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

Reid Duke has an impressive record of 19 Grand Prix Top Eights with 5 wins and 2 PT Top Eights with 2 additional Top Sixteens. He's lauded in the Magic community as a boon of positivity and a shining example of kindness. Reid is mentioned by several past guests of the show as a player they look up to. Reid lives in Sugar Loaf New York. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Reid Duke when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep169 First Set 4th Edition Ice Age Favorite Set Shards of Alara / Ice Age Favorite Card Green sun's zenith Early Challenge Reid did poorly at his first several Pro Tour. He was used to PTQ level players when the Pro Tour had much higher caliber players. Worst Magic Moment Placing 2nd at World Championship in 2013. Reid was up 2 games in the finals and then lost 3 games in a row. Proudest Magic Moment Doing so well at Worlds 2013 and making it to 2nd place. Also, winning the mocs 2011. Magic Mentors LSV Advice for New Legacy Players Stick with the same deck. http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/legacy-guide-part-i-introduction-to-legacy2/ http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/legacy-guide-part-ii-overview-of-legacy/ http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/legacy-guide-part-iii-choosing-your-deck/ Biggest Mistake Players Make Players try to do too much. The more you get into Magic the more time management becomes important. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Reid starts about 3 weeks in advance. Reid will draft as much as possible and play practice games with locals and online What have You Learned from Magic Reid has learned, to be honest with himself and these around him. He has learned to not cut corners. Shortcomings Time management and deck building. Daily Habits Quality practice over quantity. Reid doesn't Improvement Suggestions Stick with Magic through the good and the bad.multiqueue or listen to music. Connect With Reid Duke Twitter:@ReidDuke Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

David Mines has 1 Grand Prix top 8 and 1 Grand Prix win under his belt, has 2 Pro Tour top 16 and is the captain of the 2016 Australian World Magic Cup team. David lives in Brisbane, Australia. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from David Mines when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep168 First Set Invasion Favorite Set Invasion Favorite Card Liliana of the veil Early Challenge David found it hard to be taken seriously because he was so young. Testing with other groups was hard. He's learned to be very open to other ideas. When was Your Magic Breakthrough At David's second PPTQ he and his team went all the way to the finals and split the win. He learned to not intimidated by big games. Level Up Moment After coming back, David won a PPTQ and linked with a team that took Magic very seriously. This approach opened. David's eyes. Worst Magic Moment At a Grand Prix soon after David's return, he throws away a top 8 because he played around a card that he shouldn't. Proudest Magic Moment Grand Prix Melbourne 2016 (David won!) Top 8 at World Magic Cup 2016. Best Format Modern Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself David has learned how competitive he can be and has been able to learn to tone it down. Biggest Mistake Players Make Players try to play around too many things. Underplayed Card in Modern Midnight Oil Beginner Modern Advice Final a deck that fits your play style. Learn what the other decks do. Daily Activities Listening to music helps David's frame of mind. Improvement Suggestions Be open and receptive to learning. Soak in knowledge and learn from better players. Magic Resource CFB, SCG Connect With David Mines David can be found in the MTG Pro Tutor Facebook group. Sponsors

Seth Manfield is the 2015 World Champion and has 11 Grand Prix top 8's including 5 Wins. He also has 2 Pro Tour Top 8's as well as multiple Pro Tour top 16's. He's a full time Magic player and content producer for TCGplayer.com. Part of the #mtgdad club and a current Platinum Pro. Seth lives in Maryland, USA. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Seth Manfield when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep167 First Set Apocalypse Favorite Set Ravnica City of Guilds Favorite Card Vedalken Dismisser Early Challenge Confidence in his ability to compete. Breakthrough First Pro Tour Top 8. Fate Reforged. Worst Magic Moment Loss to Shahar Shenhar to make top 8 of a Grand Prix. Seth thought he blew his chance to make the Pro Tour. Proudest Magic Moment Winning 2015 World Championship. What have you learned from Magic You can follow what you love and turn it into a career. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Most players look at Magic as a hobby. Seth approaches the game as aa job. He's come to be okay with lifestyle. Biggest Mistake Players Make Thinking they've won a game before it's over. Think about your opponents outs. Shortcomings Seth is buying up misplays and his deck building skills. Weekly Rituals Look at decks that are doing well and familiarize yourself with the top deck lists. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Know the current meta-game. What are the best decks? Play against the top 3 decks but also be prepared for the surprise builds. What's in Your Tournament Bag Cards, Deck, Life Pad Improvement Suggestions Have fun, brew decks. Try things out and be happy with how you view the game. Magic Resource TCG Player, Wizards of the Coast Website Connect With Seth Manfield Twitter:@SethManfield Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

Ben Hull played Magic fairly casually for about four years before qualifying for Pro Tour Kaladesh. He made top 8 at Pro Tour Kaladesh and since then, also picked up his first Grand Prix top 8 in Denver. Ben lives in Vancouver, Canada. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Ben Hull when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep166 First Set Antiquities Favorite Set Rise of the Eldrazi Favorite Card Overgrown battlement Early Challenge When playing control, when do you start a Hacking. Worst Magic Moment Being horribly sick before his first Pro Tour. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 at GP Denver. This validated Ben's Pro Tour finish. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Learned how to accept bad outcomes. Biggest Mistake Players Make Card evaluation skils are sub par. To get better, read what others say. Tap into the knowledge of others. What Tournament Day Tips Can You share Play one match at a time. Just focus on the here and now. Advice to Yourself 5 Years Ago Play Magic! Put more effort in Constructed and have fun. Success Activities Watching and listening to Magic content. Improvement Suggestions Slow down sometimes and really evaluate your decisions. Connect With Ben Hull Twitter:@IbbinMTG Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

-Daniel Cathro is a newcomer to the competitive Magic scene as he only started playing competitively with Dragons of Tarkir. He qualified for his first Pro Tour at Eldritch Moon through an RPTQ and just qualified for Pro tour Aether Revolt to make 3 Pro Tours in a row. Daniel lives in Provo, Utah. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Daniel Cathro when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep165 First Set 4th Edition Favorite Set Magic Origins Favorite Card Goblin Rabblemaster Early Challenge Constructed specifically sideboarding. Daniel read a ton of sideboard guides to flesh out his knowledge. Level Up Moment Round one of his first Pro Tour, Daniel played against Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa and won! Worst Magic Moment At his second Pro Tour, Daniel didn't earn a Pro Point and felt really bad - since his first PT he did very well. Proudest Magic Moment 2016 has been amazing. Danny feels very validated. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Danny is able to see odds not pan out and not be upset. Biggest Mistake Players Make Many [layers will over think a situation or give their opponent too much credit. Play your game plan. Best Format Modern Advice for Beginner Modern Player Pick a deck and learn it inside and out. Activity that Leads to Success Play and testing with friends have been invaluable. Improvement Suggestions Stick to your guns. Learn a deck or strategy and double down on it. Magic Resource Limited Resources, CFB, SCG, Event coverage Connect With Daniel Cathro Twitter:@djcathro Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

Jacob Nagro is a competitive Magic player from Albuquerque, NM. His first Pro Tour was PT Kaladesh and he later earned his first GP Top 8 in Denver. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Jacob Nagro when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep164 First Set Betrayers of Kamigawa Favorite Set Shadowmoor / Eventide Favorite Card Life from the loam Ravnica Guilds Simic What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The community and interacting with people makes Magic fun for Jacob. Level Up Moment At his 2nd Grand Prix, Jacob finished 12-3. Worst Magic Moment Grand Prix Los Angeles (May 2016). Jacob started 5-0 and then got a loss that he realized was his fault. He qualified for day 2 but dropped to get more experience in a side event. Later he wished he played day 2 so he could learn more. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 of Grand Prix Denver. Advice for Beginner Standard Player Know from round to round the game plan of the current top decks. Advice for Yourself 5 Years Ago Some decks which powerful for a reason. Don't be afraid to plan the best deck. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Learning how to not carry over mistake or losses. Biggest Mistake Players Make Players sequence lands or top lands in a way that gives away information. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Leading up to GP Denver, Jacob played 5 Leagues and learned which decks were going to be good. What's in Your Tournament Bag Deck, small box of cards, decks for side event, waterbottle Shortcoming Not getting enough out of matches when playing online. After each match you want to review what happened and which cards were good and carried weight. Improvement Suggestions Stay focused during games. Reflect after the round, focus during. Magic Resource CFB, SCG Connect With Jacob Nagro Twitter:@JacobNagro Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

Bas Melis is 31 years old and won Dutch Nationals in 2010 with a 15-0 record. He finished 8th place with the Dutch team at Worlds 2010. Played in 6 consecutive Pro Tours and finished 2nd at GP Rotterdam with Brent Vos and Frank Karsten. Bas lives in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Bas Melis when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep163 First Set Invasion Favorite Set Alara block Favorite Card Life from the loam Early Challenge First match and quarter finals are tough for Bas. By persisting and understanding the numbers, Bas know his time would come. Level Up Moment Regularly going to events with the best players in his area. This game insights, motivation and companionship. Worst Magic Moment Grand Prix and Pro Tour in Paris, France. Bas had loss after loss in both events. The event was poorly organized and Bas finished lower than he should. He learned to only go to the GP's he wanted. Proudest Magic Moment Winning Dutch Nationals with a 15-0 record. Best Format Standard Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Bas hated losing when younger. He would become sour .of things were going to South. Now, he's focused on improving that and is happy that he's a positive player, win or lose. Biggest Mistake Players Make People loss the game before it ever starts. People psych themselves out when playing a "big name" in Magic Player. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Schedule time and practice, practice, practice. Use leagues on MTGO to get reps. Beginner Standard Advice Control decks are Bas' favorite and if the meta allows it, try a control deck. If not, go ogre. Advice to Yourself 5 Years Ago Start practicing draft a lot more. Improvement Suggestions Keep having fun. Never lose sight of that. Magic Resource CFB Connect With Bas Melis Bas can be found in the MTG Pro Tutor Facebook group. Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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

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 First Set 8th Edition Favorite Set Ravnica Favorite Card Tarmogoyf What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The competitive aspect of the game is very appealing. Level Up moment Grand Prix Taipei 2016 Worst Magic Moment 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. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 of World Magic cup 2016 Best Format Format Advice to Yourself 5 Years Ago "You can do it." Biggest Mistake Players Make Choosing the wrong deck of the sub-optimal choice. Plan the deck you know the best and feel most comfortable with. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Practice early and practice a lot. Test every Top deck from the Pro Tour and see which resonates with you. What's in Your Tournament Bag Deck, Dice, Tokens Daily Advice Play at least a match a day. Advice to New Standard Player Ask a lot of questions and practice. Improvement Suggestions Have fun playing the game. Magic Resource CFB, SCG, Twitch.tv(Paul Cheon/Kenji) Connect With Manuel Succari Twitter:@manugoyf Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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 First Set Mirage Favorite Set Khans of Tarkir Favorite Card Jace, Vryn's prodigy What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Rob loves the challenge of deck building and high-level play. Early Challenge 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. Magic Mentors David Williams Worst Magic Moment Second Pro Tour, Rob lost two win and ins to the top 8. Proudest Magic Moment Qualifying for the Pro Tutor for the first time. Rob made top 4 of an RPTQ and was so excited. Best Format Modern Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Rob learned how persistent he can be. Biggest Mistake Players Make Getting discouraged when odds are in your favor. Stay focused and keep your head in the game. Always ask "how can I win this?" How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event 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. Advice to Yourself 5 Years Ago Play Magic! Go to as many competitive events as possible. Daily Actions Play Magic often. Leagues help. Improvement Suggestions 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. Connect With Rob Pisano Twitter:@Rob_Pisano Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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

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

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 First Set 9TH Edition Favorite Set Innistrad Favorite Card Bloodbraid Elf What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Meeting lots of new friends and having the opportunity to connect with cool people. Early Challenge Playing new decks was rough for Petros. He learned by watching other players. Level Up Moment When Petros started going to local stores and playing with good players he grew the most. Worst Magic Moment 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. Proudest Magic Moment Winning world Magic Cup 2016 with his teammates. Best Format Standard Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Magic has similarities to fencing and Petros learned to love the mind games and bluff. Biggest Mistake Players Make Players don't realize their mistakes. Too often players don't break down the game after and analyze what they could have done differently. Advice To Yourself 5 Years Ago Play more and take advantage of opportunities that came by. Advice for Standard Find a deck that fits your style and play that a lot. Success Tip Regulate drafts. Keeps your Magic mind sharp. Improvement Suggestions Start slow but dream big. If you want to go big, find those better players. Connect With Petros Tziotis Petros can be found in the MTG Pro Tutor Facebook group. Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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 First Set Planeshift Favorite Set Rise of the Eldrazi Favorite Card Jace, The Mind Sculptor Dig through Time Early Challenge Peter played rogue decks "too much". However, he has learned from every deck his built. Worst Magic Moment Pro Tour Amsterdam; Peter played a Restore Balance deck and missed in day 2 by one match. Proudest Magic Moment World Magic Cup 2016 - being in a great environment with a wonderful team. Level Up Moment Coming back to the game after a break showed Peter that being calm and not being whipped up in the results. Best Format Draft, look for mana sinks in limited. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Peter has the ability to be very focused. Biggest Mistake Players Make Side boarding is where many players stumble. With experience, you'll know your own deck and format better. What's in Your Tournament Bag Water, Cards Mentors Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa (past guest) Improvement Suggestions 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. Magic Resource CFB Connect With Peter Vieren Twitter:@peter_vieren Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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 First Set Urza block Favorite Set Prophecy, Innistrad Favorite Card Tangle wire What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Traveling is a lot of fun. Magic is a good excuse to get out and see the world. Early Challenge 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. Worst Magic Moment 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. Proudest Magic Moment World Magic Cup Top 8 2016 Level Up Moment 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. Best Format Legacy and draft Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Lauri has learned that he enjoys the deep thinking process. Biggest Mistake Players Make Not being open to criticism. Players sometimes don't listen to others. Mentors BBD- Brian Braun-Duin (Past guest) What's in Your Tournament Bag Extra cards to build decks, Clothes Improvement Suggestions Be nice to everybody. Be nice to your opponents and be nice to yourself. Magic Resource www.senseisdiviningshop.fi, MTGGoldfish, CFB, SCG Connect With Lauri Pispa Twitter:@Telkku Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

Ryan 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 First Set Mercadian Masques Favorite Set Invasion Favorite Card Goblin Guide What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The good memories of his friends keeps Ryan involved. Early Challenge Ryan loved 80 card decks. He struggled to cut his deck down to 60 cards. Resource management. Your life total is just a tool. Worst Magic Moment 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. Proudest Magic Moment Winning in the States in 2004. Crushing a pre-release in Austria while traveling with a friend. Level Up Moment Ryan started top 8'ing tournaments and other players noticed him. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself 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. Biggest Mistake Players Make Players get in their own head. They let misplays and losses affect their next match. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Ryan played a lot of Leagues on Magic Online. He has a Restore Balance deck in that he's practiced with a lot. Improvement Suggestions Be yourself. Play and have fun. Magic Resource SCG, SCG Premium, CFB, Gatherer Connect With Ryan Cubit Twitter:@EgyptainCubit Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

Alex 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 First Set 5TH Edition Favorite Set Innistrad Favorite Card Geist of Saint Traft What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The content creation has been a large hook for Alex. He also loves the brewing side of magic as well. The creation is key. Early Challenge Attack step. Alex is a more passive player and plays a deck that doesn't attack a lot. Level Up Moment Reading a draft and pick article in Zendikar block led to his first win. Worst Magic Moment Alex assumed he lost a game that he actually won. He didn't count the damage and scooped. His opponent lets him lose. Proudest Magic Moment The first decent finish at an event. The positive response to Top Decking. Best Format Modern Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Alex is more competitive than he realized. He's also greatly improved his ability to learn. Biggest Mistake Players Make The mana management. Tapping the wrong land, Keep your mana organized. Shortcoming Learning the deck that he should play and sticking to it. Advice to Yourself 5 Years Ago Buy fetch land. Underplayed Card in Standard Gideon Jura Geist of Saint Traft Improvement Suggestions Always ask for help. Call a judge if you need to. Mentors LSV(Luis Scott-Vargas), Patrick Chapin,Brian Kibler Connect With Alex Kessler Twitter:@mmcast Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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

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 First Set Ice Age Favorite Set Mirrodin & Full block Ravnica Favorite Card Polymorph What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Magic is constantly evolving. Early Challenge Andreas thought he had "figured it out". However, when he started playing against top players he realized how much he had to learn. Worst Magic Moment Playing for top 8 at GP Vienna, Andreas was playing mono black and made a terrible chump block that cost him the game. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8ing a Grand Prix for the first time. (Charlotte 2016) Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Andreas learned that if you don't give up you can achieve your goals. Biggest Mistake Players Make 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. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event 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. Mentors Kai Budde, Ben Stark Advice To Past Self Be patient. Results will come as you focus on your game. Underplayed Cards All the modules Guidance Enjoy the game. If you don't, take a break. Magic Resource MTG Goldfish Cockatrice Blackborder.com Connect With Andreas Ganz Twitter: @Pfluegmeischter Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

Alex 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 First Set Lorwyn Favorite Set Lorwyn, Innistrad Favorite Card Sphinx's Revelation What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Flavor, story, art, but above all - the competition. Early Challenge Alex played too impulsively. Level Up Moment Discovering Twich.tv and watching videos of other Magic players. Worst Magic Moment 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. Proudest Magic Moment First time Alex qualified for the Pro Tour. Alex felt like it was all worth it. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Alex has learned he has a capacity for patience. Biggest Mistake Players Make Mulligan decisions. Newbies don't mulligan enough. More advanced players (on the cusp of being really good) mulligan too much. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event "Sit down and do the work." Get a team together. Mentors Andrew Cuneo Guidance Play Magic because it's fun. Not for the sunk costs. Advice to Yourself 5 Years Ago "Be more open-minded." Best Format Limited Underplayed Limited Card Panharmonicon Beginner Limited Advice Keep almost every hand with 2-5 lands. Resources ChannelFireball StarCityGames Twitch.tv Connect With Alex Mitas Alex can be found in the MTG Pro Tutor Facebook group. Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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 First Set Revised Favorite Set Kaladesh Favorite Card Thing In The Ice Personal Mastery 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. Deliberate Practice The best way to improve. It most be specific, measurable and real time. Hiring and Firing 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. Adaptive Leadership Diagnose the system, come up with interventions (experiments to try), implement, check results, repeat. Leadership vs. Authority There is formal authority and informal authority. Who says what and who jumps because of it. Resources Books: Mindset, by Carol Dweck (Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm) Mastery, by Robert Greene (Amazon, Audble) Outliers, by Malcom Gladwell (Amazon, Audible, Libro) Leadership Without Easy Answers, by Ronald Heifetz (Amazon) How to Fly A Horse, by Kevin Ashton (Amazon, Audible, Libro) Connect With Jason Preston Twitter: @jasonp Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback.

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 First Set Shards of Alara / Zendikar Favorite Set Khans of Tarkir Favorite Card Gideon Jura What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Joey loves gaming and Magic just clicked. Early Challenge Joey identified himself as a control player and really struggled with combat math. He forced himself to play creature-based decks. Level Up Moment Joey was playing Magic Mon-Fri and on Sat and Sunday he was going to PTQS and competing at top events. Worst Magic Moment Losing in top 4 of first PTQ. (In the day when only first place got the invite.) Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 at Pro Tour Kaladesh Best Format Standard Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself I've learned how to make friends. Biggest Mistake Players Make Not mulliganing aggressively enough. If you could have a conversation with yourself 5 years ago, what would you say Play more magic. Don't show up unprepared. Shortcomings Deck building skills - specifically mana bases. Underplayed Card Bruna and Gisela What's in Your Tournament Bag Deck box, Deck, Paper Mentors Christian Calcano Magic Resource Magic Online Beta Client The Only Game In Town MTG The Source MTGCoverage Guidance Get your reps in Play Magic to get better at Magic. Connect With Joey Manner Twitter: @togitnj Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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 First Set Champions of Kamigawa Favorite Set The are all so unique Favorite Card Spell Queller What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The competitive natural. Less time to get really good Early Challenge Speed. Gabrielius played too fast early on. By playing more Gabrielius become more familiar with lines of play. Mentors Owen Turtenwald Odin Worst Magic Moment Going to a World Magic Cup with high expectations. He did well before and was not focused on the current match. Proudest Magic Moment Grand Prix Warsaw 2016 Best Format Draft Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Just play and have fun. Remove all expectations. Biggest Mistake Players Make Not reading the cards. Players assume they know and scan over important details. Make sure you read the cards and know what they do. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Asking players how to sideboard against them. Shortcomings Focus. Stay hydrated. What's in Your Tournament Bag Book, Dice, Deck If you could have a conversation with yourself 5 years ago, what would you say Buy some Tarmogoyf. Keep reading, keep playing. Magic Resource CFB SCG TCG Advice to New Players Determine how much you can spend and decide the format. Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

Christian Cespedes is a Chilean Magic: The Gathering player. He's the 2010 Chilean National Champion and made top 8 at Grand Prix Santiago 2016. He’s 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 First Set Champions of Kamigawa Favorite Set Time Spiral Favorite Card Polymorph Early Challenge Learning the rules. Christian overcome this by playing a lot and making a lot of mistakes. Worst Magic Moment Featured match at a Grand Prix. Playing a top 8 win-and-in. Christian felt the pressure and made mistakes. He lost. Proudest Magic Moment 2010 Chilean National Champion Best Format Limited Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Patience. Learning how to be patient. Biggest Mistake Players Make Tapping mana wrong. Information is a gift. Guard it. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Took 2 vacation days and played Leagues on Magic Online. Working on Working on improving Pro Tour record. Underplayed Card Gearseeker Serpent Advice to New Limited Stick to two colors. What's in Your Tournament Bag Dice, Paper, Pen Daily Ritual Read something about magic. If you could have a conversation with yourself 5 years ago, what would you say Learn English Magic Resource SCG CFB TCG MTG Mint Card Advice to New Players Be careful with trading. Learn how to play first. Guidance Enjoy the game and have fun. Connect With Christian Cespedes Twitter: @capitano_cl Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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

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. He’s 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 First Set Prophecy Favorite Set Mirrodin Favorite Card Arcbound Ravager What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Friends make Magic fun for Ricky Early Challenge 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. Level Up Moment Ricky always felt he was good at the game and by consistently playing his improved. Worst Magic Moment 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. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 at his first Pro Tour. (Milwaukee 2015) Best Format Modern or Limited Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself "with time and practice I can do anything." Biggest Mistake Players Make Playing too fast. Oftentimes, players don't think and rush through a turn without considering life totals, graveyards, board state etc. . Shortcoming "The way I approach a tournament. I need to work on staying in the zone." Ricky asks himself questions to refocus on the game. If you could have a conversation with yourself 5 years ago, what would you say Start being competitive sooner and buy a lot of Underground Sea Advice for New Modern Players Find a deck you like and play a lot with. What's in Your Tournament Bag Cards, clothes, playmat, laptop Daily Ritual Play a little everyday. Mentor Pascal Maynard Magic Resource MTGO and friends Guidance Play Magic and enjoy your time. Connect With Ricky Chin Twitter: @Slithice87 Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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 First Set 4th Edition Favorite Set Innistrad Favorite Card Gifts Ungiven Underplayed Card Hunt the Weak Early Challenge "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. Level Up Moment 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. How to Learn from Mistakes 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. Worst Magic Moment 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. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 of Grand Prix London 2016 Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Marcus learned critical decision making, when to trust his instincts and when to think things through. Biggest Mistake Players Make Attacking without having a proper game plan. Advice Focus on combat Magic Resource Limited Resources Next Level Podcast Guidance Have a game plan. Why are you making that play ? Connect With Marcus Hensing Twitter: @Lobster667 Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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 First Set New Phyrexia Favorite Set Khans of Tarkir/Innistrad Favorite Card Knight of the Reliquary What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Peer is very creative and likes to challenge himself to innovate. He loves customizing and building decks. Early Challenge Calculating outs. Peer had to shift his thinking to "How do I win in the next three turns?" Worst Magic Moment 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. Proudest Magic Moment 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. Choosing a Legacy deck Consistency wins the most, so find a deck with a lot of tutors or a deck with very similar cards. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Peer increased his competitiveness and developed a desire to push his boundaries and improve. Biggest Mistake Players Make Not knowing your role. Players misread the board. Guidance You grow into the entrepreneurial spirit. If you have an idea just try it out. You'll learn a lot. Magic Resource Bordifies.com Connect With Peer Richelsen Twitter: @Peer_Rich Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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. He’s just a back room scallywag of ChannelFireball with a squad of ChannelFireball locals who have the heart and grit but not the spotlight. He’s 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 First Set Mirage Favorite Set Return to Ravnica Favorite Card Fireblast Underrated Card Bastion Mastodon Early Challenge Cash was very opinionated and arrogant. He recognizes now that he didn't learn all he could. Worst Magic Moment 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. Proudest Magic Moment Through clever body language Cash defeated an opponent at GP Albuquerque when he had an inferior deck. Best Format Limited - Sealed Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself 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. Biggest Mistake Players Make Play the game how you want to play. Don't copy the styles of others. Shortcoming Memorize draft picks. Daily Rituals Rejecting the modern draw of constant entertainment. You can't get grit w/o a little bit of boring along the way. Guidance Everything is in the fringes. Be polite. Pro Player You Look Up To Paul Cheon Cash's Squad Magic Resource Cash plays a lot and doesn't read as much. Follow Greg Hatch Connect With Cash Turner Twitter:@PontifX Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

Thien Nguyen is a 26 year old engineer living Boston. He’s known as a Titanshift Innovator and has made top 8 at GP Pittsburgh 2015 and GP Atlanta 2016. He’s 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 First Set 7th Edition Favorite Set Eldritch Moon Favorite Card Primeval Titan Early Challenge Thien struggled with feeling intimidated. He started looking at better players like Ari Lax and getting feedback from them. Worst Magic Moment 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. Proudest Magic Moment GP Pittsburgh - Playing against Willy Edel. Thien's luck turned and he was able to make top 8. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Thien learned he wants to be as happy as possible in life and Magic brings him a lot of joy. Biggest Mistake Players Make During combat the most mistakes are made. People make attacks they really shouldn't and Thien will quadruple block to catch them off guard. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event 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. Guidance Friends in Magic are invaluable. Bouncing ideas of others is critical. Magic Resource Friends MTGO Connect With Thien Nguyen Twitter: @thinenagooyen Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

Ben 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. He’s 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 First Set Revised Favorite Set Mirrodin Block Favorite Card Traverse the Ulvenwald What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Network with really smart people. Early Challenge Really wanted to break the format and wouldn't listen to others input. Level Up Moment In High School, Ben was very strong relative to the field. Who have been your mentors William Jensen Jon FinkelPatrick Chapin Worst Magic Moment 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. Proudest Magic Moment Very proud of team at Grand Prix Louisville. Accomplishing something great with a team is great. Best Format Doesn't have one but enjoys toning decks. Activities that help you in Magic Play a lot of Magic. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Ben has an affinity for competition. Biggest Mistake Players Make Not having a long view. People get so hurry up on this game instead of understanding the overall picture. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Building pools leading up to a team sealed event and really discussing choices. What are your shortcomings Getting into the new method of preparation. Magic Resource Reviewing deck lists Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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 First Set Kamigawa Favorite Set Scars of Mirrodin Favorite Card Blade Splicer What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The competition and the people. Early Challenge Changing deck types. Brandon was set on his elf deck but eventually had to move on. Level Up Moment Last year (2015). Brandon gained a new perspective. Worst Magic Moment 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. Proudest Magic Moment 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. Pro Player You Look Up to Kevin Jones Biggest Mistake Players Make Tapping mana wrong. What's in Your Tournament Bag Magic back pack, binder, decks, spare cards Advice to new players Don't let price scare you. Trade with people. Magic Resource Twitch "When you watch magic you learn so much more." CFB Gathering Magic SCG Connect With Brandon Pascal Twitter: @bmppwns Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

Matt 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 First Set Legends Favorite Set Zendikar Favorite Card Preacher What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The friends Matt had made is more important than the game now. How do you balance having fun and being competitive "I only play Grand Prix and Pro Tours." You have to devout time to the aspects of your life at the appropriate time. Aspect of Magic you improved at 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" Pro Player You Admire Jon Finkel Worst Magic Moment Most recent Pro Tour, Matt was Platinum level but hadn't done well and was shooting for Gold . He missed it by one game. Proudest Magic Moment 1st Pro Tour Top 8 Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself 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. Biggest Mistake Players Make Being afraid to make obvious attacks or blocks. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Follow the intuition of "this card feels really powerful" and "I feel helpless against this card." What are your shortcomings Constantly working on impulse control. Back in 10yrs Ago what advice would you give to yourself Look for energizing relationships and deck/strategies Guidance To produce content for Magic, find something you can be proud of. Magic Resource CFB SCG TCG Player Playing w/ friends in similar level Connect With Matt Sperling Twitter: @mtg_law_etc Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

Immanuel Gerschenson is 23 years old and is studying technical physiques. He has 2 Grand Prix wins and 1 Pro Tour Top 16. He’s 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 First Set Kamigawa Favorite Set Innistrad Favorite Card Jace Beleren What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Traveling around the world with friends. Early Challenge Constructed. Early on Immanuel was not good at building decks, but the events he wanted to attend were constructed so he had to practice. Level Up Moment Going from Silver to Gold level pro at Pro Tour Vancouver Worst Magic Moment GP Ghent went 0-2-1 and dropped. He stopped playing for a few months. Good friends got him to comeback Proudest Magic Moment GP Madrid - first Grand Prix win PT Eldritch Moon - needed 11-5 to stay on the train. Immanuel got 11-4-1. Effective Playtest Watch others play and keep track of hard to deal with cards so you can develop a plan. Best Format Standard What card is underplayed in that format Nahiri The Harbinger Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Not to get as down or angry after a loss. It comes with time and by emulating players you respect. Biggest Mistake Players Make Players stay in their own playground. Go to events and play with others. If you could have a conversation with yourself 10 years ago, what would you say Look up to other players and learn. What's in Your Tournament Bag Water, Apples, Deck, Note Pad, Pen, Dice Improvement Suggestions Socialize and make friends. Magic is best when shared with others. Magic Resource SCG CFB MTG Mint Card MTG Salvation MTG Goldfish Connect With Immanuel Gerschenson Twitter: @igerschenson Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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 First Set Fate Reforged Favorite Set Dragons of Tarkir Favorite Card Demonic Pact Underplayed Card Make Mischief What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Connecting with new people face to face. Early Challenge Playing creatures in Main I instead of saving mana for combat. Level Up Moment 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. Pro You Admire Caleb Durward Worst Magic Moment Chris had two chances to make day 2 of his first Grand Prix and missed both. Play around cards not effects. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 at GP Portland Best Format Draft Biggest Mistake Players Make 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. " Daily Habits Sorting commons every set Drafting Advice Evaluate how your deck is going to win. Guidance Love Magic. The more you love it the more you'll practice. Magic Resource r/spikes Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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

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 First Set Return to Ravnica Favorite Set Theros and Time Spiral Favorite Card Olivia Voldaren Underplayed Card Rune Snag Guilds of Ravnica Selesnya Conclave What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Like complicated mind games. Early Challenge Deck building and drafting. Solution: Listened to Limited Resources podcast. Level Up Moment During Theros, Ethan grew a lot as a player. Pro Player You Look Up To Paul Cheon Worst Magic Moment Playing against Splinter Twin. Ethan forgot to sideboard. Proudest Magic Moment Grand Prix Los Angeles 2nd place. Started a journal to track sideboards. Effective Playtest Play often and after every game ask opponent what's the best sideboard choices. Shortcomings Bad at constructed deck building. Practicing by building proper deck. Best Format Modern and Legacy Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself "I'm a very fast player." Slow night. What Advice Would You Give Yourself Don't be afraid to go to tournaments. Biggest Mistake Players Make Not asking for help from others. What's in Your Tournament Bag Decks, Sideboard guide, KMC Sleeves, Playmat Daily Habits Play Magic daily, consume Magic content. Advice to New Players Get into modern. Improvement Suggestions Have a sideboard plan. Magic Resource MTG Goldfish Limited Resources Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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 Connect With Felix Tse Facebook: Felix Tse Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

Thierry Ramboa started playing magic 12 years ago but wasn’t 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 8’d 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 First Set 5th Dawn Favorite Set Ravnica City of Guilds (Izzet) Early Challenge Always felt he was unlucky. Thinking through the situation and realizing that if the same thing happens it's not luck. Worst Magic Moment Came back after a break and did so poorly he thought magic wasn't for him. Friends helped him get through it. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 of Grand Prix Sydney. Just focus on the match. Best Format Standard - Look at best decks in the format. Use MTG Goldfish and pick a deck that can beat the top 3. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Tone down his over confidence. Pro Tour Testing Focus on limited and brewing. Run small tournaments within the Team and see results of each deck. Biggest Mistake Players Make Being over confident. Think "How can I lose" and plan accordingly. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Played 2-4 drafts a day for the week. Activity Talking with others about magic. You get new ideas What's in Your Tournament Bag Deck Box, deck, water, pen, dice Entry Level Suggestions Borrow cards from other players. Use proxies (not in tournaments) Improvement Suggestions Never forget why you started playing. Magic Resource MTG Top 8 MTG Goldfish CFB MTG Mintcard Connect With Thierry Ramboa Twitter: @El_Gran_Boa Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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

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 First Set Lorwyn Favorite Set Worldwake Favorite Card Primeval Titan and Ishkanah Underplayed Card in Standard Call the Bloodline What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? The competitive scene drew him in. Early Challenge Creature combat. Robert played more control decks to get around not playing creatures. Worst Magic Moment 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. Proudest Magic Moment Champion of GP Portland 2016. Level Up Moment Started attending a competitive FNM. Associating with better players really helped. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself Robert felt like he hit a wall. Tournament result were stagnant. Connecting with other players is key to his success. Biggest Mistake Players Make Players have deck ADD. Stick to a certain deck and get to know it really well. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Find a group of like minded individuals. Build the gauntlet and attend PTQs and GPQs together. What's in Your Tournament Bag Clothes and Magic Cards Daily Rituals Hard work Improvement Suggestions Get on MTGO ; Reach out to players, connect and ask for advice. Mentor Brian Kibler Advice to New Players Go to LGS and get Intro decks, augment those and more up. Magic Resource MTGO Cockatrice SCG Premium CFB r/spikes Connect With Robert Santana Twitter: @itsRobbSon Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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 First Set The Dark Favorite Card Shambling Vent What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? "I'm invested in it. It's a vehicle to share energy with people" Early Challenge Mulliganing. The new mulligan rule really helps. Deck building. Travis built a lot of decks on his own to overcome his lack of confidence. Mentors Kai Budde, Jon Finkel, Patrick Chapin, LSV, Ben Stark, Mike Flores Worst Magic Moment Letting the community down. Driving far and doing poorly. Proudest Magic Moment Hearing community members say he's made a difference in their life. Top 8 Grand Pix Oakland 2013 with his brother. Best Format Sealed Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself "I'm constantly evolving" Biggest Mistake Players Make People not preparing the right way. Many players will play and learn nothing. Shortcoming Not having a Pro Team. Need to network to overcome this. Daily Habits Bike ride, record videos, risk life (surfing), eat good food How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event 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. Improvement Suggestions Win the next game. Take one game at a time. Magic Resource Next Level Deck BuildingTravis Woo's book Seek out players doing well in the format you want to play. Magic For Good Facebook Group. Connect With Travis Woo Twitter: @traviswizard Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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 First Set Tempest Favorite Set Newest Set Hated Set Mirrodin Favorite Card Vendilion Clique Underplayed Card Eldritch What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Saul loved the the competitive aspect of Magic. Aspect of Magic You Were Terrible at Focuses a lot on Constructed and leaves Limited for last. Level Up Moment Before GP LA Saul was talking to Pros and asking questions. Pro You Look Up To Consistently playing tournaments. Guillaume Wafo-Tapa Worst Magic Moment 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. Proudest Magic Moment Making Top 8 twice. Saul likes that he has inspired other players from his local area to do well. Best Format Standard Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself "How competitive I can be" Biggest Mistake Players Make Players don't know how to mulligan or sideboard properly. Have a sideboard plan. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event Play on MTGO and get serious about 1 month before the tournament. What's in Your Tournament Bag Camera and Deck Improvement Suggestions Practice a lot. Play as much as you can. Magic Resource MTG Top 8 (Latest Decks) Connect With Saul Alvarado Facebook: Saul Alvarado Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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

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 First Set 4th Edition Favorite Set Khans of Tarkir Favorite Card Lightning Bolt What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? Deck building Worst Magic Moment Losing to an "unplayable" card. Sub per cards when used correctly have a place. Expand your range. Proudest Magic Moment Winning GP Toronto. Conversation with Yourself 10 Years Ago Don't get out of the game. Go straight to university. Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself He was a poor looser. Biggest Mistake Players Make Restricting themselves to archetypes in draft. You need to be able to draft a good deck regardless of what you open. How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event A lot of free time leading up to the Grand Prix. 6 hours a day playing against the best decks (the gauntlet). Daily Rituals Draft daily. Mentors John Buden, Patrick Chapin What's in Your Tournament Bag Binder of Rares, Dragon Shield Sleeves, 10 of each land Improvement Suggestions Consume, content; articles, streams/videos; more friends & share cards. Focus on learning instead of winning during play testing. Treat your opponent with more respect. Magic Resource LSV, Patrick Chapin, Huey, Owen, Reid Duke Connect With Robert Lombardi Twitter: @RobertLombardi0 Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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 First Set Tempest / Stronghold Favorite Set Time Spiral Favorite Card Life from the Loam Early Challenge Learning the stack. Understanding the stack helped Philippe get to the competitive level. Worst Magic Moment 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. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 at GP Montreal 2016 and qualifying for the Pro Tour. Favorite Format Cube Biggest Mistake Players Make 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. What's in Your Tournament Bag Deck Playset of commons Clothes Ravnica Guild Golgari Non-Magic Activity Talking with people about cards and match ups. Improvement Suggestions Try to play for a limited time. Never be afraid to experiment. The best way to win at Magic is to lose at Magic. Magic Resource Star City Games Channel Fireball Face-To-Face Mana Deprived Connect With Philippe Gareau Find Philippe on Facebook Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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

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 First Set Betrayers of Kamigawa Favorite Set Shadowmoor Favorite Card Wild Nactl What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? 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. Early Challenge 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. Worst Magic Moment 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. Proudest Magic Moment Making top 4 at GP Oklahoma City. Biggest Mistake Players Make 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. Non-Magic Activity Exercise What's in Your Tournament Bag Deck Clothes Toiletries Improvement Suggestions 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. Magic Resource Star City Games Channel Fireball MTG Top 8 Friends Connect With Andrew Sullano Twitter: @panicking92 Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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 First Set Odyssey Favorite Set Onslaught Favorite Card Jace, The Mind Sculptor What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you? A lot of friends play and Matteo gets to travel. Worst Magic Moment Matteo had to stop playing Magic for a while due to work and this was his worst moment with the game. Proudest Magic Moment Top 8 at Grand Prix London Best Format Limited Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself 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.) Biggest Mistake Players Make 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. Improvement Suggestions Draft when you can and trade your cards for what you need. Connect With Matteo Moure FB: Matteo Moure Check Out Magic Story Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community. Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com Sponsors

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