Great to see you again, judges! This time around, we have a judge who continually gives great counsel on and off the tournament floor. It’s our pleasure to present David Rappaport!
Name: David Rappaport
Level: 3
Judge Start Date: 2002. I remember the set was Fifth Dawn. My first prerelease was Champions of Kamigawa.
Why did you become a Judge? I was actually taking a break from MTG generally. I was hanging out at a store when the wife of Michael Guptil recruited me. She found out I played and had a relatively good work ethic. She introduced me to Mike, and after that I began working for Professional Events Services and eventually found my way onto the Grand Prix scene.
Occupation: Attorney
Favourite Card: Not surprisingly, I have to say Demonic Attorney. I like the demon with the judge gavel in the background. It is very humorous.
Least favourite card: That changes based on the day of the week. Currently, I’d have to go with Dubious Challenge. Every time I read it, I get more disappointed. It’s not that bad? No, it’s that bad.
Favorite format: Limited. I designed a number of decks for Standard, but as far as me getting to play, I like the challenge of me making a deck on the fly.
Commander General: My primary is Ulast, the Hate Seed.
Favorite non-Magic Game: Neverwinter or Xcom? To be perfectly honest, I’m a longtime Warhammer player, so it has to be 40K. I have a lot of time invested in that, and I’m an accomplished miniatures painter.
Best tournament result: I play in tournaments? I don’t play competitive much. I don’t like the person I turn into.
Random fact about yourself: I’m a reverend in the Universal Life Church since 1997. When the Internet was fresh and new, there was this online church that offered membership and each member who signed up is a reverend. I signed up as a lark with some friends. I actually performed a legal marriage in the state of Michigan.
How did you get started with Magic?
I was working for a hobby shop around 1993-1994 when Magic first started to hit. Everybody was calling for tournaments, but no one knew how to run them. We came up with some creative and not-very-legitimate things (by today’s standards). I had to come up with something unique each round, like sacrifice your creatures to fireball your opponent to the face. It highlighted the need for a central organization for tournament standards, which the DCI became.
What is your favourite judge story?
It’s probably the reason why I continue to judge. Early on in my judge career, I really focused on rules and policy and all these types of things. This grandma comes up to me to thank me for what I’m doing and points out her grandson, and says it’s his first time enjoying himself since he lost both his parents in a car accident. It pointed out how important what I was doing was beyond me. It changed my judge career that day.
What projects have you been involved in?
I’ve been on the Regular REL Irregulars. We take a look at the Regular REL documents, making sure they still fit the need, still relevant. I’m currently leading a team to improve investigation skills. And maybe one day, I’ll figure out how to get Magic Judge hats to everybody.
What are your short-term and long-term goals in the Judge Program?
My short-term goals are tournament things. Whatever I’m doing, I want to do it well. Not breaking my hip is a good short-term goal. It may be a good long-term goal, too. Long-term goals, that’s hard. I’ve already accomplished a lot of what I want to in the Judge Program. I want to bring about people who care about things like mentoring. I’m the consummate mentor.
If you were a Planeswalker, what would be your ultimate?
All my creatures get 5 +1/+1 counters.
If you could meet any person, alive or dead, real or fictional, who would it be?
Moses. I want to see the snake trick.
What are some tips you have for other judges?
My best, most general piece of advice: Whatever you choose to do, do it well. Always do what makes you happy.
Two Truths and a Lie
Two of the following statements are true and one is false. Figure out which!
- David has had his artwork displayed in an internationally known gallery.
- David has trained in multiple martial arts and holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
- David is a proud member of two fraternal organizations and a secret society.
If there is a judge who is also doing something exemplary, please nominate a judge TODAY!