Locations
Tournaments are a integral part of Magic. Most players who are casual players learn at some point about competitive play and will, at some point, make the leap. But that leap is something that is quite intimidating.
We've done episodes of ManaNation discussing pre-releases and what to do to prepare for them, but a few fans have emailed asking about other events, bigger or more competitive events. They're absolutely right. Pre-releases are the wading-pool, everyone plays nice, there's very little serious rules enforcement and lax play abounds. So what happens when you're ready to get into the real pool? Well, let me guide you. Starting out, let's learn about the events itself.
The first thing to understand is how the DCI sees the competitiveness of events, they do this by assigning events "REL"s which are 'Rule-Enforcement Levels.' The REL is a sign of how hard the judges are going to push the rules and what level of penalties are assigned for infractions. There are three categorizations for RELs: Regular, Competitive and Professional.
The following definitions are taken from 'DCI Penalty Guide 2008.'
Regular events are focused on fun and social aspects, not enforcement. Most tournaments are run at this level unless they offer sizeable prizes or invitations. Some Junior tournaments may also be run at this level even if they do offer sizeable prizes or invitations. Players are expected to know most of the game rules, may have heard of policy and what is "really bad", but generally play in a fashion similar to the way he or she does at home. Players are still responsible for following the rules, but the penalties tend to be less severe, and the focus is on education and sportsmanship over technically precise play.
Competitive events are those with significant cash prizes, pro points, and/or invitations awarded to Professional events. Players are expected to know the game’s rules – but not to a technically detailed level – and be familiar with the policies and procedures, but unintentional errors are not punished severely. These are events that protect the interests of all players by providing event integrity while also recognizing that not all players are intimately familiar with Professional-level event structure, proper procedures, and rules.
Professional level events offer large cash awards, prestige, and other benefits that draw players from great distances. These events hold players to a higher standard of behavior and technically correct play than Competitive events. Offenses will often receive a harsher penalty, even for minor errors.
These are the three levels of events. FNM and most Pre-Releases are 'Regular' events, which is why they're the ideal introduction to competitive play. But PTQs (Pro Tour Qualifiers) and GPTs (Grand Prix Trials) are run at a 'Competitive' level so the rules are more tightly enforced. Grand Prixes and Pro Tour stops run at the 'Professional' level where you must know the rules and procedure of the game.
A Pro Tour Qualifier (PTQ) is a regional tournament run by an individual or organization that has coordinated with the DCI to setup this event. Sizes vary depending on where and when it's being held, as well as what the format is for the tournament. Players are playing for an invitation and a plane ticket to the Pro Tour. A PTQ is only good for a specific Pro Tour, it isn't an invitation that you can decide when to redeem.
Grand Prix Trials (GPTs) are similar, however instead of getting a plane ticket and an invitation, since Grand Prixes are open to all players, winners of Grand Prix Trials are given three byes for a specific Grand Prix.
States (US)/Champs (Canada) is a regional based event where players come together to compete, usually playing 'Standard.' They're playing for foil cards, commemorative plaques, and other prizes as offered by the tournament organizer. These used to be official DCI events that fed into Nationals but it was retired for a short period before the Tournament Organizers restarted the events series with Wizards' blessing.
Magic is a truly international game, and every year the Nations of Magic players around the world hold individual National Championships. They give invitations to the top X rated players in the country as well as anyone who is Pro Tour level 2 or higher. We don't yet have any information regarding when or where US Nationals will be held, historically it's on the east coast though.
Grand Prixes are larger tournaments, usually drawing near 1000 players when held in the States and regularly drawing near 1500 players when held in Europe. These are larger events that extend over two days, Saturday and Sunday. Saturday is open to all players who wish to play, played in a Swiss style, so players can play all through the day. This year the rules are being modified that rather than a strict fixed number of people making it to day 2, instead they are inviting everyone with an X-2 record to continue into day 2. The top 64 players at a Grand Prix win money, ranging from several thousand USD to a couple hundred. Also the top 2 players are invited to the next Pro Tour.
Pro Tours are invitation only events, currently the DCI is holding three a year. In 2009 the Pro Tour stops are Kyoto Japan, Austin Texas and Honolulu Hawaii. Pro Tour events are the peak of competitive play where players who have qualified at Pro Tour Qualifiers or Grand Prixes, as well as players who have performed well enough at past Pro Tours and Grand Prixes to automatically be invited to the next stop. Pro Tour stops extend over three days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Thursday night before a Pro Tour stop there is usually a tournament called a 'Grinder' which is a Pro Tour Qualifier which usually draws a few hunder competitors hoping to slip into the last slots for the Pro Tour event. These events are wildly fun and usually go late into the night, leading the competitor who wins to end up very short on sleep.
Now, because Pro Tours are invitation only, it does not mean you can go and enjoy the event. At both Pro Tours and Grand Prixes there are numerous "side events" for players to participate in. Everything from 8-man drafts, to Pro Tour Qualifiers. So if either of these larger type of events come near to where you live, or if you can make it out to one, I highly recommend going even if you're not going to play. Fridays at Pro tour events usually feature a big Friday Night Magic event with promo cards and such.
Above Pro Tour stops is the grand event every year, Worlds. The World Championships is what it sounds like, it's the top of the food chain where the best from around the world gather and battle out to be named Player of the Year as well as for a team of players to win the Team championships. The 2008 World Championships were held in Memphis Tennessee USA with Antti Malin winning the individual world champion title, and the US team winning the world team title. I'll get into the specifics of the formats and how it runs in one of my next articles, but let me say that if there is one event for a Magic player to attend, Worlds is perhaps the most fun I've ever had at a Magic tournament.
There are numerous other events, either local to the tournament organizer or regional. Also there are discontinued events such as the Magic Invitational. which is on a temporary leave of absence.
Next time I'll write about what formats are played at these events. Discuss the rules, card pools, and other information that new players may not know or may be overcome by.
