Greetings Judges! This week’s Judge of the Week is Kevin Binswanger, L3 from Texas!

Kevin was nominated by Peter Golightly, L2 from Davis, California. He has this to say:

“I am nominating this judge because Kevin Bingswanger is my role model and who I most want to be like as a judge. He is cool under pressure, works amazingly well with players and other judges, is a pillar and leader of his community and I’ve never seen him falter with policy or rules. He is the judge who inspired me to go beyond Level 1 and to really become involved with the judge program and community. He is an amazing regional coordinator and really made me feel like a part of the judge family when I first certified.”

Kevin is currently the Regional Coordinator for United States – South.

Occupation: Software Engineer
Favourite card: Astral Slide. It was the first competitive deck I ever built, and I’ve tried to play it in multiple formats. I am so close to building a Commander deck too. (I built a Pyromancer Ascension deck, so why not?)
Least favourite card: Rhystic Study. It slows down every single game of Commander ever because you have to stop and ask about the trigger every single time.
Favourite format: Legacy. I want it to be Vintage, but I never get a chance to play Vintage anymore.
Commander general: I have a Child of Alara deck that is my favorite.
Favourite non-Magic Game: I love Werewolf, and I just got into the Spyparty Beta.
Best tournament result: I lost my win and in to a favorable matchup at a PTQ.
Random fact about yourself: As far as I can tell, I am the only “Kevin Binswanger” alive today. There is a person who shares the name “David Binswanger” with my brother though.

Tell us your favourite judge story.
The moment that I felt validated as a judge was at a Lorwyn block prerelease even before I certified. I was talking to another judge about the difference between mana cost and converted mana cost, and I said that morphed creatures have a converted mana cost of 0, and no mana cost. Then when challenged, I came up with a case where it mattered. Someone said that us judges were always having crazy discussions about things that don’t matter. That was the first time I felt like a judge.

What’s the best part about your local Magic community?
I like how competitive it is. Sometimes it’s a hassle because they want to try and chase silly little edges, but when I do play, I get to be a competitive player again :).

How did you get involved in Magic to begin with?
My brother received some cards for his birthday when he was a kid. He was older and I always looked up to him so I wanted to do what he did.

If you could chat with one person, real or fictional, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
William Shakespeare would be the best dinner guest. I wonder if he would be surprised at how highly we admire his works today. But I suppose Isaac Asmiov already covered that subject…

What is your favourite non-judging moment that happened with other judges?
The night I was promoted to Level 3. I got to celebrate with Damian, Cristiana, and Scott as they advanced, plus it was the achievement of a goal and the validation of the work of several years.

Favourite hobby (other than Magic):
I’m on a club team and play Ultimate Frisbee two or three times a week.

What would you be doing now if Magic no longer existed?
I would have a lot more free time on weekends, that’s for sure. I find the time to do other things I enjoy, so I don’t think my life would be radically different.

Two Truths and a Lie
Two of the following statements is true, and one is false. Figure out which!

1. I once appealed to Sheldon Menery, PT Atlanta Head Judge, who had to explain how trample worked to me.
2. I have judged an event in every state in the continental United States.
3. My last name, “Binswanger”, is the name of a town in Germany; it just means people who come from that town.