Playing Pokémon or Yu Gi Oh! matches are so much fun, but it can also be very difficult when you come up against top players. Mastering everything there is to learn takes years of practice and commitment, and so we are all looking out for a little trick to get ahead. From making use of your decks to learning from your mistakes, there are so many important steps to mastering your craft.

To help everyone out there rack up those big wins, here are five useful hacks that every player would love to know.

1. Learn What the Best Decks Do

For new and returning players, the sheer amount of cards in a Yu-Gi-Oh match or similar game can be very overwhelming. When you break it down and start to look at the context of a particular metagame, however, you start to realize that the vast pool of cards begins to shrink significantly. On average, there’s only going to be about two to three decks that are considered tier one, four or five that are at tier two and rogue level, and then a myriad of other decks that are also trying to compete. It only really makes the most sense to focus on tier one, two, and rogue strategies because those are the decks that you will be playing with most often. Once you have chosen your deck, choose sleeves with cool custom designs so that you stand out. This can give you a mental edge over your opponents who will see that you are a serious player who has invested in your deck.

2. Don’t be Afraid to Netdeck

Netdecking is the process of going online, looking up strategies that have already seen success from past tournaments, and then copying that deck verbatim and playing it yourself. This is one of the best ways to know for a fact that your deck will work because it has already placed well at a top-tier tournament. Netdecking is criticized in some circles, but it is a very important part of the evolution of the metagame because not everyone is of the same caliber of player. Some players are innovators and are able to create a deck from virtually nothing while other players are refiners who are able to make decks that have already seen success and maximize their efficiency.

3. Utilize your Side Deck to its Full Potential

The side deck is arguably more important than your main or extra deck because you play more games with your side deck than without. Even if you won every single match you ever played 2-0, then that means 50 of those games you would have had to use your side deck. Conversely, in the worst-case scenario, if every match you played went to a game three, then that means 66 of your games took advantage of your side deck. Going back to hack number one, if you know what the best decks do, you can prepare your side deck accordingly.

4. Practice with People Who Have More Experience

Especially if you are a new or returning player, it is very important to challenge yourself against more experienced players. It can be very tempting to always play with the same group of friends, especially if you are a more skilled or experienced player, but it’s not going to help you evolve as a player. When you encounter others who are either at your skill level or above your skill level, that is when you will have the highest opportunity to learn. Players who have won regionals or who have even gone to the World Championships have a different mindset and will have played thousands of games. Surrounding yourself with players who are better than you will give you the opportunity to learn, and you will start to see real progress in no time at all.

5. Ask Yourself Why You Lost

New or returning players have a tendency to attribute their losses to things that were out of their control. They trick themselves into believing that their opponent was just super lucky or that they were super unlucky. It is so important that you analyze every single aspect of your game in order to find the true reason you lost. Maybe you used a hand trap at an inopportune moment and your opponent was able to capitalize. Maybe you weren’t aggressive enough at a certain point and that could have ended the game three turns sooner. Be frank and honest, and it will help you avoid the same mistakes in the future.

There are no shortcuts to becoming a top card player, but the hacks in this guide can certainly help. Real progression is always down to hard work, constant practice, and learning from other players in both victory and defeat. The most important thing is you have fun while you are learning and the victories will start coming in no time.