Short and sweet, here are my six tips for those of you going to your first or your hundredth prerelease tournament.

1. Have fun. If this is your first pre-release or your 100th, these are events meant to be fun. And they are especially geared at being relaxed and fun for newcomers. Do not go to these looking for hardcore competition. So set out for this event with fun in mind and as your only goal for the day.
2. Look over spoiler lists. Some will say that there is a certain amount of fun in opening packs and seeing cards you've never seen before, and if that is your kettle of fish - go for it. If you are looking instead to win at least a few packs, you need to know what to expect before you begin competing.
3. Bring your own food. Food is essential, your brain needs energy to function and while venues always offer something, it may be overpriced, or it may be limited and undesirable. It just saves you the headache and extra cash. This is of course dependant on the rules for your event organizers, be respectful and responsible if you bring your own food.
4. Meet people. Like other events, people will travel to their nearest pre-release and it is a great opportunity to meet new people. So often people sit at their deck construction and they hardly speak to one another except over a few cards, please speak up. Talk about anything. Sports. Your significant other. TV shows. Etc. Just introduce yourself to the neighbors and see where it goes. If you're new to the game, this is key when it comes to enjoying Magic - knowing people.
   
5. Try something new. This is the time to reach outside your normal routine and try something new. If you play aggro, look for an opportunity to play control. If you play control, play aggro. These are the low K value tournaments which will hardly affect your rating, and its the time to experiment. As a new player, it's important to gain experience with different styles.
   
6. Examine your mistakes. Even though this is a fun, low pressure event, mistakes still matter. If it is a mistake in deck construction, game play, or judgment, it doesn't matter. You only get better by understanding what you did wrong. Since it's low pressure, feel free to talk to your opponents after the game.

It's short and to the point this week.

-- Trick

Updated: As was pointed out on the forums, bringing your own food is subject to event organizer rules. Updated to reflect this.