A card is a piece of paper that has been printed with images or symbols. It can be used to play many games, such as dominoes, mah-jongg, and poker. In most cases, a card is marked or otherwise manipulated in an attempt to give one player an advantage over another.
There are two types. Those that are visible and those not. The magicians often use the former, while poker cheats usually use the latter.
Marked Cards (also known as cheating cards) are playing cards with hidden or unintentional markings on their backs. These markings are a serious problem because they compromise the integrity of the game and can be used to gain an unfair tactical advantage.
The integrity of the game is a responsibility of all players. This means that they must not compromise on card integrity. This is not an easy matter.
Judges should alert players if their deck or sideboard contains foil cards that are different from the rest of their deck. They should make sure they swap sleeves as soon possible. Unless the judge wants to investigate the player and wait for more information, then this should be done.
These foil cards can be identified by looking for patterns. This could be a card, a creature or a land that has been marked with a specific pattern. If the Head Judge can determine that the pattern is unintentional and that it does not give a player an unfair advantage, this is not an infraction.
Infractions that involve multiple cards being marked in a specific pattern are more severe. A Head Judge should investigate these matters and determine if the player is deliberately giving an unfair advantage by marking cards.
However, there is an exception. A judge can see a deck or sideboard of a player and determine that the pattern was not intentional. This can be a difficult situation, as the player may need to explain why they have that number of cards marked. They may also need to show how to remove them.
This can be very frustrating. It is even more difficult when the judge doesn’t have the time necessary to look through every card in a players deck. A judge should let the player know these concerns immediately so they can exchange their sleeves and avoid any penalty.
Mini numbers and hieroglyphics combine to make the most common markings. These marks are small and difficult to find because they are close to the special patens on the cards. They are also unique in their shape, which prevents the human eye from finding them easily.