At a Grand Prix Trial you are running at your local store, a spectator points out a player to you and asks you to watch the way he shuffles. Before the player’s match, you witness him riffle shuffle with the cards facing himself once, and then once with the cards facing away. He repeats this […]
Category: Tournament Errors
Temple of Malarkey
Aardvark is playing in a Standard Competitive REL tournament. He’s playing a red-black aggro deck. On his decklist is written 4x . A start of round deck check reveals he’s playing 4x . The decklist is otherwise legal. What do you do? What are the relevant infractions, penalties, and fixes, if possible? Judges, feel free […]
Break it Down Now
You have called time in round 6 of a GPT for which you are the head judge. You are overseeing the extra turns of the last match when you overhear Nate talking to his friend about how he played three really good games but since he lost and is dead in the event he gave […]
The Majestic Unicorn
Andy and Nichole are playing in a Modern GPT. During his second main phase, Andy attempts to play a land for the turn. Nichole stops him, telling him that he’s already played a land for the turn. Andy says “Oops!” Then he puts the land back in hand and passes the turn. Nichole untaps, draws, […]
A Tragic Switch
Eight minutes into round five of a PTQ, you are called over to tables 35 and 36. Albert and Yuval are sitting at table 35. Albert has just won a game, and they are just presenting their decks after sideboarding. Bob and Zachary are sitting at table 36. They are in the middle of game […]
Judge, I don’t think I can ever cast this…
It is PTQ time. Andrea and Norman have presented their decks to each other for Game 1. Norman does a pile shuffle of Andrea’s deck and asks afterwards, ‘So you are playing with 61 cards?’ Andrea replies, ‘What?! No…’ and quickly checks her sideboard: There are 15 cards. They call you over as a judge […]
Blame the Shuffler
During a deck check in round 4 of a PTQ, you do a quick ‘fan’ of the player’s deck, face down. You notice that ten of the cards seem to be in sleeves that are a millimeter or two smaller than the rest. Those ten cards are 3 , 3 , and 4 . You […]
Slaughtering Spherical Demons
It’s PTQ time, and Adam casts targeting Nate, naming . While searching through Nate’s deck, Adam finds one of his own s. After investigation, you learn that in game 1, Nate used a Detention Sphere on a demon, and accidentally shuffled it into his deck because they are using the same sleeves. What do you […]
Chronicler of Uh-Ohs
Apple and Nectarine are playing at a PTQ. Apple controls a with a +1/+1 counter on it. He casts and says “Trigger both guys.” Nectarine replies, “Before she evolves, kill her with .” “Sure. Take 3. Draw for the Chronicler?” “Sure.” Apple draws his card, then looks down and realizes that the doesn’t have a creature with a […]
You can choose any color you want, as long as it’s black.
Aaron and Nadine are playing in a Legacy Grand Prix. Aaron has a and a in his graveyard. He announces, “I’m going to my Tyrant.” Nadine says, “OK, resolves. I choose my “. Aarons says “Oh, I didn’t realize you had that… then on resolution I’m going to pick my instead.” Nadine calls you over. […]