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In the last couple of tournaments I've played, I've noticed certain things in my opponents.

The lesser experienced players who are doing well develop a cocky streak. Being told 'You're going to die' when I was on 2 life then taking control and winning the match in sealed was an interesting experience. I taught that guy that no game is clearly won until the last card has been played and the last point of life has been taken or the last card in the library is milled away. I just hope he remembered that lesson for next time. This isn't lunchtime at school - this is the semi-professional level!

I've also learned if you give a player an inch they will take a mile. Being nice to a newer player possibly cost me a round and top 8 when in the first 2 games I let my opponent take back mistakes where I should have stood my ground and said 'No'. Taking back mistakes I'll leave to playtesting and casual games from now on but when there's something at stake it's take no prisoners and no quarter given.

I've noticed the newer players tend to trash talk more than the more experienced players do. I think this comes down to a lack of respect for their opponent and trying to psyche them out. When someone tries this tactic on me it just makes me want to beat them that much more.

Then there are the experienced players at the top. I seem to have earned their respect as being a potential threat. Couple that with my reputation for playing rogue means they don't know what to expect from me. I am the random factor - the element of chaos. I won't play a tier one deck but I may play a deck that looks like one for a while then it does something different.

A good player respects every opponent. They know that the cards will ultimately decide the winner but experience and good play can push the win home. I've seen it so many times - a less experienced opponent with a deck that people would kill for in sealed not being able to make it work to its full potential. They beat the people of an even or lesser skill level but they can't make it against the big boys. What has beaten the less experienced player was not their inability to play but their opponent's superior deck building and play skills.

Like anything to get from new player to experienced player takes a lot of time. Play as many games as you can against the better players. Watch what they do and learn why they have beaten you. Sometimes it's as simple as they countered one card or sacrificed a creature in combat and that was the turning point in the game. Like a game of Chess, even an aggro beatdown deck needs a strategy to win.

When I was a teenager I used to wonder why people beat me. I took notice in my losses to work out what I needed to do to win. Every player up the top has gone through this. Even if you learn what can win doesn't mean it will. Copying a deck that won on the Pro-Tour will not guarantee victory.

The metagame is an important factor in deciding what to play. An Elf deck may do well in one state of Australia but over the border it will do badly. Some of this has to do with the overall experience of all the players in the area. There are still places in Australia where it's the same few people who are making Top 8 all the time and it's hard to break past that group.

Information is ammunition. The more you know about the card pool, the tier 1 decks and the metagame in your area the better you will be. You also need to know who the big players at the top are. If they intimidate you then your fears must be broken. If you go into a game thinking you have lost you most likely will.

My attitude going into a tournament is not 'I will make Top 8' but 'I will do well!'. How do you define doing well?

To do well all I need to do is do better than I have in the past or break even or do better on the day. I deliberately avoid aiming for the unlikely because at any tournament there will be 20 or more other people trying to get that top spot. The odds of coming out breaking even or better are much more attainable. Is it a defeatist attitude? I say no because I am taking into account the fact that any player can win on the day if the circumstances are right.

I had a run a few months ago of coming in the bottom 5 places. The reason why was I experimented with different decks and used the tournaments as my testing ground. It was also a nice reminder that what I was trying to do isn't working so I would need to adjust my strategy to the metagame. I ended up getting a different deck working instead and I did well at the States with it, in spite of my previous finishes.

People had me pegged as a 'scrub'. I hate that term because it's elitist and insulting. I faced those people at the States and did well against them. They didn't see it coming! They went into the game thinking they were in for an easy win and ended up losing, or fighting hard for the win.

I think I've evolved over the past year; I've been getting back into playing tournaments. I still like to use the cards few people expect or in a way they didn't see. That's the beauty of Magic - anyone can win on the day if circumstances are right. Respect every opponent and play it out with skill and clear thinking. You may not win today but the next time may be different if you have learned from the experience.

What is the point of this article? I guess there is no real point except I just want to say if I can do well then anyone can. You just need to have patience and learn from your mistakes.

It's a lot like real life when you think about it.

Joe Tobin (Aytakk2)

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