MTG Pro Tutor - Insights, Tips & Advice from Magic: The Gathering Pros

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9: View the Game as a Whole like Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa Jul 14, 2015

Show notes

Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa has 9 PT top 8s, 17 GP top 8s, and is a 2-time National Champion. He's the youngest Hall of Famer in the history of Magic: The Gathering! First Set

4th Edition

Homelands

Favorite Set

Paulo likes formats better than individual sets. He reflects on whether a format had a deck he liked. Some that stand out to him are:

Lorowyn

Innistrad

Kamigawa

Favorite Card

Vendilion Clique

What makes Magic fun for you?

The people. Making friends all over the world and being able to see them on a regular basis is tons of fun.

Early Challenge

Being stranded in London the day of the terrorist attacks taught Paulo that people are more willing to help than you think.

Level Up Moment

Forming team Channel Fireball. Surrounding yourself and playing with people who are better than you is the best way to level up.

Proudest Magic Moment

Making first GP top 8 in Charleston 2006. (Unified Ravnica Block Constructed)

Winning PT San Juan 2010. (Draft / Block Constructed)

Hall of Fame 2012. (Seattle)

Best Format

Legacy. People who play Legacy often don't play other formats. Paulo feels his experience across the board gives him an edge in Legacy.

Best PT format is Standard. Paulo is not emotionally attached to decks. He can objectively build, test and abandon decks.

Current Standard Deck

Esper Dragons. But might move off that with the release of Origins.

Biggest Mistake Players Make

Not thinking of the big picture. Do not look at a game as a series of turns. Look at the game as a whole that happens to have turns in it. What is your plan? What is your opponent's plan? How do you want to win? How does he want to win? Consider those overall questions and determine how it impacts your plays.

Connect With Paulo

Twitter: @PVDDR

8: Improve on a Limited Budget with Conley Woods Jul 08, 2015

Show notes

Limited Tips

You have the smallest card pool and the least amount of control in Sealed, that's what makes it a challenge to master. You only see 6 packs worth of product. In Booster draft you see several hundred cards and get to pick colors and combinations.

Find people who are better than you and discuss Sealed strategies. Be open to criticism.

Drafting: Know which uncommons and commons could be signals before you sit down so you only have to take note of 3-5 cards in each pack.

Team Building

Pro Tour teams are very calculated and essential but at lower levels it's hard to crack the meta game because there are SO many participants.

Play Testing

Look for the crux of each match instead of just recording win/loss ratios for each match up.

Improvement

Walk around your game store after a FNM or draft, people leave product all the time that you can snatch up and re-pack.

Build a realistic, limited cube so you can practice drafting over and over again without spending a bunch of money.

Magic Resource

TCG Player - More beginner friendly content

Channel Fireball - Higher level content aimed at Pro Tours

Interview Links

MTG Potpourri Podcast - Conley's very own podcast

Connect with Conley

Twitter - @Conley81

7: Conley Woods Has a Plan and So Should You Jul 07, 2015

Show notes

First Set

8th Edition

Mirrodin was his first booster pack

Favorite Set

Rise of the Eldrazi

Shards of Alara block

Favorite Card

Wee Dragonauts

What makes Magic fun for you?

Magic is a creative outlet. Building decks and exploring Limited keeps Conley hooked.

Early Challenge

Being a "pet deck" building. Taking random cards and build a deck around it.

Level Up Moment

Being in a flow state at Worlds 2011

Proudest Magic Moment

Winning Grand Prix Orlando

Best Format

Modern = favoriteStandard = best

Current Standard Deck

Testing Bant Fog for his column // Mono black aggro

Biggest Mistake Players Make

Most people play too fast without thinking through their entire turn in their head before taking an action. Have a plan.

6: Breaking Down Pro Points and Tiers with Andrew Brown Jul 01, 2015

Show notes

Andrew Brown is a dedicated control player who loves sleeving islands and punishing forests. He won GP Denver 2015 and is on the map for up coming Pro Tours. He manages Hi De Ho Comics in Santa Monica CA where Magic is his life.

Evaluation Tips

Wait until the entire set has been spoiled. Otherwise you might waste energy evaluating a card and thinking it's good only to find that when another card is spoiled it makes the first one terrible.

Limited Tips

Get advice from those who are better than you on pick orders, mana bases and every other aspect you want to improve.

Team Building

Teams are essential. Show the drive to improve and ask the good players in your store to play with them as they prepare for big events.

Play Testing

Discussion with fellow players leading into test matches and followed by more discussion helps everyone identify weak and strong areas.

Improvement

Magic takes a significant amount of time and isn't cheap. Those who want to perform at the highest levels will make it work.

Magic Resource

Identify people who are better than you and constantly talk about Magic with them.

5: Grand Prix Denver 2015 Champion Andrew Brown's Origin Story Jun 30, 2015

Show notes

First Set

Champions of Kamigawa

Favorite Set

Rise of the Eldrazi

Favorite Card

Jorubai Murklurker

What makes Magic fun for you?

It's not just a hobby. It's a career and a way of life.

Early Challenge

Beat the guy who ran the events at his local game store when Andrew first started.

Level Up Moment

Realizing that tier 1 decks are tier 1 for a reason. Piloting a good deck instead of making up your own allows you to capture all the effort put into the deck by others.

Proudest Magic Moment

Winning GP Denver 2015

Best Format

Limited - Draft

Current Standard Deck

Blue Black control

Biggest Mistake Players Make

Big mistake at big tournaments: Some players focus on the bad beat stories and generate negativity; this does nothing for you. BE POSITIVE!

Small mistakes at small tournaments: People focus on the money aspect of Magic at the local store too much. When you show up to play at an FNM focus on playing.

4: Jonny Magic on How To Build a Team and Pick the Best Card Jun 24, 2015

Show notes

Jon Finkel's prolific talents and sterling resume earned him the nickname "Jonny Magic" long ago. After a substantial hiatus, Jon Finkel returned to the Pro Tour and immediately demonstrated why he's widely considered the greatest player of all time by winning PT Kuala Lampur in 2008 and Top 8'ing PT Avacyn Restored and PT Dark Ascension in 2012.

Evaluation Tips

Rather than opening up the spoiler every week to see what's new, Jon gets the best grasp on a new set simple by drafting it.

Limited Tips

In Sealed you'll get powerful bombs that you really want to play but your deck will be less stream lined than in draft.If there are two good black cards don't take a slightly worse red card because you "don't want to fight for black". Just pick the best card.

Team Building

Having a team is critical to improving. Find the best players you can but make sure you get along with them personally because you'll be spending a lot of time with them.

Improvement

Take advantage of draft simulators. Rebuild packs with friends so you can draft. Beg, borrow and use proxies if you're on a budget and need to test deck ideas.Be critical of your plays so you can improve

Interview Links

MTG Salvation Spoilers

Connect with Jon

Twitter: @Jonnymagic00

3: Jon Finkel's Desperate Ravings on Boosting Your Skill as a Magic Player Jun 23, 2015

Show notes

Antiquities (1994)

Favorite Set

Innistrad (2011) - "Was the pinnacle of Limted set design."

Favorite Card

Desperate Ravings

What makes Magic fun for you?

The depth of the game and the ability to add on to the basic framework through the expansions is what keeps Jon engaged.

Early Challenge

Not running enough lands in control decks and not playing 60 card decks.

Level Up Moment

Realizing that playing other decks outside your comfort zone can lead to growth and improvement as a player, not to mention better results.

Proudest Magic Moment

Making first Pro Tour Top 8 at Chicago in 1997

Best Format

Draft

Biggest Mistake Players Make

Not being open to playing the best deck. Not playing Magic with the intention to improve. You need to be conscious of what you play and how you play so you can improve.

Connect with Jon Finkel

Twitter: @Jonnymagic00

2: Card Evaluation Tips by Patrick Chapin Jun 17, 2015

Show notes

Patrick Chapin, "The Innovator," is a Hall of Famer, Pro Tour Champion, and 5-time PT Top 8 competitor. Author of Next Level Magic and Next Level Deckbuilding, his articles can be found on StarCityGames.com and podcast at TopLevelPodcast.com.

Evaluation Tips

Look at every card and ask: "Why was this card printed? Who is it for? HOW can I use this card?"

Limited Tips

Sealed is often slower but more powerful (compared to draft) because you have six booster packs instead of three. This leads to bomb centric decks.

Focus on the key cards you passed, not every card in the pack.

Team Building

Use message groups and in person meetings to collaborate with your team. You will only improve to the level of the best player in your group. Bring your group up and/or find more talent if you're the best in your group.

Play Testing

Constant communication with teammate as well as taking the two weeks before a Pro Tour off to play test with the team has been a working formula for Patrick.

Improvement

Identify what you want to improve first: your collection, win ratio, deck building skills, etc... and focus just on that

Magic Resource

Next Level Magic

Next Level Deck Building

Connect with Patrick

Twitter: @thepchapin

Interview Links

www.starcitygames.com

www.toplevelmagic.com

00: Welcome to the MTG Pro Tutor Podcast with Shaun Penrod Jun 17, 2015

Show notes

Welcome to the MTG Pro Tutor podcast!

I'm Shaun Penrod and I am excited to share this journey with you. Here's what you'll get out of the podcast.

Each week two of Magic: The Gathering's best players will be highlighted. The episodes are released on Tuesday and Friday, so be sure to subscribe to the show so you don't ever miss one.

I ask similar questions to each guest so you can get different perspectives on the same topic. I also look for things that are unique about each guest and dive in on those a little more.

We'll talk about their history with the game as well as actionable tips you can use the next time you sit down to play.

Learn from the mistakes and successes of our community's most notable players and enjoy the stories they have to share.

Visit www.mtgprotutor.com/shownotes for links to all the episodes.

Cheers!

1: Patrick Chapin on Being The Best Jun 17, 2015

Show notes

First Set

The Dark

Favorite Set

Innistrad (Best designed) / Khans of Tarkir block

Favorite Card

Jace, the Mind Sculptor

What makes Magic fun for you?

First and foremost the people. The constant iteration.

Early Challenge

Trying to convince people that he was actually good.

Level Up Moment

Realizing that trying to convince people that he was actually good was not as useful as focusing on humbly improving himself.

Proudest Magic Moment

Inducted into the Hall of Fame.Winning Pro Tour Journey Into Nyx.

Best Format

Standard

Current Standard Deck Biggest Mistake Players Make

Focusing their energy on convincing people they are good instead of focusing on finding the truth about how they play. Look for mistakes in every match.

Connect with Patrick

Twitter: @thepchapin

Free Resources!

www.nextlevelmagic.com

www.starcitygames.com

www.toplevelpodcast.com