Here is a set of tips for running a 2HG event from the judge’s perspective. If you find that you need a slightly more detailed version with more screenshots of WER, I recommend checking out this article.

1 – Tables for the Event

2HG requires four chairs per table number instead of the normal two. It’s easiest to reposition the table numbers for a 2HG event. That looks something like this:

2 – Enrolling Teams

The Players tab has been replaced by a Teams tab. Enter the information for both teammates before clicking the enroll button. Enrolled Players are players with teammates.

If you add a single player to the event or you add a player using the Find Local Player option, they will be added to the Unenrolled tab. Unenrolled Players do not have teammates. You can then pair these unenrolled players together to create a team.

WER allows teams to select a name, though I advise against it, as players frequently push the boundaries of what is acceptable. (Toby: hilarity ensues when a team is named ***Bye*** depending on your definition of hilarity) Pairings will be sorted by team name if they are present; otherwise they are sorted by the last name of Player 1 on that team.

3 – Printing Seatings for Deck Construction

There are many options for seating, but in most scenarios you actually want none of them! They do not work nicely with the four chairs per table you’ve just set up for the event. It’s easier to just print round one pairings, use them as seatings, and then repair round one for actual pairings. Make sure to announce clearly to the players that these seatings are not also the round one pairings.

4 – Head Judge Announcements

I like to spend about one minute going over some of the basics of 2HG during my Head Judge announcements. Many of these players are coming out to a shop for the first time or don’t have any experience with 2HG. I find that doing this will preempt the vast majority of the judge calls I receive in a given day. You don’t need to read them the entire 2HG FAQ, but covering some or all of the following might be extremely helpful.

1 game

30 life, shared life total

1 free mulligan and the Scry rule

Team on the play does not draw on the first turn

You on card text means just you, not your teammate

on card text means just you, not your teammate 3 extra turns in time

Shared sideboard for continuous deck construction

Comments on any set specific mechanic that gets weird in 2HG

5 – Judge as Spare Player

If there’s an odd number of total players for the event, one is unable to play. To prevent this you could have a judge in a “spare player” position. With an odd number of players they also play, with an even number they just judge.

Written by Phil Gallagher

Screenshots from mtgscorekeeper.com