1) So your child decided that he/she also wants to play yu-gi-oh and you don't know whether you should let him/her and if so, how to get him/her started.

Yu-gi-oh is a very structured game which demands time and skill. It takes a little time to learn the basics (about 30-60 minutes) but one is never done learning as there are always new cards and new rules. Yu-gi-oh game is VERY good for your analytical, logigal and mathmatical mind - I have yet to meet a child whose marks in school declined after playing yu-gi-oh. Where would you rather your child spends time ? In a safe and friendly environment with friends and understanding adults playing a game which trains his brain, or...(no, yu-gi-oh does not replace soccer, baseball or football *smile*).

2) For adults - you'd be surprised how challenging this game is. I've started playing because I was getting bored just waiting around for my son's tournament to be over - now we travel to major tournaments and have tons of fun and met many friendly people.

3) What to buy first ?! If you're new to the game, go out and buy a starterdeck. I'd suggest Yugi Starterdeck 2006 ($10) with DVD ($20) . You'll get a deck of 40 cards, a paper playmat, a rule/playbook and an isntructional DVD (if you buy the DVD version, obviously). Once you played a few games against a friendly opponent (who knows the rules, one would hope), and you decide to go further, buy a structure deck.

4) Structure decks are premade decks by Konami/UpperDeck. They follow one theme and consist of 40 cards each. I'd suggest either the Warrior or Spellcaster structuredeck as both of these contain cards that can well be used in future decks. (the decks cost between $10 and $15).

5) You played many games by now, you still like it and you want to continue ? It's time to find a store you like and trust. You can't always play with the same 2 or 3 people, it will get boring and you will not be challenged after a while. Find a gaming store in your area which hosts tournaments. Go there, talk to the owner and sign up. You will lose the first few times, badly ! Don't be discouraged. It wouldn't be a good game if you could win easily.

6) It's time to buy singles and packs. Packs are a great buy at pre-release tournaments, every 2 months or so. They're brandnew, nobody has them yet and they're great to play and trade with ! Plus it's great fun to open packs and find a great card ! BUT, it's hardly ever the most economical way. It's almost always cheaper (unless you're very lucky) to buy the single cards you need. There're over 2000 different cards out there, in many series. There's now only one ultra rare (most desirable from a collector's standpoint) card per box.......

7) When you trade (warning to parents !) make certain that it is a fair trade. Have an experienced older player comment whether it is a fair/good trade. All gaming stores I know allow trading !

8) E-Bay: E-bay is a great place to buy single cards. Make certain that you buy from an established seller with great feedback, and e-bay almost always is the cheapest place to buy single cards. Please read my other guide (how to buy yu-gi-oh cards on e-bay) to avoid the pitfalls which can appear on e-bay. The guide can be found here:

http://reviews.ebay.com/How-to-buy-yu-gi-oh-cards-on-e-bay-and-how-NOT-to_W0QQugidZ10000000000074532

9) The internet has many great sites for yu-gi-oh players. I'm not allowed to add any outside links here, but with a bit of googling/yahooing you ought to find a few - otherwise just contact me.

10) Supplement:

Rarity of cards (doesn't equal playability):

• Common (8 out of 9 cards)

Then 1 card per pack is either

• Rare (silver writing of card name)
• Super Rare (holographic picture, 1 in 6 packs)
• Ultra Rare (holographic picture, gold writing of card name, 1 in 24 packs now, previously 1 in 12)
• Ultimate rare (holographic picture, name and type indicator, 1 in 12 packs)
• Secret rare (very shiny holographic, nice !, 1 in 24 packs)

Parallel rare (not available in packs, only at tournaments for participating players, shiny all over)

This guide is a work in progress. Please let me know what you think and what you'd add/improve !