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How to Play on the Pro Tour

There's nothing like the Magic Pro Tour.

It's an electrifying room full of Magic 's greatest players, all casting spells and turning cards sideways to try and earn their share of $250,000. Four times a year, people flock from all over the world to one location, to set aside their differences and be united under the flag of Magic .

It's the big show. The pinnacle of competition. And, for many of us, what we strive for: the coveted chance to play in a Pro Tour hall and forge our own chance at that first-place trophy.

I've been fortunate enough to play on the Pro Tour several times, and it is a truly astounding and exhilarating experience. You sit down for a match, and to your left and right are the people you've seen play in feature match coverage—some of the world's finest players. Your opponent saunters up to the table, and perhaps they too have a name you recognize.

You see the coverage staff looking around, finding all the best stories. The video booth is rolling. The judges are standing around on guard, representing the peak of professionalism. The opening announcements come in.

And then the round begins. And everything else fades away, your pulse pounding louder and louder, as for 50 minutes of time the world fades away to be just you and your opponent, locked in combat to try and earn that crucial victory.

It's an experience that will stick with you forever.

This weekend, the next event in the series kicks off at Pro Tour Amonkhet . (If you want to check it out, click here .) And, if you're like me, watching a Pro Tour at home makes me want to go play in one even more.

I remember back to 2005. YouTube had just been founded, Batman Begins was out in theaters, the Xbox 360 was the hot new video game console, and I was a fifteen-year old kid watching the Top 8 of a Pro Tour broadcast live from Los Angeles, my eyes glued to the screen. And when the dust settled—when the field had cleared and future Hall of Fame inductee Antione Ruel had been crowned the Champion—one thing was clear in my mind: I was going to play in the Magic Pro Tour.

I qualified for my first time less than a year later.

So, how can you do that? How can you be the person flown out to that star-studded room, to be listed as one of Magic 's elite?

Well, future Pro Tour competitor, that's exactly what we're going to cover today.

Path #1: The Pro Tour Qualifier

There are several different ways to get to the Pro Tour, but not all of them are relevant to someone trying to qualify for the first time.

For example, every member of the Magic Hall of Fame gets an invitation . . . but chances are, if you're looking to qualify for the first time, you're probably not in the Hall of Fame. Same goes for qualifying because you did well at a previous Pro Tour: if you played in an earlier Pro Tour, then by definition you've been there already.

Instead, I'm going to distill it down to the two most common ways to do it. Yes, there are other ways, but this is how the vast majority of players get to the Pro Tour.

So, let's talk about Pro Tour Qualifiers (or PTQs for short).

This is a two-step system. First, you need to win a local Preliminary PTQ. These are smaller events, often held in stores, of which there are plenty over the course of a few months. Then, after winning a Preliminary PTQ, you go play in a large Regional PTQ, featuring other people who won their Preliminaries. Win that, and you're on your way to the Pro Tour.

Simple, right?

So, that means the first step for you it to go find and win a preliminary PTQ. (You can find a list of them here . If there are none near you, a similar system also exists on Magic Online !)

I'll talk a little bit about how to succeed at these events in a bit. But first, let me cover the other primary way to qualify. Which is . . .

Path #2: The Grand Prix

Grand Prix are larger than your local PTQ. A lot larger.

Unlike a Preliminary PTQ, which is a small tournament in your local store, or the Regional PTQ, which is often less than 100 competitors, a Grand Prix usually features well over 1,000 players, and commonly sits near 2,000 or even higher. People come around from all over for these—professional players and non-professionals alike.

And they're awesome.

There's tons to do at a Grand Prix, whether it's the main event, side events, or just meeting artists and getting cards signed. Whenever a Grand Prix rolls anywhere remotely nearby, I always try to go check it out. They're huge, great fun, and, in this case, excellent training for a Pro Tour. Oh, and unlike PTQs, Grand Prix award thousands of dollars in prizes.

So, what about the qualifying for the Pro Tour part?

Unlike a PTQ, which is just one day, the main event of a Grand Prix runs over two days, with a cut at the end of the first day—usually nine rounds of Magic —removing all players who have more than four match losses from competition.

If you survive the cut, you come back on Day Two and play more Magic —usually about six more rounds, for 15 in total. When the dust settles, everybody in the Top 8, as well as those who win thirteen or more matches in the main event of Grand Prix, qualifies for the Pro Tour. (And walk away with some serious prize money, to boot.)

Oh, and it's worth noting that on the Sundays of Grand Prix, special PTQs are run that award a Pro Tour slot to the winner. You don't need to qualify through a Preliminary PTQ for these: you can just go play. These make Grand Prix great tournaments to visit if you're trying to make it to the big show since you can play in the Grand Prix on the first day, and if you make the cut to Day Two, great. If not, you have another chance on Sunday!

There is a large smorgasbord of Grand Prix across the world every year. You can find a list of the ones coming near you here , and I highly recommend you check them out! They're a blast.

Three Tips to Succeed

Knowing may be half the battle, but now that you're armed with the knowledge of how to do this, you need to actually go out and win matches in these things.

Here are three big pieces of advice for being successful at events that qualify you for the Pro Tour:

• Understand and Prepare for the Tournament Structure

That's right: my first piece of advice has nothing to do with actually playing Magic . But if you're going to win a tournament, you need to take a step back and understand what that really means.

Playing in a tournament like this is a lot different than just playing home or even playing at something like Friday Night Magic . For a Preliminary PTQ, you're looking at a long day of Magic with several rounds, followed by (if all goes well) a Top 8 playoff. For a Grand Prix, you're looking at an even longer day of Magic over two days of competition.

First, it's crucial to understand how tournaments work. At a Preliminary PTQ, you're probably playing five or six rounds. Winning a match gives you 3 match points. Drawing a match gives you 1 match point. Losing a match gives you 0. This is how standings are calculated. Usually, your second loss eliminates you from Top 8 contention (though not always ) because there will mathematically be at least eight people with more match points than you. Each round is generally 50 minutes long, followed by another round soon thereafter.

Everybody is there to win, and judges are there to help answer questions and enforce rules. I'll reiterate something I've said in past articles: if you ever have any questions about anything, call a judge. There's nothing to feel bad about in doing so.

And keep in mind: these are long tournaments. (And if it's a Grand Prix, it's a really long tournament. We're talking 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. or later sometimes here.) Stamina and focus is part of the game just as much as playing the game; making it to the Top 8 is meaningless if you forget to attack because you're hungry. Do what you need to do to make sure you can stay at the top of your game, whether that's relaxing and listening to music between rounds, packing a sandwich, bringing a water bottle, or so on.

And these are just a few elements of the tournament experience. The best way to learn is by doing, so I recommend when you play in your first one of these you ask questions of judges or people around you to help you understand. Everyone started somewhere.

• Playtest and Learn How the Format Works

Okay, now it's time for a tip about actually playing Magic .

If you're going to win one of these things, you're going to need to be one of the best players in the room at this specific format. And to get to that point, you're going to need to spend time to get familiar with it.

If the tournament is Constructed—meaning you bring your own deck—the first thing I always recommend doing is trying everything.

When I approach a new format, the first thing I want to do is play every popular deck in the format. This not only informs me about which I might want to play, but also about what I'm going to be playing against. And knowing what my opponents are likely to throw at me is a huge part of success.

From playing everything, then I'll hopefully have a good idea of what I might want to play. I'd recommend selecting a popular deck that you like and felt had pretty good matchups and start playing with that.

Now, there's nothing wrong with playing your own rogue deck. I'm certainly one for playing wild concoctions. But you have to truthfully ask yourself, "Is playing this deck giving me the best chance to win?" Because in this case, your goal is winning. You don't get extra match points for originality.

Especially if you're just beginning to try to qualify, I recommend starting by playing something that is a more known quantity. Why? It's probably the best refined, and spending your time learning how to play that deck well (not to mention reading articles on how to play it well) is going to be a better point of focus than also worrying whether your original deck is even working at all and trying to figure it out on your own. Several PTQ seasons, I qualified the moment I decided to switch to a deck that had been proven successful and just get good at that deck.

A similar thing is true for Limited tournaments, just in a different way: play lots of Limited! Practice Booster Draft and Sealed, talk with other people, and try to figure out what you think the best strategies are.

And finally, in both cases: keep your ear to the ground when it comes to new and developing strategies. The world evolves fast. If you see a new breakout piece of sideboard technology in Grand Prix coverage over the weekend or find out about how someone drafted a unique deck to good effect, try it out in playtesting and see if you can adopt it for the next weekend's tournament. Being flexible is important, and having a leg-up on your competitors by keeping an eye on format trends can go a long way.

• Be Persistent

It's incredibly important to understand that you're probably not going to win your first one of these.

I'm not saying that because I don't have faith in you, fellow Magic player. But given all the factors that go in here, between the format, your opponents and matchups, and getting used to the PTQ or Grand Prix scene—well, there's a lot to take in.

Your first time, I'd expect it to be a learning experience—and if you do well, that's just an awesome bonus.

The good news is that there are tons of Preliminary PTQs out there. You'll have no problem finding another. Grand Prix roll through town or close by a couple times a year. It took me many PTQs before I finally won one, and many Grand Prix before I finally made Day Two, let alone did well enough in one to qualify for the Pro Tour through a Grand Prix finish.

But it's important to not get battered down. Play in events. Meet people. Make friends. Get used to the scene. And then before you know it, you'll be the one other competitors are afraid to play against.

Taking It to the Top

With Pro Tour Amonkhet this weekend, if you want to be on top of your game for local PTQs, I can't stress enough how important it is that you check out the coverage. Not only will you get to see the latest and greatest in Standard decks, but you can watch some of the best in the game play Magic . Learning from them can go a long way toward success.

I hope you found this look helpful and inspiring on your quest to go qualify! If it's something that interests you at all, I recommend at least giving it a try.

Do you have any questions at all on the process or perhaps other thoughts? Please, reach out to me! You can always find me by sending me a tweet , asking me a question on my Tumblr , or emailing me in English at [email protected] .

I'll talk with you again next week. Enjoy the Pro Tour. And may your road to get to the Pro Tour yourself begin well!

Gavin @GavinVerhey GavInsight

My Road to Winning the MTG Pro Tour

After finally being crowned Pro Tour champion, Reid's giving the inside scoop on how he got there.

By Reid Duke | @ReidDuke | Published 2/25/2023 | 8 min read

While there have been plenty of sweet and highly-competitive Magic tournaments, there hasn't been a Pro Tour since 2019. The combination of a world-wide pandemic and an emphasis on Magic Arena changed the landscape of MTG's organized play for 2020, 2021, and 2022.

I did my best to roll with the punches in these years. I love playing MTG in any form, and was grateful to be able to play some high-level Magic while everyone was stuck at home. However, I never felt quite the same excitement as in the old days, when players from all across the world would converge on one tournament hall to battle it out.

Worse yet, I never really hit my stride. I managed to keep my head above water when it came to my ranking and qualifications for tournaments. However, despite playing in every major event, I never broke through to a top finish during this play-from-home era.

But the Pro Tour is back, baby, and so am I!

If you want a more in-depth report, I suggest checking out my article on CFB Pro as well.

Preparation

Truth be told, this tournament didn't represent the peak of either my preparation or my confidence.

I had gone "all in" for Worlds back in October, with weeks of practice and study. I strove endlessly to make every card choice and draft pick perfectly, and not leave any possible advantage on the table. That resulted in a "just okay" 8-6 finish .

The Worlds experience burned me out, and I knew I'd need some time to recharge before I'd be able to repeat that process for a future tournament. Instead, my goal for Pro Tour Phyrexia was mainly to have fun, and enjoy getting back to tabletop MTG. I wasn't expecting any particular result. I think that in a strange way, this worked in my favor, as it helped me to stay calm and play my best throughout the event.

Team Line-Up

I started practicing full-time the Friday before the tournament (so about one full week of dedicated preparation). I shared a house in Philadelphia with an awesome team. I couldn't have done it without their help.

Here was the team line-up.

PT Competitors:

• Jim Davis (USA)
• Eli Kassis (USA)
• Martin Juza (Czech Republic)
• Ben Lundquist (USA)
• No Ah Ma (Korea)
• Seth Manfield (USA)
• Gabriel Nassif (France)
• Logan Nettles (USA)
• Sam Pardee (USA)
• Luis Scott-Vargas (USA)
• Mike Sigrist (USA)
• Jakub Toth (Czech Republic)
• Brent Vos (Netherlands)

Outside Assists:

• Kai Budde (Germany)
• Andrew Cuneo (USA)
• Frank Karsten (Netherlands)
• Will Kreuger (USA)
• Raphael Levy (France)
• Carolyn Pardee (Canada)

The "testing house" experience is always a lot of fun. It's a great excuse to gather friends from all over the world to hang out and play Magic. There's always some amount of stress, as we all want to do well in the tournament. But I find there's no better - or more fun - way to challenge each other to be our best. For instance, everybody hyping up Siggy (Mike Sigrist) and Martin Juza as the best drafters, and wondering who'd be able to take a match off of them!

Plus, No Ah Ma brought us a lifetime supply of snacks from Korea!

We had a really great team dynamic and a great experience. At various points, people would stop to point out how good it felt to be playing again. Of course, it was not without the normal gaming house snafus.

This was me minding my own business with a Magic Online draft as two of my teammates decided to pass a flimsy box of hot pizza over my head…

During my best years on the Pro Tour, I felt that I had a bigger edge in the Booster Draft rounds than in the Constructed rounds. Most players qualify for the PT by playing Constructed. Plus, while you can get a crash course in a Constructed format over the course of a few weeks, the best drafters tend to be the ones who've played thousands and thousands of drafts over the course of a long career.

Combine the experience advantage with an elite team capable of figuring out a draft format quickly, and I often feel pretty confident sitting down for a Pro Tour draft.

I had a fair bit of driving to do going between New York and Philadelphia, so this time around I stayed up to date with the Limited Resources, Lords of Limited, Drafting Archetypes and Mystical Dispute podcasts. Each was helpful in their own way.

My draft strategy was to build a solid deck, and not go "all-in" on the toxic strategy, which can sometimes go badly when things don't work out for you. My favorite color is red, and I only planned to draft blue if it proved to be very, very open at the table.

It's a good thing the Limited preparation went well, because I felt totally lost in Pioneer. I believe the format is very balanced, with all of the big decks having strengths and weaknesses. You can fall in love with a deck after a good set of games, but if you play it long enough, you'll inevitably hit a bad run, or encounter a bad matchup that'll scare you off of it.

My goal was to choose a deck that was powerful, proactive, and for which we had a good deck list.

My favorite Pioneer deck, Mono-Blue Spirits, simply wasn't going to be a good choice in a world where Rakdos Midrange, Gruul, White Weenie and Rakdos Sac are among the top decks. Rakdos Midrange and Lotus Field appealed to me, and I had a good run when I played Gruul, but none of them really felt "special" as a deck that would give me an edge over the field.

In the end, I trusted my team when it came to the Izzet Indomitable Creativity deck. As a team, we'd put a ton of work into it (especially Mike Sigrist, who had played the most), so I knew it would be a solid choice.

Magic: The Gathering TCG Deck - Izzet Creativity by Reid Duke

'Izzet Creativity' - constructed deck list and prices for the Magic: The Gathering Trading Card Game from TCGplayer Infinite!

Created By: Reid Duke

Event: Pro Tour Phyrexia

Market Price: $354.69

Spikefield Hazard deals 1 damage to any target. If a permanent dealt damage this way would die this turn, exile it instead.

Casualty 1 (As you cast this spell, you may sacrifice a creature with power 1 or greater. When you do, copy this spell and you may choose a new target for the copy.) Counter target spell unless its controller pays {2}.

Counter target noncreature spell.

({T}: Add {U} or {R}.) As Steam Vents enters the battlefield, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters the battlefield tapped.

Investigate. If this spell was cast from a graveyard, investigate twice instead. (Create a Clue token. It's an artifact with "{2}, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.") Flashback {3}{U}

Counter target spell with mana value 4 or greater.

({T}: Add {R}.)

Fire Prophecy deals 3 damage to target creature. You may put a card from your hand on the bottom of your library. If you do, draw a card.

Choose target spell or permanent that's red or green. Its owner puts it on the top or bottom of their library.

Delve (Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for {1}.) Look at the top seven cards of your library. Put two of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.

{T}: Add {C}. {1}: Mutavault becomes a 2/2 creature with all creature types until end of turn. It's still a land.

{T}: Add {R}. Channel — {3}{R}, Discard Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance: Create two 1/1 colorless Spirit creature tokens. They gain haste until end of turn. This ability costs {1} less to activate for each legendary creature you control.

Destroy X target artifacts and/or creatures. For each permanent destroyed this way, its controller reveals cards from the top of their library until an artifact or creature card is revealed and exiles that card. Those players put the exiled cards onto the battlefield, then shuffle.

Indestructible As long as your devotion to red and green is less than seven, Xenagos isn't a creature. At the beginning of combat on your turn, another target creature you control gains haste and gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is that creature's power.

{T}: Add {U}.

Stormcarved Coast enters the battlefield tapped unless you control two or more other lands. {T}: Add {U} or {R}.

{T}: Add {U}. Channel — {3}{U}, Discard Otawara, Soaring City: Return target artifact, creature, enchantment, or planeswalker to its owner's hand. This ability costs {1} less to activate for each legendary creature you control.

Put any number of cards from your hand on the bottom of your library, then draw that many cards plus one.

(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter.) I — Create a 2/2 red Goblin Shaman creature token with "Whenever this creature attacks, create a Treasure token." II — You may discard up to two cards. If you do, draw that many cards. III — Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.

This spell can't be countered. Rending Volley deals 4 damage to target white or blue creature.

{T}: Add {C}. {T}: Add {U} or {R}. Shivan Reef deals 1 damage to you.

Fiery Impulse deals 2 damage to target creature. Spell mastery — If there are two or more instant and/or sorcery cards in your graveyard, Fiery Impulse deals 3 damage instead.

This spell costs {2} less to cast if it targets a blue spell. Counter target spell unless its controller pays {3}.

Look at the top four cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.

Spirebluff Canal enters the battlefield tapped unless you control two or fewer other lands. {T}: Add {U} or {R}.

Flash This spell can't be countered. Whenever you cast a spell, choose up to one — • Return target spell you don't control to its owner's hand. • Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand.

As an additional cost to cast this spell, discard a card. Draw two cards and create two Treasure tokens. (They're artifacts with "{T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color.")

Trample When Worldspine Wurm dies, create three 5/5 green Wurm creature tokens with trample. When Worldspine Wurm is put into a graveyard from anywhere, shuffle it into its owner's library.

Copy target instant or sorcery spell, then return it to its owner's hand. You may choose new targets for the copy.

Counter target noncreature spell unless its controller pays {2}.

Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, create an X/X blue Shark creature token with flying, where X is that spell's mana value. Cycling {X}{1}{U} ({X}{1}{U}, Discard this card: Draw a card.) When you cycle Shark Typhoon, create an X/X blue Shark creature token with flying.

If you control two or more other lands, Hall of Storm Giants enters the battlefield tapped. {T}: Add {U}. {5}{U}: Until end of turn, Hall of Storm Giants becomes a 7/7 blue Giant creature with ward {3}. It's still a land. (Whenever it becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays {3}.)

The Tournament

Red is my favorite color to draft in Phyrexia: All Will Be One , and I was fortunate to wind up with two solid red decks in the draft portions of the tournament.

First, I finished 3-0 in the first draft with R/G, which is a great start. I still had no expectations for how I'd finish in the event, but I was having fun, and it felt great to get a Pro Tour Draft "trophy" again after it had been so long.

After going 3-2 in the Pioneer rounds, I was thrilled to finish the day at 6-2. Before the event started, I would've been relatively happy with any result that let me play Day 2. At 6-2, I wasn't really picturing myself battling for Top 8, but I felt like I was at least on track for a solid finish.

In the day two draft portion, I went 2-1 with R/W (losing to R/G in the finals, humorously enough).

I rattled off three Pioneer wins, then defeated my teammate Gabriel Nassif in the "win-and-in" round to make the top 8!

Quarterfinals against Nathan Steuer

I drew a scary pairing for the first round of Top 8: World Champion Nathan Steuer with Lotus Field combo. The matchup is bad in game 1 because I only had "soft counters" like Make Disappear, while his deck could generate astronomical amounts of mana. This would force me to race towards my own combo, but that would also mean walking straight into Otawara, Soaring City on Worldspine Wurm, and there's basically no counterplay against that.

My 0-2 start against Nathan Steuer was discouraging, especially because I felt like I'd had pretty good positions at a couple of points in both games. Thankfully, I'm pretty good at keeping calm and staying focused, so I knocked the negative thoughts out of my head, continued playing my best, and managed to turn things around!

The first time the trophy felt within my reach was when I won the quarterfinals. Before that moment, I was just happy to be playing and was prepared for any outcome. But suddenly I felt like I could actually win the whole thing!

Semifinals and Finals

I thought my sideboarded games against Derrick Davis's Enigmatic Incarnation deck would be favorable, so when I was able to win one of the pre-sideboarded games, it boosted my confidence. I wasn't sure how the finals would go, since Selesnya Auras is a volatile and scary deck. Ben Madsen mulliganed a lot, and that influenced the outcome of the match. If he'd kept seven-card hands with Gladecover Scout every game, I suspect you'd be reading his tournament report instead of mine right now!

Winning the Pro Tour is a dream come true.  I don't attribute the result only to myself, but also to my team, and the great network of support I have in my life.

It didn't hit me right away when the finals ended, because I was still in "game mode," trying to stay calm and focused. It was only when Cedric Phillips called me to the front of the stage and announced, "Pro Tour Phyrexia Champion - Reid Duke," that it became real. I teared up a little at that moment.

In the next few days, I've been overwhelmed by the amount of support and encouragement I've received. Knowing how many people were cheering for me, and were happy to see me win – that's almost better than the win itself.

Thanks to all of you for following my progress over the years. Long live the Pro Tour!

On my way out from the tournament site, I stopped at Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market to get something to eat. I sat down at a table next to a father and son who'd attended the convention. They recognized me and we started chatting. They had me sign a card, and I asked them how their weekend had been.

After about 10 minutes, they asked me, "So did you do the Pro Tour Qualifier today?"

"No," I said, "I won the Pro Tour."

There was a pause. "What do you mean? Like the main event?"

"Yeah," I said, "I won. The trophy's in that case right there."

They were duly impressed, and went home with some cool photos.

How the MTG Pro Tour Works in 2024

What's changing in the world of professional Magic?

By Seth Manfield | @SethManfield | Published 3/20/2024 | 12 min read

Magic: The Gathering has a long and storied professional scene, going back more than 30 years. On March 18, 2024, Wizards of the Coast announced several changes across multiple platforms , including Magic Online, MTG Arena and of course tabletop play. I'm going to talk about those changes, but I also want to provide my perspective on pro Magic, as someone who has been a professional player for some time now.

The Pro Tour and World Championships

In my opinion, while having digital Magic tournaments is important, there is no replacement for the Pro Tour and the branding behind it. A Pro Tour is first and foremost a tabletop tournament. The locations of these events have shifted over time, but the tour does include players from many regions of the world. 

The Pro Tour and World Championships have the largest prize purses, feature the most extensive broadcasts and are an opportunity for players to gather. The gathering part of Magic is something that has ebbed and flowed within the past decade, but having that opportunity is crucial for the success of the game. There are many positives about the Pro Tour, from the judges to the tournament organizers to the players. However, I do want to talk about the pathway to actually qualifying for the Pro Tour.

Qualifying for the Pro Tour

There is a large section of Magic players who know of the existence of the Pro Tour but don't understand how to truly get involved in the system. To be fair, it can seem a bit convoluted, at least at the start. The most direct path to qualifying for the Pro Tour when playing tabletop Magic starts with winning a Regional Championship Qualifier (RCQ). 

The Regional Championship Qualifiers are often local, though I do understand that some countries have fewer opportunities to hold RCQs, compared to others. How easy it is to play in an RCQ will vary based on where you live, though the goal is they are more accessible than the Regional Championships (RC). Personally, I think that winning a qualification to a RC at a RCQ is an attainable goal. Qualifying for the Pro Tour is very difficult, but making each step feel attainable is important so that players want to engage in the system. 

Once players do make it to the Pro Tour, there is a requalification system for future Pro Tours and potentially earning a slot at the World Championships. 10 Wins at the Pro Tour is good enough to qualify for the next Pro Tour. Each win after the third win at a Pro Tour gets you Adjusted Match Points (AMP's), which are used to string together multiple invites and potentially make it to the World Championships. It sounds more complicated than it is in practice. Good finishes at the Pro Tour level do allow you to get on a "Pro Tour train" of sorts. I know this because I have qualified for each of the last four Pro Tours without using my Hall of Fame invite (an invite only Hall of Fame players have access to). 

Regional Championship Qualifications

The latest changes to the Pro Tour qualification path relate to how many Pro Tour qualifications are given out at the RC. Here is the graphic that explains the latest shift in invites:

These changes are very important to the sustainability of the current system, which relies heavily on players qualifying for the Pro Tour at the Regional Championship. I do believe Wizards has since adjusted this graphic to 36 qualifications in the EMEA region, rather than 32. However, as William "Huey" Jensen put it best, the number of invites based on region is based on math. Simply put, there are more Magic players in U.S., for example, compared to other regions, so I do think the U.S. should have the most invites.  For some players at the RC's, the experience involved investing money into traveling to the tournament, spending time testing and then achieving the result of 11 wins out of 15 rounds. A record like 11-4 is impressive and should be rewarded. I'm hopeful that the new invitation numbers mean that the ratio of the size of the RC to how many invites are awarded closely lines up across every region. 

Pro Tour Locations

I do want to take a moment to address that most Pro Tours are being held in the U.S. The standard has become between the World Championships and the Pro Tour, three of these major tournaments happen in the U.S. and one is held in Europe within a full-year cycle. This lines up with MagicCon locations. These decisions are likely financially rooted, and there are clear incentives for Wizards of the Coast to want Pro Tours in the United States.

https://infinite.tcgplayer.com/article/robot/644af235-7fb8-4841-a6eb-6a105c9a618f

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Wizards of the Coast is based in the United States, so it makes logistics easier and caters to the largest portion of the player base. While I understand why it's happening, this is a shift compared to previous versions of the system where the Pro Tour locations were a bit more spread out across the globe. 

As someone who lives in the United States, I do feel privileged by being closer to these marquee events, as traveling to a Pro Tour overseas is a major expense and endeavor. Many players have been affected by these strategic decisions, and for some, it may not be financially viable to travel to the Pro Tour at all. 

The Pro Tour Just Got Larger

Awarding more qualification slots at the RC also means that Pro Tours will be larger. I think adding more slots to the RC and making Pro Tours this size (likely about 350ish players) needed to happen. However, this is still a delicate dance, because if prizes aren't increased, it does mean from an equity perspective, the tournament invite isn't worth as much as it was before. 

The Arena Championship

The Arena Championship is the most prestigious event offered on MTG Arena. Like qualifying for the Pro Tour, there are multiple steps to qualifying for the Arena Championship. The latest announcement, which I will get into, does make it significantly easier to qualify for the Arena Championship. This was a very positive announcement for players looking to have a chance to make it to the Arena Championship. Here are the key differences:

The first step is qualifying for the Qualifier Weekend. There are a ton of ways to qualify for the Qualifier Weekend day one. Whether it's a play-in event or by doing well on the Arena ladder, for those familiar with the ways to qualify for the Qualifier Weekend Day 1, they won't be changing. For those that aren't familiar, of all the hurdles I mention in this article across multiple systems, making it to the Qualifier Weekend Day 1 is the one I feel is the least difficult.

The adjustments to how to make the second day of the Qualifier Weekend, and how to subsequently make it to the Arena Championship, are just math. You don't need to have as good an overall record as you did in the previous system because there are more losses to give and fewer wins needed. It's also possible to qualify directly for the second day of future Qualifier Weekends. Inevitably this will mean that since it's easier to qualify for the Arena Championship, the number of players competing in the Arena Championship will also increase. Early estimates are that the field will be around 100 players, which is over three times the current size. 

To cap off the announcement, there is also an increase in prize support coming to the Arena Championships to help accommodate for the increased player count. At 100 players and a $250,000 prize pool, from an equity standpoint, the Arena Championship rivals or even surpasses the Pro Tour. Having 16 confirmed invites directly to the Pro Tour at each Arena Championship also means there is a direct path to the Pro Tour from online play. Overall, I'm quite impressed with the changes to the path to make it to the Arena Championship, and I suspect this will create an influx of players into the system. 

The Magic Online Showcase

I do also want to touch on the latest Magic Online announcements, as there have been some recent shifts on the platform. Magic Online is now run by Daybreak Games, and this has potentially caused a strategy shift in terms of the direct offerings on the platform. The Magic Online Showcase events, while still present, will be changing the prize money they give out. The number will decrease from $70,000 to $50,000. While a decrease in prize money is hard to look at positively, some corresponding shifts are being made in conjunction with this change.

The Magic Online Showcase events, even before the latest changes, are not on the same scope in terms of overall prize money allocation as the Arena Championship or the Pro Tour. It makes sense that the goal of the Showcase events is to grow the Magic Online community. It does appear that the money being removed from Showcase prizes is still being used to attract interest in Magic Online. These funds will be reallocated to enhance the new version of the Magic Online Creator Program, which I will get into a bit more later. 

My Thoughts About What It Means to Be a MTG Pro Right Now

If you were expecting an article strictly presenting the facts of what the latest changes to competitive Magic are, well you likely stopped reading before this point. However, I want to provide my perspective on the life of actually being an MTG Pro. 

I know that a lot of my commentary so far has been monetary in nature. How much money is being awarded? Is it worth it to attend the events? These are certainly important questions to consider when understanding what the stakes are at a given event, but the fact is that there is not enough money in the system to "only" play Magic as a full-time job. I repeat, simply being skilled at Magic and winning lots of games isn't a good long-term career plan . There is more to "making it" as a pro Magic player than playing Magic. As someone who has tried to do this, and done very well in tournaments, I should know firsthand. This doesn't mean I'm going to discourage trying to be MTG Pro, but there are some clear distinctions that need to be made. 

The Practical Nature of the Pro Magic Lifestyle

For someone who is solely focused on playing high-level Magic tournaments, Magic is best considered as the equivalent of being on a college sports team. You still need to complete your classes (meaning have another job), while putting time and dedication into your craft. The highest-level events are on the weekend and occur infrequently enough there is time for other pursuits outside of Magic, even when qualified for all the Pro Tours. While you can try to make a living just off playing MTG, grinding leagues and challenges on Magic Online as a job isn't something I would recommend. 

Content Creation

To engage with MTG as a full-time job, I believe it is necessary to create content. It used to be that pro Magic took center stage, and content creators, like streamers and YouTubers, were more of an afterthought. This is far from the case today. While I do believe that pro Magic is a cornerstone of the overall play structure within the game, content creation has become absolutely massive. Almost all the individuals who engage in MTG as their full-time job produce content. Streaming, writing articles, podcasts, platforms like Patreon and cultivating an online audience in general are all part of content creation. Sponsorships often go hand in hand with content creation. 

Working full-time within the MTG space means being versatile. I know I have personally been juggling many ways of creating content for the past few years. Here are some tips I have for those looking to get into the content side of MTG, while also playing competitively:

• Be Aware of How You Present Yourself: Whether this be in a conversation on Twitter or how you dress for a Pro Tour. Perception matters, especially when you are putting yourself in a position to be a role model for others. 
• Form Relationships with Other Creators: Having friends and others within the community to bounce ideas off and help you cultivate your audience is extremely important. 
• Prepare For Obstacles: This path is a long one and isn't easy. The benefits aren't going to be immediate. The way you create your content may need to change out of necessity. 
• Personality is Important: Are you someone naturally funny? How about a large social circle? Having a contagious personality pays off when it comes to content creation. 
• You Can Create Content and Play High-Level Magic at the Same Time: It may be as simple as streaming gameplay while preparing for a tournament. Creating content and participating in pro Magic don't need to be and aren't mutually exclusive.  This brings me to the new Content Creator Program on Magic Online. This program has a lot of potential and is something I hope to engage with. Streamed and broadcasted gameplay is important to help advertise and grow the game, and it sounds like Magic Online will be having much more of this moving forward. 

Wrapping Up

The key to successfully engaging with the pro Magic system is making sure it occupies a healthy spot within your overall lifestyle. I know for me, detaching thinking about winning games of Magic to providing for my family and making a living was incredibly important. Going into a tournament with the right mindset really makes a difference. Never expect to win, but be happy when you do. There is too much variance in the game, and the odds are too lopsided to expect to do well in one particular event. Playing should be about enjoying yourself, having fun and hoping that the cards go your way. If you have done all the right things to prepare, that big moment may present itself, but when it happens is unpredictable. 

The latest changes to premier-level Magic play all make a lot of sense. It's good to hear that Wizards of the Coast is listening to feedback and making changes accordingly. It turns out that the best changes are often toggling numbers within the system, and that's exactly what has happened in the case of the Arena Championship. 

Do I wish there were some more changes to Premier Play like GP-style events (separate from MagicCons), or enhanced team trios opportunities? Yes. Do I wish that there were some Pro Club-level benefits like previous versions of the system? I do from a player's perspective, but it's not worth dwelling on. In this case, it's hard to detach my wishes and what makes sense. The old Pro Player Club, which provided extra appearance fees, flights, hotel rooms and more, was great for players within the system, though it's unclear how much that system benefited Wizards of the Coast. Wizards of the Coast is going to make the decisions they deem are in the best interest of the company. I'm choosing to engage with the system as it stands right now and am happy to have the opportunity to do so.

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When does the MTG Pro Tour start?

The Pro Tour is back , marking the return of competitive Magic: The Gathering to a layout similar to the pre-esports push by Wizards of the Coast that started with the release of Magic Arena .

Calling back to the prestige branding, there are three Pro Tours scheduled for 2023 with qualifying events starting with the New Capenna Championship on May 20 to 22. This will also include Regional Championship qualifying tournaments and Regional Championship tournaments that feed directly into Pro Tour invites.

But when does the Pro Tour start? Wizards of the Coast hasn’t announced a date yet but said the first Pro Tour will happen early in 2023. Each Pro Tour will be played on tabletop with around 300 players and a $500,000 prize pool for each tournament.

Every Pro Tour will be a split-format tournament with a Booster Draft followed by Constructed rounds. The first Pro Tour of the year will play Pioneer in its Constructed format. The following events will feature Standard then Modern.

All players who go 9-6 or better at the New Capenna Championship will earn an invitation to the first Pro Tour. All 32 players who qualify for this year’s World Championships will earn an invitation to the first Pro Tour, with the top-four finishers winning invitations to all three.

Outside of those avenues, performing well at Regional Championships is a primary method of making it into a Pro Tour. There are 11 regions, each with dedicated organizers that will hold events.

Digital players will remain in the dark for a little longer when it comes to their competitive future. Wizards of the Coast has not announced how Magic Arena and Magic Online players will be able to qualify for the Pro Tour. The eight players in the upcoming Magic Online Champions Showcase will be automatically invited to the first Pro Tour.

No information regarding Magic Arena qualification is available at this time.

Top 8 Players

Pairings, Results, and Standings

The week that was: beyond the pro tour trophy, a legendary win for a legendary player, metagame mentor: the highest pioneer win rates at pro tour phyrexia, pro tour phyrexia finals, pro tour phyrexia top 8 highlights, reid duke trophy presentation, yuta worlds card, the pro tour phyrexia caster crew, duke sideboards the combo back in for game 4, benton madsen's finals excitement, benson big tree energy, steuer boseiju to counter creativity, the world champion flummoxed, the quarterfinals commence, twitch plays ptphyrexia, benton wins, reid duke makes the top 8 for his 7th career finish, the pro tour trophy awaits, shota's 12th top finish, nassif shuffles up to battle, day two, draft pod 1, giant tree shoots down angel maker, when you lose to a boseiju, old guard vs. team handshake commentary, lotus field combo, madson and duke face off in round 4., shota's thoughtful play, the feature match, home of the champion, lsv vs. edel. hall of famers clash., the pro tour is back. so is draft..

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2024 Masters one and done picks, DFS lineups, sleepers, fantasy golf projections, longshots by PGA expert

Mike mcclure locked in his expert pga golf picks, daily fantasy lineups, fantasy golf projections and sleepers for masters 2024 at augusta national.

The 2024 Masters gets underway on Thursday from Augusta National Golf Club at 10:30 a.m. ET, a two-and-a-half hour delay due to storms. No golfer around the world is playing better right now than World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler. The 2022 winner of this event, Scheffler won the elevated Arnold Palmer Invitational in March and again the following week at the Players Championship. He then nearly won for the third straight tournament, missing a putt on the 72nd hole to force a playoff at the Houston Open. The tee-to-green specialist gained 17 strokes on the field when he won here in 2022 and will try to continue his torrid run. Given his run of dominant play, should Scheffler be the top choice when constructing your 2024 Masters DFS picks, 2024 Masters fantasy golf rankings, and 2024 Masters one and done strategy? Before locking in your 2024 Masters one and done picks, Masters DFS lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel, and fantasy golf projections, you need to see what SportsLine DFS pro and PGA expert Mike McClure has to say . 

McClure is a DFS legend with over $2 million in career winnings, and he's been red-hot on his PGA picks dating back to the PGA Tour restart in June of 2020. McClure uses his proprietary simulation model to analyze the field and crush his  golf picks . He is up almost $9,500 on his best bets since the restart.  

McClure's model predicted Jon Rahm would finish on top of the leaderboard at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions and The American Express. At the 2023 Masters, the model was all over Rahm's second career major victory heading into the weekend. It was the second straight Masters win for the model, which also nailed Scottie Scheffler winning in 2022. 

McClure has been on fire with his One and Done picks in 2024. At The American Express, he backed Justin Thomas, who finished in third place and took home $635,600. At the Genesis Invitational, McClure tabbed Patrick Cantlay, who finished in fourth place at the signature event, as his top OAD pick. At the Cognizant Classic, McClure's top one and done pick, Min Woo Lee, finished in a tie for second place. Finally, at the Arnold Palmer Invitation, another signature event, McClure recommended using Scheffler and Will Zalatoris. The result: Scheffler won the event by five strokes, and Zalatoris finished in fourth place. 

This same model has also nailed a whopping 10 majors entering the weekend. Anyone who has followed McClure's picks has seen massive returns.

Now, McClure has dialed in on the 2024 Masters golf tournament and just locked in his one and done picks, DFS projections and Fantasy Golf predictions. They are a must-see for any player looking for an edge. You can only see McClure's Masters 2024 one and done picks, DFS lineups and Fantasy Golf plays at SportsLine .

Top 2024 Masters One and Done picks

One of McClure's top One and Done picks for the Masters is Brooks Koepka. Though his recent form hasn't been overly impressive, with only one top-10 finish in 2024, Koepka is a 'big game hunter' who thrives in major tournaments. In his last five Masters Tournaments, the American has two second place finishes and a seventh.

The winner of last year's PGA Championship, Koepka has four wins and 12 top-10 finishes in his last 21 majors. With a green jacket because his most treasured goal going forward, Koepka is a viable play again at Augusta. McClure is once again confident in the five-time major champion's chances this week.  You can see who else to back at SportsLine .

Top 2024 Masters DFS picks, lineup advice

One golfer McClure is targeting in his 2024 Masters DFS lineups is Justin Thomas. The 15-time PGA Tour winner has long been considered one of the top ball-strikers and irons players in the world and has a proven track record of success in big events. Thomas has two career major championships and six top-25 finishes in eight career starts at Augusta National.

Thomas' ability to card birdies and eagles makes him standout among the field when building Masters DFS lineups. He enters Masters week ranked sixth on the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach (0.795) and 12th in strokes gained tee-to-green (1.124). After a disappointing 2023 season, Thomas has bounced back with four top-12 finishes already in 2024.  You can see the rest of McClure's Masters DFS picks at SportsLine . 

Top 2024 Masters Fantasy Golf picks, projections

One of McClure's top fantasy golf picks is Scottie Scheffler. He's won eight times in the last 26 months and been No. 1 in the world for the last 47 weeks in a row (81 total). You'll pay a premium for Scheffler and he'll be highly rostered in Masters DFS tournaments as well as the first player off the board in any draft format, but that's a price you should be willing to play considering how dominant he's been of late.

Scheffler has two wins and a runner-up finish over his last three starts, which happens to coincide with a putter change that has helped make him nearly a tour-average putter. Considering that he's already the world's best ball-striker (2.798 strokes gained: tee-to-green per round), his game could be elevated. Scheffler has never finished worse than 19th in four starts at Augusta and the 2022 Masters champion is a +325 favorite (bet $100 to win $325) in the 2024 Masters odds.  You can see the rest of McClure's Masters fantasy golf picks at SportsLine . 

How to make Masters 2024 picks, long shot bets

McClure is also targeting targeting six other golfers with odds of 20-1 or longer who will make a strong run at the green jacket. You can find out who they are, and check out all of McClure's Masters picks and best bets at SportsLine .

Who will win the Masters 2024, and which golfers should you target for your PGA one and done picks, DFS lineups, and Fantasy Golf plays this week at Augusta National Golf Club? Visit SportsLine now to get Mike McClure's Masters 2024 one and done picks, DFS lineups and fantasy golf plays  -- and find out.

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iPad Pro 2024 — 5 biggest expected upgrades

A pple hasn’t announced the iPad Pro 2024 , but rumors and reports suggest we could see it in May — just before the company’s big WWDC 2024 event. 

Though all we've heard so far is rumors and hearsay, it’s a safe bet Apple will inevitably release an updated version of its premium tablet. This is especially true since we didn’t see any new iPads in 2023. The time is right for a new iPad Pro — which is rumored to receive significant upgrades along with the rest of the iPad line.

So far, we’ve heard that the iPad Pro 2024 will (finally) get an OLED panel and a landscape camera. The giant slate is also expected to pack an Apple M3 chip and sport a thinner design. We’ve also heard the Magic Keyboard peripheral is getting updated to help the iPad Pro function more like the best MacBooks .

Here are the 5 biggest rumored upgrades for the iPad Pro so far.

OLED display 

Screen enthusiasts like our own Dave Meikleham have been clamoring for an OLED iPad Pro upgrade , and it seems it’s about to happen. Apple experts like Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman have said an OLED iPad Pro is coming for some time. Now, iPad Pro 2024’s biggest upgrade may have been confirmed by the iPadOS 17.5 beta .

9to5Mac dove into the beta’s code and discovered references to four unreleased iPad models. The models in question are labeled as iPad 16,3, iPad 16,4, iPad 16,5 and iPad 16,6. The site believes these are identifiers for the rumored iPad Pro 2024 and correspond to two different model sizes in Wi-Fi and cellular models.

The iPadOS 17.5 beta code also suggests those iPads will launch with an OLED display and that the two different-sized screens will come from different manufacturers. Regarding that last point, rumors say LG will supply the 12.9-inch panels of the larger iPad Pro while LG and Samsung will produce the 11-inch panels of the smaller variant.

An OLED panel would be a huge improvement over the current mini-LED panel in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. According to Bloomberg reporter and Apple tipster Mark Gurman , the panel should be “crisper and brighter” and “reproduce colors more accurately.” An OLED panel would also place the iPad Pro’s display on more even ground with the Samsung Galaxy S9 Ultra which also sports the same panel technology.

Apple M3 chip

Another big upgrade for the iPad Pro 2024 is the inclusion of an M3 chip. This isn’t shocking considering how the current model has an M2 processor . That said, an M3-powered iPad Pro would make the 2024 model the most powerful iPad ever.

The Apple M3 chip utilizes TSMC’s 3nm process and brings big improvements in efficiency and speed. This is something we’ve seen firsthand when we tested and benchmarked the MacBook Pro 14-inch M3 , MacBook Air 13-inch M3 and MacBook Air 15-inch M3 . While gains between M2 and M3 aren’t earth-shattering, the leap from M1 to M3 is huge — with up to 60% faster performance.

Folks have been talking about the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement for years. The M2 iPad Pro brought us closer to that reality, but it’s possible the iPad Pro 2024 could see it come true. Of course, there are other factors involved, such as making iPadOS behave more like macOS, and improvements to the Magic Keyboard (more on that shortly). Regardless, an M3-powered iPad Pro would be a huge deal.

Landscape camera 

iPads have historically had the front camera positioned on the short side of the display. That may have been fine when Apple first launched its tablets, but these days, people tend to use their tablets in landscape or horizontal mode. Having the front camera positioned on the tablet's right or left side (depending on how you hold or place it) isn't intuitive when it's horizontal.

Thankfully, a rumor suggests the iPad Pro 2024 could take a design cue from the iPad 10 in the form of a landscape-oriented camera on the front of the tablet.

Apple leaker Instant Digital posted an alleged image of the iPad Pro to the Chinese social media platform Weibo (via MacRumors ). The image in question shows that the iPad Pro 2024 will have its entire TrueDepth camera array to the right of the tablet, with the microphone remaining on the top but newly centered.

Back in January of this year, the iPadOS 17.4 beta code hinted that the iPad Pro’s Face ID sensors were being relocated from the top of the device when held in portrait, and to the top when held in landscape. "During ‌ Face ID ‌ setup, ‌iPad‌ needs to be in landscape with the camera at the top of the screen," the code read.

Since the iPad 10 now has its front camera up top in portrait mode, it wouldn’t be surprising if the iPad Pro followed suit.

Thinner design 

The iPad Pro 2024 isn’t expected to receive major design changes to its overall profile. However, leaked iPad Pro CAD renders (via PocketNow ) suggest Apple plans to make its largest tablet thinner than previous models.

According to rumors, the 11-inch iPad Pro 2024 will be 0.20 inches thick compared to the 0.23 inches of the current model. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is expected to drop from 0.25 to 0.19 inches thick. That might not seem like much, but it could make the giant tablets easier to hold for longer periods.

This ties back to the rumored OLED display. OLED screens are inherently thin so it makes sense the new iPad Pro will be thinner as a result. This should also affect the tablet’s weight. Right now, the 11-inch iPad weighs just a bit over 1 pound while its bigger 12.9-inch counterpart can weigh as much as 1.5 pounds. A reduced weight would also make it easier to hold the iPad Pro for longer.

Upgraded Magic Keyboard 

An Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro is an essential peripheral if you use the tablet for work or simply don’t like typing on the tablet's on-screen digital keyboard. We haven’t seen any major changes to the Magic Keyboard in quite some time, but it seems it’s finally getting one just in time for the iPad Pro’s release.

Mark Gurman reports that the Magic Keyboard will sport a look that’s reminiscent of an Apple laptop. To that end, the peripheral will reportedly get an aluminum finish to give it the appearance of a MacBook. It will also have a larger touchpad that’s more akin to an Apple notebook. This would further realize the dream of making the iPad Pro a laptop replacement I mentioned above.

Speaking of iPad Pro peripherals, rumors say the Apple Pencil 3 is launching this year. Based on what 9to5Mac discovered in the aforementioned iPadOS 17.5 beta code, there’s evidence of a new “squeeze” feature for an as-yet-unreleased Apple Pencil . This could very well be the rumored Apple Pencil 3. The site also suggests this stylus could feature interchangeable magnetic tips. The Apple Pencil 3 could also work with the Vision Pro headset.

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