US Shop Suspends Card Game Tournaments Due To Smelly Players

A US shop has caught social media's attention after suspending its Yu-Gi-Oh! tournaments for a week after receiving multiple complaints about hygiene and body odour issues, as the participants turned up all smelly for the event. Chronos Games & Gifts, an independently-owned game store based in Beaverton, Oregon, announced the decision on its public Discord channel and blamed the stinky players solely for the suspension.

Yu-Gi-Oh! tournaments are competitive events where players face off using their deck of cards according to the officially sanctioned rules.

"We regret to inform you that there will be a one-week suspension in our local events," the store wrote in a statement On Discord.

“We have had issues with people mistreating the restrooms and multiple bad reviews because of poor hygiene. As a reminder, we encourage players to follow Konami guidelines and report anyone who does not. Thank you everyone for understanding,” it added.

Reacting to the announcement, social media users lauded the Oregon store for taking a stern stance and postponing the tournament.

"Can confirm. Played YGO competitively in 2011. Was at regional, top 64 I think, and successfully got my opponent a match loss because I literally could not breathe near him," said one user while another added: "Keep doing this please. Especially for meet and greets."

A third commented: "My friends and I stopped going to our local card shop for tournaments because most of the other dudes there smelled like straight BO. Just shower. I will buy you body wash if thats what it takes."

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Hygiene Issues

Konami's Organised Play system manages Yu-Gi-Oh! tournaments through a structured tier system. However, widespread hygiene issues prompted the company to enforce strict personal cleanliness rules starting in 2019, as per IGN.

“You are expected to be clean when you enter a tournament,” the official Yu-Gi-Oh Tournament Guide says. “Neglecting to wash or put on clean clothes contributes to an unpleasant atmosphere at the event, as the tournament can be crowded and the day can be long.

“Persons who neglect self-care to the point that they are negatively impacting the tournament may be asked to correct the issue to continue in the event.”