Manuel Succari is from Panama but is currently living in Taiwan studying Japanese. He’s played for team Panama in two World Magic Cups and made top 8 of the most recent one. When his schedule and budget allow, he enjoys attending Grand Prixs and has a personal best record of 11-4.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Manuel Succari when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep161
8th Edition
Ravnica
Tarmogoyf
The competitive aspect of the game is very appealing.
Grand Prix Taipei 2016
Grand Prix Tokyo, Manuel flew to Tokyo, prepared a lot and didn't make day 2. He felt like quitting but his support system held him up and encouraged him to not give up.
Top 8 of World Magic cup 2016
Format
"You can do it."
Choosing the wrong deck of the sub-optimal choice. Plan the deck you know the best and feel most comfortable with.
Practice early and practice a lot. Test every Top deck from the Pro Tour and see which resonates with you.
Deck, Dice, Tokens
Play at least a match a day.
Ask a lot of questions and practice.
Have fun playing the game.
CFB, SCG, Twitch.tv(Paul Cheon/Kenji)
Twitter:@manugoyf
Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community.
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Rob Pisano was a finalist at Grand Prix Indianapolis and made top 8 at Grand Prix Denver. He’s a Silver level pro soon to be Gold.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Rob Pisano when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep160
Mirage
Khans of Tarkir
Jace, Vryn's prodigy
Rob loves the challenge of deck building and high-level play.
Learning how to lose. Be social at the table and you'll develop a good relationship with your opponent. This will help take the sting of losing.
David Williams
Second Pro Tour, Rob lost two win and ins to the top 8.
Qualifying for the Pro Tutor for the first time. Rob made top 4 of an RPTQ and was so excited.
Modern
Rob learned how persistent he can be.
Getting discouraged when odds are in your favor. Stay focused and keep your head in the game. Always ask "how can I win this?"
In modern, you need to ask "What's changed since the loss of big event?"
In Standard, you need to test a lot. It's tedious but the results will come.
Play Magic! Go to as many competitive events as possible.
Play Magic often. Leagues help.
Take loss as a challenge. Be friendly with everyone, Magic is the best game. If you're not having fun, make it fun. Innovate and come up with your own ideas.
Twitter:@Rob_Pisano
Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community.
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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
Invasion
M13
Birthing pod
Competition is key to having fun for Eric. The ability to progress is very appealing.
Sideboarding was tough at the beginning. By finding a deck, he would master helped him focus on improving his sideboarding skills.
Playing the same deck and going to competitive events regularly really added to Eric's skill.
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.
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.
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.
Limited
Grind booster drafts and sealed events on MTGO. Play pre-release. Have a draft camp weekend.
Have fun playing the games.
Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community.
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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
Portal 2nd Age
Zendikar
Counterspell
After a year or two, Magic went from a hobby to a competitive objective. He loves the competitive aspect.
Deck building is the most difficult aspect of Magic. That and dealing with uncertainty. When playing against an unknown, be more cautious.
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.
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).
Top 8 with team Ukraine in 2016 World Magic Cup.
Sergiy is easily discouraged and gets frustrated. But he learned that everything is possible.
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.
Time yourself making decks with a sealed pool.
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.
Sergiy can be found in the MTG Pro Tutor Facebook group
Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community.
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Petros Tziotis is a Greek Magic: The Gathering player who in his first year of playing won Nationals 2007. This year he came back to win the World Magic Cup with his teammates Bill, Panos and Nikos. Petros lives in Athens, Greece.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Petros Tziotis when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep157
9TH Edition
Innistrad
Bloodbraid Elf
Meeting lots of new friends and having the opportunity to connect with cool people.
Playing new decks was rough for Petros. He learned by watching other players.
When Petros started going to local stores and playing with good players he grew the most.
A PPTQ come to Greece during Scars of Mirrodin. He did 100 sealed events online. At the event, he went 0-2. He left without talking to anyone because he was upset. He learned that you have to accept the losses and understand that it's cyclical.
Winning world Magic Cup 2016 with his teammates.
Standard
Magic has similarities to fencing and Petros learned to love the mind games and bluff.
Players don't realize their mistakes. Too often players don't break down the game after and analyze what they could have done differently.
Play more and take advantage of opportunities that came by.
Find a deck that fits your style and play that a lot.
Regulate drafts. Keeps your Magic mind sharp.
Start slow but dream big. If you want to go big, find those better players.
Petros can be found in the MTG Pro Tutor Facebook group.
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
Peter Vieren played continually on the Pro Tour from 2010-11, then took (sort of) a break when he started working. He got back to the Pro Tour in 2015. He has two Magic Grand Prix top 8s (Lyon '10, Prague '15), 1 Pro Tour top 16 (Milwaukee '15) and is the captain of the 2016 Belgium World Magic Cup team which took second place. Peter lives in Leuven, Belgium.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Peter Vieren when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep156
Planeshift
Rise of the Eldrazi
Jace, The Mind Sculptor
Dig through Time
Peter played rogue decks "too much". However, he has learned from every deck his built.
Pro Tour Amsterdam; Peter played a Restore Balance deck and missed in day 2 by one match.
World Magic Cup 2016 - being in a great environment with a wonderful team.
Coming back to the game after a break showed Peter that being calm and not being whipped up in the results.
Draft, look for mana sinks in limited.
Peter has the ability to be very focused.
Side boarding is where many players stumble. With experience, you'll know your own deck and format better.
Water, Cards
Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa (past guest)
Balance is big. Don't be extreme in some cases and too soft in others. Questioning every decision you made gets you nowhere but not seeking advice is also flawed.
Twitter:@peter_vieren
Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community.
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Lauri Pispa has been playing Magic competitively for 2 years, which comes after a 10-year break from the game. In that time he played other games competitively and even opened a card shop one year ago named Sensei’s Divining Shop. He’s a member of the 2016 Finnish World Magic Cup team and lives in Tampere, Finland.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Lauri Pispa when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep155
Urza block
Prophecy, Innistrad
Tangle wire
Traveling is a lot of fun. Magic is a good excuse to get out and see the world.
Lauri wasn't good at taking criticism. He thought he knew it all. But as he lost at GP's he learned that he had a lot to learn. Now he embraces learning from others.
Pro Tour Madrid 2016, Lauri needed to win 2 of the last 4 games but didn't win a single one. He went out with the team deconstructed the event.
World Magic Cup Top 8 2016
When Lauri decided he was going to be competitive and when he recognized there is always a better player. He started reading and watching content.
Legacy and draft
Lauri has learned that he enjoys the deep thinking process.
Not being open to criticism. Players sometimes don't listen to others.
BBD- Brian Braun-Duin (Past guest)
Extra cards to build decks, Clothes
Be nice to everybody. Be nice to your opponents and be nice to yourself.
www.senseisdiviningshop.fi, MTGGoldfish, CFB, SCG
Twitter:@Telkku
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
Ryan Cubit made it to his first Pro Tour (PT Madrid) in early 2016 where he made day 2. He’s been playing on and off since 2000 and has won states and regionals as well as other low-level tournaments. He’s a member of the 2016 Australian World Magic Cup team who loves building new decks and tweaking current ones. Ryan lives in Melbourne, Australia.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Ryan Cubit when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep154
Mercadian Masques
Invasion
Goblin Guide
The good memories of his friends keeps Ryan involved.
Ryan loved 80 card decks. He struggled to cut his deck down to 60 cards. Resource management. Your life total is just a tool.
Soon after winning States, Ryan played an FNM and went 0-3 and then got a bye. He had never lost that badly. Ryan learned magic is a game that you win and lose.
Winning in the States in 2004. Crushing a pre-release in Austria while traveling with a friend.
Ryan started top 8'ing tournaments and other players noticed him.
How far your morals play into everything you do. In competitive events, there is always the ambition to win at any cost. Ryan has realized the importance of his values.
Players get in their own head. They let misplays and losses affect their next match.
Ryan played a lot of Leagues on Magic Online. He has a Restore Balance deck in that he's practiced with a lot.
Be yourself. Play and have fun.
SCG, SCG Premium, CFB, Gatherer
Twitter:@EgyptainCubit
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
Alex Kessler is the creator of the web show Top Decking, the previous host of Mad Magic, and the creator and host of the Masters of Modern Podcast. He’s a Founding member of the website www.Collected.Company, and is the President and game and toy designer of the KessCo toy and Game company. Alex lives in Santa Monica, California.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Alex Kessler when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep153
5TH Edition
Innistrad
Geist of Saint Traft
The content creation has been a large hook for Alex. He also loves the brewing side of magic as well. The creation is key.
Attack step. Alex is a more passive player and plays a deck that doesn't attack a lot.
Reading a draft and pick article in Zendikar block led to his first win.
Alex assumed he lost a game that he actually won. He didn't count the damage and scooped. His opponent lets him lose.
The first decent finish at an event. The positive response to Top Decking.
Modern
Alex is more competitive than he realized. He's also greatly improved his ability to learn.
The mana management. Tapping the wrong land, Keep your mana organized.
Learning the deck that he should play and sticking to it.
Buy fetch land.
Gideon Jura
Geist of Saint Traft
Always ask for help. Call a judge if you need to.
LSV(Luis Scott-Vargas), Patrick Chapin,Brian Kibler
Twitter:@mmcast
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
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
Eventide
Khans of Tarkir
Archangel Avacyn, Pyromancer Ascension
The challenge of stay focused and then the reward of winning.
Side boarding and multi-gaming in constructed.
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.
Shuffled in a card to his deck and lost because of game rule violations. Zach learned to slow down and clean up his play.
Grand Prix Providence, 5TH place
Westvale Abbey in W/U Flash
Noah Walker
Zach has learned that he likes to focus and he likes to compete.
People don’t break down why they lose. Think about what you could have done differently whether or not your opponent got lucky.
Zach made the decision to play whatever deck went 9-1 at the Pro Tour.
Deck box, Paper, Pencil, Water
Look back and evaluate each match and each game.
Twitter:@ZKiihne
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
Andreas Ganz has filled his life with many Magic-related activities. When he’s not playing Grand Prixs he works at a local Magic store, manages content for Blackborder.com and does some trading of his own. He has top 8ed 2 Grand Prixs and won 1! Andreas lives in Zurich, Switzerland.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Andreas Ganz when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep151
Ice Age
Mirrodin & Full block Ravnica
Polymorph
Magic is constantly evolving.
Andreas thought he had "figured it out". However, when he started playing against top players he realized how much he had to learn.
Playing for top 8 at GP Vienna, Andreas was playing mono black and made a terrible chump block that cost him the game.
Top 8ing a Grand Prix for the first time. (Charlotte 2016)
Andreas learned that if you don't give up you can achieve your goals.
Players get to a point where they think they are good when they still have much to learn.
You should always try to learn from others.
Read content about what's going on in your format. Remember that people want to play new cards and try what's popular. Choose the deck that is well positioned based on that knowledge.
Kai Budde, Ben Stark
Be patient. Results will come as you focus on your game.
All the modules
Enjoy the game. If you don't, take a break.
MTG Goldfish
Cockatrice
Twitter: @Pfluegmeischter
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
Alex Mitas is a college student from Albuquerque, NM, and an up-and-coming Magic player with a penchant for playing control decks, experience on the pro tour and, most recently, a grand prix top 8 competitor.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Alex Mitas when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep150
Lorwyn
Lorwyn, Innistrad
Sphinx's Revelation
Flavor, story, art, but above all - the competition.
Alex played too impulsively.
Discovering Twich.tv and watching videos of other Magic players.
At Grand Prix San Antonio years ago, Alex went 0-3 and dropped. He felt awful because he had drove a long way, spent money on the event and practiced really hard. He learned to be more open-minded about his mistakes.
First time Alex qualified for the Pro Tour. Alex felt like it was all worth it.
Alex has learned he has a capacity for patience.
Mulligan decisions. Newbies don't mulligan enough. More advanced players (on the cusp of being really good) mulligan too much.
"Sit down and do the work." Get a team together.
Andrew Cuneo
Play Magic because it's fun. Not for the sunk costs.
"Be more open-minded."
Limited
Panharmonicon
Keep almost every hand with 2-5 lands.
ChannelFireball
StarCityGames
Twitch.tv
Alex can be found in the MTG Pro Tutor Facebook group.
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
Jason Preston is the co-founder of Dent, a conference and a community of entrepreneurially minded creatives who seek to put a dent in the universe through great leadership and personal mastery. He's known as "Spade" in Counter-Strike, and recently picked up Magic. Jason lives in Seattle WA with his wife and two kids.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Jason Preston when he shared his story on MTG Pro Tutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep149
Revised
Kaladesh
Thing In The Ice
There is a difference between having a set mindset and having a growth mindset. With a growth mindset you can unlock certain aspects of yourself that were previously thought to be written in the genetic code.
The best way to improve. It most be specific, measurable and real time.
Just like we have to evaluate the value of cards and decide which ones stays in our deck and which ones go, we likewise exercise this skill in the workplace when deciding what aspects of our culture or which team members stay or get cut.
Diagnose the system, come up with interventions (experiments to try), implement, check results, repeat.
There is formal authority and informal authority. Who says what and who jumps because of it.
Twitter: @jasonp
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.
Joey Manner is the owner of The Only Game In Town and has been on and off the Pro tour. He recently took a hiatus from Magic to focus on the shop but with the help of some very talented players he managed to top 8 Pro Tour Kaladesh with a deck no one saw coming (Blue White flash). Joey lives in New Jersey.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Joey Manner when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep148
Shards of Alara / Zendikar
Khans of Tarkir
Gideon Jura
Joey loves gaming and Magic just clicked.
Joey identified himself as a control player and really struggled with combat math. He forced himself to play creature-based decks.
Joey was playing Magic Mon-Fri and on Sat and Sunday he was going to PTQS and competing at top events.
Losing in top 4 of first PTQ. (In the day when only first place got the invite.)
Top 8 at Pro Tour Kaladesh
Standard
I've learned how to make friends.
Not mulliganing aggressively enough.
Play more magic. Don't show up unprepared.
Deck building skills - specifically mana bases.
Bruna and Gisela
Deck box, Deck, Paper
Christian Calcano
Magic Online Beta Client
The Only Game In Town
MTG The Source
MTGCoverage
Get your reps in Play Magic to get better at Magic.
Twitter: @togitnj
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
Gabrielius Kaklauskas has been honing his craft and can claim 2 World Magic Cup appearances and 1 Pro Tour appearance as well as making day 2 for the first time at GP Warsaw 2016 where he walked away the Champion! Gabrielius lives in Lithuania.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Gabrielius Kaklauskas when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep147
Champions of Kamigawa
The are all so unique
Spell Queller
The competitive natural. Less time to get really good
Speed. Gabrielius played too fast early on. By playing more Gabrielius become more familiar with lines of play.
Owen Turtenwald
Odin
Going to a World Magic Cup with high expectations. He did well before and was not focused on the current match.
Grand Prix Warsaw 2016
Draft
Just play and have fun. Remove all expectations.
Not reading the cards. Players assume they know and scan over important details. Make sure you read the cards and know what they do.
Asking players how to sideboard against them.
Focus. Stay hydrated.
Book, Dice, Deck
Buy some Tarmogoyf. Keep reading, keep playing.
Determine how much you can spend and decide the format.
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
Christian Cespedes is a Chilean Magic: The Gathering player. He's the 2010 Chilean National Champion and made top 8 at Grand Prix Santiago 2016. Hes an avid Magic Online grinder and lives in Via Del Mar, Chile.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Christian Cespedes when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep146
Champions of Kamigawa
Time Spiral
Polymorph
Learning the rules. Christian overcome this by playing a lot and making a lot of mistakes.
Featured match at a Grand Prix. Playing a top 8 win-and-in. Christian felt the pressure and made mistakes. He lost.
2010 Chilean National Champion
Limited
Patience. Learning how to be patient.
Tapping mana wrong. Information is a gift. Guard it.
Took 2 vacation days and played Leagues on Magic Online.
Working on improving Pro Tour record.
Gearseeker Serpent
Stick to two colors.
Dice, Paper, Pen
Read something about magic.
Learn English
Be careful with trading. Learn how to play first.
Enjoy the game and have fun.
Twitter: @capitano_cl
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
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). Hes 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
Mirrodin Besieged
Innistrad / Theros
Kitchen Finks
The people make Magic what it is. Going on trips with friends is the best.
Planning the first three turns of the game. "Mana efficiency is the most important part of Magic."
Going through a tournament Ian felt like he was seeing lanes that he hadn't seen before.
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.
GP Charlotte - 2015 - Modern; Playing Abzan Company. Ian made it to the Pro Tour for the first time.
"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.
Poor sequencing is a problem for many players. Also, going into auto pilot.
Understand your range in Magic. Don't play decks that don't resonate with you. Practice consistently. Try different decks. Build on past experiences.
Owen Turtenwald, Reid Duke, Andrew Tenjum
Players think they are above a deck. This limits your range and growth potential.
Twitter: @Bozzles
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
Ricky Chin played in his first Grand Prix and Pro Tour Qualifier at the end of 2014. Since then, he has qualified for his first Pro Tour, which he also top8'd. Hes a Gold level pro and a proud member of Team East West Bowl. Ricky lives in Quebec.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Ricky Chin when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep144
Prophecy
Mirrodin
Arcbound Ravager
Friends make Magic fun for Ricky
Learning to play around cards. Thinking about what cards your opponent could have and how your deck interacts with that deck. Play games and take notes while you play.
Ricky always felt he was good at the game and by consistently playing his improved.
Losing a lot at PT Madrid 2016 was super rough. Ricky didn't make day 2. He made a mistake and lost a game. He learned to focus on this game right now. He thought too far ahead and lost because he wasn't focused.
Top 8 at his first Pro Tour. (Milwaukee 2015)
Modern or Limited
"with time and practice I can do anything."
Playing too fast. Oftentimes, players don't think and rush through a turn without considering life totals, graveyards, board state etc. .
"The way I approach a tournament. I need to work on staying in the zone."
Ricky asks himself questions to refocus on the game.
Start being competitive sooner and buy a lot of Underground Sea
Find a deck you like and play a lot with.
Cards, clothes, playmat, laptop
Play a little everyday.
MTGO and friends
Play Magic and enjoy your time.
Twitter: @Slithice87
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
Marcus Hensing is an up and coming Magic star from Copenhagen, Denmark who has recently made his first Grand Prix top 8 in London 2016.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Marcus Hensing when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep143
4th Edition
Innistrad
Gifts Ungiven
Hunt the Weak
"I'm a red mage at heart and I like attacking." Marcus had to learn that even though he wanted to attack, some times he had to take the defensive side. Learning to switch between aggressor and defense is an early skill Marcus worked on.
During the return to Ravnica block era, Marcus had two enchantments to deal with a lethal creature. However, he made a mistake by missing a key card in the graveyard.
In the middle of a tournament, don't go on tilt. After the tournament consider the mistake and what caused it. Did you not fully consider the board state or failed to track information? Look for general lessons.
At his first Gran Prix Marcus built a WG deck with no removal spells. He could have splashed a removal in his pool but didn't consider it. Marcus learned to take another look at his pool before submitting to see if there are cards (like removal) that are worth splashing.
Top 8 of Grand Prix London 2016
Marcus learned critical decision making, when to trust his instincts and when to think things through.
Attacking without having a proper game plan.
Focus on combat
Limited Resources
Next Level Podcast
Have a game plan. Why are you making that play ?
Twitter: @Lobster667
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
Peer Richelsen is a long time Legacy player and the principal organizer of the Bordifies Eternal Series. He is also the founder of Bordifies.com, a premium perfect-fit sleeve with solid borders for customizing and unifying magic cards. Peer lives in Kiel Germany.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Peer Richelsen when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep142
New Phyrexia
Khans of Tarkir/Innistrad
Knight of the Reliquary
Peer is very creative and likes to challenge himself to innovate. He loves customizing and building decks.
Calculating outs. Peer had to shift his thinking to "How do I win in the next three turns?"
Lost to Triskaidekaphobia in Legacy. Peer's opponent had a surprise card that he lost too and it felt bad losing to a "goofy" card.
Danish Legacy Masters - Peer made top 4. He fought through an opponent who cast 3 Liliana of the Veil. It was rough but Peer did it and felt he leveled up and played above his level.
Consistency wins the most, so find a deck with a lot of tutors or a deck with very similar cards.
Peer increased his competitiveness and developed a desire to push his boundaries and improve.
Not knowing your role. Players misread the board.
You grow into the entrepreneurial spirit. If you have an idea just try it out. You'll learn a lot.
Twitter: @Peer_Rich
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
Cash Turner has been playing Magic off and on for twenty years. He made Top 16 at Grand Prix Las Vegas in 2015 and Top 8 at Grand Prix Atlanta. Hes just a back room scallywag of ChannelFireball with a squad of ChannelFireball locals who have the heart and grit but not the spotlight. Hes blessed to be surrounded by low tier secret gods.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Cash Turner when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep141
Mirage
Return to Ravnica
Fireblast
Bastion Mastodon
Cash was very opinionated and arrogant. He recognizes now that he didn't learn all he could.
Cash made a terrible attack against Ben Stark at GP Vegas 2015 and missed making Top 8. Learn to focus on what's important. Don't get distracted by big creatures or planeswalkers.
Through clever body language Cash defeated an opponent at GP Albuquerque when he had an inferior deck.
Limited - Sealed
Always wanted to figure out life. Magic has taught Cash about who he could be and how he doesn't want to be. He never wants to be a angry jerk.
Play the game how you want to play. Don't copy the styles of others.
Memorize draft picks.
Rejecting the modern draw of constant entertainment. You can't get grit w/o a little bit of boring along the way.
Everything is in the fringes. Be polite.
Paul Cheon
Cash's Squad
Cash plays a lot and doesn't read as much.
Follow Greg Hatch
Twitter:@PontifX
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
Thien Nguyen is a 26 year old engineer living Boston. Hes known as a Titanshift Innovator and has made top 8 at GP Pittsburgh 2015 and GP Atlanta 2016. Hes a Silver Level Pro looking to move on up.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Thien Nguyen when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep140
7th Edition
Eldritch Moon
Primeval Titan
Thien struggled with feeling intimidated. He started looking at better players like Ari Lax and getting feedback from them.
1st Limited PTQ. Thien was very arrogant. He felt he played very well and got to the point where he felt like he deserved to win. He made it to the finals and lost game one. In game 2 his opponent missed triggers and got a game loss. In game 3 the wheels come off and Thien lost hard. He was very down but through reflection he realized he wasn't ready for the Pro Tour.
GP Pittsburgh - Playing against Willy Edel.
Thien's luck turned and he was able to make top 8.
Thien learned he wants to be as happy as possible in life and Magic brings him a lot of joy.
During combat the most mistakes are made. People make attacks they really shouldn't and Thien will quadruple block to catch them off guard.
For sealed events, play as many pre releases as possible. Memorize combat tricks, know which cords are "may" and which ones you have to execute.
Friends in Magic are invaluable. Bouncing ideas of others is critical.
Friends
MTGO
Twitter: @thinenagooyen
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
Ben Rubin is a Pro Tour old timer who started when he was 15 yrs old. He has 4 Pro Tour top 8s, about 8 Grand Prix top 8s, and has won 2 masters. Hes a member of the Hall of Fame and got there by winning and losing a lot of matches.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Ben Rubin when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep139
Revised
Mirrodin Block
Traverse the Ulvenwald
Network with really smart people.
Really wanted to break the format and wouldn't listen to others input.
In High School, Ben was very strong relative to the field.
William Jensen
Jon Finkel
Patrick Chapin
Playing in a Masters competition. Normally Ben left basic mana up to play around wasteland. Ben drew a Pyroblast and couldn't play it because of his hobbit.
Very proud of team at Grand Prix Louisville. Accomplishing something great with a team is great.
Doesn't have one but enjoys toning decks.
Play a lot of Magic.
Ben has an affinity for competition.
Not having a long view. People get so hurry up on this game instead of understanding the overall picture.
Building pools leading up to a team sealed event and really discussing choices.
Getting into the new method of preparation.
Reviewing deck lists
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
Brandon Pascal is a professional Magic: the Gathering grinder who has qualified for the Pro Tour three different ways! He won a Regional PTQ for Pro Tour Atlanta, a MTGO PTQ for Pro Tour Sydney and top 8'ed Grand Prix Indy for Pro Tour Hawaii.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Brandon Pascal when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep138
Kamigawa
Scars of Mirrodin
Blade Splicer
The competition and the people.
Changing deck types. Brandon was set on his elf deck but eventually had to move on.
Last year (2015). Brandon gained a new perspective.
SCG Event. Brandon was one round off of making top 8. In game 3, Brandon misplayed and lost his win and in. He realized his mistake as soon as he passed the tournament.Brandon learned to slow down and think through plays.
Regional PTQ. Brandon traveled over an hour for a PPTQ. He barely squeaks a win in the final. Then he drove 4 hours for the RPTQ.
Kevin Jones
Tapping mana wrong.
Magic back pack, binder, decks, spare cards
Don't let price scare you. Trade with people.
Twitch
"When you watch magic you learn so much more."
CFB
Gathering Magic
SCG
Twitter: @bmppwns
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
Matt Sperling has 6 Grand Prix top 8s and 2 Pro Tour top 8s. He writes a regular column called Sperling's Sick of It and tries to play to win without taking himself too seriously. He considers himself a hobbyist, not a professional, but feels that playing on the Pro Tour is just the best experience available. Matt lives in the Bay Area of Northern California.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Matt Sperling when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep137
Legends
Zendikar
Preacher
The friends Matt had made is more important than the game now.
"I only play Grand Prix and Pro Tours." You have to devout time to the aspects of your life at the appropriate time.
Getting attached to one deck. If you can only play one style of deck, look for opportunities to learn.
"Empathy = Thinking about things from both sides of the table"
Most recent Pro Tour, Matt was Platinum level but hadn't done well and was shooting for Gold . He missed it by one game.
1st Pro Tour Top 8
Impulse control. Playing fast and making the first good play that comes to mind helped Matt develop intuition. However, Matt has learned to think of other good plays. Not just the 1st one.
Being afraid to make obvious attacks or blocks.
Follow the intuition of "this card feels really powerful" and "I feel helpless against this card."
Constantly working on impulse control.
Look for energizing relationships and deck/strategies
To produce content for Magic, find something you can be proud of.
CFB
SCG
TCG Player
Playing w/ friends in similar level
Twitter: @mtg_law_etc
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
Immanuel Gerschenson is 23 years old and is studying technical physiques. He has 2 Grand Prix wins and 1 Pro Tour Top 16. Hes made Gold level Pro for the second season in a row and is a member of team EUreka.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Immanuel Gerschenson when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep136
Kamigawa
Innistrad
Jace Beleren
Traveling around the world with friends.
Constructed. Early on Immanuel was not good at building decks, but the events he wanted to attend were constructed so he had to practice.
Going from Silver to Gold level pro at Pro Tour Vancouver
GP Ghent went 0-2-1 and dropped. He stopped playing for a few months. Good friends got him to comeback
GP Madrid - first Grand Prix win
PT Eldritch Moon - needed 11-5 to stay on the train. Immanuel got 11-4-1.
Watch others play and keep track of hard to deal with cards so you can develop a plan.
Standard
Nahiri The Harbinger
Not to get as down or angry after a loss. It comes with time and by emulating players you respect.
Players stay in their own playground. Go to events and play with others.
Look up to other players and learn.
Water, Apples, Deck, Note Pad, Pen, Dice
Socialize and make friends. Magic is best when shared with others.
SCG
CFB
MTG Mint Card
MTG Salvation
MTG Goldfish
Twitter: @igerschenson
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
Chris Botelho is a relatively new player who started playing in Fate Reforged. Grand Prix Portland was his first Standard GP (second GP ever) and his only Top 8. He works at CCGHouse, and goes to sleep each night a little bit better at Magic than when I woke up. Chris lives in Vancouver Washington.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Chris Botelho when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep135
Fate Reforged
Dragons of Tarkir
Demonic Pact
Make Mischief
Connecting with new people face to face.
Playing creatures in Main I instead of saving mana for combat.
When Magic Origins launched, Chris used a sealed pool generator to practice building decks. He was able to translate which cards were good from sealed to draft. Also, when Chris was testing for GP Portland. He loved his deck and practicing it was fun.
Caleb Durward
Chris had two chances to make day 2 of his first Grand Prix and missed both. Play around cards not effects.
Top 8 at GP Portland
Draft
Getting your ego wrapped into the game. Look at every game and say "I know I made a mistake , what was it and how can I learn. "
Sorting commons every set
Evaluate how your deck is going to win.
Love Magic. The more you love it the more you'll practice.
r/spikes
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
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
Alara
khans of Tarkir
Bloodbraid Elf
Player base is great. People are competitive but still nice.
The Stack. Ryan was not good at it early on.
After Khans came out Ryan hit events hard. By consistently playing at a high level Ryan got experience.
Owen Turtenwald
At GP Toronto Ryan made a huge misplay. He assigned 1 damage to tokens when his opponent had a Gideon Emblem.
Top 8 at GP Indianapolis
Steppe Lynx
"How are you going to win this game."
Learning different formats has helped Ryan read his opponents better.
Over side boarding
Choose a deck and play against the gauntlet starting a month.
Deck Box, Pad, Deck
Use same water bottle, make list
Learn the stack. Know when you can respond and what you should respond to. Learn the removal of the format.
Play whatever is most fun for you. Just have fun.
Focus on your own mistakes.
Twitter: @RyanSolave
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
Ethan Brown is 13 years old and loves to play Magic! Since he started playing almost 4 years ago, he has competed in 7 Grand Prixs, made day 2 in 4 of them and top 8 in one. His favorite formats are modern, legacy and pauper. Ethan lives in Portland.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Ethan Brown when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep133
Return to Ravnica
Theros and Time Spiral
Olivia Voldaren
Rune Snag
Selesnya Conclave
Like complicated mind games.
Deck building and drafting.
Solution: Listened to Limited Resources podcast.
During Theros, Ethan grew a lot as a player.
Paul Cheon
Playing against Splinter Twin. Ethan forgot to sideboard.
Grand Prix Los Angeles 2nd place. Started a journal to track sideboards.
Play often and after every game ask opponent what's the best sideboard choices.
Bad at constructed deck building. Practicing by building proper deck.
Modern and Legacy
"I'm a very fast player." Slow night.
Don't be afraid to go to tournaments.
Not asking for help from others.
Decks, Sideboard guide, KMC Sleeves, Playmat
Play Magic daily, consume Magic content.
Get into modern.
Have a sideboard plan.
MTG Goldfish
Limited Resources
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
Felix Tse made top 4 at Grand Prix Montreal 2016 and live in Cananda.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Felix Tse when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep132
Facebook: Felix Tse
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
Thierry Ramboa started playing magic 12 years ago but wasnt able to travel or play competitively until April 2015. He reached Silver level pro status in 2015 and has attended every European GP's since then. He Top 8d Grand Prix Sydney.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Thierry Ramboa when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep131
5th Dawn
Ravnica City of Guilds (Izzet)
Always felt he was unlucky. Thinking through the situation and realizing that if the same thing happens it's not luck.
Came back after a break and did so poorly he thought magic wasn't for him. Friends helped him get through it.
Top 8 of Grand Prix Sydney. Just focus on the match.
Standard - Look at best decks in the format. Use MTG Goldfish and pick a deck that can beat the top 3.
Tone down his over confidence.
Focus on limited and brewing. Run small tournaments within the Team and see results of each deck.
Being over confident. Think "How can I lose" and plan accordingly.
Played 2-4 drafts a day for the week.
Talking with others about magic. You get new ideas
Deck Box, deck, water, pen, dice
Borrow cards from other players. Use proxies (not in tournaments)
Never forget why you started playing.
MTG Top 8
MTG Goldfish
CFB
MTG Mintcard
Twitter: @El_Gran_Boa
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
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
4th Edition
Coldsnap (Draft) / Champions of Kamigawa
Island
Mana Drain
Master of Waves
Woodland Bellower
Gilt-Leaf Winnower
Oliver has made great friends playing Magic.
By understanding variance always happens it will even out the highs and lows
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.
The year Oli qualified for 3 of 7 Pro Tours is when he realized he had leveled up.
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".
Making Platinum at Pro Tour Eldritch Moon.
Standard
Oli learned about the world by traveling with Magic.
Players don't Sideboard correctly and they don't seek advice as much as they should. People feel they know it better.
Make Pro Tour Top 8.
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.
"Pick up Power cards and dual lands."
Enjoy the game, Make friends.
CFB
Hareruya
Twitter: @polakrottmann
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
Robert Santana is an up and coming star who made top 16 at the Star City Games Open in Las Vegas in 2014 and is the Grand Prix Portland 2016 Champion.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Robert Santana when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep129
Lorwyn
Worldwake
Primeval Titan and Ishkanah
Call the Bloodline
The competitive scene drew him in.
Creature combat. Robert played more control decks to get around not playing creatures.
SCG Las Vegas 2014. Robert dropped from the Invitational and joined the open. Playing win and in for top 8. Robert played against Steve Robin and got demolished. This led Robert to really doubt his ability to play. He forced himself and asked "is this something I really want to do ?". Once he committed he went all in.
Champion of GP Portland 2016.
Started attending a competitive FNM. Associating with better players really helped.
Robert felt like he hit a wall. Tournament result were stagnant. Connecting with other players is key to his success.
Players have deck ADD. Stick to a certain deck and get to know it really well.
Find a group of like minded individuals. Build the gauntlet and attend PTQs and GPQs together.
Clothes and Magic Cards
Hard work
Get on MTGO ; Reach out to players, connect and ask for advice.
Brian Kibler
Go to LGS and get Intro decks, augment those and more up.
MTGO
Cockatrice
SCG Premium
CFB
r/spikes
Twitter: @itsRobbSon
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
Travis Woo is a strong Magic personality who has made Top 8 of a Grand Prix 3 times from the 12 he's attended. He also developed a decklist that made it to the top 8 of a Pro Tour. He runs the Magic For Good Facebook group and more of his content can be found on his YouTube channel, youtube.com/traviswizard. Travis lives in Humble, California.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Travis Woo when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep128
The Dark
Shambling Vent
"I'm invested in it. It's a vehicle to share energy with people"
Mulliganing. The new mulligan rule really helps.
Deck building. Travis built a lot of decks on his own to overcome his lack of confidence.
Kai Budde, Jon Finkel, Patrick Chapin, LSV, Ben Stark, Mike Flores
Letting the community down. Driving far and doing poorly.
Hearing community members say he's made a difference in their life.
Top 8 Grand Pix Oakland 2013 with his brother.
Sealed
"I'm constantly evolving"
People not preparing the right way. Many players will play and learn nothing.
Not having a Pro Team. Need to network to overcome this.
Bike ride, record videos, risk life (surfing), eat good food
Travis was involved in a private Magic coaching group. He was helping others prepare for their events and absorbed an understanding of the format. Have a plan to win. The brain is most alert on an empty stomach.
Win the next game. Take one game at a time.
Next Level Deck Building
Travis Woo's book
Seek out players doing well in the format you want to play.
Magic For Good Facebook Group.
Twitter: @traviswizard
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
Saul Alvarado has 2 Grand Prix top 8s: one at Grand Prix Los Angeles in 2009 and the other at Grand Prix Costa Rica in 2016. He's a 2 time National Champion and has been part of several National Teams. Right now he's focused on achieving his degree in Psychology, but is always making room for some Magical trips! Saul live in Panama City, Panama.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Saul Alvarado when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep127
Tempest
Newest Set
Mirrodin
Vendilion Clique
Eldritch
Saul loved the the competitive aspect of Magic.
Focuses a lot on Constructed and leaves Limited for last.
Before GP LA Saul was talking to Pros and asking questions.
Consistently playing tournaments. Guillaume Wafo-Tapa
Pro Tutor Honolulu: Night before the tournament Saul changed his deck the night before. He lost pretty bad.
Learned: Never change deck the night before.
Pro Tutor Sydney: Showed up unprepared. Next time he'll make the time to prepare.
Making Top 8 twice. Saul likes that he has inspired other players from his local area to do well.
Standard
"How competitive I can be"
Players don't know how to mulligan or sideboard properly. Have a sideboard plan.
Play on MTGO and get serious about 1 month before the tournament.
Camera and Deck
Practice a lot. Play as much as you can.
MTG Top 8 (Latest Decks)
Facebook: Saul Alvarado
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
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
Zendikar
Innistrad
Capsize
The strategy and brain exercise.
Deck building. Mono curves weren't at the top of Erik's mind.
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.
Top 8 at GP Los Angeles, hearing his name over the speakers felt amazing. It was very validating.
Legacy
Play a deck with Force of Will. Ask to read you opponents card. If you don't understand it, counter it.
Erik chose his deck early, a few months in advance.
Clothes, Deck Box + Deck, Extra Cards, Toothbrush, Trail Mix Legion
Never be afraid to make mistakes and look foolish. Don't let your dreams be dreams.
Playing Music.
Reid Duke
Twitter: @platypusisland
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
Robert Lombardi has a Degree in Mechatronics Engineering, he's married and has a 6 month old son. He has been playing Magic since Visions, took a break in Odyssey and got back in during Zendikar. He's the Champion of Grand Prix Toronto and made Top 8 of Grand Prix Montreal. He's much better at Limited than Constructed and is actively trying to be less hyperbolic.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Robert Lombardi when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep125
4th Edition
Khans of Tarkir
Lightning Bolt
Deck building
Losing to an "unplayable" card. Sub per cards when used correctly have a place. Expand your range.
Winning GP Toronto.
Don't get out of the game. Go straight to university.
He was a poor looser.
Restricting themselves to archetypes in draft. You need to be able to draft a good deck regardless of what you open.
A lot of free time leading up to the Grand Prix. 6 hours a day playing against the best decks (the gauntlet).
Draft daily.
John Buden, Patrick Chapin
Binder of Rares, Dragon Shield Sleeves, 10 of each land
Consume, content; articles, streams/videos; more friends & share cards. Focus on learning instead of winning during play testing. Treat your opponent with more respect.
LSV, Patrick Chapin, Huey, Owen, Reid Duke
Twitter: @RobertLombardi0
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
Philippe Gareau has been playing Magic: The Gathering for 18 years and made his first Grand Prix top 8 at GP Montreal which qualified him for Pro Tour Kaladesh in Hawaii. Philippe lives in Quebec City, Canada.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Philippe Gareau when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep124
Tempest / Stronghold
Time Spiral
Life from the Loam
Learning the stack. Understanding the stack helped Philippe get to the competitive level.
GP Ottowa 2014 - Khans Limited - Philippe had multiple Secret Plans in play with a mandatory draw clause. He was disqualified because he missed the draw trigger.
Top 8 at GP Montreal 2016 and qualifying for the Pro Tour.
Cube
Players don't trust in their own instincts. Too many players copy the 75 cards of an online deck. To get ahead, look at the strategies and tweak to address them.
Golgari
Talking with people about cards and match ups.
Try to play for a limited time. Never be afraid to experiment. The best way to win at Magic is to lose at Magic.
Find Philippe on Facebook
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
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
Ice Age
New Phyrexia
Island/ Oath of Druids/ Tropical Island
The challenge of Magic drew Jonathan in at the beginning. All these years later the game is still challenging.
Learning when/how to attack. As a control player attacking didn't come easy to Jonathan. Playing a lot of limited helped him learn.
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.
National Top 8 in 2011 (first major top 8) made Jonathan realize he could do it.
Be positive. No matter what. Jonathan struggles with this sometimes but knows how important it is.
Not communicating well during a game. If you communicate well the entire game then mistakes come across as honest instead of cheating.
Neuroscience articles help Jonathan improve his focus.
Have fun.
Twitter: @InsideMTG
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
Andrew Sullano is a Pro Tour veteran who has attended Pro Tour Avacyn Restored, Return to Ravnica, and Oath of the Gatewatch. He made top 4 at Grand Prix Oklahoma City. Andrew lives in Dallas, Texas.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Andrew Sullano when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep122
Betrayers of Kamigawa
Shadowmoor
Wild Nactl
At first, Andrew liked the lore. Then, because when he gets into things he like to do them well, he started getting more competitive. Now, Magic is a social component of his life and he likes the people he can surround himself with when he plays.
Andrew lost a lot during team drafts when he started and while this was disheartening he learned to ask for help. By getting guidance from better players he slowly improved his win percentage.
At Grand Prix Pittsburgh Andrew was salty most the day because he needed 2 points to get Silver level as a pro player and even after two byes he found himself 6-3. His core group wasn't with him on this trip so things just seemed bad. Thankfully, another friend scooped to him and he was able to carry on but Andrew learned that the people you surround yourself with are very important.
Making top 4 at GP Oklahoma City.
Players are quick to clean up and move to the next game after losing. Andrew takes his time and reviews the entire game in his head (especially if he lost). He will analyze hands, land drops and spell sequencing to see what he could have done better.
Exercise
Deck
Clothes
Toiletries
Draft at least once a week (if you're new to the game).
Set a long-term goal (like making Day 2 or Top 8 of a Grand Prix) and then actively work towards it.
MTG Top 8
Friends
Twitter: @panicking92
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
Matteo Moure has been playing Magic since he was 12 and has only been playing competitively for about one year. He made the finals at both Grand Prix London 2015 and Grand Prix Stockholm 2016. In addition to a few other minor Grand Prix placings he placed in the money at Pro Tour Milwaukee. Matteo lives in Rome, Italy.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Matteo Moure when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep121
Odyssey
Onslaught
Jace, The Mind Sculptor
A lot of friends play and Matteo gets to travel.
Matteo had to stop playing Magic for a while due to work and this was his worst moment with the game.
Top 8 at Grand Prix London
Limited
Matteo learned how much of a social animal he is. He loves having fun with friends and Magic gives him that opportunity. (Futbol does as well.)
Players underestimate their opponent too often.
Players also play their resources too early in the game and don't have answers to real problems later on.
Draft when you can and trade your cards for what you need.
FB: Matteo Moure
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
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
Return to Ravnica
(Matt would be in the Gruul Guild)
Gatecrash / Khans of Tarkir
Domri Rade
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."
Standard
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.
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.
Play 10 games of each match up.
Borrow cards and build budget decks.
Always ask for advice.
Sports help build drive.
Being a skiing instructor taught Matt to ask for advice.
MTGO Decklists
Seth Manfield videos and articles
Twitter: @MattTumavitch13
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
Luis Salvatto has 1 Super Sunday Series win, 1 Grand Prix top 8 and 1 Pro tour top 8.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Luis Salvatto when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep119
Invasion
Morningtide
Reveillark
Luis played all kinds of games and saw that Magic had infinite possibilities. Now he loves to draft and play constructed. Just trying all the formats is exciting to him.
Losing a lot of win-and-ins to the top 8 was hard early in Luis' career. To overcome that and finally make it into the top 8 he focused on minimizing mistakes. Don't justify mistakes, address them head on and admit that you are the problem.
Luis was motivated by seeing a team he wanted to join and learn from.
Thiago Saporito
Willy Edel
Under the old PTQ system, Luis reached the finals and lost. Then he reached another final and lost again by making a huge mistake.
He learned that he is a good player and you have to stay prepared so when luck strikes you can seize it.
Making top 32 of his first Grand Prix.
Winning a Super Sunday Series.
Making it to the Super Sunday Series final.
Making Top 8 of a Pro Tour.
Draft
Luis learned how to lose. When you lose to someone you think is worse than you, you learn a lot about yourself.
"If you play angry or you play sad, you don't play your best game."
Not seeing the game unfolding. Not having a plan. You should always be able to answer, "How are you going to win this game?"
Find a good deck and play it a bunch.
Start with a cheap deck and make friends.
Twitter: @LUISLUJAN77
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
Julien Henry started playing Magic in Shards of Alara but has been playing competitively for only 2 years. He made it to the Finals of Grand Prix Manchester and qualified for Sydney which is going to be his 2nd Pro Tour. He’s a member of MTG Mintcard and he lives in Paris.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Julien Henry when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep118
Shards of Alara
Shards of Alara
Nissa, Vastwood Seer
Trying to find interactions between cards.
Winning is also very fun and keeps Julien going.
Focusing on improving keeps Magic fun.
Won a RPTQ for Pro Tour Atlanta. Julien played a lot with the same deck in preparation for the event and it paid off.
Modern Grand Prix in Madrid. Julien played a TON and fine-tuned his deck. He even gave his list to friends who also tweaked it slightly and took it to the GP. His friends did really well but he didn't make day 2. To practice so hard and then fall short is very frustrating.
You have to practice so when luck hits you can grab it.
Grand Prix Manchester 2016. Julien had a huge win streak and made Silver pro when he made Top 8.
Standard
Deck
Spare cards
Wait until the Pro Tour to invest in a Standard deck (if you're new). They'll do all the heavy lifting for you.
Twitter: @Lyserg42
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
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
Portal / Stronghold
Urza’s Saga
Tarmogoyf
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.
Lost Irish National Champion at last moment. Played a little less Magic.
Played a little less Magic afterwards to cool off.
Won first PTQ (Pro Tour RTR)
In Limited: mistapping mana and not representing combat tricks.
Mana issues. Sometimes you get ... screwed at a tournament.
Sometimes you get mana screwed at a tournament.
Experience. They play Magic with players on their same level.
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.
Paul Rietzl, PVDDR, Frank Karsten
Play a lot and focus on the game
Time management skills really helps Niels.
Niels is an emotional player, meaning he plays intuitively, he makes plays that feel right. He’s trying to slow down and think.
Podcasts – Limited Resources
Articles –
CFB (deck breakdowns)
Videos
Set a long term goal and make it your focus.
Twitter: @nielsmolle
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
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
10 Ed.
Innistrad
Electrolyze
Deep interactions, competitive outlet.
Made friends through Magic.
Just cause you lose doesn’t mean you’re a bad player.
Play super fast without thinking.
Slowing down
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.
Win Grand Prix Columbus.
Legacy - Watch a lot of coverage, start playing
Most fun when working with others.
Manage resources sloppily when he's ahead. This gives opponents extra draw steps.
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.
Play the match ups you’re unsure of and tweak your sideboard strategy.
Have a friend watch you play.
Get a good group
Dice, Playmat, Deck, and Water
Don’t buy packs.
Clay is on Facebook
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
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
Apocalypse
Ravnica: City of Guilds – Selesnya
Sulfuric Vortex
Travel a lot. Likes going to Grand Prixs with friends.
Damage on the stack.
SCG team event. Had a really bad UR deck.
Top 8 of World Magic Cup with team (back-to-back 2HG wins.)
Christoffer hates losing.
Take some time to move past it. Don’t whine.
Know your opponent’s deck. So many players don't think of their opponent.
Watch videos!
Ask other for input and adjust
Decks, clothes, code names
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.
Don’t take it too seriously and have fun.
Christoffer is on Facebook
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
Edward Eng is from Chicago and lived in Taiwan for 10 years but lives in Houston now. He started playing Magic in 1994. Stopped in 2000. Came back in 2010. He’s the creator of galactictreasures.com. He’s played in 2 Nationals and has top 16ed a Star City Games invitational.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Edward Eng when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep113
Revised
Tempest, Stronghold, Urza's Legacy (first foils)
Psionic Blast
Magic is a tool to help you build relationships.
Losing a key match to qualify for nationals.
Won an annual tournament at LGS.
Standard
Tools to get into Standard: Trading (PucaTrade), MTG Price, Quiet speculation, Spare deck
Still tilts.
To combat this, be cognizant of the fact that it’s a game.
People give up too early. Stay in it. Stay focused.
"I'm a perfectionist."
Sideboarding – players over sideboard
Play to your strengths.
Read a lot
Goldfish - When you goldfish think of a specific deck
See the game grow. Reach out to others.
“Play the game from your own perspective.”
Twitter: @edwardeng
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
Christopher Walton is well known in the Michigan legacy community, he piloted U/W Miracles to a top 4 finish at Grand Prix Columbus 2016.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Christopher Walton when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep112
Revised / Unlimited
Tempest
Land Tax
Interaction with friends.
Tried to quit Magic in 2008-9. His shop was closing and his friends were getting out.
Early 2016 was also tough.
But the worst was using outside information to determine a game and getting DQ’d.
He learned how to move past it by sharing with others.
Top 4 GP Columbus 2016.
Cultivating Legacy scene in MT.
Taken losing a lot worse.
Need to enjoy the game more.
Empathy is the key to enjoying magic when you lose.
Casting spells before attacking.
Legacy Swag, MTG The Source Playmat“Barn” the person who
Christopher is his groups “Barn”. (The person who lends out cards.)
Enjoy the game as much as possible. Be sure you want to step up. To step up: Try everything.
Be sure you want to step up. To step up: Try everything.
To step up: Try everything.
Borrow and proxy to break into Magic.
Christopher is on Facebook
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
Jonas Friberg is a Swedish Magic: The Gathering player who played his first Grand Prix in 2014 and since then has played in 8 others including GP Barcelona and GP Manchester where he top 8:ed in both!
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Jonas Friberg when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep111
Coldsnap
Innistrad
Electrolyze
Jonas is very creative with his hands and mind. MTG creative in another way. He gets to think and make plays 2 turns ahead
GP Krakow 2005 – Jonas traveled out of country and it was very expensive.
He went 0-3 drop. Outside of comfort zone.
He learned to practice more and learned to balance playing the best deck vs. one you know better.
Won first Game Day. Born of the Gods. Hadn’t been playing long.
Standard – Look at the best deck and play a deck that beats them.
GW Tokens – Bad removal, can’t handle PW
Full of myself. Think I’m better than I am. Over confidence is your worst enemy. Respect your opponent. Beware always. Think about his outs, what you can do to stop it.
Play cards, not opponent. You should play your opponent. Don’t over extend into effects that wreck you.
Theorize about decks and match ups.
Deck, Playmat, Dice, Pen, Life Pod, Clothes, Water bottle
Look for Tier I budget decks. Play on Cockatrice, use proxies, and borrow the cards you need.
Jonas is on Facebook
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