Greetings Judges! This week’s Judge of the Week is Haitao Jia, L2 from Shanghai, China!
Haitao started judging as a L1 in November 2010, and made L2 in June 2011!
Why did you become a judge?
I started playing MTG since 2001 when I was a junior school student. I played bad and couldn’t attend the high level competitions. Someone said to me, “We do not have enough judges, why don’t you try to be a judge?” Then, a new judge showed up in the community of China!
Occupation: Student of L.L.M.
Favourite Card: Wrath of God
Least Favourite Card: Sensei’s Divining Top
Fovourite Format: Limited
Commander General: Animar, Soul of Elements
Favourite non-Magic Game: EVE Online
Best tournament result: 9th in a PTQ……
Random fact about yourself:
As a person majoring in criminal law, all the players who’ve been disqualified are such nice guys in my eyes.
What’s your favourite judging story?
Last month when I was judging in GP Moscow, two players from the Netherlands stopped me and asked “Do you still remember us?” I had no idea. They then said, “We met in Milan last year in October, during GP Milan. We stayed in the same hostel and you helped us with some rules questions” It’s really an amazing thing that you could meet several foreign players in a third country after one year and they still remember you!
How has being a judge influenced your non-Magic life?
I don’t know whether this is so called non-Magic life. Before being a judge, I was a homeboy. The only place outside China I had been to is Japan, which I went to on a tour with my mother in 2009. After being a judge, I’m addicted to travelling. I enjoy travelling, taking photos and chatting with different strangers. From 2011 to 2012, I’ve been to 11 different countries, and this number is still growing.
How to improve your national judge community?
China is really a very big market and its population is 6 times of that of the U.S. With the rapid development of player numbers, we need more qualified judges to serve for the local community as well as the tournaments. It’s not easy to communicate with other judges in different cities since we do not have many big tournaments inside our country and not all of them would be selected as the judges to serve the tournaments. So, the internet is our best tool. We have a mailing list opened to all the certified judges. We also take advantage of a kind of online chat software, called QQ, to discuss topics either on MTG or something else. In your local community, let yourself be familiar to TOs and players, and let them know whom they could turn to for help if they need.
What motivates you to continue being a judge?
Chances to travel to different places and meet with old friends and know new ones.
What is the favorite non-judging moment that happened with other judges?
Always in the judge dinner. 🙂 Does someone still remember the judge dinner of GP Singapore in 2011?
What would you be doing now if Magic no longer existed?
Perhaps I’ll choose to become a judge in my city, a real judge whose job every day is to give penalties. DQ? Are you kidding?
Two truths and one lie.
Two of the following statements is true, and one is false. Figure out which!
- I think I will be able to go to more places in the coming 2013.
- My drafting skill is quite good.
- No matter how busy I am, I will try to attend the FNM in the local store.
[expand title=”The answer to last week’s Two Truths and a Lie…”]Kevin has not actually judged in every US State! [/expand]