Situation from the final match of PTQ, with PT invite, fly tickets and a lot of pack on a stake.
Players sit down to the game, started to shuffle theirs deck and decided, that both want to win a invite, so they are going to play it out. In that moment, one player asked second about splitting a packs evenly between them. Second player asked his friend, who was spectating game: “should I agree on the split?” and recieved answer “No! You have a better deck!”.

What should the ruling be? Do you find that question was seeking for “strategy advice”? Would you give an outside assistance penalty?

Edited Mark Brown (Dec. 20, 2012 12:27:22 AM)

No - Outside Assistance relates to advice that can affect play: “Tournaments test the skill of a player, not his or her ability to follow external advice or directions. Any strategy advice, play advice, or construction advice from an external source is considered outside assistance.”

My personal preference (i.e., not official policy) is for players to make these decisions on their own, without outside influence - but TE-Outside Assistance does not apply, here.

Thanks! – Scott Marshall, DCIJUDGE-L NetRep, L5, Denver
Maybe the coolest (judge) thing ever: <http://apps.magicjudges.org/>
And one very cool part of that: <http://blogs.magicjudges.org/rulestips/>
Seen our wiki? <http://wiki.internationalmagicjudges.net>

(That's an ‘O’fficial answer to a specific question, so the topic is closed.)

Edited Scott Marshall (Dec. 19, 2012 10:15:08 AM)