Going to my first PTQ this Saturday
General forum
Posted on April 16, 2014, 7:17 p.m. by trentfaris242
So I'm going to my first big tournament this weekend. It's a PTQ Sealed tournament. What should I be expecting?
1) Numbers obviously vary based on location, but generally how many people are there (lower bound is fine).
2) Can I expect other players to be friendly or cut-throat try hards?
3) What's the itinerary usually like?
4) Are there any breaks?
5) What can I do to prepare?
6) What should I bring?
7) What should I not bring?
8) What should I be looking to take away from this event?
1) Numbers obviously vary based on location, but generally how many people are there (lower bound is fine).
There will be thousands of people. It should be in a giant convention center or arena or something of that nature, though, so it shouldn't be too crowded.
2) Can I expect other players to be friendly or cut-throat try hards?
Both. I played in GP Phoenix a few weekends ago (it was Standard) and every single person I played against was actually really cool and friendly (except for Patrick Chapin, who was an ass-hat, but I annihilated him 2-0... jerk.) If someone sits down, shakes your hand, shuffles, and present without saying anything else, don't take it personally. A lot of people like to get in the zone and not be distracted by small talk. If there are ever any rules disputes or life-total differences that you can't iron out in 3 seconds, call a judge. If you aren't sure on a ruling or your (especially) if your opponent tries to tell you something's different from what you know, call a judge. If anything's suspicious, call a judge.
tl;dr - If anything weird happens, call a judge and wait. They'll sort it out for you.
3) What's the itinerary usually like?
Uh. I dunno; it depends on your event's itinerary. They'll give you 50-minute rounds and you can expect to go at least 10-minutes past time, the another 5 or so for pairings to go. Therefore, each round should last right around an hour or a bit more. If you have a smart-phone, be sure to find the link to the website for pairings (they'll have it posted everywhere, or just ask an official). It'll save you time and a headache from fighting your way through a veritable sea of dudes to look at the appropriate pairings board.
For side-events and whatnot, they have bigger events scheduled throughout the weekend (starting Friday). Entry for these can cost anywhere from free (depending on the thing) up to $40 or even $50, depending on the prize. They usually have some pretty sick prizes, though. At GP Phoenix, one prize for a Standard side event was a foil set of Born of the Gods. The Sealed 2HG prize from GP Las Vegas last summer was a sealed box of Zendikar.
They'll also hold 8-man, single-elimination win-a-box tournaments for Standard, Modern, and Legacy, as well as drafts, sealed side tournaments (not sure, since this will be a sealed GP itself -- but probably), and 4-man last-man-standing Commander games. THESE side events begin as soon as they have enough players to start it, so don't take off for long if you sign up. Tip: I find it's almost customary to split a box with the other player in a win-a-box, once it's just you two. Of course, ask, but you'd each be receiving 18 packs for $15 - I just checked, and that's not bad. If you want to play it out, play it out. She/He might be a bit upset, but that's the name of the game. If she/he wants to play it out, you don't have much in the way of a choice. There's no harm in simply asking first, though.
They'll have a clearly marked "Side Event Stage" where you can walk up, say what you want to play in, pay, and hang out until they announce that it's starting to the entire room. They'll tell you which numbered event you're in and call you when it's ready, usually "next to the side event stage". You'll briefly check in with a judge, and s/he'll lead the group from there.
4) Are there any breaks?
The only schedule break occurs at the "end" of Day One (Saturday), which will be after round 8 or 9, maybe 10. However, unless you go to turns and sit for an extra 10 minutes each round, you'll have time to use the restroom and grab a bit to eat; Wizards ensures that all of their venues have food available from vendors inside the convention center/whatever.
5) What can I do to prepare?
Sleep long and well the night before, eat a big-ass breakfast (good stuff; not Sugar-Shits 'n Cinnamon, or whatever), and drink plenty of water. Treat your body well and your mind will follow suit. Also, it may be a good idea to buzz over there on Friday (if you weren't already planning to) to see exactly where to park, walk to, and eat before having to actually do those things when it matters. If you aren't going on Friday, give yourself waaaay more than enough time to get there and get in. Feeling rushed the morning of the main event will stress out your body and undo any benefits of the good sleep you got.
6) What should I bring?
Beyond a pen, notepad, dice, play-mat, and a deck-box, bring a stack of your best sleeves and about 20 of each basic land. You'll be playing sealed, so you'll want to use sleeves (not the shitty ones they give out right before you play) and you won't want to worry about running up to the judge's stand to grab a handful of lands. Bring a fat-pack box (or something that can hold them) and you'll thank me later.
If you competitively play Legacy, Modern, Standard, and/or Commander, then bring those decks, ready to use. Even if you don't think you'd be interested, you never know how you might feel after 7 or 8 grueling rounds of sealed play. (If it were me, I'd want to blow my brains out after 5; I can't stand sealed for more than a few games.) Win-a-box events and Commander pods start up frequently throughout the day.
If you have any cards you want to sell to a card vendor, bring them. It's easier to take cards you know you want to get rid of out of your binder and into a stack. It makes selling to big vendors much faster and I'd imagine they'd certainly appreciate that.
If you're looking to buy any cards in person, bring a list. You don't want to forget what you need. You can usually haggle with the sellers a bit and talk down their prices. The amount you can talk them down by is directly proportional to your Speechcraft skill level. With multiple card vendors in the same building, you can also play mind games and say "Well, they've got it over there for $xx, but I already want this stuff from you." Works almost every time.
Also, stuff your backpack with snacks - good ones. Things like candy and soda will tire you out and make your mind less attentive to detail. Things like beef jerky, whole-grain wheat products (crackers, or what have you), and simple water will keep your body happy and nourished. I may appear to be making a big deal over the "being healthy" thing, but that's because I am. I've been to one too many big, 10-round Magic tournaments while feasting on candy with a hangover from the night before.
Lastly, bring gum. If you find yourself hungry at the onset of or during a match, I personally find it rude to eat while playing. Chew on a stick of gum and it'll hold you over until you get a chance to stuff your face with food.
tl;dr - Treat your body right and you won't wear down by the evening.
7) What should I not bring?
Uhhh, well I'm not sure how obvious you want me to be, so no weapons or alcohol. Beyond that, I wouldn't bring a DS/PSP, tablet, or laptop either. You're there to (a) play Magic and meet new people through it and (b) play Magic without having much time for anything else. Earlier in the day, a lot of players don't know what to do with themselves between rounds. Later, though, it becomes a mad dash for the restrooms, food vendors, and card vendors. If you don't bring the things I mentioned, then you won't have to worry about them being stolen, either.
8) What should I be looking to take away from this event?
Whatever you want to.
If you do really well in the main event, you could wind up taking home a monetary prize.You'll also receive a promo card from Wizards just for playing in the main event, and a special play-mat if you make Day Two (Sunday).
You can play scheduled side-events to try and win the posted prizes. These are nice as they tend to schedule them around when people will be looking for something else to do, i.e. when they scrub out of the big tournament (after rounds 2 and 3). Schedule events cover just about every format, as well.
If you're going to the GP with a group of friends/acquaintances, try to swap phone numbers prior to entering the building. GP tournaments are massive events and you'll easily lose your friends in the crowd.
I think that's largely it. I was trying to be as detailed and helpful as possible, so sorry if it looks like a wall of text.
Good luck, and have fun; a GP is a blast and they don't come around often.
April 16, 2014 8:25 p.m.
trentfaris242 says... #5
So much detail! Thanks so much!
And, @kriskurse, no. This is the PTQ in Tuscaloosa, AL.
April 16, 2014 10:03 p.m.
I think he's writing about GPs rather then a PTQ. PTQs are generally a lot smaller.
April 16, 2014 10:52 p.m.
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Huh.
Well, forget all that crap and just play like it's a slightly-higher-stake FNM.
kriskurse says... #2
It is a competitive level REL event, so expect a little bit of cutthroat attitude from a few players.
The way I've seen it go usually at the time its set to start there is a players meeting explaining the tournament, how many rounds ETC then you'll either play the guy accross you (Something ive seen out of my last 2 PTQs) or get a new seating arrangement for your first round after the meeting.
Good luck!
April 16, 2014 8:23 p.m.