Two for One-A Magic: the Gathering Life and Report of the 2015 MTG World Championships

Magic: the Gathering(Magic) may be the best game in the world. This designation is often appointed by players of the game without any further articulation, and I will illustrate to players and non-players alike why 20 million people worldwide become enchanted by Wizards of the Coast’s MTG. Experiences involved with playing Magic transcend gaming, and these experiences branch out and create a world of its own importance, separate from our everyday lives. Players experience this ‘Magic World’ on different levels. Some competitive players experience it through travel around the world, whereas many players experience the world through playing on Friday nights at their local game store, or enter it playing against their friends and family on their kitchen table.

Magic is a fantasy game that is also competitive, both parts lend themselves towards creating an escape from reality. Some players enter tournaments to have fun and try out a new strategy. Others enter with aspirations to win the tournament. Yet others choose to experience Magic by volunteering as a judge (referee) for competitive events. All of them experience different parts of the spectrum of the ‘Magic World’. I hope to express our devotion for this game in such a way that explains why so many players just can’t seem to get enough of the Magic experience.

Magic is not a game to be rated on a web column based on vague metrics and criteria. Magic for many of us is a way to escape from the real world, where at a certain point, becomes a separate life. Then, as we get rooted and deeper there becomes a point where Magic actually starts devouring what originally was our “real world”.

This leaves Magic players completely engulfed in a degenerate, double-dipped, “2 for 1” world where it is hard to determine who we really are, or what our true direction is. What is the reason for such an unnatural occurrence? Everyone starts out as just a player, and eventually the depth of the game and interaction with people you wouldn’t normally meet leaves you wanting more; these players eclipse being just a player, becoming members of the community. This drags you into what I call the “Arnold Palmer”: a half-real life, half-‘Magic World’. Your focus between playing Magic versus doing everyday things is often in flux. Overlap between these universes is constant; however people become experts at their management. The game itself creates a passion that grows after you start putting your hood up and transform into a weekend warrior. There is something about playing a tournament that just makes you yearn for more. Winning is enjoyable in any game or competition, but losing is what usually pushes us to get better and prove ourselves. Losing is the gateway. It’s how we learn to get better, keep level headed, and most importantly: keep that fire burning. Nobody can win all the time, so for a game to be first-rate and enjoyable you have to be able to get something out of losing, and in Magic while losses can be frustrating they often drive us to learn from our mistakes and compete again.

Something about playing Magic every weekend has completely overhauled the way we approach most situations. You become a firm believer of not fretting over things that are out of your control, since this is often the case in the game. At the same time you become completely aware of when things that happen are completely your fault, whether it be relationship wise or more finite things like taking the wrong street during rush hour. It’s quite absurd this two for one Arnold Palmer life completely melds into one insane trip, we become a magic player down to even the way we speak, it’s that impressionable on our lives. We can’t sleep at night without at least briefly thinking about Magic, creating insane dreams where our wizard and regular lives are somehow intermingled in a crazy incoherent dream state that only makes sense when you are asleep.

Magic is an excellent competitive game, but a majority of the reason it has been so successful is through the social opportunities and situations Magic creates; through my personal experiences in Magic I’ve learned to become more sociable in my “Arnold Palmer” world. When I was in school and at my workplace I wasn’t particularly interested in the world around me. I enjoyed people’s company, I carried out conversations that were mostly small talk, and as an introverted person I did just enough to get by without being off putting. I didn’t seem to be able to soak it in and experience those situations to their fullest capacity. Magic was always different for me; it’s much different to be battling in a tournament amongst people with similar interests versus sharing a cubicle, working on a group project, or going on an online date. Etiquette, comradery, social decision making are all on a different level at a Magic tournament. I was more able to be myself as a Planeswalker, while extracting mana from the bonds I have formed with the lands I have visited to Spire Barrage my Carnegie Mellon University friends out of games of booster draft.

Humans of today have a crazy wide spectrum of different lives to lead, within they often have their own ideas about what they live for, and how they experience different situations. Magic represents one among of many worlds and lifestyles; while someone else can escape reality through playing the piano, I can through playing Magic. After years of weekend tournaments and hangouts, Magic opened me up. I was in a place I enjoyed and felt comfortable and compatible with others and more of my double life was being consumed by Magic and my newfound friends. Being able to take this new world in and most importantly be myself let me grow outside of the game. Over the years there grew to be no division where there was prior between my magic personality and real world personality, just a singular being. At first, I would not tell my “real life friends” about Magic, some of my extremely tight friends knew about my Magic escapades, but I wasn’t active in informing them. I wasn’t embarrassed, but I also wasn’t proud of being a Magic player. Learning that everyone is human and has their quirks regardless of their background takes the pressure off, and finally being myself inside and outside MTG made me feel silly for being reserved in the first place. Today, I can’t understand when friends won’t tell the truth about why they are in Belgium to customs officer, or how come they won’t tell a person at the bar why they are halfway around the world. Friends are not going to question the things you do, or judge you for it, Magic or otherwise, but it took becoming friends with many Magic players who were like me to realize it. If you love the game Magic:the Gathering, or to cook, or to dance, or to swim, or to read, embrace it. Magic taught me how to be myself and has entirely shaped who I am and in an absolutely fantastic way, and I have the community as well as the game itself to thank for it.

In life, an often overlooked fact is that that you are the protagonist in your own story. Identifying yourself as an individual is paramount in getting better, establishing who you are, and enjoying yourself. People(myself included) surround themselves with negative thoughts about others who have things they want, be it knowledge, skills, fitness, degrees, a successful romantic life, or fame. If you really want something, you have to actually define what you want to achieve and accomplish it without making constant comparisons to others. Envy and comparisons only distracts from your ability to find the root of your problems and establish plans for your goals. As long as you are thinking “if my friend can do that I can too”, you are less able to pinpoint what steps need to be taken. While this was me for some time, Magic taught me to break this cycle after so many losses and close calls in tournaments. I really needed to learn from my mistakes to improve, and I began to blame myself for my troubles inside and outside of the game. Remember, you are the protagonist, if you want to make a change you are going to have to do it yourself. People will want to help you, but they will simply never be as invested as you are, and friends and family can’t take the first steps in your story. It’s just natural, we all live in a self centered world, even the most unselfish of us. People enter your story so they can interact with you. You can befriend them, learn from them, or get hurt by them. These realizations all came to me through wanting to improve my Magic game, and quickly I understood that I could use what I’ve learned through Magic to improve myself on the real world side of my Arnold Palmer life.

The protagonist theme creates an interested narrative at Magic events. I find it incredibly intriguing that at Magic Grand Prix(large professional tournaments open to anyone) thousands of Magic players are battling it out and they all have their own stories and see an entire tournament through their perspective, different from everyone else. They play different people, different decks, and all have hundreds of solitary interactions. A tournament room is just full of wandering minds thinking about what happened to them, who they played against and what happened in their games and games they watched-a plethora of independent thoughts that sculpts a near infinite amount of unique experiences.

Friends and acquaintances in Magic certainly have a great deal of importance, which I have learned through several personal experiences. By no means does this protagonist-based thinking about our lives mean there is no empathy in our mindset; it does not prevent us from shifting our thoughts onto others, inserting ourselves into either side of our companions “Arnold Palmer”, especially in a tight knit community like Magic: the Gathering. Becoming a better person and Magic player should not only be about you and what you have derived from personal experience, but also from your acquaintances, friends, and even enemies. The community is truly all in this together and this is why Magic is not only the best game per se in the world but actually just one of the most satisfying and wholesome experiences that exists. Having fun with something in a thought stimulating way but also as a social experience is rewarding and enjoyable. Whether you are super serious about magic or play casually, the highs and lows of magic are supported through a wealth of companionship and improvement- which operate on completely different spectrums of experience, love and companionship, logic and mathematics, travel and experience, among many more.

Recently I got to compete in the MTG World Championships at PAX Prime, a tournament where an exclusive 24 players compete for the chance at a Magic world title. Stakes are incredibly high, and the staff and players are all in tip top shape to try and set an example for Magic: the Gathering. Playing in the tournament was a blast, and you create an instant bond with 23 other people from all over the world. The whole event encapsulated what is best about magic: competition, camaraderie, spirit, sportsmanship. I was completely and utterly blown away by the class shown by my opponents, staff and Wizards of the Coast employees.

The perfect example of this came up on the 2nd day of competition. The Magic: the Gathering World Championships is a multiple day/multiple format event, and competitors play with a different deck of 75 cards on each day. I had realized just 10 minutes prior to a new portion of the event that I had left 4 of my cards (Windswept Heaths), at my hotel. They happened to be in both of my decks, I had forgotten to pull them out of the deck I used to compete the day before and arrived without them. I was informed by the judge staff (referee’s who run the Magic tournaments) that if I could not find them (unlikely at such a small event) I would have to replace them with basic lands, which with 6 rounds to go, would assuredly eliminate me from winning the world title.

I had just won my last 3 rounds to resurrect my slim hopes of winning the tournament, and I frantically asked around as I felt the tournament slipping away. One judge who was not from our event, Jeffrey Higgins from the United States, a Judge who was running Magic’s events at PAX Prime immediately informed me upon hearing the situation that he had 4 of the card in his hotel room. Mid-shift, he took it upon himself to get them for me before I could even blink. Now I had never met Jeff before this moment, and for no particular reason other than being a philanthropic human and outstanding Judge he took it upon himself to run back to his hotel(which was several blocks away unbeknownst to me) and come back with the cards with minutes to spare. Jeff didn’t know me, he didn’t owe me anything, but in this moment and I imagine for the rest of time we shared one thing, a love for Magic: the Gathering. A game we both play, cherish, and are extremely appreciative of it’s integrity and community. He understood that this tournament likely means a great deal to me, and that it probably took great effort to qualify. He was not only willing to help but as an ambassador of the game felt as though he were perhaps obligated to. I have already said it, but thanks again Jeff! This act of kindness pushed me to some emotions that I have never felt, all because of the brotherhood that is Magic: the Gathering. This would not the last time I would shed a tear before the end of this event.

I was fortunate enough to practice with 3 other competitors who I had been on a Magic team with for over the course of the last year: Ari Lax, Seth Manfield, and Brad Nelson. In this tournament Seth performed extremely well, and while the rest of us were struggling, our thoughts, hopes, and dreams were channeled through him. Saying we were rooting for Seth does not do it justice; Ari, Brad, and I were Seth Manfield. The unbelievable circumstances of him winning 15 of his 16 matches had us all experiencing a surge of ecstasy. I have never been so nervous than for anything in my entire life as I was in Seth’s last game of the finals, winner takes the cake. This tension was felt worldwide as Seth tenderly navigated through a key complicated turn.

For competitive Magic players, an entire year of dedication to competing at tournaments can come down to one play in one game. During such intense moments, we are completely immersed in gameplay. You can find yourself forgetting to breathe, unable to create a thought other than a possible in game play. Abruptly after Seth won this nail biter final, winning the world championships, Nathan Holt, a MTG original content creator and documentarian, interviewed Seth and asked him what his win meant for the people back home. Seth and his girlfriend Jenny have a newborn daughter Eve, who is now 2 months old. Seth was instantly overcome with emotion by the question, the combination of his passion for winning and immortalizing himself within Magic (the last United States champion since the year 2000), but also love for his family erupted in mountain of diced onions. They called him to the main stage, again moments later to present him his $50,000USD check and trophy and still he could not speak. I would consider myself a pretty stoic individual when it comes to Magic but as I imagine many people at home, I was overcome with emotion. My emotions had completely conquered me to the point where the moment I seemed to have calmed them, another burst of sentiment swept over me. And while I said we are protagonists in our own story, there is a level where we can and should experience what others do, melding our lives into theirs. Through an individual’s point of view, other people’s actions are much more impressionable on our lives then our own. During this moment of Seth’s triumph, I found myself thinking about Jenny and Eve, two people who I have never even met. I felt my pride in Seth, a friend of mine for some time who I knew was an elite player, a tremendous human being, and fantastic father, but now the world knew too; and in that moment I could feel what the world felt, and they could feel what I felt about Magic, and people knew why Magic: the Gathering means so much to Seth Manfield and me, and why it is the greatest game on earth.

When MTG players sit in our house on a Saturday, not at a tournament we feel uncomfortable or lost. This is not an awful thing, but we need some semblance of balance in our lives. Of course it goes both ways; after a trip we are just dying to get home, longing for a bit of normality. We want a reprieve from a constant grind of decision making, sensory experiences, and credit card roulette games that come with competing in a major Magic tournament.

It’s impossible to avoid the desire to reenter our normal lives after a huge magic grind and have conversations that don’t begin with a “board state”. What more can you want from a game? While we want to play a lot, at some point living a MTG life creates a yearning for normal days. This balance is why Magic is so perfect. It may not be easy to achieve, but the distinct pieces of wanting to play magic and then rollback to getting back to normal a routine is why those people say “Magic is the best game ever made” without any other articulation. You play and have a blast, then since you are so far removed from the functions of normal society you just cannot wait to re enter. This phenomenon is a quite difficult thing to describe, and I hope I have put a little bit of that sensation into your minds. Our “Arnold Palmer”, our Two for One MTG and real lives lean on each other and create a kickass world to live in. Magic players become rather obsessed with the game because the world it creates is a completely wholesome experience, one that allows you to dive into it as little or infinitely as you desire. Players can enjoy themselves through gaming and companionship, and learn about themselves and grow as a result of these experiences.

Whew! Now that I got all that seriousness off my chest and tears off my face, I think I owe it to everyone a little decompress! I hope to end every blog post with, Rubin’s Top 4! Here is my top 4 for October 2015:

4. Tailors. You know how you have that one pair of pants that just fits so much better that the others? What if I told you that all of your pants could fit that good at an incredibly reasonable price? Tailors are great because they make you feel great, and trust me gentleman ladies notice the little things.

3. Free continental breakfast. Now, this may seem like a weird one, especially to come in at #3…. but over the last few years I have stayed at so many pleasant hotels, some even considered fancy. The fancier your hotel the less likely there to be a free breakfast. This may seem like a very whiney thing to state, but disclaimer I don’t generally eat a giant breakfast at home it’s by far my smallest meal so I certainly don’t want to pay 17$ for a legit breakfast buffet. I don’t really need much more than coffee and #2 to get me satisfied, in reality #2 is the sole reason that free continental breakfast can make our list.

2. Bagel and cream cheese. But really, mostly just the cream cheese. Normal breakfast foods like bacon, eggs, potatoes, all leave you weighed down in the morning and feeling dreadful. Bagel and cream cheese is heavy enough to fill you up, but light enough to make you feel like a million bucks. Now, honestly cream cheese is the real #2 here and you know this is fact since peanut butter, jam, and margarine are all shit on a bagel compared to cream cheese. The bagel is just the fuselage, a mere vessel so that the cream cheese can be carried into your mouth, and add some texture to that oh so otherworldly cream cheese.

1.BBC’s TV series. Seriously, BBC does it right. They are not an entirely money hungry channel(at least on the surface), they actively spend big bucks to produce top notch television, and they don’t draw out seasons unnecessarily long to ring the cowbell as early and often as possible to extract as many dollars as possible. No-what if a network ran 4-12 episode season, focusing on having quality episodes. Better yet, there isn’t infinite filler in every show, and often the entirety of the show is tied into the overarching plot. Finally, this is possibly because of the higher quality of shows, but the acting seems to be superior as well. Unsure if it’s the amount they pay for these actors, the quality of the shows, or just the British accents, but gosh golly gee BBC is making their exquisite acting truly feel great in their “big screen movie” type TV. If you are looking for a more sleeper BBC show other than the obvious Doctor Who, Sherlock and the Office, I would recommend Luther and especially the Peaky Blinders to give a watch.

Thanks for the read, Steve “RubinZoo” Rubin.