Grand Prix Las Vegas 2017

| Io Hughto

As expected for a Grand Prix of this size, we have a great number of new judges to highlight! There are over 200 judges signed up across this massive five day event. Of those, eight judges will judging their first Grand Prix!

Here are those judges:

Jeremiah Adams

  • Name: Jeremiah Adams
  • Level: Level 2
  • Region: USA – Northwest

Joseph Harrell

  • Name: Joseph Harrell
  • Level: Level 1
  • Location: Greenville, TX
  • Region: USA – South
  • Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: Around March 2002
  • Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: Goblin Sharpshooter. I started playing competitively during the Onslaught block when damage still went on the stack…. That card taught me a lot about strategy.
  • Occupation: Store manager of my local game store.
  • Random fact about yourself: Camping? Yes please!
  • Why did you become a judge?: I became a judge because I thought I knew how to play magic… and then a judge asked me if I knew how to cast a spell. I was stunned and excited to learn that there are steps other than tapping your mana and placing a card on the table! I wanted to know more.
  • What excites you most about this event?: The people! I love the atmosphere of Grand Prixs, but to be judging in one is super exciting! So many people from all walks of life coming together to play a card game about being a wizard and casting spells is mind melting!
  • What worries you most about this event?: Tripping over a cord that shuts down all the computers and having the whole tournament come to a halt because of something I did. I know it’s illogical but that really freaks me out.
  • What is the best part about your local Magic community?: It’s all inclusive! It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like. You play magic? You’re in. I love that about my local magic community and I hope that all magic communities have this in common.
  • What is your favorite Magic memory?: Me and my wife were playing a game of commander when she went into labor. My son is 2 years old now and I can already tell he has magic coursing through his veins, his favorite card is Chandra… any Chandra.

Robert Harrington

  • Name: Robert Harrington
  • Level: Level 1
  • Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Region: USA – Southwest

Kent Hays

  • Name: Kent Hays
  • Level: Level 2
  • Location: Corvallis, Oregon
  • Region: USA – Northwest
  • Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: Late 2014 (Khans Block Prerelease)
  • L1 Certification Date: 8/24/2015
  • Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: My favorite thing about magic is spending time with good friends.
  • Occupation: College Student, Fermentation Science
  • Random fact about yourself: My first hobby was woodworking.
  • Why did you become a judge?: I became a judge to help others learn the game, and to make players both newer and and more experienced more confident that they were playing the game correctly. My goals for the judge program have shifted since I started, but I still enjoy the aspects of helping newer players.
  • What excites you most about this event?: I’m super excited to be able to watch and learn from experienced GP judges, and to meet people who will help me to become a better judge. Most of the judge program is feedback and learning opportunities, and I think this will be an adventure!
  • What worries you most about this event?: I’m most worried about being able to remember names! I have a hard time with this, and it’s going to be my focus going into the GP to remember as many names as possible.
  • What are you hoping to learn at this event?: Since this is my first GP level event, I’m hoping to learn the ins and outs of general GP procedure. Fortunately, there will be a lot of talented judges there to help.
  • Who is your mentor?: I actually have two mentors, Brandon Welch and Ryan Wood. I feel that they were both instrumental in helping me quickly learn the intricacies of the game, and they both have helped me become a better judge.
  • What challenges have you faced or are you facing to become a better judge?: The biggest challenge I face as a judge is keeping up to date with policy, which is vital for good customer service. Although I am extremely confident as a judge, I know that policy is my weak area.
  • How have you worked to overcome those challenges?: To overcome this weakness, I rely heavily on the local judges to grill me in policy, and I enjoy participating in discussions for “fun” parts of policy, like HCE. Fortunately for me, the local judge population is very open to critiqueing my judge skills, which I appreciate.
  • What is the best part about your local Magic community?: The best part of my local magic community is the sheer number of judges. By my count, any local Corvallis event will have at least six or seven judges, and at least three to four L2 judges. That’s a lot for such a small town!
  • What is your favorite Magic memory?: My favorite magic memory is revealing a Unexpected Potential conspiracy and Force Spike-ing my good friend’s spell, having played a mountain turn one.

Aaron LeBlanc

  • Name: Aaron Leblanc
  • Level: Level 2
  • Location: Orlando
  • Region: USA – Southeast
  • Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: 1997
  • L1 Certification Date: 6/26/2014
  • Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: Makes ya think
  • Occupation: Teacher
  • Random fact about yourself: I was a cheerleader in HS
  • Why did you become a judge?: To help out my LGS
  • What excites you most about this event?: First GP as judge
  • What worries you most about this event?: Nothing
  • What are you hoping to learn at this event?: Judging GPs
  • What challenges have you faced or are you facing to become a better judge?: Getting hired for events
  • How have you worked to overcome those challenges?: Networking, talking to store owners and other judges.
  • What is the best part about your local Magic community?: They play legacy
  • What is your favorite Magic memory?: Winning an Open

Will Levin

  • Name: Will Levin
  • Level: Level 2
  • Location: Mesa, Arizona
  • Region: USA – Southwest
  • Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: May 1994
  • L1 Certification Date: 12/5/2014
  • Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: Puzzles and the people
  • Occupation: Engineer
  • Random fact about yourself: I absolutely and completely abhor coconut.
  • Why did you become a judge?: To give back to an extremely supportive community that I enjoy being a part of.
  • What excites you most about this event?: Getting to see a GP from the other side of things.
  • What worries you most about this event?: That somewhere along the line, someone will serve food with coconut on it and I’ll accidentally eat it.
  • What are you hoping to learn at this event?: The experience of working at an event this size.
  • Who is your mentor?: Devin, Marc, Krystal, Eric and Mike have all been mentors and instrumental in my growth as a judge.
  • What challenges have you faced or are you facing to become a better judge?: Having time. People who don’t like pineapple and ham pizza.
  • How have you worked to overcome those challenges?: Organizing my schedule differently, laying it out so there’s time to give to the magic community. Subtly associating positive experiences that people who don’t like pineapple and ham pizza are having with the pizza, and hoping that over time they will one day learn to be correct.
  • What is the best part about your local Magic community?: The players, the shops, it’s hard to say. I can’t think of a negative part of the community (other than filthy coconut eaters of course).
  • What is your favorite Magic memory?: Drafting and spending the evening with some friends at a local shop.

Justin Rentz

  • Name: Justin Rentz
  • Level: Level 1
  • Location: Cleveland, Ohio
  • Region: USA – Great Lakes

Kaleb Woodward

  • Name: Kaleb Woodward
  • Level: Level 1
  • Location: Oklahoma City
  • Region: USA – South
  • Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: June of 2007
  • L1 Certification Date: 11/10/2016
  • Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: Getting together with friends for some EDH games
  • Occupation: Donation Attendant
  • Random fact about yourself: I have a vast knowledge of music trivia. Especially Heavy metal
  • Why did you become a judge?: I love to contribute to the magic community, and also love learning the rules.
  • What excites you most about this event?: The chance to put my knowledge to use on a competitive level.
  • What worries you most about this event?: It’s my 1st GP and it being one of the biggest ones has me a bit anxious
  • What are you hoping to learn at this event?: A better understanding of judging in a competitive environment
  • Who is your mentor?: Jessica Livingston
  • What challenges have you faced or are you facing to become a better judge?: Constantly second guessing my calls, even when I know I’m making the correct ones
  • How have you worked to overcome those challenges?: Studying, as well as just telling myself that my call is the right one
  • What is the best part about your local Magic community?: The fact that it is a community. We know each other and help each other out.
  • What is your favorite Magic memory?: The night I learned how to play magic. It was 2 friends and myself eating Queso and playing from 11 pm to 6 am the next day. Then finally went to sleep, woke up, and then went to my 1st draft ever that evening.