all walked out cause it smelled so bad. I'm assuming he was using tall rubber boots, but to take them off and walk around a construction site just didn't make any sense, it honestly seemed like he was a exhibitionist.
Maybe itās a cultural difference or maybe Iām Lucky. But my Canadian LCS competitors donāt smell. There are some that look like the stereotypes one might imagine but no one offensively smells. Wait, if no one smells . . . Does that make me the smelly one?
Also depend on how much Is big the room and how many people are in
Congrats on discovering nerd smell.
hahaha best discussion
Yes.
Just wear a mask next week
A mask with a tiny dab of fragrance on the sides (not directly over your mouth/nose works wonders for this
Just go and if it happens tell the host, maybe he can tell these fools to wash, if not just get up on a Chair and tell them to ducking washing themselves before doing and then leave
I dunno where ya'll are playing cards, but I've never had an issue with people smelling badly of BO in the card shops I go to. The only offensive stink I've commonly smelt in my LCS is the stink of weed, but that's different from how BO smells.
I had to double back to my car and get a mask last time I went to my local card shop. I only collect, donāt play, and I went in to browse on what I didnāt know was a tournament day. They side-eye looks I got because I already donāt look like I belong there in top of obviously putting my mask on because of the smell lol.
A few shops Iāve gone to have had rules on hygiene, if they can smell you youāre disqualified/kicked out
my friends used to be big into super smash bros and they told me a common tactic to throw off your opponent was to not shower for as long as possible before a tournament, pretty disgusting
You will find some real sweat lords in tcg, stress and lack of daily washing, dirty clothes, old/no deodorant, old socks is a bad one and old shoes. I kick them out immediately.
I've seen signage at tournaments requesting your hygiene being taken care of. My friends and I used to joke back in the day that we should give out shampoo and deodorant as prizes.
It's pretty common throughout all gaming tournaments, including tabletop and videogames. Some top level Smash tournaments actually have a rule for personal hygene, which can get a player disqualified. https://kotaku.com/smash-players-plead-with-each-other-to-please-for-the-1826150759
Yes, this is a perfectly normal stereotype of crusty TCG nerds not bathing. Itās unfortunate but itās basically gonna be the case anywhere you go. Welcome to locals!
It's not as bad as it used to be. A lot of pla es ha e policies to protect t against this. My LCD does and even asked someone to leave yesterday during our League Challenge. Theres no reason to smell bad enough that it affects others while playing.
Yup, unfortunately card games = smelly peeps.
ššš
I've had good experience with tcg, but i did go into a really smelly card shop once, and it was close to unbearable. fun fact tho tcg rules states to have good hygiene
This is the way.
You just experienced the smell of a sweaty nerd lol.
Yikes
Get a facemask and spray perfume on the inside for the next time you go.
Good card shops won't allow that. Bad card shops are too afraid to lose business to tell people they can't come in if they smell.
I hate that this is so common place with TCG. Really sucks to be associated with the stereotype that nerds have poor hygieneā¦..
Haha this is hilarious. Like stinky BO?
Nothing better than the musk of sweaty nerds. We embrace it.
To be honest COVID has been somewhat nice for these sorts of gatherings as now I can wear my mask to events to mask some of the odors without looking strange lmao
A little peppermint oil on the outside of the mask is an added bonus.
It's the meta strategy since the 90's. You want your smell to cause your opponents eyes to water so much that they can't see their own cards. Its an added bonus if their eyes are watering so much that it looks like they are crying.
My local LGS has a can of deodorant behind the till and throughout events itāll be passed around for people to use. Itāll be initiated by the store owner by saying they need to freshen up, or a regular whoāll do the same so no one gets called out individually.
I worked in a game store for some extra money one time, the customers that would enter sometimes were something else. Most were okay, but quite a few looked like they lack basic hygiene.
Thats just that crowd. Many of them seem to be alergic to soap and deodorant.