Hola there Judges,

this week, our team managed to catch up with a guy who helped out by introducing the game to Venezuela in the late 90’s. He was the first certification of his country kicking off a a brilliant Judge carrier!

Don’t miss this this Judge of the week edition with Inti Acevedo from Venezuela!

Name: Inti Acevedo
Level: 2
Location: Venezuela
Judge start date:
Level 1: August, 3rd 1999
 Level 2: Mid-2001

Occupation: I am computer engineer, writer, entrepreneur and blogger.
Favorite card: Fact or Fiction, Crusade, and Soul Warden.
Special Mention: Karakas Least favorite card: Tinker Favorite format: Sealed Deck
Commander general: Sliver Queen Favorite non-Magic Game: Sim City and The Settlers of Catan
Best tournament result: Day 2 in Grand Prix Sao Paulo (1999)
Random fact about yourself: I’m very passionate about writing. I have worked for several years as editor in ALT1040.com, one of the leading technology blogs in Spanish.

Why did you become a judge?
I started playing Magic in Ice Age, thanks to a deck that my sister (who lived at that time in England), sent me.  I was always a fan of board games and RPG’s. So when I first discovered Magic I was impressed by the quality of play and strategies. The game was so interesting that we decided to distribute it in Venezuela and began to organize the first tournament. That was a difficult time for me, I knew if we wanted the game to become well known in Venezuela I had to stop being a player and become a judge. Nobody wanted to be a judge at the time, because we all wanted to play.  I buckled down and then became the first certified judge in Venezuela. It’s hard to explain, but Magic is one of the best games in the world, and i would never change that decision I made in 1999.

How has being a judge influenced your non-Magic life?
Organizing Magic tournaments, and being a judge allows you to learn a lot about discipline and communication. It gives you more tools when facing many other tasks or projects in life.

What motivates you to continue being a judge?
Different people have different approaches to the Magic, you might enjoy white or blue cards. You can go to bed late at night looking your card collection, you can see drawing details of great artists and modern illustrators, you can focus on the intricate rules, or prepare the best decks to win the tournament at friday night magic. But either way, you always find something new. Magic the Gathering is a live game, that grows and evolves year after year, set after set, card after card. Magic means good friends, nostalgia, angels and elves, demons and dragons. Magic is the flavor of victory or of bitter defeat. All of this is a great motivation to continue.

What’s the best part about your local Magic community?

It is a very supportive and enthusiastic community. It is also an a very competitive environment but most people are always willing to teach how to play or offer advice to new players. In general Magic players of Venezuela are very effusive and friendly. They love to win but if they lose they always find a reason to celebrate. Something that has always caught my attention is that the players of Venezuela put nicknames to Magic cards, I do not know if it happens elsewhere, but most are very funny. For example, Force of Will is called “La Peluca” (The Wig), Swords to Plowshares is “Siembra papas” (potato farmer, kind of).

If you could chat with one person, real or fictional, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Lisbeth Salander, I think she’s one of the best female characters created in the last two decades. She is a very intelligent and enigmatic woman, and with a force that never ceases to surprise.

What would you be doing now if Magic no longer existed?
It’s hard to believe that a game like Magic  not exist. In one way or another, it would be invented. It’s amazing that Magic is the first game in its category to be created, and be the best for many years. Magic is like Lego, its organic and natural to play.

What character in Magic (real or fictional) represents you the best, and why?
As a player, Zvi Mowshowitz represents much of the best of Magic: creativity, enthusiasm, facing a challenge, intelligence, etc.

No doubt that without Mark Rosewater and his passion, Magic would be a very different game. Mark has granted humanity to the brand and product. Magic is a game, but is also a part of the lives of many people from several walks of life. If Magic had traditionally treated players as other games or commercial products had, without giving the special and friendly touch, the story would be very different. I think Mark has been a great ambassador , showing many positive and human sides.
In terms of fiction, two characters that always liked in Magic are Karn and Squee. I think they clearly represent two very important aspects of the game: Not always the power is in the attack, and you can return from “death”, respectively.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
I like to collect dragons. In the medieval and fantastic mythology are the most powerful characters in the world. It’s great that Wizards continue to print dragons in all editions. Some are better than others, but all together make the Magic have many of the best dragons were created. Also I have a collection of all Prerelease cards to date. It is very interesting to see how the time passed watching each prerelease cards.

Two Truths and a Lie

Two of the following statements about Inti are true, and one is false. Figure out which!

1. My great great Grandfather was a famous writer who wrote the Codice cavalleresco italiano
2. I auditioned for the role of Walter White in in the colombian version of Breaking Bad. I was one of the finalists.
3. I was the 8th Venezuelan to have a Twitter account. Currently I have more than 24,500 followers.

Thanks Inti for doing such an awesome job, and dedicate so many years to the game in Venezuela!.

And for you Judges, we are always willing to read amazing Judge stories and impresive Judge moments. Noninate a Judge today!