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
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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