G’day Judges!  This week’s Judge of the Week is Ryan Dare, L3 from Sydney, Australia!

Ryan was nominated by, Lindsey Heming, L3, from Australia! Lindsey says that Ryan is under-recognized, lets see what Ryan says about that!  Ryan started judging before the 2000s, and he claims that back then, they were still issuing double game losses and DQ’s for illegal decks.  He reached L3 at Pro Tour: Prague in 2006!

Occupation: Police Officer
Favourite card: Gaea’s Blessing Least favourite card: Thragtusk Favourite format: Constructed
Commander general: I hate EDH but the few times I am forced to play I play something with blue and white in it. I do like control, after all.
Favourite non-Magic Game: League of Legends
Best tournament result: I came 33rd at Pro Circuit Sydney (VS).  Alternatively, I won a PTQ about 10 years ago.

Why did you become a judge?
It was so long ago I cannot even remember. I probably started judging for the power! But I was only 16 and naïve, and that was a long time ago. A couple of years after that I began judging with Dan Gow and Lindsey Heming as we had noticed there was a lack of qualified judges in Sydney.

Tell us an embarrassing story that you’re not afraid of everyone knowing.
It would have been a few years ago at a Nationals Last Chance Qualifier and I hadn’t been judging actively for a while. I had read up on all the rules etc. but one apparently slipped beneath my radar. I had a 10 year old kid who was playing with snow-covered land. Only just before the new set of PG this was a game loss. I dutifully issued it, only to find out I was indeed, wrong. Sadly it was too late to stop that one going through. I went to find the poor kid and apologize only to have him say “It’s ok judge, everyone makes mistakes.”

That was one mature kid! Also made me feel about this <.> small.

 How has being a judge influenced your non-Magic life?
I have used the experiences gained in MTG on job applications, even including it on my resume. I have also been on the receiving end of some pretty strenuous maturity readjustment from, mainly, Mark Brown. This is ongoing.

You were nominated by Lindsey Heming because he claims you’re one of his best judges, and most certainly under recognized!  What about your judging do you think makes you and your events so awesome?
It has nothing to do with the amount I paid him, nor the fact he wants me to be a tournament manager for his next GP!

It may be because I put my hand up to run the logistics of the last chance qualifiers at last Sydney GP, where we had a fair few grinders running at the same time, all over the room. I also had to assist in score-keeping the side events, giving out prizes, answering random questions and dealing with the majority of issues that came up.

What motivates you to continue being a judge?
Seeing the friends I have made in judging, assisting Lindsay in running a great event because I know how much he cares about the players enjoying the events he runs and then actually ensuring the event is a success, and knowing I was a part of that.

What’s the biggest rule-breaking play you’ve ever made as a player?
I don’t make mistakes playing MTG! Ok, I make heaps, because I have forgotten how to play, but the one I will always remember was at a the VS Pro Circuit in Sydney and I made a play which involved targeting a completely illegal character which allowed me to win the game. I thought I was a genius at the time because I had never used the card in such a way before. Amazingly enough 2 matches later the opponent came up to me and I quickly realized why I hadn’t ever made such a great play with that card before……

What would you be doing now if Magic no longer existed?
Probably what I am doing now, working shift work, playing computer games and lurking on the internet whilst saving for a house and kid.

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

1. I have spent about $1000 on League of Legends over the years (Don’t tell my wife).
2. I play squash at a competitive level.
3. I once had an orange vodka drink poured on me by Richard Drijvers in an attempt to wake me up to catch my plane.