Grand Prix (Magic: The Gathering) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Grands Prix are professional Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...

tournaments, awarding cash prizes, Pro Points and invitations to Pro Tours

Pro Tour (Magic: The Gathering)

The Pro Tour is the highest form of competitive play for the Magic: The Gathering collectible card game. It consists of a series of payout tournaments held throughout the world, each requiring an invitation to participate. Every PT awards a total of $230,000 in cash prizes, with $40,000 going to...

. They are open to all players and are usually the biggest Magic tournaments. The first Grand Prix was held on 22–23 March 1997 in Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

(Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

). More than 250 Grands Prix have been held since, the biggest being GP Madrid 2010 with 2,224 competitors, making it also the biggest Magic tournament ever held.

History

The Grand Prix was introduced in 1997. In contrast to the Pro Tour, which requires the players to qualify before the event, GPs have always been open to all players. The first Grand Prix was held in Amsterdam and was also the first professional Magic tournament held outside the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, although awarding comparatively small cash prizes — $10,000 in total compared to $150,000 at Pro Tour Paris a few weeks later. Grands Prix have since been held in such diverse places as Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, Moscow

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

, Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...

, Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

and Cape Town

Cape Town

Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...

. Approximately 20–30 Grands Prix are held each year throughout the world. In 2010 GP Madrid marked the biggest Magic tournament ever held with 2228 players.

Tournament structure

All Grands Prix are two day tournaments, taking place on weekends. They are run using a modified Swiss system

Swiss system tournament

A Swiss-system tournament is a commonly used type of tournament where players or teams need to be paired to face each other for several rounds of competition. This type of tournament was first used in a Zurich chess tournament in 1895, hence the name "Swiss system". The Swiss system is used when...

. On Saturday up to nine rounds of Swiss are played, the exact amount depending on the number of participants. Competitors may be awarded up to three byes for earned Pro Points, having a certain rating

Elo rating system

The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in two-player games such as chess. It is named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-born American physics professor....

, and winning special tournaments, called Grand Prix Trials. At the end of the first day all players achieving a record of winning all but at most two rounds are admitted to the second day of the tournament. If less than 64 players achieve such a record the best 64 players are admitted to the second day. Grands Prix with more than 800 players are split into two tournaments on day one, with each tournament sending at least 64 players to the second day. On the second day six rounds of Swiss are played, before a cut to the final eight is made. These competitors determine the winner of the tournament by playing an additional three rounds of single elimination.

For Grands Prix, played in a Constructed format, all rounds are played with the same decks. Limited Grands Prix have a Sealed Deck portion on day one. On the second day Booster Drafts of eight players are held. The Booster Drafts are followed by three rounds of Swiss, with competitors only playing other competitors in their draft. The same procedure is once repeated afterwards. Before the single elimination begins, the final eight players draft for a last time.

Prizes

Grands Prix award cash prizes, Pro Points, and invitations to a Pro Tour

Pro Tour (Magic: The Gathering)

. The best 16 competitors receive an invitation to a previously determined Pro Tour. Cash prizes have varied considerably, ranging from $10,000 to $40,000. Currently Grand Prix top finishers receive:

Place	Money ($)	Pro Points
1	3,500	10
2	2,300	8
3–4	1,500	6
5–8	1,000	5
9–12	600	4
13–16	500	3
17–32	400	2
33–64	200	1

Most successful players

The following players won at least three Grand Prix.

Name	Wins	Top 8
Kai Budde Kai Budde Kai Budde , is a professional Magic: The Gathering player, who holds the records for earnings, Pro Tour victories and lifetime Pro Points. His performances earned him the nicknames "The Juggernaut" and "King of the Grand Prix"...	7	15
Olivier Ruel Olivier Ruel Olivier Ruel is one of the most successful professional Magic: The Gathering players. He holds the record for most Grand Prix Top 8’s, and is one of twenty players with five or more Pro Tour top 8’s. After 2010 Pro Tour San Juan Olivier surpassed Kai Budde as the leader in lifetime Pro Points...	5	26
Alex Shvartsman Alex Shvartsman Alex Shvartsman is an American Magic: The Gathering player. While having enjoyed only a moderate degree of success on the Pro Tour, he is one of the most successful Grand Prix players ever. With 21 appearances, Shvartsman held the record for most Grand Prix top eights for a long time, and is now...	4	21
Masahiko Morita Masahiko Morita is a Japanese Magic: The Gathering player. Despite never having reached the top eight of a Pro Tour, he is one of the most successful players on the Grand Prix circuit, especially on home turf. He is the player with the most lifetime Pro Points without a Pro Tour top eight, and is one of only five...	4	16
Tomoharu Saitou Tomoharu Saitou is one of the most successful professional Magic: The Gathering players.-Career:Saitou debuted at Pro Tour Chicago 2000. An 83rd place finish meant he fell just short of making money. Later the same season, he made his first standout finish by reaching the top eight of the Asia Pacific...	4	16
Yuuya Watanabe Yuuya Watanabe Yuuya Watanabe is a Japanese Magic: The Gathering player. With one Pro Tour top eight, and 13 Grand Prix top eights , Watanabe is best known for his Rookie of the Year title in 2007, and his Player of the Year title two years later....	4	13
Katsuhiro Mori Katsuhiro Mori is Japanese Magic: The Gathering player. He is the most successful player in the individual portion of World Championships, winning one tournament and making the top eight of two others.-Career:...	4	12
Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz is an American Magic: The Gathering player. At the height of his career in the late 1990s, he was considered one of the best players. He is well known as a friend and teammate to Jon Finkel.-Career:...	4	10
Luis Scott-Vargas Luis Scott-Vargas Luis Scott-Vargas is a professional Magic: the Gathering player from Oakland, CA, USA. His accomplishments include 7 Grand Prix top 8's , and 5 Pro Tour top 8's . As well as being a prominent player of the game, Luis is also known for writing about the game...	4	7
Raphaël Lévy Raphaël Lévy Raphaël Lévy is a professional Magic: The Gathering player. He was inducted to the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Hall of Fame in November 2006. He is the first player to have been inducted while active on the Pro Tour. He is one of only four players to have won Grand Prix on three different...	3	17
Shuhei Nakamura	3	17
Brian Kibler Brian Kibler Brian M. Kibler is an American game designer currently working with Gamer Entertainment, a gaming consultancy. In 2010 Kibler designed Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer with Justin Gary, Rob Dougherty, and John Fiorillo. Previously he worked on Chaotic and was the lead designer of the World of...	3	11
Antonino De Rosa Antonino De Rosa Antonino De Rosa is an Italian-American Magic: The Gathering player. His successes include three Grand Prix wins, a US Nationals title in 2005, and a top eight at Pro Tour Prague 2006.- Achievements:Other accomplishments...	3	10
Martin Juza Martin Juza Martin Juza is a Czech Magic: The Gathering player. Over the course of his career, Juza has won the Czech national championship, made the top eight of a Pro Tour twice, and won two Grand Prix that were only six weeks apart.- Career :...	3	10
Bob Maher, Jr. Bob Maher Robert Maher, Jr. , is a former professional Magic: The Gathering player. He picked up the Magic game after sustaining a football injury in high school, and has gone on to become one of the most celebrated players in the game's history, earning the nickname "The Great One".-Magic: The...	3	10
Jon Finkel Jon Finkel Jon Finkel is an American Magic: The Gathering and poker player. In the year 2000, he became the world champion of Magic, as well as being on the team that became the team world champion.-Career:...	3	9
Ryan Fuller	3	9
Chris Benafel	3	8
Carlos Romão Carlos Romão Carlos Eduardo Romão is a Brazilian Magic: The Gathering player. He is best known for his win at the 2002 World Championships. Along with Diego Ostrovich, he is widely regarded as the first South American to achieve success on the Pro Tour, and was the first South American to win a Pro...	3	7
Trey Van Cleave	3	7
Jim Herold	3	3