Podcasts about grand prix top

James (Yimin) Zhi is a professional Magic player and streamer from Shanghai, China. He has one Pro Tour Top 8 and four Grand Prix Top 8s. Show notes: humansofmagic.com/ Patreon: patreon.com/humansofmagic

L'expérience acquise en 15 ans de pratiques et de compétitions est inestimable. Rappelant sa première compétition à l'Hippodrome de Longchamp en 2009, Jérémy a raconté comment il a terminé dernier en raison de son manque d'expérience. Depuis, il a transformé ce revers en une série de succès, remportant l'une de ses courses les plus mémorables malgré une erreur dans la zone de transition. Cet accomplissement, malgré un départ difficile, a offert une précieuse expérience et un sentiment de réalisation.Mais ces victoires ne sont pas dues uniquement à la force physique. Jérémy insiste sur l'importance de la confiance avant une course. Avoir un processus et de bonnes pratiques développés grâce à de nombreuses expériences antérieures aident à construire cette confiance, renforçant ainsi la force mentale du triathlète. Évaluer ses points forts et ses faiblesses, créer des scénarii de course, et se préparer à l'avance avec une bonne technique et un entraînement approprié, sont des stratégies cruciales pour le succès de Jérémy. Avec ces réflexions, il est évident que l'ascension dans le triathlon va bien au-delà de la simple condition physique. Il faut de l'équilibre, de la préparation mentale, et un désir inébranlable de se surpasser pour vraiment briller dans ce sport.Pour suivre notre invité : @QuindosTri ( https://www.instagram.com/QuindosTri )Bonne écoute !

L'expérience acquise en 15 ans de pratiques et de compétitions est inestimable. Rappelant sa première compétition à l'Hippodrome de Longchamp en 2009, Jérémy a raconté comment il a terminé dernier en raison de son manque d'expérience. Depuis, il a transformé ce revers en une série de succès, remportant l'une de ses courses les plus mémorables malgré une erreur dans la zone de transition. Cet accomplissement, malgré un départ difficile, a offert une précieuse expérience et un sentiment de réalisation.Mais ces victoires ne sont pas dues uniquement à la force physique. Jérémy insiste sur l'importance de la confiance avant une course. Avoir un processus et de bonnes pratiques développés grâce à de nombreuses expériences antérieures aident à construire cette confiance, renforçant ainsi la force mentale du triathlète. Évaluer ses points forts et ses faiblesses, créer des scénarii de course, et se préparer à l'avance avec une bonne technique et un entraînement approprié, sont des stratégies cruciales pour le succès de Jérémy. Avec ces réflexions, il est évident que l'ascension dans le triathlon va bien au-delà de la simple condition physique. Il faut de l'équilibre, de la préparation mentale, et un désir inébranlable de se surpasser pour vraiment briller dans ce sport.Pour suivre notre invité : @QuindosTri ( https://www.instagram.com/QuindosTri )Bonne écoute !

Trey and Graydon break down the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix — Verstappen's win from behind, Hamilton's sad stroll and more Ferrari nonsense. Plus, Graydon lists his Top 10 Corners in Formula 1.

This week, Arjuna is honored to welcome to the show Rivals member and Grand Prix Top-8-er Chris Botelho! We discuss a mental methodology for improving at the game, starting with which land drop to play on turn 1. Chris' improvement strategy is one of the best in the game. We also discuss metagames, including the dozens of potentially viable decks in Historic!Find Chris Botelho on Twitter, Twitch and Youtube.If you love the show and want to support us, head over to our Patreon and check out our tiers: https://patreon.com/arenacraftpodcast . Your support means a lot to us and helps keep pushing the show forward.We are partners of untapped.gg , a great deck tracker and collection manager for Arena. They've recently revamped their Draftsmith feature to make it easier to get into limited - go check it out!Find Arena Craft on:PatreonDiscordTwitterTwitchYouTubeFacebookEmail UsThis show features the track 'Cascade' by Kubbi which is licensed under a Creative Commons License.Find Kubbi's amazing music at kubbimusic.com

Drew joins Rob as the newest member of The SnapCast and we get to talk to 2 time Grand Prix Top 8’er, Julian John! Julian recently finished in the Top 8 of the Modern Challenge Read More The post Episode 150: Izzet Prowess with Julian John! appeared first on .

 Drew joins Rob as the newest member of The SnapCast and we get to talk to 2 time Grand Prix Top 8'er, Julian John! Julian recently finished in the Top 8 of the Modern Challenge with Izzet Prowess and we get his insight on the format and why he believes prowess is the best deck.  Drew also provides some insight on his experience as Modern continues to shift from the bannings.  

 Drew joins Rob as the newest member of The SnapCast and we get to talk to 2 time Grand Prix Top 8'er, Julian John! Julian recently finished in the Top 8 of the Modern Challenge with Izzet Prowess and we get his insight on the format and why he believes prowess is the best deck.  Drew also provides some insight on his experience as Modern continues to shift from the bannings.  

Heads up: there are no technical issues during this episode. Those long pauses are me processing the incredible words of wisdom and profound inspiration from this week's guest. Elisa Kurylowicz is a former member of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team. She is 2 x National Champion in Moguls, a World Cup Gold medalist and was ranked in the Grand Prix Top 5 in the world 3 years in a row. After missing the Olympic Games in 2006, Elisa fell into a deep depression. She quit skiing, gained 85lbs in 1 year, abused her body and mind, was in an abusive relationship and was over $30,000 in debt. She then hit rock bottom in 2010 where she sat for over a year. Then one day, she woke up and realized that she had a choice in life. From that day forward, she shifted her perspective on the world and began her journey to self-love and self-appreciation. She has made it her mission to help others find this within themselves. In this episode, Eliza is beyond authentic and shares her vulnerability in a way that will make you feel connected and seen. Within these 30 minutes, she will have you finding the magical moments and joy in every day and help you understand that balance is found within the pendulum swing of life. This is good one folks! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/kristy24/message

Ally Warfield is an MTG streamer and Rivals League member. Her notable tournament finishes include a Grand Prix Top 4, MCVII Top 16, and MagicFest Online Top 8. For show notes, please visit humansofmagic.com. Music in this episode is brought to you by @kuplasound

Jason breaks down all the Top 8 decks and what we should be doing to attack the format going forward.All top 32 Decklists: https://mtgazone.com/magicfest-online-season-2-week-1-weekly-championship-top-32-decklists/

El Melodi Grand Prix ya ha celebrado su primera semifinal, que tuvo a Raylee como ganadora. Y ante el chiste que han supuesto las canciones participantes en la segunda eliminatoria... digamos que hemos preferido repasar el historial de un famoso noruego. Miguel Heras intenta arrancar el programa con la ayuda de Carlos Pecharromán, Dani Fernández, Alberto Temprano y Luis Mesa. Síguenos en Twitter: twitter.com/euromovidas --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/euromovidas/message

Kellen Pastore is a 3 time Grand Prix Top 8 Competitor, a full-time grad student, and a noted enthusiast of linear aggro decks. Kellen lives in MAPLE GLEN, Pennsylvania. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Kellen Pastore when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep311 First Set Carrion Ants Favorite Set Zendikar Favorite Card Bellows Lizard Early Challenge Getting used to the inconsistency of Magic because Kellen came from a game that was more consistent. Worst Gaming Moment Before Kellen got into Magic, he lost a miniature game and really lost his cool. Since then, he has gotten better at regulating his emotions by reminding himself that his opponent is trying, just like he is. Proudest Magic Moment When Kaladesh was released, Kellen created a Red-Black Zombie deck that ended up impacting the metagame at that time. What Have You Learned From Magic Meeting and making friends. Biggest Mistakes of Players Ever committing into sweepers. Playing too many creatures when the opponent has a board wipe. Tournament Preparation Kellen practiced a lot with his deck leading up to events. He looks to make sure that his deck holds up against the top decks. Parting Guidance Never play a deck you don't like to play. Magic Resource Misplaced Ginger (twitch.tv) for Standard; MTG Goldfish Connect With Kellen Pastore @TheOddEngineer ‏ Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com  

Kyle Cooper made his first Grand Prix top 8 at GP Orlando 2018 and is excited to share with others who are on the path to the Pro Tour. Kyle lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Kyle Cooper when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep299 First Set Innistrad Favorite Set Innistrad Favorite Card Sensei's Divining Top Early Challenge Doing well at FNMs. But Kyle stuck with Magic when he started planning more during the week he started to get better. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8ing his first Grand Prix. What Have You Learned From Magic Patience. Kyle recognizes he plays fast and Magic has helped him learn patience with others. Also, he learned to respect. Biggest Mistake Players Make Players foreshadow what they are going to do. Think before you play so you don't give away information. Parting Guidance Do what you want with Magic. Magic fits many styles. Competitive, casual, EDH, whatever. Just play what and how you want. Connect With Kyle Cooper Kyle can be found in the MTG Pro Tutor Facebook group. Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com  

Brian Braun-Duin is the 2016 World Champion, has 1 Pro Tour top 16 and 11 Grand Prix Top 8s, with 2 Grand Prix wins. He also writes articles at TCGplayer.com. Brian lives in Roanoke, Virginia. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Brian Braun-Duin when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep277 2016 World Champion Recap Brian shifted to playing the best deck for an event instead of a pet deck. How to Determine the Best Deck Look at results from tournaments and Magic online events as a starter. Sportsmanship Treat your opponent with respect and handle yourself with class. Advice Relationships and people are more important than Magic. Take time to think about what others might think about you and the situation. Lose With Class Look at the big picture. If you consider the one game of Magic to be the end-all be-all then it will be hard to swallow. By having a big picture perspective, you'll realize it's not the only match that matters. Graceful Winner Feel free to celebrate but be mindful you don't "rub it in". Biggest Mistake Players Make Tunnel Vision. Some players have a plan and execute that plan no matter what often to their detriment. Parting Guidance Have fun! Magic Resource Being Right Instead of Being Correct; On Kindness Connect With Brian Braun-Duin Twitter:@BraunDuinIt ‏ Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com     Sponsors

  Derek Candelario is a Logistics Coordinator working on site at Google. He currently lives in San Jose, CA and has been playing Magic off and on for the last 20 years with the goal of getting onto the Pro Tour. He has 1 Grand Prix Top 8 from GP Portland 2017. Derek is from San Ramon, CA. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Derek Candelrio when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep264 First Set Stronghold Favorite Set Shards of Alara Favorite Card Visara the Dreadful Early Challenge Regionals was Derek's first long tournament and his first big challenge. Worst Magic Moment Derek has faced frustration and set backs all along the way. He's learned to manage his expectations-both high and low. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 at GP Portland 2017. What Have You Learned From Magic How to get the most value from situations; resourcefulness; decision-making. Advice for New Players Preparation is key. Use Magic Online to practice and get reps in. Daily Habits Having a good routine helps you build in the time to get good at something. Biggest Mistake Players Make Card Evaluation in Limited stumps many player. Parting Guidance Magic has been Derek's #1 hobby... the trick is being confident and proud of what you do. Magic Resource CFB, Twitch(Gaby, Kenji), talking with other players Connect With Derek Candelario Twitter:@Derek8701 ‏ Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Jacob Nagro is a Silver level pro with 2 Grand Prix Top 8s (Denver 2016, Phoenix 2017). His goal is to play on every Pro Tour and to improve along the way. Jacob lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Jacob Nagro when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep260 Biggest Mistake Players Make Players don't think about how they tap their lands. Also, when you play your lands is important. Tournament Preparation Jacob familiarizes himself with formats by playing them on MTGO a lot. Ixalan Draft Tips BW Vampires has great commons to support it.  What Have You Learned From Magic Slowing down when it's time to make a decision. Parting Guidance Magic Online is a great tool for improving. Use it and you'll get out of it what you put in. Connect With Jacob Nagro Twitter:@JacobNagro  Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Jarvis Yu is back. He was my first guest on the show, and I am excited to have him back. In this two-part series, I sit down with Jarvis for an in-depth conversation. Part 1 is Jarvis’ year in review. Jarvis opens up about his accomplishments, goals, and insights for the coming year. He is also brutally honest about where he needs to improve in order to reach the next level. As Jarvis plays on the Pro Tour and is a regular on Team Massdrop East, you may find his observations helpful to your own player development. Part 2 (THIS EPISODE) is a Legacy Lands mini-primer straight from the master himself. As one of the most accomplished Lands players on the planet—two Grand Prix Top 8 finishes, including 1 win, and a Top 16 finish—Jarvis is uniquely qualified to speak on this subject. We cover deck basics, matchups, card choices, and more. Definitely give this episode a listen if you want to unlock the intricacies of the deck. For maximum Jarvis, make sure you listen to both parts. I hope that you enjoy listening to this double-header series as much as I enjoyed recording it. Subscribe to “Humans of Magic” on iTunes today. And if you like what you hear, leave a review on iTunes to support the cause. And tell a friend, too :) Read full text transcripts of “Humans” audio interviews here: www.humansofmagic.com

Martin Juza is a “Magic: The Gathering” Hall of Famer, Platinum Pro, and self-proclaimed “Professional Tourist.” His list of achievements is nothing short of astounding: 3 Pro Tour Top 8s, 26 Grand Prix Top 8s (including 4 wins), and over 500 lifetime Pro Points. Martin is also widely considered to be one of the best Limited players of all time. What do we talk about? • Martin’s childhood in the Czech Republic • Martin’s first Magic experiences and how he leveled up as a player • How Martin overcame the odds to turn “pro” and travel the world • Martin’s favorite places to visit — including an active volcano! • Martin’s thoughts on the current state of Limited Subscribe to “Humans of Magic” on iTunes today. And if you like what you hear, leave a review on iTunes to support the cause. And tell a friend, too :) Read full text transcripts of “Humans” audio interviews here: www.humansofmagic.com

Jarvis Yu is back. He was my first guest on the show, and I am excited to have him back. In this two-part series, I sit down with Jarvis for an in-depth conversation. Part 1 (THIS EPISODE) is Jarvis’ year in review. Jarvis opens up about his accomplishments, goals, and insights for the coming year. He is also brutally honest about where he needs to improve in order to reach the next level. As Jarvis plays on the Pro Tour and is a regular on Team Massdrop East, you may find his observations helpful to your own player development. Part 2 is a Legacy Lands mini-primer straight from the master himself. As one of the most accomplished Lands players on the planet—two Grand Prix Top 8 finishes, including 1 win, and a Top 16 finish—Jarvis is uniquely qualified to speak on this subject. We cover deck basics, matchups, card choices, and more. Definitely give this episode a listen if you want to unlock the intricacies of the deck. For maximum Jarvis, make sure you listen to both parts. I hope that you enjoy listening to this double-header series as much as I enjoyed recording it. Subscribe to “Humans of Magic” on iTunes today. And if you like what you hear, leave a review on iTunes to support the cause. And tell a friend, too :) Read full text transcripts of “Humans” audio interviews here: www.humansofmagic.com

Christoffer Larsen is from Denmark and has 4 Grand Prix Top 8’s and has competed in at least 10 Pro Tours. He was on the Danish World Magic Cup team in 2015. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Christoffer Larsen when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep254 First Set Apocalypse Favorite Set Ravnica: City of Guilds – Selesnya Favorite Card Sulfuric Vortex What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Travel a lot. Likes going to Grand Prixs with friends. Early Challenge Damage on the stack. Worst Magic Moment SCG team event. Had a really bad UR deck. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 of World Magic Cup with the team (back-to-back 2HG wins.) Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Christoffer hates losing. Take some time to move past it. Don’t whine. Biggest Mistake Players Make Know your opponent’s deck. So many players don't think of their opponent. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Watch videos! CFB SCG Playtest Ask other for input and adjust What's in Your Tournament Bag Decks, clothes, code names Improvement Suggestions Talk to tournament players, ask for help, borrow decks. Be kind and helpful to new players. Work out, get byes (they allow you to sleep in), eat breakfast. Magic Resource MTG Pulse Don’t take it too seriously and have fun. Connect With Christoffer Larsen Christoffer can be found in the MTG Pro Tutor Facebook group. Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com [smart_track_player url="http://traffic.libsyn.com/mtgprotutor/Magic_The_Story_-_Shadows_of_the_Innistrad_-_Final_Mix.mp3" title="Under The Silver Moon" artist="Shaun Penrod" image="http://www.mtgprotutor.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Untitled-1.2.jpg" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_email="true" ] Sponsors

Niels Molle is the UK World Magic Cup team Captain and returns to the show with 2 Grand Prix Top 8 finishes and a Gold level Pro. Originally from the Netherlands but coming to us from England. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Neils Molle when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep248 Catching Up Niels has spent the year playing more Magic Online and a lot more Grand Prix. Biggest Lesson Over The Year Niels' Limited game has improved a bunch this past season. English Nationals Niels played a Mardu vehicles lost. As the English team captain, he's with the other members to prepare for the World Magic Cup. Standard There are several tips 1 deck with Temur energy being the top. Biggest Mistake Players Make In reflection, Niels realizes that his technical gameplay needs work. (Money players struggle with this.) His solution is to slow down and consider the lines more. Parting Guidance Players are sometimes hesitant to take the next step. There's no substitute for just going. Connect With Neils Molle Neils can be found in the MTG Pro Tutor Facebook group. Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Javier Dominguez returns to MTG Pro Tutor after two years of focused improvement. He's a Spanish Magic player with 6 Grand Prix Top 8s, including 2 Wins, 4 Pro Tour Top 16s, and just recently placed 2nd in the 2017 Magic Worlds Championship. Javier lives in Palau de Plegamans. (Check out episode 47 for his first appearance on the podcast.) Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Javier Dominguez when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep246 What have you been up to Javier leveled up by playing more and really focusing on improving. Last time he was on he was a Silver Pro and now his Platinum focusing on improving has paid off. 2017 World Championship In testing, Javier quickly learned that forcing a tribe/archetype would not work. He focused on Limited and played a deck he knew for Constructed. What Have You Learned From Magic Consider that others are thinking too. All parties are doing their best. Biggest Mistake Players Make Not listening to others. It's easy to assume you know the matchup but you'll be surprised when you play the other side. Parting Guidance Know your Constructed deck inside and out. Magic Resource Magic Online, CFB, Record your drafts Connect With Javier Dominguez Twitter:@Thalaiet ‏ Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Leon Van der Linden played for the Dutch World Magic Cup Team in 2016 and has 1 Grand Prix Top 8 where he was a finalist at GP Turin 2017. Leon lives in the Netherlands. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Leon Van der Linden when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep243 First Set Return to Ravnica Favorite Set Hour of Devastation Favorite Card Gideon, Ally of Zendikar Early Challenge Getting a single win at an FNM. Leon started looking online and talking to people who are better than him. Being a student of Magic has served him well. Worst Magic Moment Leon made a lot of top 8's in the PPTQs system but never closed the tournament. Even if you're losing you're still learning. Now, Leon is bronze and doesn't have to so PPTQs anymore. Proudest Magic Moment Qualifying for the World Magic Cup in 2016. What Have You Learned From Magic Always be polite. Wish your opponent good luck. Magic Milestones Going to his first Grand Prix and making day 2. Making day 2 again, showed Leon he can do this. Biggest Mistake Players Make Not taking side boarding seriously. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Leon chooses to play Mardu vehicles because he had experience with the deck.                                                  Parting Guidance Be passionate about Magic. Connect With Leon Van der Linden Leon can be found in the MTG Pro Tutor Facebook group. Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Christian Hauck has 3 Grand Prix Top 8`s, the most recent being the Standard GP Turin 2017. Christian lives in Mutterstadt Germany. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Christian Hauck when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep240 First Set German Limited Edition Favorite Set Alpha/Beta Favorite Card Knight of the Reliquary Early Challenge Christian played really well and made day 2 at his first GP. But even though he played well and got a good result it wasn't enough. This early challenge was also his lowest point. He learned to embrace variance. Proudest Magic Moment Making top 8 at a National tournament for the first time. What Have You Learned From Magic Make the best of any situation you're freed with. Biggest Mistake Players Make Players keep too many hands. You need to be more willing to toss an OK seven-card hand for the chance of a great six-carder. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Christian reviewed the decks that did well in the most recent event and then studied the metagame. Parting Guidance Keep trying. Never give up even when you lose. Magic Resource MTG Goldfish, CFB Connect With Christian Hauck Christian can be found in the MTG Pro Tutor Facebook group. Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Mani Davoudi has 2 Grand Prix Top 8s (Houston 2013 and the Modern Champion at GP Las Vegas 2017). Mani lives in Vancouver, Canada. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Mani Davoudi when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep229 First Set Lorwyn Favorite Set Scars of Mirrodin Block Favorite Card Birthing Pod Early Challenge When Mani moved to Victoria for the university he had no friends and it was harder to play Magic. He turned to Magic Online. Magic Milestones First PTQ top 8, Mani played all the MTGO PTQs that he could. He remembers doing well but losing in the finals. Worst Magic Moment Mani was playing at a local event and he was undefeated going into the last round. In the last round, he got a deck check and as he waited he wandered around the store. The judge thought he was trying to get information and disqualified him! Proudest Magic Moment Grand Prix Champion Las Vegas 2017. Biggest Growth Becoming more social and enjoying people. Biggest Mistake Players Make Players get a situation stuck in their mind and don't refresh the data as often as they should. Parting Guidance Don't lose sight of the big picture by putting so much pressure on yourself. Connect With Mani Davoudi Twitter:@Zapgaze ‏ Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Ben Coursey is a Level 2 Judge who has 1 Grand Prix Top 8 and 3 Pro Tour Qualifier Top 8's. Ben lives in New Hampshire. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Ben Coursey when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep227 First Set Revised Favorite Set Lorwyn Favorite Card Thoughtseize Early Challenge When Ben first discovered PTQs it was quite a jump from a casual player that he was a little put-off. Competitive Magic was really rough. Ben learned how to navigate it. Magic Milestones States 2007, Ben tested and came up with winning decks that got him to the top. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 at Grand Prix Las Vegas 2017 (Modern).  What Have You Learned From Magic The ability to plan ahead. Best Format Modern Advice for Beginners Modern Players Learn the archetypes. Shortcomings Rules knowledge. Biggest Mistake Players Make Players don't pay attention. Call a judge and ask for the Oracle text on foreign cards. Parting Guidance Play as much as you can. Magic Resource SCG, CFB Connect With Ben Coursey Twitter:@Ben_Cenobi  ‏ Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

KYT welcomes the newly crowned champion of Grand Prix Toronto, Robert Anderson, along with dethroned champ and co-host, Robert Lombardi, returning Grand Prix Top 8 competitor Doug Potter, and co-hosts extraordinaire Bryan Gottlieb and Vince D'Agostino to tell stories from the Grand Prix and discuss the new Limited format. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/firststrike/support

Hunter Cochran is a 25-year-old graduate student of physics at Stony Brook University. He’s originally from Arkansas and Texas and has made the top 8 of three GPs, winning one. Hunter lives in Long Island, New York. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Hunter Cochran when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep214 First Set Onslaught Favorite Set MIrrodin, Darksteel Favorite Card Perilous Vault Tireless tracker Early Challenge Not having the access to cards and the money to buy to very competitive decks. Difficult to play ranges of decks and be able to think from other perspectives and learn new types of decks and strategies. Breakthrough Moment During the PPTQ in the Spring of 2015 when he decided to spend some money and attend the events.  Worst Magic Moment A very embarrassing and lowest moment that got him banned from playing Magic in a local venue in college. Playing against a good player that got him rolled by his opponent's super deck. Got angry, throw his fist to the table, punch the table and sat on the table for the rest of the day.  Proudest Magic Moment His first PPTQ win in just 3 months of playing. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Learned controlling emotions when results are unfavorable to you. Biggest Mistake Players Make Not having a very clear vision for the game, not knowing your role and how your deck is built and the difficulties to pinpoint why you lose the game. For Constructed - thinking about things before the tournament. For Limited- thinking about things before your round. Tips to Curve Frustration Try to be pretty animated and vocal with opponents. Try to make interaction and experience be personal. The more you see your opponent as a person, the easier to beat frustration. Parting Guidance Magic is a community game so build relationships, talk to people who might help you to open and close doors and get so much perspective on Magic. Magic Resource SCG, CFB Connect With Hunter Cochran Hunter can be found in the MTG Pro Tutor Facebook group. Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com     Sponsors

Javier Luna is a veteran player who has played in several Pro Tours and Worlds. He runs a website at magiclair.com.ar that provides free articles in Spanish. The site covers all the formats and focuses on growing the Latin American Magic community. He has 1 Grand Prix Top 8 and 1 Super Sunday Series Final Top 8. Javier lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Javier Luna when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep210 First Set Mirage Favorite Set Legends / Urza's Saga Favorite Card Mana Drain Early Challenge Drafting has always been a challenge for Javier. He focuses on this by drafting online. Screenshots are a lifesaver. Worst Magic Moment At a GP in Santiago, Javier went 9-0 in day1 but went 0-5-1 on day 2. He felt so bad and struggled mentally, but came to realize that everyone has good and bad days. Proudest Magic Moment First Grand Prix top 8 / Seeing countrymen do great. Shortcomings Javier is working on his draft skills and is focusing on controlling his emotional responses to losing. Best Format Legacy Daily Habits Reading everything he can. Javier keeps tabs through CFB and SC. He also plays every day even if it's just one or two matches. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Javier learned about leadership and friendship. Biggest Mistake Players Make Players complain about luck all the time when they have no control over it. Improve yourself and understand that luck is part of the game. Preparation for  Tournaments Javier followed the metagame closely and chose a Blue / Red deck. However, one week before the Grand Prix, he started losing a lot. So Javier talked with the best player in the country and switched to a Mardu deck. Parting Guidance Enjoy the game. Magic is great. Play with friends and meet new people. Travel all you can. Magic Resource magiclair.com.ar, CFB, SCG Connect With Javier Luna Twitter:@MagicLair Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Charly Traarbach is 30 years old and just made his first Grand Prix Top 8 in Utrecht 2017. He will be playing in Pro Tour Kyoto (2017) as his very first Pro Tour appearance! Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Charly Traarbach when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep207 First Set Revised Favorite Set Innistrad Favorite Card [draft]Emrakul, The Aeons Torn[/draft] Early Challenge Charly was terrible at losing. He's very competitive and processed losses poorly. Worst Magic Moment In the GP Top 8 in Utrecht, Charly had forgotten to take out his side board from round 15! He got a game loss and ended up losing the match. Lesson:  Always check your side board.  Proudest Magic Moment Making top 8 at Grand Prix Utrecht. What Have You Learned From Magic A better understanding of English language. Interpersonal skill. Making friends. Daily Rituals Workout (run,  sports). When your body is strong and active, your mind will be sharper. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself You're never too old to learn. What's in Your Tournament Bag Score pad, Playmat, Extra Sleeves, Snacks, Water Parting Guidance To become better at Magic, play a lot of Magic. Surround yourself with people who invest a lot of time in Magic. Magic Resource CFB, SCG, TCG Player Connect With Charly Traarbach Twitter:@CharlyTraarbach ‏ Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Eli Kassis is a past guest of the show and now has 3 Grand Prix Top 8’s (2 back to back top 4 or better finishes), 7 Pro Tour cashes, 13 SCG’s Open Top 8’s, and 17 Old school PTQ Wins. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Eli Kassis when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep206 Team Events Team events are catching on. In a team event, Eli made top 4 with his team. GP Secrets X-2 still get invited to the Pro Tour, so don't draw. Evaluating The Metagame Eli and his team looked at the popular Modern decks and determined, there wouldn't be a lot of control. Eli picked his deck because he knew it inside and out and it had a good match up against the rest of the field. Future of Pro Magic Eli sees the Pro circuit growing. Biggest Mistake Players Make When stress and pressure are on players, abandon the decisions that got them there and hope luck gets them there. Parting Guidance You are an ambassador to the game. Be proud of it and treat others with respect so when anyone says "I play Magic" it means something. References Team NFGBot.com Connect With Eli Kassis Twitter:@lifer2121 ‏ Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com     Sponsors

Matthew Pope started playing Magic during Scars of Mirrodin and his first Launch Party was Magic 2012. Innistrad was the first pre-release he attended (and ran) at his local game. He was taught by a friend in college (the last 2 years of high school) and has come a long way with 1 Grand Prix Top 8 which was a 2nd place finish at Grand Prix Barcelona 2017. Matthew lives in the United Kingdom. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Matthew Pope when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep202 First Set Scars of Mirrodin Favorite Set Innistrad Favorite Card Geist of Saint Traft Early Challenge Mulligan decisions. Matt noticed that even as he got better at mulligan decisions, he would revert back in high stakes games. Worst Magic Moment Matt attended a PPTQ and went 4-0-1. He wins the quarter finals and plays the best player in the room in the semi-finals. In game 3, Matt chokes and he missed the RPTQ invite. It was so close and the burn was real. Matt didn't attack based on a bluff from his opponent. Matt learned to play around what he should and ignore what he can't play around. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 at Grand Prix Barcelona 2017. Biggest Mistake Players Make Playing around cards when it doesn't matter/wont make a difference. Also, deck selection without enough time to get good at it. Parting Guidance Don't let circumstance affect your fundamentals. Mulligan decisions are huge, so practice, practice, practice and don't forget what you've learned. Connect With Matthew Pope Twitter:@immagicmatt Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com     Sponsors

Kasper Nielsen is a new face on the Pro Tour as he just made his first Grand Prix Top 8 at Utrecht 2017. Kasper lives in Copenhagen, Denmark. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Kasper Nielson when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep194 First Set Tempest Favorite Set Theros (least favorite) lol Favorite Card Snapcaster mage Early Challenge Qualifying for the Pro Tour. Kasper would make it to the finals/qualifying rounds and lose. He finally broke through at GP Utrecht. Worst Magic Moment Kasper got a win he didn't deserve because he didn't understand the cards and the judge he asked were confused. Proudest Magic Moment Making top 8 at GP Utrecht 2017. Kasper was so excited to finally making it to the Pro Tour. Biggest Mistake Players Make Underestimating yourself and your chances, especially against a "known" player. This happens with local "and losses".  A little degree of hubris is good in a player. Say "I'm going to beat this player" or at least "I can beat this player." How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event At the previous GP, Kasper studied the best decks and talked to others about which deck beat which others and why. He chose a deck and started practicing. He took a deck to a friend's house and played the mirror for 5 hours so he could deeply understand the deck. He attended local events to stay sharp nad then when Utrecht came he studied the meta again, chose a deck and practiced - a lot. Parting Guidance Remember to have fun! Magic Resource Twitch.TV, CFB Connect With Kasper Nielsen Twitter:@ks_nielsen Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com     Sponsors

Aleksa Telarov is a 7 time National Champion and has appeared in 10 Worlds & World Magic Cup events. At the World Magic Cup he’s made top8, top16, and top32. He took 3rd at the 2015 MOCS and has 3 Grand Prix Top 8 including a win at Grand Prix Madrid 2015. Aleksa lives in Serbia. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Aleksa Telarov when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep192 First Set Guildpact Favorite Set Ravnica block Favorite Card Tireless Tracker Early Challenge Aleksa would play all the tournaments he could. No matter the format. He started drafting and didn't win for a year. Breakthrough Moment GP Vienna - first top 8. GP Madrid - win. Worst Magic Moment Not qualifying for the Pro Tour after GP Milan. Aleksa also had a chain of 6-3 results when to make day two he needed 7-2. Proudest Magic Moment Winning GP Madrid. Best Format Standard Biggest Mistake Players Make Players lack focus. Magic is a demanding game and people don't realize the commitment it takes to do well. Parting Guidance Focus on the important things in life and the rest will fall into place. Be a good person. Magic Resource MTGO, MTG Goldfish Connect With Aleksa Telarov Twitter:@AleksaTelarov Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Alex Bianchi is a Silver-level pro from Buffalo, New York with 1 Grand Prix Top 8 and 1 win (GP Pittsburgh 2015). He is also the team captain of Team Dave & Adam's for the 2016-2017 Pro Tour Team Series, and writes articles for ManaDeprived.com. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Alex Bianchi when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep188 First Set Mirrodin Favorite Set Ravnica City of Guilds Favorite Card Nahiri, The Harbinger What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The game is challenging and the people are great. Early Challenge Deck selection. It took a while for Alex to realize he should play the best deck. Worst Magic Moment Needed 2 points to get the silver; got it, then needed one win to made top 8. He missed it three times in a row. Proudest Magic Moment Winning GP Pittsburgh. When he made Top 8, he qualified for his Pro Tour and went with two friends. What Have You Learned From Magic Networking and traveling. Best Format Death Shadow Jund Magic Mentors Kai Burnett taught Alex how to grind. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself The social aspect of the game is more important. Biggest Mistake Players Make Focusing too much on specific formats. You need to be good at many formats. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Alex plays a lot of MTGO competitive leagues. Shortcomings As a Magic Player Getting unintentional draws. Tournament Day Tips Rest between rounds, drink water. Magic Resource Twitch.TV, MTGCoverage.com, SCG, MTG Pulse Connect With Alex Bianchi Twitter:@Gemmanite Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Jon Stern has been playing competitive Magic off an on for a long time but started to really take it seriously in 2012. He has 7 Grand Prix Top 8s including wins in Atlantic City 2013 and Atlanta 2014. He hasn’t broken through for a Pro Tour Top 8 yet but has a Top 16 and a couple Top 20 finishes. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Jon Stern when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep187 First Set Revised Favorite Set Invasion block Favorite Card Aquamoeba Standstill What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? You're rewarded based on the decisions you make. Early Challenge Knowing how to prepare for tournaments. Joining a team and preparing in a professional manner. Worst Magic Moment Forgetting to write down two cards in deck registry led to a game loss. Proudest Magic Moment Qualifying for his first Grand Prix Top 8. Winning his first Grand Prix. What Have You Learned From Magic Planning ahead, making decisions. Advice from Magic Mentors Understand there is variance. Magic is a number game. Trust yourself. Shortcomings Deck building in a new format. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself You're not going to win every time but that doesn't mean you're on the wrong track.                                                                                                                                              Biggest Mistake Players Make Having an unlearning attitude. There is a learning curve in Magic and you can move up by talking, listening, asking and learning. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Jon focuses on time management. He looks at how much time he has to prepare and chooses his activities accordingly (Main board, side board, play testing). Best Format Constructed Beginner Standard Advice Realize that a lot of people are going to play one of the top 2 decks, card for card. This is exploitable. Parting Guidance Test with a purpose. Don't kill yourself over deck selection. Magic Resource MTG Goldfish, MTG Top 8, Magic Online League results Connect With Jon Stern Twitter:@JonSternMTL Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Gerry Thompson is a master deck builder, deck-tuner, and Pro Tour mainstay. He dominated the SCG Tour and even worked at Wizards of the Coast for a bit. He has 11 Grand Prix Top 8s with 2 wins and 1 Pro Tour Top 8. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Gerry Thompson when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep181 First Set Mercadian Masques Favorite Set Ravnica City of Guilds Favorite Card Nether Spirit What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Gameplay is super fun. Gerry loves to solve a puzzle. Early Challenge Card advantage was a concept that Gerry didn't grasp at first but made a huge difference once he learned. Breakthrough Moment First Grand Prix top 8 Worst Magic Moment At a Magic Worlds tournament, Gerry had a bad deck and was doing his best. He conceded a game that he didn't have to because he was unfamiliar with his deck. Proudest Magic Moment Winning two opens in one weekend and making Magic: The Gathering History. What Have You Learned From Magic Social interactions, decision-making skills,  and a word everything. Best Format Modern Magic Mentors Neil Reeves Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Magic help Gerry mature. He learned that how he treats people matters. Biggest Mistake Players Make Side boarding and not understanding your role. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Ask critical questions in every match up. Shortcomings Gerry is working on getting better Pro Tour results. Winning Strategy in Modern Death Shadow Tournament Day Tips Get 8 hours of sleep. exercise in the morning, stay hydrated Parting Guidance If you've ever Connect With Gerry Thompson Twitter:@G3RRYT Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Simon Slutsky has 1 Grand Prix Top 8 and 1 Grand Prix win. He made day 2 at Pro Tour Sydney and is a 5 time PPTQ second place finisher. He’s a Merfolk enthusiast who goes a little deep on Modern and a Nuclear physics researcher when he’s not playing Magic. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Simon Slutsky when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep179 First Set Revised Favorite Set Eldritch Moon Favorite Card Phantasmal Image Early Challenge Simon struggled with guessing what his opponent level and trying to play around things Breakthrough Moment GP Los Angeles 2016 Worst Magic Moment After practicing with his Merfolk deck, Simon attended a GP and got a terrible pairing in round 1. He got destroyed but learned to take every game one at a time. Proudest Magic Moment Winning a Grand Prix. What Have You Learned From Magic Simon has noticed that life has taught him how to handle Magic and Magic has taught him to keep an ever keel. Best Format Modern Biggest Mistake Players Make People tend to over think things too much. There's a line between theory crafting and wasting time. Tournament Day Tips Drink water, bring healthy snacks, go with friends Parting Guidance Have fun. Magic shouldn't be a grind. Magic Resource Twitter, Reddit, CFB, MTG Goldfish, Modern Nexus.com Connect With Simon Slutsky Twitter:@somesalmon Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Marcio Carvalho has an impressive record of 13 Grand Prix Top 8s including 3 wins, 3 Pro Tour Top 8s, and was a finalist at the 2016 Worlds tournament. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Marcio Carvalho when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep177 First Set Stronghold Favorite Set Ravnica Favorite Card Wasteland Early Challenge Choosing a deck. Breakthrough Moment First time competing at Worlds in 2005. Worst Magic Moment Getting banned for 6 months for looking at others cards in a draft. Marcio learned to not try to be the coolest kid in the room. Proudest Magic Moment Making Platinum and being a finalist Worlds Moment in 2016. What Have You Learned From Magic Slow down and understand it's okay to be wrong. Best Format Limited Advice From Pro Magic is a game of variance. Prepare it. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Marcio learned he can work hard when he wants to. Biggest Mistake Players Make Forcing a pick order in a draft. Drafts are fluid and you shouldn't put blenders. Shortcomings Constructed Daily Habits Not getting burned out by playing too much. Tournament Day Tips Eat well and drink water. Parting Guidance Don't force things. Play what you know. Magic Resource CFB, SCG Connect With Marcio Carvalho Twitter:@KbolMagic Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Adam Ragsdale is a former MTGO grinder and content producer turned current occasional traveler. He has 2 Grand Prix Top 8s, both in the last calendar year. Adam lives in Toronto. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Adam Ragsdale when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep173 First Set Torment Favorite Set Mirrodin Favorite Card Arc-slogger What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Adam loves solving the puzzle using all the pieces of Magic. Early Challenge Time management. Playing too fast and too slow at different times. Breakthrough Moment First PPTQ win in 2006. Know the meta. Check the 5-0 lists from Magic Online and ask questions. Worst Magic Moment ProTour-Charleston circa 2006. Lost 4 times, got a bye and dropped. You can't let one tournament make you feel like you're not good enough. Proudest Magic Moment GP Pittsburgh top 8. If there is a "best" thing to be doing, do that thing. Play that deck. Best Format Standard Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Adam tends to operate on instinct so he needs to prepare a lot. Biggest Mistake Players Make Not playing the best deck. Not understanding the match up on a conceptual level. What Have You Learned from Magic Everything has a range of outcomes. Prepare as best as you can to guide to the most positive outcome. Tournament Day Tips Get a good amount of sleep and eat well. Book flights to get arrive at a decent time. Improvement Suggestions When you're playing in a tournament, focus on your decisions and what you can control. Connect With Adam Ragsdale Twitter:@aWinnarIsYou Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Cody Napier started playing magic in 2009 and has 1 Grand Prix Top 8 (Louisville) and 1 SCG open top 8 in his record. He’s attending his first Pro Tour later this year which is only 45 minutes away from his house. He loves cube and Legacy but mostly plays Standard. Cody lives in Tennessee. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Cody Napier when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep170 First Set Rise of the Eldrazi Favorite Set Shards of Alara Favorite Card Elvish Visionary Early Challenge  Thinking too far ahead. Cody would think about the end of the tournament instead of the current match. Worst Magic Moment Cody was playing against Brian Braun-Duin for a top 8 slot. He didn't kill a key creature and then had to discard his removal spell. Proudest Magic Moment Playing for top 8 at Grand Prix Louisville, Cody had the foresight to play around a Vendilion Clique. This drew him into Griselbrand for the win. Best Format Legacy Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Cody has learned he doesn't do things halfway. Biggest Mistake Players Make Players look at Magic more as a job than a game. If you take the game so seriously then losses lot harder and you're more likely to tilt. Magic Mentors Brian Braun - Duin, Gerry Thompson, Todd Anderson Beginner Legacy Advice Watch Legacy coverage and learn card interactions. Learn how to cast brainstorm. AJ Sacher articles really help. Improvement Suggestions Focus on having fun, not winning. Magic Resource CFB, SCG, TCG Player, MTG Top 8, MTG Goldfish Connect With Cody Napier Twitter:@cody_napier Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Ben Weitz is a Gold Pro Magic Player and one of the resident deck builders for East West Bowl. He has 4 Grand Prix Top 8s and is working on improving his game to get his first Pro Tour Top 8. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Ben Weitz when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep162 First Set Ice Age Favorite Set Time Spiral Favorite Card Vesuvan Shapeshifter Early Challenge Sideboarding. Ben would have sideboard powooos with friends and learn how the built sideboard. Worst Magic Moment Ben terribly at a Grand Prix with a deck that he created. His friend (piloting the same deck) did very well. The dichotomy really stung. Proudest Magic Moment Hitting Gold after his second year on the Pro Tour. Level Up Moment Ben built a deck that Top 8'd in a Grand Prix and he realized "Wow, I'm a good deck builder". Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Competitive environments is Ben's preferred way to socialize. Biggest Mistake Players Make Not sequencing your spells correctly. How to Build Better Magic Decks Note whether you are building for a known metagame or an unknown metagame. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the metagame and either take a deck that has a way to address what's going on or build a deck that does the same. Improvement Suggestions Magic is about having fun. If you burnout, take a break or skip a Grand Prix. Connect With Ben Weitz Twitter:@bsweitz123 Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Eric Severson is a Gold Level Pro and a member of Team East West Bowl who has 4 Grand Prix Top 8s to his name. Eric lives in Davis California. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Eric Severson when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep159 First Set Invasion Favorite Set M13 Favorite Card Birthing pod What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Competition is key to having fun for Eric. The ability to progress is very appealing. Early Challenge Sideboarding was tough at the beginning. By finding a deck, he would master helped him focus on improving his sideboarding skills. Level Up Moment Playing the same deck and going to competitive events regularly really added to Eric's skill. Worst Magic Moment Pro Tour Battle for Zendikar (3rd Pro Tour), after a great day one and having a 10-1 record, Eric loses 4 games in a row and then draws and misses top 8 and a Pro Tour invite. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8'ing a Grand Prix to make silver and get the Pro Tour invite after losing it 6 times. Top 4 of a team Grand Prix was also a highlight. Eric made a sweet reanimator play on camera. Biggest Mistake Players Make Players drop from tournaments. WHY? If you paid and traveled, then play all the rounds. Thinking through this turn and the next yields big advantages. Best Format Limited Effective Limited Preparation Grind booster drafts and sealed events on MTGO. Play pre-release. Have a draft camp weekend. Improvement Suggestions Have fun playing the games. Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com     Sponsors

Sergiy Sushalskyy started playing Magic in 1999 with the Urza block. He’s been regularly competing in Grand Prixs since 2012 and has 3 Grand Prix Top 8s, 2 Ukraine National Champion's titles and a recent Magic World Cup Top 8 with team Ukraine. Segiy is from Kiev, Ukraine but lives in Edinborough, Scotland. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Sergiy Sushalskyy when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep158 First Set Portal 2nd Age Favorite Set Zendikar Favorite Card Counterspell What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? After a year or two, Magic went from a hobby to a competitive objective. He loves the competitive aspect. Early Challenge Deck building is the most difficult aspect of Magic. That and dealing with uncertainty. When playing against an unknown, be more cautious. Level Up Moment After Sergiy's first Grand Prix Top 8, he top 8'd another about one month later. He prepared by playing Limited and reading articles. Worst Magic Moment Grand Prix Barcelona 2016 - Sergiy was playing to get 59 match points. It was the lost GP of the season and if he won his lost match, he would make Silver-level Pro for the season. Sergiy lost and took a break after come back (as always). Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 with team Ukraine in 2016 World Magic Cup. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Sergiy is easily discouraged and gets frustrated. But he learned that everything is possible. Biggest Mistake Players Make Losing focus part way through the day of a big tournament. The noise of GP's can be very distracted. Get outside and clear your mind. Get fresh air. Beginner Limited Advice Time yourself making decks with a sealed pool. Improvement Suggestions What is Magic for you? Is it a casual hobby or are you looking to be competitive? Once you know, dedicate the appropriate time to achieve your goals. Magic Resource ChannelFireBall, SCG Connect With Sergiy Sushalskyy Sergiy can be found in the MTG Pro Tutor Facebook group Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Zachary Kiihne is a 19 year old Computer Science major at Umass Amherst. Grand Prix Providence 2016 was his first Grand Prix Top 8. Previously he had top 64ed two GPs and top 8ed the last RPTQ. This is his first time breaking through to the Pro Tour. Zachary lives in Amherst MA. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Zachary Kiihne when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep152 First Set Eventide Favorite Set Khans of Tarkir Favorite Card Archangel Avacyn, Pyromancer Ascension What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The challenge of stay focused and then the reward of winning. Early Challenge Side boarding and multi-gaming in constructed. Level Up Moment It was summer before college when Zach became top 8’d in a limited PPTQ. In the semi-finals, he lost due to getting warnings. He learned that cold streaks end. Worst Magic Moment Shuffled in a card to his deck and lost because of game rule violations. Zach learned to slow down and clean up his play. Proudest Magic Moment Grand Prix Providence, 5TH  place Underplayed Card in Standard Westvale Abbey in W/U Flash Mentors Noah Walker Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Zach has learned that he likes to focus and he likes to compete. Biggest Mistake Players Make People don’t break down why they lose. Think about what you could have done differently whether or not your opponent got lucky. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Zach made the decision to play whatever deck went 9-1 at the Pro Tour. What's in Your Tournament Bag Deck box, Paper, Pencil, Water Improvement Suggestions Look back and evaluate each match and each game. Magic Resource CFB, SCG, SCG Premium Connect With Zachary Kiihne Twitter:@ZKiihne Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com    � Sponsors

Ian Bozley is a local hero from Glen Burnie, Maryland who has 2 Grand Prix Top 8s (one in 2015 in Charlotte and the second in 2016 in Providence). He’s the (unofficial) team leader of Team MTGFirst.com, a member of Brown Magic, an alleged "friend" of Jeff Carr, and the owner of the coolest playmat in Magic! Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Ian Bozley when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep145 First Set Mirrodin Besieged Favorite Set Innistrad / Theros Favorite Card Kitchen Finks What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The people make Magic what it is. Going on trips with friends is the best. Early Challenge Planning the first three turns of the game. "Mana efficiency is the most important part of Magic." Level Up Moment Going through a tournament Ian felt like he was seeing lanes that he hadn't seen before.  Worst Magic Moment 2014 - GP Charlotte - Gatecrash Sealed  Played very poorly in round 8 & 9 and lost. Ian won Round 10 to stay on day 2 and then lost every round after that. Ian had to evaluate what he really wanted from Magic.  Proudest Magic Moment GP Charlotte - 2015 - Modern; Playing Abzan Company. Ian made it to the Pro Tour for the first time.  Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself "I was incredibly sore loser." Ian has gotten much better as he understood Magic has winners and losers every game and his number comes up sometimes.  Biggest Mistake Players Make Poor sequencing is a problem for many players. Also, going into auto pilot.  How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Understand your range in Magic. Don't play decks that don't resonate with you. Practice consistently. Try different decks. Build on past experiences.  Mentors Owen Turtenwald, Reid Duke, Andrew Tenjum Guidance Players think they are above a deck. This limits your range and growth potential.  Magic Resource MTGFirst.com Connect With Ian Bozley Twitter: @Bozzles Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Ryan Solave is from Sarnia, Ontario and has been playing Magic since Alara block. He plays a lot of online games, but sets aside most of his time for Magic. He had his first Grand Prix Top 8 in Indianapolis and is qualified for PT Kaladesh in Hawaii. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Ryan Solave when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep134 First Set Alara Favorite Set khans of Tarkir Favorite Card Bloodbraid Elf What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Player base is great. People are competitive but still nice. Early Challenge The Stack. Ryan was not good at it early on. Level Up Moment After Khans came out Ryan hit events hard. By consistently playing at a high level Ryan got experience. Pro's You Look Up To Owen Turtenwald Worst Magic Moment At GP Toronto Ryan made a huge misplay. He assigned 1 damage to tokens when his opponent had a Gideon Emblem. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 at GP Indianapolis Best Format Steppe Lynx Conversation w/ Yourself 5 Years Ago "How are you going to win this game." Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Learning different formats has helped Ryan read his opponents better. Biggest Mistake Players Make Over side boarding How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Choose a deck and play against the gauntlet starting a month. What's in Your Tournament Bag Deck Box, Pad, Deck Daily Habits Use same water bottle, make list Modern Advice Learn the stack. Know when you can respond and what you should respond to. Learn the removal of the format. Advice To New Players Play whatever is most fun for you. Just have fun. Improvement Suggestion Focus on your own mistakes. Magic Resource CFB SCG Connect With Ryab Solave Twitter: @RyanSolave Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Oliver Polak-Rottmann has 4 Grand Prix Top 8 including 1 Win, 1 Pro Tour Top 16, and is a 2-time National champion (2008, 2016). Oliver lives in Vienna, Austria. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Oliver Polak-Rottmann when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep130 First Set 4th Edition Favorite Set Coldsnap (Draft) / Champions of Kamigawa Favorite Card Island Mana Drain Master of Waves Underplayed Standard Card Woodland Bellower Gilt-Leaf Winnower What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Oliver has made great friends playing Magic. How to have fun and be competitive By understanding variance always happens it will even out the highs and lows Early Challenge Try to finish his black border dual land collection. Money was an issue. Through trading and drafting. Oli was able to get the money for the card. Level Up Moment The year Oli qualified for 3 of 7 Pro Tours is when he realized he had leveled up. Worst Magic Moment In the 2008 season, Oli skipped the Pro Tour because he only needed 1 point. He needed to make to 200 of 380 players, and he didn't make it. It felt terrible . Oli learned you have to take the game seriously but not let it consume you."If you're failing at Magic, you're not failing at life". Proudest Magic Moment Making Platinum at Pro Tour Eldritch Moon. Best Format Standard Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Oli learned about the world by traveling with Magic. Biggest Mistake Players Make Players don't Sideboard correctly and they don't seek advice as much as they should. People feel they know it better. Short comings Make Pro Tour Top 8. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Booked a house two weeks before the Pro Tour with his team to practice. Know the balance you need. Playing a lot of games (10-15) per match up helps Oli get a feel and collect data. Conversation 5 Years Ago "Pick up Power cards and dual lands." Improvement Suggestions Enjoy the game, Make friends. Magic Resource CFB  Hareruya Connect With Oliver Polak-Rottmann Twitter: @polakrottmann Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

“There’s really no reason to not be direct about what you want, or what you’re going for.” Alex Majlaton is a pretty darn good Magic player, with 26 Pro Tour appearances and 8 Grand Prix Top 8’s. He is doing solid work as the mathematical mind behind Team East-West Bowl. But more importantly, he’s humble about his status as a player and incredibly passionate about giving back to the community. Alex and I talk about his early childhood days, forays into competitive Magic, learning from experiences, and more. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to chase Pro Tour dreams, this episode is worth the listen. Time stamps: [3:15] Introduction [5:50] Growing up [9:02] Childhood hobbies [10:21] Washington, DC / Maryland / Baltimore [13:42] How Alex got into Magic [16:12] Earliest Magic decks [18:11] Alex’s two favorite cards of all time [20:37] Getting competitive — the why and how [27:04] The advantages of being a mathematician [30:20] The Pro Tour scene / First major success with Affinity [33:09] Affinity for Affinity (pun intended) [36:49] Alex’s approach to Magic improvement [39:11] No sacred cows — a learning breakthrough at the Pro Tour stage [44:35] Lessons from Pro Tours / Quantitative approach to Limited [49:46] Maintaining the fire [51:34] Questions that people ask Alex about [55:16] Contributing to the community = personal improvement [57:51] Team East-West Bowl / Breaking the format / Analyzing Limited [1:01:46] Magic-related goals [1:04:57] What needs to happen for Magic to advance as a game [1:07:03] How Alex plans to get from Silver to Gold status [1:09:23] What would Alex tell himself, if he could go back five years? [1:12:58] Shout-outs to Ben Friedman, Team East-West Bowl, the Maryland community, and Andrew Mitchell

Erik Carson spends most of his time as a musician and graphic designer but still makes room for Magic. He has 2 Star City Games Legacy Top 8s and 1 Grand Prix Top 8. He goes through spurts of streaming and is looking to make a run at the Pro Players Club starting with Grand Prix Portland 2016. Erik lives in Roseburg OR. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Erik Carson when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep126 First Set Zendikar Favorite Set Innistrad Favorite Card Capsize What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The strategy and brain exercise. Early Challenge Deck building. Mono curves weren't at the top of Erik's mind. Worst Magic Moment SCG Open in 2012. Erik made Top 8. Lost in quarter finals. Erik made a huge mistake in game 2. He misconducted the game state and lost. Slow down and think through your plays. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 at GP Los Angeles, hearing his name over the speakers felt amazing. It was very validating. Best Format Legacy Entry Level Tips For Legacy Play a deck with Force of Will. Ask to read you opponents card. If you don't understand it, counter it. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Erik chose his deck early, a few months in advance. What's in Your Tournament Bag Clothes, Deck Box + Deck, Extra Cards, Toothbrush, Trail Mix Legion Improvement Suggestions Never be afraid to make mistakes and look foolish. Don't let your dreams be dreams. Habits That Help You Improve Playing Music. Pro You Look Up To Reid Duke Connect With Erik Carson Twitter: @platypusisland Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Jonathan Melamed is a husband and father and has a PhD in Neuropsychopharmacology. He’s a long time Magic player, a Level 1 Judge, a Tournament Organizer AND store owner from Brasilia, Brazil. He has 2 Grand Prix Top 8s and 1 Pro Tour Top 16. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Jonathan Melamed when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep123 First Set Ice Age Favorite Set New Phyrexia Favorite Card Island/ Oath of Druids/ Tropical Island What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The challenge of Magic drew Jonathan in at the beginning. All these years later the game is still challenging. Early Challenge Learning when/how to attack. As a control player attacking didn't come easy to Jonathan. Playing a lot of limited helped him learn. Worst Magic Moment Feature match in a Pro Tour in 2009. Playing a UG Landfall deck. Jonathan won but a well-respected player looked at him and said "you play so awful". This hit Jonathan hard. Jonathan focused on learning everytime, even if he wins. Pay a lot of attention to the game. Proudest Magic Moment National Top 8 in 2011 (first major top 8) made Jonathan realize he could do it. Best Format Modern Learn the deck you are playing. Learn it inside and out. Learn the other decks as well. Get to know their game plan Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Be positive. No matter what. Jonathan struggles with this sometimes but knows how important it is. Biggest Mistake Players Make Not communicating well during a game. If you communicate well the entire game then mistakes come across as honest instead of cheating. Non-Magic Activity Neuroscience articles help Jonathan improve his focus.   What's in Your Tournament Bag Coat Food Water Playmat Notepad Dice Improvement Suggestions Have fun. Connect With Jonathan Melamed Twitter: @InsideMTG Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Matt Tumavitch recently graduated college with a degree in sports and recreation management. He’s a front end leader at a grocery store during weekdays and a ski instructor in the winter. He’s an aspiring Magic pro with one Grand Prix Top 8 and 2 Star City Games Open Top 8s. Matt lives just outside Scranton, PA. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Matt Tumavitch when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep#120 First Set Return to Ravnica (Matt would be in the Gruul Guild) Favorite Set Gatecrash / Khans of Tarkir Favorite Card Domri Rade Worst Magic Moment Matt's first Standard Grand Prix was tough because he started out 10-0 and then bombed. He felt like he was coming up short of his potential. If you feel the same way Matt says: "You're good enough. Don't give up." Best Format Standard Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Matt learned he can achieve his goals and succeed if he applies himself. He always tried hard in sports but was never a starter or varsity member. Through Magic Matt know he can get the results he desires. Biggest Mistake Players Make Showing too much emotions. Players let it show when they draw a bad card and it gives a lot of information away. Control your emotions. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Play 10 games of each match up. Improvement Suggestions Borrow cards and build budget decks. Always ask for advice. Non Magic Activity Sports help build drive. Being a skiing instructor taught Matt to ask for advice. Magic Resource Star City Games Channel Fireball TCG Player MTGO Decklists Seth Manfield videos and articles Connect With Matt Tumavitch Twitter: @MattTumavitch13 Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

Niels Molle is the frontrunner to be the Irish National Champion, he has made multiple cash finishes and has 1 Grand Prix Top 8. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Niels Molle when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep116 First Set Portal / Stronghold Favorite Set Urza’s Saga Favorite Card Tarmogoyf What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Fantasy setting, build your own decks. Competitive outlet. “How good can I become?” Get to see friends Play a variety of formats to keep it fun. Worst Magic Moment Lost Irish National Champion at last moment. Played a little less Magic. Played a little less Magic afterwards to cool off. Proudest Magic Moment Won first PTQ (Pro Tour RTR) Biggest Mistake Players Make In Limited: mistapping mana and not representing combat tricks. Change One Thing About Magic Mana issues. Sometimes you get ... screwed at a tournament. Sometimes you get mana screwed at a tournament. What’s the Difference between Them and Us? Experience. They play Magic with players on their same level. Stepping Up Find the best player at your LGS. Ask to play and get advice. Play Magic online. Skill level is high and you can play against the best. Pro Player You Look Up To Paul Rietzl, PVDDR, Frank Karsten Effectively Playtesting Play a lot and focus on the game Non-Magic Activity Time management skills really helps Niels. Self Improvement Niels is an emotional player, meaning he plays intuitively, he makes plays that feel right. He’s trying to slow down and think. Magic Resource Podcasts – Limited Resources Articles – SCG CFB (deck breakdowns) Videos Guidance Set a long term goal and make it your focus. Connect With Niels Molle Twitter: @nielsmolle Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Clay Spicklemire is an Indianapolis area Magic player who has been playing competitively since INN/RTR Standard and on and off since M10. He generally plays on the Star City Games circuit, and has had reasonable success there. He has 1 Grand Prix Top 8 where he was the Champion of GP Colombus. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Clay Spicklemire when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep115 First Set 10 Ed. Favorite Set Innistrad Favorite Card Electrolyze What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Deep interactions, competitive outlet. Made friends through Magic. How Do You Keep It Fun Just cause you lose doesn’t mean you’re a bad player. Early Challenge Play super fast without thinking. Slowing down Worst Magic Moment PPTQ, game 3, full board state, Displacement Wave from opponent Clay didn't read the card and scooped. His opponent needed to return creatures too. Proudest Magic Moment Win Grand Prix Columbus. Best Format Legacy - Watch a lot of coverage, start playing Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Most fun when working with others. Shortcoming Manage resources sloppily when he's ahead. This gives opponents extra draw steps. Biggest Mistake Players Make Players sideboard poorly. Talk to better players about your sideboard. Lay it out and take pictures. Talk to better players about your sideboard. Lay it out and discuss it. Playtest Play the match ups you’re unsure of and tweak your sideboard strategy. Have a friend watch you play. Get a good group Tournament Bag Dice, Playmat, Deck, and Water Magic Resource SCG CFB MTG coverage The Source MTG Salvation New to Magic Don’t buy packs. Connect With Clay Speklemire Clay is on Facebook Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Christoffer Larsen is from Denmark and has 4 Grand Prix Top 8’s and has competed in at least 10 Pro Tours. He was on the Danish World Magic Cup team in 2015. Currently locked in as a Silver level pro. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Christoffer Larsen when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep114 First Set Apocalypse Favorite Set Ravnica: City of Guilds – Selesnya Favorite Card Sulfuric Vortex What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Travel a lot. Likes going to Grand Prixs with friends. Early Challenge Damage on the stack. Worst Magic Moment SCG team event. Had a really bad UR deck. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 of World Magic Cup with team (back-to-back 2HG wins.) Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Christoffer hates losing. Take some time to move past it. Don’t whine. Biggest Mistake Players Make Know your opponent’s deck. So many players don't think of their opponent. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Watch videos! CFB SCG Playtest Ask other for input and adjust What's in Your Tournament Bag Decks, clothes, code names Improvement Suggestions Talk to tournament players, ask for help, borrow decks. Be kind and helpful to new players. Work out, get byes (they allow you to sleep in), eat breakfast. Magic Resource MTG Pulse Don’t take it too seriously and have fun. Connect With Christoffer Larson Christoffer is on Facebook Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

MichaelJ, Brian, and and Grand Prix Top 8 competitor Phil Napoli talk bad friends, being bad at Magic, and more Eldritch Moon spoilers! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/top8magic/support

Thomas Enevoldsen is one of the best Danish Magic players on the planet, with two Grand Prix Top 8s, a Magic World Cup win, and 13 Pro Tours played. Thomas talks about his childhood, a lifetime of competition, and what Magic means to him. Along the way, he also talks about a critical friendship that has kept him going strong over the years.

Pascal Maynard was on the Canadian National Team in 2010 and Top 50’d his first PT (which was Worlds Chiba 2010) by making it to 5th place in the team portion. He’s played in over 15 Pro Tours and has 10 Grand Prix Top 8s (including 2 wins!) in his record. He currently has 1 Pro Tour Top 8 and is gunning for more. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Pascal Maynard when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep109 First Set 5th Dawn Favorite Set Time Spiral (Block) Favorite Card Tooth and Nail What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The competitiveness. Early Challenge Pascal never wanted to play the best deck but he still remembers the first time he swapped decks with a body who ran an aggressive deck and the eye opening experience that was. Worst Magic Moment All of 2014. Pascal could not win that year. He considered leaving the game until he top 8'd a Grand Prix on his way to go visit a friend. If you are going through a slump, consider what you are doing wrong. Always turn the lens inward. Ask friends to watch you play. Proudest Magic Moment Making top 8 of a Pro Tour. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Pascal likes being competitive and doesn't like not learning. Magic has made Pascal a more organized person. Biggest Mistake Players Make People care too much about what's around them and how others think of them. Players who are good at ABC Magic play too fast because they don't want others to think they don't know. Great players slow down, think, and don't care what others are doing or thinking. Limited Evaluate whether you are the aggressor or on defense often. Make a note, especially when you sideboard. Improvement Suggestions Go to Wizards Coverage site and do a search for a specific deck or a specific player and you can watch all the coverage of that deck or player. It's all right there! No digging through hours of YouTube to find the right one. It's all right there. :) Magic Resource Neil Oliver articles on ChannelFireball Connect With Pascal Maynard Twitter: @PascalMaynard Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com   Sponsors

Michael Majors is a Professional Magic player who lives in Roanoke VA and works at StarCityGames. He has 3 Grand Prix Top 8’s, including a win at GP San Diego in 2015, and has 2 Pro Tour Top 16s. He’s part of the Vintage Super Series duo Merriam and Majors. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Michael Majors when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep99 First Set Mercadian Masques Favorite Set Time Spiral Favorite Card Eight-and-a-Half-Tails What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Winning is always nice but the friends he's made has kept Michael around. Early Challenge Identifying what in each game is important. Worst Magic Moment 2015 was a rough year for Michael. He missed Platinum by a few points in 2014 and this affected Michael for most of the next season. Finally, at GP San Diego, he let go of caring and got first place. This reinvigorated him and he's done great since. Proudest Magic Moment When Michael finally made Platinum Pro. Best Format Standard If you're new to Standard make one deck and stick with it to get it down, making adjustments as you go to meet your meta. Biggest Mistake Players Make Not using time wisely. While your opponent is taking their turn, you can be thinking and planning. Also, map your turn all the through. Don't just make the very next play, think of the full sequence. Card Evaluation Tips Compare new cards to older, similar cards to start determining how good they are. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Play a lot on Magic Online. Play in person twice a week for several hours each session. What's in Your Tournament Bag Deck Pen Paper Water Snacks Improvement Suggestions If you are loving an aspect of Magic then don't change that. If you want to become more competitive then build one deck and practice. Magic Resource Star City Games Connect With Michael Majors Twitter: @MichaelJMajors Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

Michael Simon is a longtime Grand Prix grinder who went 8-1 in his first Grand Prix. He then played 15 Grand Prix in a single year. Michael has two Grand Prix Top 8s - Modern (Chicago 2012) and Limited (Albuquerque 2016) - but first Qualified for the Pro Tour with a 10th place at Pittsburgh 2015. Micahel always wears an Izzet shirt. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Michael Simon when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep96 First Set Revised Favorite Set Time Spiral Favorite Card Words of Wind What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Magic is never solved. This keeps Michael coming back for more. Lowest Magic Moment There was a period of 3 years when Michael didn't qualify for the Pro Tour and made him doubt his ability. Proudest Magic Moment Michael kept a one-land hand on a low mull and won. His opponent was very salty. Later, he went to the store owned by his opponent and then man came out and apologized for how he behaved and gave Michael credit for a good game. Being accepted by his opponent was very validating for Michael. Best Format Modern If you're new, find a deck with a sideboard that does not require you to know the match up. Biggest Mistake Players Make Just "playing" your cards without thinking. Think "why do I want to play this card right now?" Think "why do I want to play this card right now?" What's in Your Tournament Bag Pad Pen Water KMC Hyper Matte Cards Dice Improvement Suggestions What happened in the past is mostly irrelevant; so is the future. Focus on the now. Don't tell yourself unrealistic advice. Connect With Michael Simon Twitter: @mechalink Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

  Ari Lax is a Member of Team Ultra PRO, writes Premium articles for StarCityGames.com, has 8 Grand Prix Top 8s with 1 Win and is the Pro Tour Khans of Tarkir Champion. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Ari Lax when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep94 First Set Ice Age Arctic Fox Favorite Set M13 Favorite Card Vendilion Clique Mind's Desire What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Magic is a constant puzzle. Early Challenge Not playing the best deck. If it's the best deck and nothing else is beating it then there is nothing wrong with playing it. Worst Magic Moment Ari was the "better-than-you" grinder for a while. This led to game losses and frustration that could have been a avoided. He learned that getting upset never helps. Proudest Magic Moment Seeing a close friend qualify for the Pro Tour. Biggest Mistake Players Make Logicking from the end. Players work backward and look for flawed interactions and then match results to those instances when in reality you could have been making the best play with the info you had at the time. What's in Your Tournament Bag Deck Mat Dice Water Magic Resource Star City Games Connect With Ari Lax Twitter: @armlx Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

  Eduardo Sajgalik is a multinational traveler based in the UK, though he started playing in France. He got his first Pro Point in 2006. He made Top 8 at Pro Tour Return to Ravnica in 2012, has 4 Grand Prix Top 8s under his belt, and has made Top 8 at 4 Nationals. A fun fact about our guest, he has played on 3 National teams: Canada (2008), UK (2011), England (2013). Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Eduardo Sajgalik when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep87 First Set Judgment Favorite Set Time Spiral Favorite Card Riftwing Cloudskate Early Challenge Deck Construction Level Up Moment His first two Pro Tours really taught Eduardo that there IS "another level", and he dedicated himself to reach it. How to Choose a Standard Deck Look at the top 32 decks of recent events. Biggest Mistake Players Make People are stuck up in their own ideas. If you are not open to new ideas then it stops your improvement. If 20 people are giving you similar feedback, you should probably listen. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Eduardo wants to be social. Magic lets you make long lasting friendships. What's in Your Tournament Bag Deck Deck Box Dice Pad Pen Water Cereal Bar Banana Trail Mix Improvement Suggestions FNM is a perfect experimental format. Try stuff out and have fun. Look at the top 32 decks of a tournament. Those decks were 1 win away from the top 8. This will give you a better idea of which decks are doing well than just looking at the Top 8 list. Watch high-level Magic match ups. This will help you internalize the lines of play so they aren't new when they happen to you. Connect With Eduardo Sajgalik Twitter: @Walaoumpa Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback. (Here's a 1.5 minute tutorial on how to leave a review if you don't already know. THANK YOU!) Sponsors

  Gabe Carleton-Barnes has played in 13 Pro Tours, with 12 day twos. He has 9 PTQ wins and 1 RPTQ top 4. He just got his first Grand Prix Top 8 in Vancouver 2016. His claims to fame in our Magic: The Gathering Community include founding Draft-PDX, hosting Card Talk: The World’s Greatest MTG Podcast, and Storytelling. Gabe lives in Portland, Oregon. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Gabe Carleton-Barnes when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep82 First Set  Revised Favorite Set  Odyssey Favorite Card Psychatog What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Despite taking multiple breaks Gabe has stuck with Magic because he loves games and competition. He feels that playing Magic never gets old because it keeps changing and forces you to continue to learn. Gabe started going to tournaments early in his career and found that he was making friends with adults who treated him as a peer, not as a kid. He now befriends players of all ages and understands that there is always something to be learned from every player he meets. Pro Tour & Grand Prix Experience Gabe made it his goal to qualify for the Pro Tour, so he familiarized himself with the PTQ format. He stayed focused, refined his decks, and was able to regularly get the top spot in PTQs so he could attend the Pro Tour. However, when the Pro Tour came around he struggled to quickly innovate and craft a deck that would work well at the tournament. He didn’t have a lot of help at first, and the time crunch put a lot of pressure on him to familiarize himself with new cards for the format. In terms of GPs, Gabe would attend them intermittently and usually make Day 2, but never quite make it into the Top 8. Changing up his sleeping habits and altering his routine helped him follow through on a good start in order to finally make it to the Top 8 at Grand Prix Vancouver. Heaviest Magic Moment Gabe’s heaviest Magic moment came after he had played about 10 GPs and made Day 2 at all of them. He hit a Limited match at Grand Prix Boston and had a clever plan for how he was going to beat his opponent. With the game pretty much wrapped up, Gabe tried for a play to finish the match, but his opponent had the perfect counter and won on the next turn. After the match a friend of Gabe’s who was less experienced pointed out that Gabe had a card in his hand that would have won the game instantly. This led Gabe to realize that even though he thought he was a really good player, he still made mistakes in how he approached the game. He started to keep an open ear when listening to players of various skill levels so that he could learn from as many players as possible. Proudest Magic Moment While Top 8ing his first Grand Prix is wonderful, the win that stands out to Gabe is making Top 8 at a specific PTQ held by Card Kingdom in Seattle. He made it into the Top 8 without a rare in his deck, and played against Jiachen Tao, who he beat with a subtle side board card choice. He faced off against Brian Wong for the final, and after an epic first match Gabe went on to win the tournament (and a trophy). Draft PDX Gabe founded Draft PDX based on similar groups in New York which were organized by Jon Finkel and other great players. In Portland they’ve formed a group that wants to be competitive, make it to the Pro Tour, and have fun with the game while fostering a healthy community spirit. They travel to events together and look out for one another by buying snacks or coffee for a busy teammate, or even giving them rides home if they miss their flight. Best Format Limited How To Turn Limited From A Weakness To A Strength Diving headfirst into Limited and playing it as much as possible with good players is one of the keys to mastering Limited. When Draft PDX meets they start by drafting the best decks that they can, and then they split into two random teams before they build their decks. They discuss with each other what cards they might use and how to play them before coming together to play the other team. The team that wins the Draft is the team that wins the most matches—this way players get to really learn how their deck performed instead of getting benched after their first loss. With the team setting players are encouraged to play their hardest even after a loss, as their next match matters just as much for the team. Biggest Mistake Players Make One of the biggest mistakes Gabe sees players make is when they let their emotions determine the value of their play. He knows that not blaming losses on luck and variance is great advice, but what he finds more valuable is looking back at matches he won to find the mistakes he made. If you only set out to learn from losses then you are missing out on a lot of opportunities to learn, especially since most wins aren’t achieved in the most optimal fashion. To internalize mistakes you’ve made, realize that you most likely will make the same mistake again. What you can do to prevent that is to care about making the mistake, actively seek to recognize it, and find what mode of thinking led you to that mistake. What Is The Deepest Thing Magic Has Taught You? While Gabe sees himself as a competitive, achievement focused individual, Magic has taught him that he is more of a community focused player. His personal goals are important to him, but they aren’t as important as being good to people and his interactions with a healthy, thriving community of players. What's in Your Tournament Bag Dark Chocolate (for himself and distressed teammates) Deck Box Pens Paper Dice Non-Magic Activities That Make You Better At Magic Gabe plays basketball and finds that aerobic activity measurably affects his mental state and thought processes. Maintaining his physical health helps him from getting exhausted in long tournaments, and he finds that when he feels good he usually plays better. The brain is connected to the body and keeping both in shape is important to performing well in anything. Final Wisdom Gabe’s final advice is to make sure you’re always trying to learn. Magic has taught him that he doesn’t know everything, and it has helped him connect and learn from many different people and situations. Never think you have it all figured out. When you win a big tournament use it as an opportunity to say, “This is a big milestone for me and I have a lot more left to learn.” Magic Resource Card Talk: The World's Greatest Magic: The Gathering Podcast Gabe Carleton-Barnes at Back Fence PDX MTGGOLDFISH Decision Fatigue (New York Times) Decision Fatigue (James Clear) Connect With Gabe Carleton-Barnes Twitter: @uncle_gcb Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback. (Here's a 1.5 minute tutorial on how to leave a review if you don't already know. THANK YOU!) Sponsors

Gabriel Nassif has a long and storied history with Magic: The Gathering. His accomplishments include 6 Grand Prix Top 8s, one of which was a win in 2009, and 9 Pro Tour Top 8s! Three (3) of those were 2nd place finishes and 2 of them were 1st place finishes! His first championship was in 2005 at Pro Tour Atlanta and the second was in 2009 at Pro Tour Kyoto. He also has 3 Worlds Top 8s for good measure. Gabriel has been recognized as one of Magic’s greatest players and was inducted into the Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame in 2010. Gabriel lives in Paris, France with his wife. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Gabriel Nassif when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep75 First Set  Ice Age Favorite Set  Tempest Favorite Card Crystalline Sliver What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? In his years playing Magic, Gabriel made a good many friends which helped keep him in the game. His ability to compete at a very high level, and Magic’s ability to stay interesting and fresh from year to year are also reasons why Gabriel has stuck around for so long. While he has continually competed in Pro Tours, he finds that renting a house before the tournament and training with his friends is almost more fun than the Pro Tour itself. Early Challenge In his early days of playing Magic Gabriel found himself not valuing cards correctly. Like many players, he would trade cards based on what seemed cooler as opposed to their tactical value. It took hours of playing the game and thinking about Magic while scribbling deck lists in his notebook at school for him to hone his evaluating skills. Gabriel also acknowledges getting into the game at a young age helped develop his Magic intuition, as he was able to fully immerse himself in the game and absorb all of its facets. Level Up Moment Gabriel’s level up moment came when he first started playing Magic, as there was the most room for improvement then. He finds that once you get closer to the top it’s much harder to keep ascending. When he was growing up he frequently played at his local store and was lucky to learn from the many excellent players that lived in Paris. This was back when deck lists weren’t on the internet or shared in many magazines, and Paris Magic players were notorious for being brutally good at the game. They often joke that if Magic Online hadn’t come about Parisian players would have dominated the world. Proudest Magic Moment Gabriel has had an amazing Magic career and can cite a dozen great moments that stand out to him. In his early days of Playing Magic he managed to win a Black Lotus at his local shop in Paris. At his first Grand Prix in London he made it to Day 2, and was convinced his opponent who flew in from the United States, Brock Parker, was a big cheater. Gabriel end up crushing him in their matches and realized Brock was just another player who loved the game just like he did. Heaviest Magic Moment Losing to luck or variance doesn’t bother Gabriel much, it’s the losses he takes due to his own mistakes that get to him. He notes that back in the day he was an excellent deck builder, but made a lot of sloppy mistakes in play which took him a long time to mentally recover from. Magic was his entire life, and losing a Pro Tour left a wound that took him almost an entire year to heal. When he was getting really good at the game he didn’t realize he’d become a little arrogant and wasn’t treating his friends well. He even threw his deck through the air after losing a feature match at a Pro Tour. It took one of his friends calling him out on his behavior for him to reel himself back in. On Cheating While cheating isn’t nearly as rampant as it was years ago it can still rear its ugly head from time to time. Gabriel says if something happens to you in a match, even if it just looks like sloppy play or an accident, you should always get a judge involved so a record can be made. Someone may have accidentally flipped your card over while shuffling your deck, or they may have made it look like an accident but actually have a record of doing it. Biggest Mistake Players Make Gabriel thinks one of the hallmark mistakes new players make is blaming their losses on luck. Be honest with yourself and take the time to analyze your deck in a meaningful way. He finds that when players first start building decks they are prone to not playing enough lands. Building your deck and playing it is how a player determines what needs to be adjusted, and looking at deck lists similar to your deck will help fine tune how many lands should be included. Listener Question: Do You Think There's A Herd Mentality When It Comes To Deck Building? Following deck trends is a phenomenon that Gabriel concedes very well might be affecting the Magic community at large. He misses his early days of playing Magic, as there weren’t deck lists online to influence players. Showing up to a tournament with a carefully brewed deck could give a player an amazing edge. Gabriel sees how a herd mentality affects how players prepare for events like the Pro Tour, as everyone now looks to see what decks are placing well in tournaments. This can be detrimental and hinder deck creativity. Gabriel notes that the Eldrazi decks he saw while playing Magic Online influenced his deck in a negative way, as they weren’t representative of what he faced in the last Pro Tour. If he had more of a clean slate Gabriel thinks he may have crafted something much more effective. Final Wisdom Gabriel’s advice is simple: try to play with people that are better than you, work on making friends in the Magic community, and love the game until you can talk about it for hours on end, just like him. Magic Resource Channel Fireball Connect With Gabriel Nassif Twitter: @gabnassif Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback. (Here's a 1.5 minute tutorial on how to leave a review if you don't already know. THANK YOU!) Sponsors

Robert Wallerstein has played Magic for 13 years and made his first Grand Prix Top 8 in Mexico City 2016. He is mainly a drafter and bases his success on solid drafting fundamentals. He will make his first Pro Tour appearance in Madrid 2016. Robert is from Akron Ohio and has an amazing, uplifting Magic community. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Robert Wallerstein when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep71 First Set  Odyssey Favorite Set  Darksteel Favorite Card Woolly Thoctar What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Robert enjoys how he can play Magic with his friends without having to resort to drinking for entertainment. But most of all he loves drafting and taking on the challenge of sitting down with 7 people while trying his best to beat them. For Robert, it’s all about drafting the best he can and reading his opponent’s signals while trying not to give his own away. Early Challenge The fundamental rules of Magic tripped Robert up at first. He never had a rule book that showed him the steps of a turn and how to play. Small rules can make for deep plays that go over new player’s heads. Robert also stuck to big creatures when he first started, which made it easy for tempo spells to take him down. Playing with friends proficient in these spells helped show him how to balance his deck and move on from his full on beat down decks. Level Up Moment During Innistrad block Robert attended a GP in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry, which is an amazing venue for an event: think of a city housed in the pterodactyl cage from Jurassic Park 3. Being unemployed at the time let him play a lot of Magic leading up to the event, and he managed to Day 2 for the first time. At the end of the GP he managed to rank higher than Jon Finkel, who was in his first Draft Pod, which helped Robert realize he could step up and progress in the competitive scene. Proudest Magic Moment While many players point to a personal achievement as their proudest moment, Robert instead points to the amazing Magic community he is a part of. One of his long time Magic friends sadly took the community by surprise when he committed suicide years back. Robert’s community held several great memorial events which helped donate money to their friend’s family. For Robert, the feeling of helping and maintaining this tight knit community has been the best feeling to come out of Magic for him, even more so than making Top 8 at GP Mexico. Heaviest Magic Moment One year when Robert went to Gen Con, he left his backpack in the care of his friend and it ended up getting stolen. He lost entire collections of cards and it was incredibly hurtful; those decks and collections were a reflection of him. He thought about quitting Magic then and there, but his friends and community helped keep him in the game by lending him cards they knew he was fond of. Robert emphasizes that, while it may be awkward, you should really find out who out of your friends can be trusted to look after 5 thousand dollars worth of cards. He also recommends not bringing your entire collection to an event. Biggest Mistake Players Make Robert finds that many players find it hard to slow down and focus on their plays and outs. While you don’t want to be annoying by slowing down to a crawl, taking a few extra moments to consider your outs and how your cards can be played is tremendously beneficial. Robert sees players plateauing when it comes to thinking outside the box. Many players will play a card exactly how it’s meant to be played, but they don’t take the time to consider what other lines of play a card can open for them. Sealed & Draft Tips Sealed: Looking at your best cards and knowing what your best colors are some of Robert’s guidelines for Sealed. He finds that removal spells are key in most limited formats, as you are undoubtedly going to have to deal with sizable threats. Draft: For Robert, success in Drafting comes down to card evaluation. Doing research to know what creatures are in a specific format and what spells you need to kill them are crucial. You need to be mindful of what cards you pass on as well, as that sends signals to everyone else as to what color you are playing to and what your weaknesses are. For A New Draft Player: Robert's basic outline for a deck consists of 15 creatures, 8 non creatures spells and 17 lands. Know how many creatures and removal spells you have, because that will determine what you pick when it comes your time to draw. What's in Your Tournament Bag Sleeves Dice Pen Paper Sleeved Basic Lands Improvement Suggestions Robert finds that playing against more skilled players is a surefire way to hone your own skills. While better players can be hard to find, Robert knows that most skilled players are more than happy to talk at events so long as they aren't wallowing through the aftermath of a bad beat. Final Wisdom Robert urges players to have fun with the game, and if you aren't having fun, then playing might not be worth it. Magic Resource Derium's CCG Connect With Robert Wallerstein Facebook: Robert Wallerstein Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback. (Here's a 1.5 minute tutorial on how to leave a review if you don't already know. THANK YOU!) Sponsors

Pierre Dagen is a 28 year old French entrepreneur who has been playing Magic: The Gathering since about 2006. His first Pro Tour was Paris 2011, and since then he has scored 3 Grand Prix Top 8s and a Pro Tour Top 8, as well as making it to the Top 4 of the World Magic Cup in 2015 as the captain of team France. Formerly a founding member of team Revolution, he is now part of team EUreka. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Pierre Dagen when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep66 First Set Kamigawa Local Magic Scene: Paris, France With about 90% of French pro players living in Paris the scene is very competitive. Favorite Card Gifts Ungiven What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? While Pierre likes chess and sees the similarities to Magic, he felt that chess could be a bit mechanical. The complexity, strategy, and need to enter your opponent’s head are major draws that keep him playing Magic. Pierre notes how Magic has allowed him to travel a lot more than he usually would, which has allowed him to meet a ton of great people. Early Challenge Pierre had trouble building his decks early on. He tried to do this on his own without consulting friends or any other players. At some point Pierre says he humbled himself, and asked for help and feedback from other teams. Level Up Moment Pierre attributes a major level up in his game to the first time he joined a team. This allowed him to playtest twice a week in sets of 10-20 matches with teammates that were better than him. The team helped his Magic mindset evolve from just wanting to have fun, to playing each turn as if he was solving a puzzle and finding a solution to the match. Proudest Magic Moment This came for Pierre at the World Magic Cup in Barcelona where Team France made it to the Top 4. Pierre only knew one player on his team, and had just met the other two. This led them to think that they wouldn’t do that great, but they were all surprised at how well they were able to perform together. Heaviest Magic Moment Pro Tour Montreal: Pierre was invited for coming close to qualifying. He entered the tournament stressed out, believing he needed to prove himself worthy of being there. His bad memories of the tournament stem from him not believing he was a good player and losing a lot. He forgot that his first goal should have been to have fun, so after he lost his last match all he wanted to do was go back to France. What Has Magic Taught You About Yourself? Over the course of Pierre’s Magic career he learned that he can have a lazy approach to playing. When he first started, he would go into matches just to have fun and ride out games instead of trying his hardest. He thought that you needed to be a genius to be great at Magic. But when others asked him for advice he found that if thought about it hard enough he could usually figure out a solution to their problem. This led to him trying his hardest on every turn and let him see that anyone can be really good at Magic if they put the effort in. Best Format Sealed Biggest Mistake Players Make Pierre sees a good number of players that are overly optimistic about their deck. They only think of the good things that will happen with their cards, and don’t consider the situations where everything falls apart on the next turn, or 3-4 turns out. Player should always be thinking about how the match will go wrong in order to prepare for when things go right. Sealed & Draft Tips Draft: Pierre thinks it’s important to remember that you need a bit of everything in your deck. It needs to be coherent while not focusing on one specific area that might end up sinking your deck. Sealed: One of the keys to sealed is balancing power and consistency. Deciding if you are leaning towards one end of that spectrum or the other should be a constant thought. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Have a deck that you like and play it a lot—don’t try to come up with one the day before a tournament. Remember, there’s no surefire way to prepare against every player’s deck. Playing one deck, playing it a lot, and playing it against lots of other decks is a good way to get comfortable with tournament play. What's in Your Tournament Bag Pens Pad Snacks Water Deck What Does a Group Play Session Look Like? Pierre’s play tests usually consist of two deck groups: a group of decks everyone on the team likes to play, and a group of decks that are known to be at a specific event. They will play matches with all combinations from both deck groups, compare results, and revamp their decks. Final Wisdom Pierre wants to hammer home that a Magic player shouldn’t be lazy. You should treat Magic in such a way that every turn is a puzzle, and it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, but you should always be trying to solve the succession of puzzles to the best of your ability. Magic Resource MTG Top 8 Magic Online  2015 World Magic Cup Top 8 Connect With Pierre Dagen Twitter: @ElPruno_Dagen Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback. Sponsors

Woodrow Engle is a dual Magic and poker player from Seattle, WA. He broke into the upper tier of tournament play by making his first Grand Prix Top 8 at Grand Prix Oakland 2016. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Woodrow Engle when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep65 First Set  Ice Age Favorite Set  Rise of the Eldrazi Favorite Card Lhurgoyf What First Got You into Magic? Woodrow got started as a young kid playing Ice Age, just throwing decks together with his friends and loosely playing by the rules. After Weatherlight, he stopped playing all the way through college. While working at a game development studio Woodrow was invited to a poker game where he met Ryan Spain and Marshall Sutcliffe, who ended up getting him hooked on Magic again. From there he quickly went from re-learning the rules to implementing high-end Magic thought processes. What Makes Magic: The Gathering Fun for You? Woodrow likes the competitive aspect and how Magic can feel a bit like poker with more skills and variation. He enjoys how he gets to meet so many people with varying experience levels, and how sometimes he has no idea how good the person playing across from him might be. Early Challenge The toughest aspect of Magic for Woodrow when he started out was card evaluation. It took him a long time to wrap his head around when a card was worth a slot in his hand. Understanding the opportunity cost of not drawing another card in any given situation is a high level concept that takes time to develop. Level Up Moment In his first PTQ Woodrow placed 9th and knew from then on that he wanted to really step up and crush tournaments. This was around the time the Jund deck took over the Standard scene, and Woodrow set out to brew decks to take it down. Then at the advent of the PPTQ system he managed to win one and made it to a regional Pro Tour qualifier, which he Top 8’d, but missed the qualification by one match. What Kept You Playing Magic? When Woodrow felt like he was caught in the grind he took breaks. Eventually though, he learned to manage his tilt by being mindful and staying positive about his performance. He reminded himself that a single tournament didn’t define him as a Magic player. This made it more fun for Woodrow to play, as it’s tough to do well in a tournament if you take an early loss and then shut down. He discovered that ranting about his losses to friends was not only uninteresting for them to hear, but stopped him from identifying his mistakes and pushing forward. Best Format Limited How Do You Manage Tilt? Woodrow admits it’s difficult to stay focused when you know you’re going to lose a few turns out, but contemplating your outs and staying focused is critical for developing skill. Players should mentally construct their winning scenario even when they may seem down for the count. This kind of mental fortitude is the mindset all Platinum Pros have when they play, and it’s how a player levels up their own game. Biggest Mistake Players Make Being results oriented instead of decision oriented is the crux Woodrow believes most new players face. As you go through life you want to make sure the decisions you make are sound, even if the end results don’t reflect them. When in this mindset you can realize that sure, you lost a game, but you did everything in your power to try and win it. Woodrow won a game against Josh Utter-Leyton, but a huge mistake he made in an early turn haunted him afterwards despite the win. He considers those kind of mistakes to be huge learning opportunities that make him less likely to repeat his blunders. What Is the Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself From Playing Magic? Woodrow believes that Magic remaps your brain when a player gets really competitive. This has bled over into his normal life, changing how he makes everyday decisions. Trying to get maximum value from limited time with the best decisions possible is an important crossover skill for him. Sealed & Draft Tips Sealed: Card evaluation is crucial in sealed. Players need to be able to analyze not only the best case scenario for any given card, but also the middle and worst case scenarios as well. This helps a player decide whether a card is worth a slot in their deck. Draft: Don’t get married to your early picks. Being able to read other player’s signals and what your seat is open to is incredibly important. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event For GP Oakland: Woodrow ended up being talked into attending the tournament at the last minute while apartment hunting in the area. Ryan Spain let him borrow a deck, but 90 percent of the cards were in a foreign language. With preparations rushed Woodrow had to strip cards out of his deck at random as he headed into the Grand Prix. While it felt like he was going in blind, practicing for other tournaments had left him with a strong understanding of what he needed to do. Like muscle memory, practicing across formats and staying well rounded can help steady your hand when you get thrown into less than ideal situations. What's in Your Tournament Bag Deck box Pad Pen Dice Tokens Final Wisdom Surrounding yourself with people who are smart, supportive, and have a similar mindset to how you want to approach Magic will help you develop as a player. This applies to life in general, as meeting and interacting with positive, analytical people will help you have more success in all your endeavors. Magic Resource GP Oakland: Woodrow Engle vs. Josh Utter-Leyton Limited Resources Podcast Kenji Egashira Connect With Woodrow Engle Twitter: @Woodrodius Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback.   Sponsors

Ondrej Strasky is 20 years old and is already a Platinum Pro! He was the 2015 Czech World Magic Cup captain and has 1 Grand Prix Top 8 at Grand Prix Brussels 2015, and 2 Pro Tour Top 8s at Pro Tour Honolulu and Pro Tour Brussels. Ondrej lives in the Czech Republic. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Ondrej Strasky when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep64 First Set  Time Spiral Favorite Set Khans of Tarkir Favorite Card Daze Local Magic Scene: Czech Republic Prague is the only city where Ondrej can play Magic a lot in the Czech Republic, which is about a 2 hour bus ride away for him. Because of this he mainly plays Magic Online. What Makes Magic: The Gathering Fun For You? While Ondrej tries not to place too much focus on winning or losing, playing in tournaments and the competitive aspect is what keeps him playing Magic. Since there is no one in his town that plays he doesn’t get to play much casual Magic. Early Challenge The hurdle that tripped Ondrej up the most starting out was his play speed. He played too fast and missed critical card interactions because he didn’t pause to think them through. An additional 5 seconds helps Ondrej avoid stupid blunders. While addressing the way you play is a hard thing to do, the best way to improve is to just take a little extra time. Level Up Moment Ondrej grew the most in 2015 after landing in the Top 8 at his first Pro Tour. At the start of the year he moved in with 3 of the best Czech players and he wholly surrounded himself with Magic. They all streamed Magic, talked Magic, and of course played as much as they could, and Ondrej credits their skill with helping push him to the next level. Proudest Magic Moment Ondrej’s proudest moment came when he finished 9th in a London Grand Prix. He was super prepared and an article in Star City Games by Brian Braun-Duin helped him find an amazing deck. While he didn’t take down the whole tournament, Ondrej is proud of how prepared he was and feels like he played the best out of everyone there. How Much Magic Do You Play? If a tournament is on the horizon Ondrej wakes up and plays Magic until he passes out, and he might squeeze in a bite to eat somewhere in between. During the holidays he slacks off a bit, but now he’s busy learning archetypes and trying out decks. Best Format He plays best in Standard, but he loves how fun Legacy is even though it’s not his best format. How to Choose a Standard Deck Since the meta game shifts quickly in Standard, Ondrej tries to stay on top by playing Magic Online and seeing how others shift decks from week to week. In regards to setting up a sideboard, Ondrej tries to build it with his main deck in mind as a 75 card deck so he can pick the best positioned 60 to roll with. Biggest Mistake Players Make Ondrej thinks players shouldn’t blame luck for their losses, but they shouldn’t beat themselves up when there wasn’t much they could do in a match to win. Handling loss better can help a player see what they did wrong and learn from their mistakes. Sealed & Draft Tips Sealed: Ondrej doesn’t go to pre-releases too often, but he usually looks for cards that pop out to him instantly. Draft: Ondrej finds the best three archetypes and tries to draft them. He talks to other people who drafted and find what cards are most important to each one. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Ondrej thinks you can prepare mostly by yourself for a Grand Prix, but definitely not a Pro Tour. He has a team of 15 and sometimes thinks that’s not even enough. They will look at what decks are being played after the first Star City Open. Then they start playing and will ask Frank Karsten about deck matchups and post results in forums to help figure out what decks were best. What's in Your Tournament Bag Pen Deck Deck box for Limited portion Water Bottle: Ondrej says he stays insanely hydrated throughout a tournament. How Can a New Magic Player Break In? A new player can start by building a Pauper deck and playing Magic Online, as decks super cheap. Improvement Suggestions Ondrej reads articles written by Brad Nelson and looks at decklist postings from recent tournaments. He thinks reading solid content and playing as much as possible is the best way to improve. Final Wisdom If you enjoy Magic play it a lot, and the best thing you can do is buy a lot of packs, watch coverage, and spread the word of how great a game Magic is. Magic Resource Brian Braun-Duin Brad Nelson Frank Karsten Craig Wescoe Connect With Ondrej Strasky Twitter: @OndrejStrasky Facebook: Ondrej Strasky Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback. Sponsors

Brian Eason has 2 Grand Prix Top 8s and has played in multiple Pro Tours. He is a former Poker pro, and an aspiring HearthStone professional. He hopes to win a Grand Prix and Pro Tour one day. Brian lives in Atlanta, GA. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Brian Eason when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep63 First Set   Ravnica Favorite Set Shards of Alara How did you get started in Magic? Brian got started playing Yu-Gi-Oh! and found it a natural progression to make the move to Magic. The complexity and more mature, professional player base drew him in despite doing poorly at his first sealed events. Favorite Card Bitterblossom When Brian started to get competitive Bitterblossom played to his creative sensibilities. What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The first thing for Brian is the competitive aspect. Big tournaments, Star City opens, Grand Prixs and the possibility of hitting a Pro Tour—basically the challenge of playing amongst the best. The second thing is the ability to be creative in deck building. This creativity and competitiveness make Magic Brian’s favorite game. Early Challenge Brian admits he was terrible at Limited when he started. It took watching better players for him to realize he was behind and needed to up his game. Local Magic Scene: Atlanta A lot of big stores in Atlanta have fostered play for about 20 solid players, but they’re scattered around the area. Brian finds smaller groups playing at local stores on the weekends. Level Up Moment Most of Brian’s growth happened when he first started playing. He played around people that were way out of his league, but being able to team draft with them gave him invaluable feedback. Brain thinks limited is the key to becoming a better Magic player, as the skills needed translate over to different formats. Heaviest Magic Moment In his first Grand Prix Brian made it to the second day but went 0-4 and lost against weaker players. This loss helped him realize his skill level and pushed him back to the drawing board. Brian analyzed the winning player’s strategy at the same Grand Prix to figure out what he was doing wrong. Proudest Magic Moment Brian doesn’t have a specific, glorified moment that sticks out to him. What comes to mind for him is was placing second after his first time hitting the top eight at a Grand Prix. While bittersweet, he still is proud of how all his hard work and confidence materialize into a 2nd place finish. What does a typical week of MTG look like for you? Being a full time student and playing Hearthstone cuts into his Magic play, but Brian still tends to play one Magic Online draft a day. His playing incentives are driven by how fun the format is and what he gets if he wins. What is the deepest thing you’ve learned about yourself from playing Magic? Brian had a tendency to be impulsive and get caught up in the moment. Having a friend point out how he unnecessarily went all out early in a match helped him slow down. Favorite Format Limited How to choose a deck to play at a Standard Event If you want to have a good time with a descent finish, playing with a stock list with one of the better decks is the way to go. If you want to take down the whole tournament you have to do something that sets you apart—something like a tweaked deck or extra tech, and figuring that out comes from exposing yourself to different deck archetypes. Brian likes to do this to discover ways to exploit certain decks’ weaknesses. Biggest Mistake Players Make “When you play Magic it’s a bloodbath…take every small edge you can.” Brian can confidentially say that giving away tells during a match is something newer players don’t take into consideration. Looking frustrated and throwing your hands up in the air is a surefire way to throw away a game. Make it hard for your opponent to know what you have in your hand, and better yet, use your tells to mislead them. Sealed & Draft Tips Sealed: Brian believes the key in Sealed is to focus on the long game, play greedy, don’t focus too much on synergy, and make sure every card in your deck is a good standalone. Don’t ignore the early game, but understand what your deck wants to do. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Putting too much emphasis on results can ramp up nerves, but going in with an experimental mindset to learn can make the experience a lot more fun. Talking with friends and getting feedback from a small group is invaluable when it comes to theory crafting and polishing your deck. Online forums are a great source too if you are a local player and don’t have any in-town connections. What’s in Your Tournament Bag? Brian likes to travel light to conserve energy during a long tournament day: Deck Notebook Pen Dice Water bottle Snacks Nuts and Bolts of a Playtest Brian thinks that playtesting can be hindered by trying to jam as many games into one session as possible. Fast games can feel inorganic as it’s not comparable to how you will play outside the test. Going through deck lists with a group of friends and theory crafting while arguing back and forth about what should and shouldn’t be in the deck helps get to the root of your deck. Magic Resource Star City Games Decklists Grand Prix Top 8 Decklists How Can a New Magic Player Break In? Magic is about creativity and flexibility, and when you build a Cube out of commons you can start a lot of discussion about deck building and have fun playing whatever version of Magic you can. Put yourself to the test and develop your skills. Final Wisdom If you’re a new player aiming for the competitive sphere it’s easy to get wrapped up in playtesting and not getting results. So whatever you do make sure you have fun with it, and remember, there’s no shame in taking a break if the fun fades. Connect With Brian Eason Twitter: @bloodyfaceHS Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback.   Sponsors

Lukas Blohon has an impressive Magic: The Gathering record with 5 Grand Prix Top 8s, including a win at Grand Prix Brussels 2015, and 2 Pro Tour Top 16s including a Top 8 finish at Pro Tour Dark Ascension. Lukas lives in Prague. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Lukas Blohon when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep61 First Set Tempest Favorite Set Ravnica: City of Guilds Favorite Card Vendilion Clique Early Challenge Limited. Lukas is good at playing one deck over and over again and getting very familiar with it. Limited was his weak spot early on. Level Up Moment Training with Channel Fireball helped Lukas grow a lot because he was able to play with some of the best players in the world. This culminated in Lukas making the Top 8 of a Pro Tour. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 of Pro Tour Dark Ascension Best Format Standard How to Choose a Standard Deck Play all the big decks and see which works for you. Then play that one over and over again. Biggest Mistake Players Make Mentally checking out. Whether you're winning or losing, stay engaged in the game and consider what you need to do to win. Sealed & Draft Tips Sealed: Synergies are always strong, but in Sealed you don't always get enough of what you need to make the synergy work. In that case, play cards that affect the board Draft: Keep track of what's going on by noting the next picks behind yours. This gives you an idea of what the people to your left are doing. However, it's more important to track what's going on to your right. Do this by noting what is and is not being passed to you. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Use Magic Online to play anytime. You can put a few hours to good use without wasting time in transit. Play the same deck as a trusted friend and share the insights. What's in Your Tournament Bag Water Snacks (Bananas) Deck Pen Notepad  Improvement Suggestions Constructed: Build a tier 2 deck (or whatever you can afford) and play over and over again. Also, find someone who has a similar goal as you and work together to improve and advance. Magic Resource Star City Games Channel Fireball (The best people write for these sites.) Connect With Lukas Blohon Twitter: @LukasBlohon Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback. Sponsors

Jarvis Yu enjoys formats with deeper card pools (especially Legacy). Having made one Grand Prix Top 8 in Legacy, as well as going 13-2 in Grand Prix New Jersey, he has also managed to win his only Top 8. Jarvis lives outside Washington. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Jarvis Yu when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep59 First Set Revised (this is not the official symbol as set symbols were not around at this time) Favorite Set Ravnica City of Guilds Favorite Card Rishadan Port What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Infinite diversity. Early Challenge Starting out, Jarvis thought that a 1/2 for one mana was good - because it was "more efficient" than a 1/1 for one. He quickly learned that cards with abilities, like Eternal Witness, even though they don't have the best power/toughness/mana ratio are much better. Level Up Moment Zigging when everyone else zagged helped Jarvis grow. He saw (with the help of a friend) a strategy that wasn't explicitly supported in Ravnica City of Guilds. This opened his eyes to how to look at future sets. Proudest Magic Moment Winning Grand Prix Seattle Tacoma 2015. Best Format Legacy Biggest Mistake Players Make Mulliganing when they shouldn't or not mulliganing when they should. Know the match up and what you need to be effective in the early game. If you don't have that in your opening hand then ship it back. Sealed & Draft Tips Sealed: Jarvis runs 18 lands and looks for card advantage, big creatures and removal. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Play different decks, then settle on one and play against a lot of decks. What's in Your Tournament Bag Extra cards Snacks Water Pens Paper Dice Improvement Suggestions Build and play a pauper cube. Magic Resource Jarvis mentioned a [card]Battle of Wits[/card] deck from Grand Prix Milwaukee 2002. Star City Games MTG Gold Fish Connect With Jarvis Yu Twitter: @jkyu06 Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback. Sponsors

Florian Reiter is a writer and editor from Munich, Germany. He has been writing articles about Magic for various German Magic sites has been active in the tournament scene since 2009. He has one Grand Prix Top 8 from GP Lyon 2015. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Florian Reiter when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep58 First Set Urza'a Saga Favorite Set Time Spiral  Favorite Card Horned TurtleCryptic Command What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The diversity of cards and strategies and the mental challenge.  The people he's meet and the friends he's made have kept Florian around. Early Challenge Combat. Concentrating and keeping track of combat tricks was hard at first. Practice slowing down and thinking through each combat phase is how to improve. Level Up Moment Florian improved the most when he surrounded himself with a group of really motivated Magic players, all striving to get better. If everyone is trying to win a Grand Prix then the collective knowledge will raise everyone's level. Proudest Magic Moment Grand Prix Prague 2015 (Standard). Even though Florian only got Top 64 he feels like he really executed his game plan well. He approached the meta game from a different angle and brought an unknown deck that performed well. Best Format Standard - Lower power level means more cards are playable Biggest Mistake Players Make Not being introspective enough. Talking about luck is not a useful way to spend your time. Focus on what you can control and how you can play better. If you really focus your energy on Magic you will improve. Sealed & Draft Tips Sealed: Sort out the unplayables. Lay out the rest by color. Determine what your really good cards are and build combinations that take advantage of the strengths Improvement Suggestions Watch streams and listen to podcasts. Magic content is largely free, so consume as much as you can. There is no substitute for playing but there are lots of free things you can do to get better. Magic Resource Florian's articles can be found on MTG Mint Card Star City Games Channel Fireball Couch Draft DE Connect With Florian Reiter Twitter: @HandsomeMUC Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback. Sponsors

Magnus Lantto is an online grinder turned pro. He’s a member of the European pro team Team Eureka. Magnus finished 5th place in the 2015 Magic World Championship, is the MOCS 2014 champion, and has 3 Grand Prix Top 8s which include 1 win in Grand Prix Milan. To top it off, Magnus Lantto has the distinguished honor of being the first guest on MTG Pro Tutor in 2016! He lives in Sweden. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Magnus Lantto when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep57 First Set Fourth Edition (This set did not have an official symbol.) Favorite Set Magnus feels Magic gets better and better every year. His favorite set is the most recent one. Favorite Card Survival of the FittestBirthing Pod What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Magnus has never seen a game that is as intricate as Magic. It changes every year and he loves how it stays fresh. There is a lot to think about. He loves how deep it is. Early Challenge Magnus was really bad at the start of tournaments. The first round of an event he has made really bad mistakes. By focusing on the psychological aspect of the game you can identify problems and adjust. Magnus learned to slow down at the beginning of tournaments so he could improve on this weakness. Level Up Moment Playing Magic Online has really upped Magnus' game. Proudest Magic Moment Winning Grand Prix Milan. Best Format Modern How to Choose a Standard Deck Rely on team mates to test and identify the best decks. Biggest Mistake Players Make Blaming losses on bad luck. YOU did something wrong. Slow down and think about what you did through out the game. If you make a mistake in the middle of a game, don't give up. Stay focused and bounce back. Adjust your plan accordingly and stay in it. Card Evaluation Tips Look for cards that create new archetypes. Is there a new mechanic that can be built around? Sealed & Draft Tips Sealed: Identify a clear win condition that exists in you pool. Draft: What your being passed is more important than what you're passing. Prepare ahead of time by reading what others think about cards. Set reviews are a great way to do this. Deck construction, specifically mana curve, is very important in draft. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Play regularly leading up to the event. Play with a group so you can get feedback. Join groups on FB and ask questions. What's in Your Tournament Bag Deck New sleeves (Dragon Shield or from MTG Mint Card) Deck box Improvement Suggestions Find a way you can contribute to your friends / team. Be the driver, take people out, be a friend. You can make good connections and if you are helpful you can borrow cards or a deck. Magic Resource LSV set reviews on Channel Fireball Twitter - track what Magnus and others in the Magic community are up to MTG Mint Card Connect With Magnus Lantto Twitter: @MagnusLantto Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback.     Sponsors

Marcos Paulo de Jesus Freitas is a Brazilian player with 2 Grand Prix Top 8s; one in Buenos Aires 2015 as a Finalist and the other in Porto Alegre 2015 as the Champion. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Marcos Paulo when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep55 First Set Onslaught Favorite Set  Onslaught (Constructed)  Innistrad (Limited) Favorite Card Jareth, Leonine Titan What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The art is amazing, the card design is well done, the story is so great. Marcos also loves how he's met great people and made amazing friends through travel. He also loves traveling because he didn't do much before. Early Challenge Marcos didn't know how to mulligan at all. In fact, at his first Grand Prix, he was in a feature match and realized that he had to apply aggressive pressure on his opponent to win. However, he still kept the hand and then lost miserably. He learned from this and made learning how to mulligan better a priority. Casual Formats Marcos LOVES Conspiracy draft. Level Up Moment At his first Pro Tour, Marcos recognized he knew nothing about the format. So he attached himself to a player who was much better and soaked every lesson up like a sponge.  Marcos has a lot of cool growth stories from his first Pro Tour. He was able to beat one of the best Limited and one of the best Constructed players in the world at the time. Proudest Magic Moment Winning Grand Prix Porto Alegre!   Best Format Standard - It's not that big and you can prepare for it. Biggest Mistake Players Make Not taking into account the things you did wrong in a match. Marcos hears people complain about being mana flooded or mana screwed when in reality they could identify turns where they messed up.  Card Evaluation Tips By play testing with a team Marcos hones his evaluation skills. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Reading articles and relying on his team is Marcos' go-to method. Magic Resource Channel Fireball Star City Games TCG Player Connect With Marcos Paulo de Jesus Freitas Marcos on Facebook Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback Sponsors  

Mark Litvak has just broken into the upper Magic scene by making his first Grand Prix Top 8 at GP Lyon October 2015. He is constantly seeking to improve himself and is looking forward to his first Pro Tour. He lives among the beautiful hills of Austria. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Mark Litvak when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep49 First Set Onslaught Favorite Set Dragons of Tarkir Favorite Card Meddling Mage Early Challenge Giving up too soon. Mark learned to stay mentally in the game and play to his outs. Don't give up the fight. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 of GP Lyon 2015. Best Format Limited Modern (Splinter Twin) How to Choose a Standard Deck Look at popular decks and look at the mirror matches and choose a deck that is well positioned against them. Observe matches using the deck you are considering and monitor how it plays out. This will help you decide if it's the deck you want to play. Biggest Mistake Players Make People underestimate the combat. It is very complicated if you want to do it well. Many people sit back to see "what happens" in combat. You need to put the brain power behind combat and figure it out ahead of time. Expect your opponent to play well and don't be worried about showing them something you don't think they've seen. Card Evaluation Tips Mark doesn't like how the spoiler is released but understands it from a marketing perspective. Sealed & Draft Tips Sealed: Separate each color into three piles; cards you want to play, cards you don't want to play, and on the fence cards. Next sort each pile by converted mana cost. Determine your colors by identifying which colors have a clear plan to success. Draft: Learn something from every game. Make it count by writing down results, talking to opponents, whatever you need to do to get that extra information you need to improve. Improvement Suggestions "Don't tilt and always strive for better." ~Mark Litvak Magic Resource Follow players you respect and read their articles. (Players usually post when they have an article go live.) Channel Fireball Connect With Mark Litvak Twitter: @LorwyMtG Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback. Sponsors

Fabrizio Anteri has 7 Grand Prix Top 8s with 3 Wins!! He is one of 31 players in the history of Magic: The Gathering to have 3 Grand Prix wins. Fabrizio lives in London and has been the captain of the English Magic Team for two years in a row. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Fabrizio Anteri when he shared his story on MTG Pro Tutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep48 First Set Odyssey Favorite Card Eight-and-a-Half-Tails What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Fabrizio loves that Magic is so complicated and that you never get good enough before it changes. Early Challenge Tuning a deck for the meta is not Fabrizio's strong suit but playing 10-20 games against a certain match up sheds light on how to tweak. Proudest Magic Moment Fabrizio is really proud of his solid run in the 2015 season that gives him a chance to go to the Magic World Championship. His run includes a Grand Prix win, a Pro Tour top 16 and a Grand Prix second place... all within three weekends. Best Format Limited How to Choose a Standard Deck Play a lessor known, under the radar deck. Biggest Mistake Players Make When you're winning think "How could I possibly lose this game?" and hedge against it. Think the flipside when you're losing. Always consider your plays and be mindful of your outs and your opponent's outs. Card Evaluation Tips Fabrizio waits for the whole set to be released before evaluating new cards. Sealed & Draft Tips Sealed: Lay out the cards so you can see them all. Separate them into "bomb", "playable" and "unplayable" piles. Then look for synergies within your pool. Draft: A good memory is an advantage when drafting.Make sure you consider mana curve, removal and creature count. This will lead to better picks for you even if the card isn't the most powerful in the pack. Improvement Suggestions Be willing to invest time and money if you are serious about Magic. However, to start out, build a deck and play with friends and start playing so you can understand the basics. Magic Resource Channel Fireball Star City Games Premium articles Magic Online results Connect With Fabrizio Twitter: @Anteri_F Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback. Sponsors

Raphaël Lévy is a Magic Player from Toulouse, France. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in November 2006. He has 3 Pro Tour Top 8's and 20 Grand Prix Top 8's with 5 wins to his name and led the French team to victory in the 2013 World Magic Cup. Click to Tweet: I loved hearing Raphael Levy's story on MTG Pro Tutor today! He was an amazing guest and shared great tips. http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep46 First Set Arabian Nights Antiquities Favorite Set Innistrad Favorite Card Llanowar ElvesElvish Mystic What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Raphael is very competitive and the challenge has kept him hooked. Even when going through stale periods Raphael stuck around because he loves winning. Proudest Magic Moment Raphael joined an international team called Legion in 1997. He did this by qualifying for the Pro Tour by winning a Grand Prix in Djon which was 8 hours away. Hall of Fame ceremony in his home country of France. All of Raphael's family attended. With them there, along with his countrymen, he felt very honored and proud. Best Format Limited (Draft and Sealed) How to Choose a Standard Deck Raphael knows his play style and picks a deck that is competitive and that he can pilot well. Raphael really understands the combat phase and therefore does not play control decks. Choose a deck that fits your style. Biggest Mistake Players Make The biggest mistake Raphael sees is in the combat step. Players don't think about it enough. People don't realize that missing one point of damage in a combat step can lose then the game. Watch, talk and analyze Magic Card Evaluation Tips Raphael waits for the whole set to come out before evaluating cards. Sealed & Draft Tips Experiment with Limited yourself. Draft lots of color combinations and you will get a feel for what works and what doesn't. Read, listen and watch others but always apply what you learn by drafting yourself. Raphael mentions his draft at GP Madison 2015.  What's In Your Bag Deck boxSleevesTokensDicePensPaperBanana - healthiest snack you can have (not too heavy and full of nutrients)Water Improvement Suggestions Limited: Buy 6-12 packs, mark the packs and then after you build your deck (draft, sealed, team) you can rebuild the packs, switch around the rares and then play again. To be a better Magic player you need to not play Magic. This will help you avoid burnout, avoid automatic plays and put yourself in a different mindset for tournaments. Don't play your cards as they come. Stop and think. Magic Resource TCG Player - Raphael's articles Connect With Raphael Twitter: @hahamoud Twitch: twitch.tv/raphaellevy  Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback.     Sponsors "There's no such thing as a difficult thing. It's either possible or impossible." ~Raphael Levy

Chester Swords has 1 Grand Prix Top 8 and has been to 4 Pro Tours! In addition to his Grand Prix Sydney Top 8 his notable achievements in Magic are winning a Japanese Pro Tour Qualifier in Chiba while being there on holiday and going 9-1 in constructed at Pro Tour Dragons of Tarkir! He lives in Sydney, Australia. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Chester Swords when he shared his story on MTG Pro Tutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep45 First Set Lorwyn Favorite Set Innistrad Favorite Card Cryptic Command What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The competitive aspect and friends you make along the way. Early Challenge Limited is Chester's weak point. Talking to those who are better has been Chester's best way to improve. Other than jamming a bunch of Limited games. Level Up Moment Shifting to Magic Online and primarily playing there. This lead to his first PTQ win in 2011. Proudest Magic Moment Making Top 8 at Grand Prix Sydney 2015. Best Format Constructed. Chester likes seeing your win rate go up as you practice with a certain deck (in Modern or Standard). When you're first learning a format, pick a deck and stick with it. After you have a feel for the format you can switch decks. How to Choose a Standard Deck Knowing your own play style is key to picking a deck. By playing Magic with different decks and against different decks you will learn what you like.  Build the popular version of that deck and then tweak it as you continue playing. Biggest Mistake Players Make Keeping really loose keeps is a big mistake players are making. Especially with the new mulligan rule players should be keeping a lot fewer hands than they are. You have to be familiar with your deck and the match up to make the optimal keep or mulligan decision. Don't show up unprepared. Take snacks and water and get sleep. Card Evaluation Tips Compare new cards to similar cards in older formats, then consider how good that card was in the old format and use it as a baseline for how good the new card is. Sealed & Draft Tips Sealed: Sort cards by color and then take out the unplayables. Next see which colors are playable by identifying if your pool can support a certain archetype. In Battle for Zendikar you want a fast or bomb-centric deck. Removal is key in any Limited format. Drafting: Look at content online before you dive in to a format. By having an idea of what the archetypes in a format are ahead of time you'll be better prepared to draft than if you just showed up and sat down. Read articles and watch videos. How to Effectively Play Test Drafting two or three times a day is how Chester prepares for a Limited Grand Prix. Then he will talk about his decisions with others. For a Constructed Grand Prix he will get in reps with his deck so he can identify lines of play and become more familiar with his deck. Improvement Suggestions The red deck of any given format is usually pretty good. Starting with that deck is a great place to start. Magic Resource Surround yourself with people who are better than you so you can improve. Channel Fireball Star City Games TCG Player Connect With Chester Twitter: @2Plowshares Facebook: Chester Swords Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback.  

  Alexander Hayne is a Magic: The Gathering Platinum Pro Player with 8 Grand Prix Top 8s including 4 Grand Prix wins! He is the Champion of Pro Tour Avacyn Restored and was the 2012 Rookie of the Year. He lives in Montreal, Canada. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Alexander Hayne when he shared his story on MTG Pro Tutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep43 First Set  Ravnica: City of Guilds Favorite Set  Ravnica: City of Guilds Favorite Card Sphinx's Revelation What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The challenge of perfecting your game and working on yourself. The game is always changing and keeps the experience fresh. Early Challenge Alexander thought he was better than he was when he first started but specifically struggled with combat. Having a plan, looking ahead and doing combat math is a crucial skill that every player needs to develop. Think ahead five turns and work backwards. Practice this to improve your mind for combat. Ask for advice from better players. Proudest Magic Moment Winning Pro Tour Avacyn Restored in Barcelona 2012. Favorite Format Cube Draft How to Choose a Standard Deck See what did well at the last tournament and assume people will being playing something that will beat that. Attack the meta from that angle. Biggest Mistake Players Make Playing by instinct too much. When a line of play presents itself many people react on auto pilot and make a good play when there is a better one available. Card Evaluation Tips Wait for the whole set to be released and look for interactions between new cards. Sealed & Draft Tips Try to stick to two colors in Sealed unless you have really good mana fixing. Look for solid power level cards and removal. At the beginning of a draft format feel free to take rares more often than you would later so you can test them and see what they have to offer in Limited. Draft cards that affect the board with a good curve, good removal and good tricks. Also, keep your eye out for card advantage as well. Improvement Suggestions Play with good people or watch people play. Drafting cube is an economical way to get experience. Be an aggressive trader. Read a lot of articles. Magic Resource Channel Fireball Star City Games Connect With Alexander Hayne Twitter: @InsayneHayne Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback. "A wizard who reads a thousand books is powerful. A wizard who memorizes a thousand books is insane." ~Battle of Wits

Lee Shi Tian has 5 Grand Prix Top 8s and is the Champion of Grand Prix Birmingham (2008) he has also made the Top 8 at 4 Pro Tours. He lives in, and joins us from, the tallest city in the world, Hong Kong, China. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Lee Shi Tian when he shared his story on MTG Pro Tutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep38 First Set Odessey Favorite Set Shards of Alara Favorite Card Vendilion Clique What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Shi Tian love that there are lots of interaction and synergy between cards and that the games is refreshed every time a set comes out. He also enjoys the people reading part of Magic too. Looking for tells when playing against an opponent is fun for him. Early Challenge Being a Professional gamer is not highly regarded in Hong Kong so Shi Tian was constantly asked "When are you going to get a real job?" from those around him. Until he made Platinum it was a constant challenge standing up to the pressures. Level Up Moment After Shi Tian's first Pro Tour Top 8 Wizards unbanned Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle which allowed Shi Tian to play the Scapeshift deck. Shi Tian also joined with Taiwanese player Kuo Tzu-Ching, who was on the winning team of first ever World Magic Cup, to form the team MTG Mint Card.  This period of his career was full of growth and level ups for him. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 at Pro Tour Honolulu. The Pro Tour was during a tumultuous time for Hong Kong and Lee Shi Tian was proud to bring attention to the issues his countrymen were facing. Best Format Draft & Modern How to Choose a Standard Deck Players at Grand Prix are much more diverse so Shi Tian plays the safest deck. The one with the best results. For Pro Tours he tries to surprise the field because the format is relatively undiscovered by that point. Biggest Mistake Players Make Limited: You should know your game plan and always track the game tempo. Know your role for the match up. Are you the aggro player or the player with inevitability? Card Evaluation Tips Review the spoiler several times and identify supported archetypes. Sealed & Draft Tips Evasion is Shi Tian's secret.  Get lots of cards with flying. Draft: Remember the 3 best cards in the pack. Do that with every pack to get a feel of what color people are in. To "read the draft" you should identify the best commons in each color. You see commons more and it's easier to pick up on what is open if you track the commons. Always draft a good curve. Team Building Teams are great because when you're going solo you don't have time to play every deck. Team mates help round out your knowledge. How to Effectively Play Test Know your meta game. What's going on locally and how can you beat it. As you scale up change your side board accordingly. Improvement Suggestions Watch videos online to pick up on the latest strategies. Read articles. Magic Resource MTG Mint Card Star City Games Channel Fireball Connect With Shi Tian Twitter: @leearson Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback.  

Joel Larsson keeps busy working as a Pro Magic player, writing articles, streaming and traveling. He has 3 Pro Tour top 16s, 1 Pro Tour win, 1 Pro Tour 2nd, 5 Grand Prix Top 8s, and many Grand Prix Top 16s. Joel has been the Swedish Captain 3 times and was on the Nationals Team under the old system. He is 23 years old and lives in Stockholm with his lady, Sandra.  Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Joel Larsson when he shared his story on MTG Pro Tutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep37 First Set   Saviours of Kamigawa Favorite Set   Time Spiral   Innistrad Favorite Card Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The social aspect kept Joel around in the early days but now it's the thrill of the competition. Early Challenge Joel had to get to the point where he could trust his gut about cards. He only got to that point by putting in a lot of time and playing on MTGO, testing decks and honing his skills. Level Up Moment Joel's breakthrough in Paris 2011 took him to the next level Proudest Magic Moment Winning Pro Tour Magic Origins Best Format Commander (1v1. Not multiplayer.) Tasigur, the Golden Fang is Joel's Commander. Check out Joel's article, Competitive EDH is Awesome, on MTG Mint Card. How to Choose a Standard Deck Joel follows the progression of the meta game and thinks about what will beat what just did well, and then plays a deck that beat that. Side boarding: Think of your deck as a 75 card deck. Then take out the 15 cards to be your side board. Biggest Mistake Players Make Grinding just to grind and losing the fun of Magic. Also, playing with the same people and not reaching out to play with people better than you. Card Evaluation Tips The first thing Joel does is compare new cards to cards that are already printed. For example, [card]Ruinous Path[/card] and [card]Heroes Downfall[/card]. Joel will also consider older cards that haven't seen much play and if they are relevant now that a new set is out. Sealed & Draft Tips Sealed: Joel looks for removal and what colors give him 14-16 creatures. Drafting: Draft a lot and form your own ideas about the format. This will help guide your draft. Focus on your curve and prioritize removal. Tournament Preparation Look at the last tournament in the format that you will be playing and look online for MTGO results and get a feel for the field. Then build a deck that beats those. Improvement Suggestions Proxying cards is a great way to inexpensively practice. Magic Resource MTG Mint Card Twitch.tv/JoelLarsson Connect With Joel Larsson Twitter: @JoelLarsson1991 Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback.

Ross Merriam is a writer for Starcitygames.com and is a Silver Level Pro with 2 Grand Prix Top 8s, 2 Star City Games Invitational Top 8s and 3 Star City Games Open Wins. Ross lives in Connecticut. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Ross Merriam when he shared his story on MTG Pro Tutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep36 First Set Odessey Favorite Set Time Spiral Favorite Card Vendilion Clique What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The competitive scene and the people. Being a rather competitive person Ross enjoys the challenge of tournaments and consistently placing in big events. He also appreciates that he's met so many cool people through Magic: The Gathering. Early Challenge Not understanding what cards were good in a competitive setting versus when playing with your friends at home was tough for Ross at first. People at his local game store took him under their wing and taught him the ropes. Level Up Moment The growth and changes he experienced at college greatly contributed to Ross' Magic abilities. Specifically he developed his analytical skills, communication skills and humility. Proudest Magic Moment Going 13-2 with an Elves deck at a Legacy Grand Prix in New Jersey. He navigated a field of decks that should have beaten Elves and got back on the Pro Tour. Favorite Format Pauper Cube How to Choose a Sideboard How your opponent plays is one of the least relevant factors when determining how to sideboard. Ross considers the match up and what their list looks like. Ross has an idea of 2-3 cards he will side board against each match up. Biggest Mistake Players Make Holding lands as a bluff. If you're holding a card in your hand for several turns your opponent will know it's nothing special. Balance the bluff with the benefit of having the card on the field. Card Evaluation Tips For a fall set that initiates a rotation, keep in mind the powerful shells from the previous format and rebuild your understanding from scratch. When evaluating a set that come out in the middle of a format, look for cards that push existing archetypes. Sealed & Draft Tips Sealed: Do cards have more tactical or strategic synergy? Look for cards that lead to an overall goal.Avoid even numbers in your mana base because it causes the most variance in your draws. Tournament Preparation Have friends with similar goals. If your friends want to get cards signed their focus is vastly different than if they want to make a run for day two of the GP. How to Effectively Play Test Always take time to decompress and talk about your play session at the end of the day. Discussion Improvement Suggestions Reading articles and talking about them with others is a great way to improve on a budget, as is watching coverage. Play test on cockatrice. Magic Resource Stat Trek Cockatrice Star City Games Paulo Vitor articles Reid Duke articles Luis Scott-Vargas articles Connect With Ross Merriam Twitter: @RossMBoss Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback.

Frank Karsten was inducted into the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Hall of Fame in 2009 after putting up impressive results and contributing greatly to the Magic community. He has 3 Pro Tour top 8s and 6 Grand Prix Top 8s! He is a writer for ChannelFireball, has a PhD in stochastic operations research and game theory and is a member of the EU Grand Prix coverage team. He lives in Eindhoven Netherlands. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Frank Karsten when he shared his story on MTG Pro Tutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep32 First Set  Tempest   Favorite Set  Kamigawa block (because the Kamigawa block constructed was great) Favorite Card Gifts Ungiven What makes Magic fun for you? Frank loves the creative and puzzle solving outlet Magic provides as well the opportunity to travel the world and make wonderful friends. Early Challenge Frank had to convince his parents and teachers as a 16 year old that going to his first Pro Tour in New York City was a good idea. He successfully did this. One year later, as a 17 year old, he was back in New York City on September 11, 2001! Thankfully he had a friend that he made through Magic that he could stay with as he waited for the airports to open again. Level Up Moment Grasping the concept of tempo opened Frank's mind to a new way of playing Magic. Tempo is using less mana than your opponent to affect the board. Killing a creature with a cheaper costing removal spell is a good tempo play. Damage clocks also plays into tempo. Proudest Magic Moment Being inducted into the Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame Best Format Block Constructed is a pet favorite of Frank's but today his best format is Limited. Current Standard Deck Aggro decks are Frank's go to as of late, but he started out as a control player. Biggest Mistake Players Make Too many players blame luck for their losses instead of considering their misplays. Also, too many players don't have a plan. They just make random plays. Frank has seen so many players build their deck with terrible mana bases. It's an easy fix. Talk to people better than you and browse the internet for good resources. Evaluation Tips Frank evaluates a new set once all of it has been released. He compares new cards to similar, base line cards from previous sets to see if they are good for Limited. Baseline: 2/2 creature for 2 mana; 3/2 or 2/3 creature for 3 mana; 4/3 or 3/4 creature for 4 mana. If stats are worse than this you should expect some kind of upside. If they fall short and don't have upside then the card is probably not good.Four mana or less removal spells are really good in Limited. Cards that cost 3 mana or less and lands see the most play in Constructed. Limited Tips Sealed: Two color decks do better in Sealed because you will have a more consistent mana curve. A good rule of thumb is to have four 2 drops, five 3 drops, three 4 drops, three 5 drops, 8 spells and 17 lands. Look for two colors that will get you close to this mix. Drafting: Frank developed the first pick order list and still makes one today for each new set. It serves as a starting guide line when he's drafting. Beginner Draft Tip: Pick you colors early and stick with those throughout the draft. Play Testing Communicate with teammates. Build in time for discussion so everyone can benefit and improve. Improvement To get better at Magic you should expect to invest some amount of Magic. Like tennis, where you need a racket to play, you have to have cards to play at a tournament. You can have a friend over and play online and then discuss the game so you can get better. Active discussion is key no matter what format you are studying. Interview Links Channel Fireball Draft Sim Magic: The Gathering Online (MTGO) Connect With Frank Twitter: @karsten_frank Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback.