Hi Judges! This week’s Judge of the Week is all the way from Madrid, Spain, Level 2 Sergio Garcia. Sergio started judging in 2011 and has been Level 2 since January 2013.
Why did you become a judge? I wanted to help my local community to be better.
Occupation: Card Dealer & Student
Favourite card: Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Least favourite card: Scapeshift
Favourite format: Time Spiral Block Constructed
Commander General: Never played commander, but Teferi I guess 😛
Favourite non-Magic Game: Agricola
Best tournament result: GP Madrid Top 10 & Some PT Day 2.
Random fact about yourself: I’m a Game lover, and like eSports a lot.
How did you get involved in magic in the first place?
I started playing with my cousin and soon after started playing competitively in tournaments every week.
How has being a judge influenced your non-Magic life?
It influenced a lot of my non-Magic life, making me more ordered and helped me learn many things about different aspects of life. Judges are usually very well prepared people in many aspects and you can learn a lot from them.
What motivates you to continue being a judge?
Helping the Magic community I love, this includes Judges, Players, TOs, everyone! In general making a better environment for everyone.
What is one tip you have for other judges?
Always ask questions when you don’t know something. Its always better to ask and learn than to not know at all.
What’s the best part about your local Magic community?
My local magic community is so big! We have more than 20 stores in the Madrid area so there are many tournaments.
What is your favourite non-magic hobby?
I love E-Sports. I’m a huge fan of League of Legends, Starcraft, Hearthstone, and Magic streams.
What is your favourite non-judging moment that happened with other judges?
I have had many great moments with other judges. I have really enjoyed the Iberian Judge conferences where we talk about so many things.
What’s the biggest rule-breaking play you’ve ever made as a player?
Probably so many of them, as I have played competitively since I was 12. The most relevant and embarrassing one was a game loss for not writing the lands on the decklist for the World Magic Cup in 2012.
What has been your favourite magic event that you’ve judged?
I really liked the Mixta event we had in Spain. It was a free tournament, with free food and some prizes, run by a beer company in Spain. This is where I learned the most, because there were over 500 players, and the environment was really awesome.
How do you have fun during events?
I have many friends at tournaments, so I always have a ton of fun things to do both with judges and players.
Two Truths and a Lie
Two of the following statements are true and one is false. Figure out which!
1. I won a PTQ because my opponent was DQed for Bribery.
2. I’m in the Top 35 Spanish players with the most Pro Points historically.
3. I made top 8 at a GP.