Grand Prix Providence 2018

| Io Hughto

This weekend, there are two GPs on opposite coasts of the US. This one on the east coast has three new judges to Welcome to the Fold!

Patrick Dente

  • Name: Patrick Dente
  • Level: Level 1
  • Location: Glassboro, New Jersey, United States of America
  • Region: USA – Northeast
  • Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: August 2012
  • L1 Certification Date: June 12, 2017
  • Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: My favorite part of Magic is all of the thinking that goes into playing the game. I love sitting across from my opponent, making decisions, trying to figure out what they are planning on doing, and doing everything in my power to stop them from doing just that.
  • Occupation: Student – Chemical Engineering
  • Random fact about yourself: I am a competitive Rock Climber.
  • Why did you become a judge?: I became a judge because I love the intricacies and interactions between cards and the rules. Nothing is better than when I get a judge call where I have to actually stop and take a minute to think through everything that is going on to untangle the jumbled up rules mess that various cards have caused at the table.
  • What excites you most about this event?: I’m excited to get the chance to work with so many new judges that I have never met before. Additionally, I am looking forward to getting to spend a weekend judging my favorite card game!
  • What are you hoping to learn at this event?: At this Grand Prix, I am hoping to improve my ability to investigate while on the floor and become more smooth-spoken while giving my rulings. Additionally, I am hoping to acquire more experience while I work my way toward L2.
  • Who are your mentors?: Krug, Charles Featherer
  • What challenges have you faced or are you facing to become a better judge?: The biggest challenge I have faced is finding time throughout my hectic life to devote to becoming a better judge. As a full time student, the president of a sport club and competitive team, and working to make it all possible, it is sometimes hard to find time to fit judging, and even Magic in general, into my schedule.
  • How have you worked to overcome those challenges?: To overcome this, I try and devote at least one night a week to looking into various rules topics to better understand them and work toward becoming a L2 judge.
  • What is your favorite Magic memory?: My favorite Magic memory is Grand Prix New Jersey 2016. The format was Legacy and it was my first ever Grand Prix. I had never played Legacy before in my life and before looking into the format I never had even heard of what a “Dual Land” was before. I decided to play mono-green Infect, with no Berzerks… That being said I’d say i spent probably less than $50 on the deck. When little 15 year old me sat down for the players meeting, the guy sitting next to me happened to glance at my deck list and said to me, “Hey, would you happen to want four Inkmoth Nexus?” I was elated, and I told him of course, but that I didn’t think that I would have much that he would want to trade for them. he took a look at my binder full of bulk rares, took out a couple, and said, “Eh, these will do.” The player sitting across from him looked at him in amazement as he was practically giving me the four Inkmoth Nexus’s. He then said, “These have been sitting untouched in my binder since Mirrodin Besieged, you’ll find far better use for them than I ever have.” That day, I had more fun than in any other tournament I had ever played since.

Kenny Dungar

  • Name: Kenny Dungar
  • Level: Level 1
  • Location: Quincy, Massachusetts, United States of America
  • Region: USA – Northeast
  • Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: Dec 1994
  • L1 Certification Date: March 3, 2018
  • Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: Learning fun, interesting interactions
  • Occupation: Pharmaceutical Quality Manager
  • Random fact about yourself: I have double-jointed shoulders
  • Why did you become a judge?: I love introducing people to competitive Magic. A gaming store opened near my home and I offered to run their Magic events. After a few months I realized that I really liked running FNMs and hosting REL tournaments, so I decided to get my L1 certification and get more involved in the judge community.
  • What excites you most about this event?: Getting to meet judges and see a big tournament from the other side.
  • What worries you most about this event?: Forgetting to drink enough water.
  • What are you hoping to learn at this event?: How judges are able to smoothly run events this big.
  • What challenges have you faced or are you facing to become a better judge?: Finding enough Competitive level events to judge.
  • How have you worked to overcome those challenges?: I’ve volunteered at PPTQs (without compensation) and this is my first GP. I would love to be involved at more PPTQs but the support for only one judge per event is limiting.
  • What is the best part about your local Magic community?: I get to meet all the new players that come to FNM or other tournaments. I enjoying making sure they have a good time and want to continue being part of the community.
  • What is your favorite Magic memory?: Playing in a Power 9 tournament with my then girlfriend (now wife). We both made T8 and were paired against each other in the finals. We were able to split the prize and both go home winners.

Ian Marcellana

  • Name: Ian Marcellana
  • Level: Level 1
  • Location: Scituate, Massachusetts, United States of America
  • Region: USA – Northeast
  • Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: December, 2000
  • L1 Certification Date: July 13, 2013
  • Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: Traveling and meeting new people
  • Occupation: Marketing Operations Analyst
  • Random fact about yourself: I volunteer some of my time to do play-by-play commentary for high school robotics competitions.
  • Why did you become a judge?: I wanted to help foster a stronger Magic community and help people understand the intricacies and wonders of the game.
  • What excites you most about this event?: This is my first GP as a judge and I’ll be the head judge for one of my favorite formats: Chaos Sealed!
  • Who are your mentors?: When I first certified it was Melissa DeTora and Eli Shiffrin, but now I talk to Elliot Raff, Paul Baranay, and Al Dzewit about judging.
  • What is the best part about your local Magic community?: The best part about my local Magic community is that experienced players are always willing to assist newer players become better at the game. Whenever a new player shows up at a tournament, people in the community will help out by giving advice on their deck building or plays. Sometimes more experienced players will even give some product or supplies to help the newer player be more active in the community.
  • What is your favorite Magic memory?: When I graduated high school in 2010, my mom gave me my first Extended deck as a gift: RG Scapeshift. I still have all of the pieces of the deck, including the basic lands, and will not part with any of the cards. I consider it my treasured and pet deck that I will always play at large and major Modern events.