The last Regional Championship I played was the most exhausting event of my Magic career. While I rallied from a 2-3 record to a 11-3-1 after two days of competition, the only thing on my mind after fifteen rounds of Magic was rest. Magic events are tough, and as I get older (I'm only 29!) I've started to understand that my time is valuable, and I want to both play my best and represent myself the best at these events. I've played many a Grand Prix in my life where I've stuffed into a hotel room with five other guys, eaten some pretty awful food, and stayed up until 2am (or even later).

For some, their next two-day competitive event, like a Spotlight Series or Regional Championship, might be their 30th. However, for most, it might be one of their first. One thing I've noticed about newer players joining the competitive scene is that they're usually ill-equipped to withstand two full days of competition. This is especially true if they learned Magic post-pandemic, after an era of Grand Prixs and two-day open events.

I think I really leveled up my game when I started understanding the viewpoint that two-day Magic tournaments are both extremely mentally and physically demanding. It's tempting to want to use the event as an escape to hang out with your friends and go party. However, these tournaments are tough, and if you aren't taking the necessary precautions, trust me - your opponent certainly is. This isn't to say you can't have fun in competitive Magic, or you have to treat a Regional Championship or random Spotlight Series event as the most serious weekend of your life. It's important to understand the edges you can gain, the percentage points that make all the difference, by staying sharp and having an extra layer of defense going into these grueling weekends.

If I had ten tips I'd tell my younger self, that I think are invaluable to any tournament Magic weekend it would be these - and they're still relevant regardless if your next event is your first or 50th.

Stay Hydrated and Bring Snacks

This is the one of two parts of being physically well-prepared for a two-day event. The last thing you want to do in the middle of day one of competition is to wait fifteen minutes in line directly after your last round for $20 convention center chicken tenders and fries. You need to stay hydrated and eat foods that will nourish you, not drag you down in the middle of the day. I recommend carrying a water bottle with you, or even just buying a gallon jug that you can refill throughout the day. It's so easy to forget to drink water and you'll tire out sooner rather than later if you don't.

As for snacks, I recommend nuts, beef jerky, protein bars, and dried fruit as easy options. Electrolyte pouches are great to add to water. If you really want to take things to the next level, especially if your lodging has a kitchen, is to meal prep something like a salad or a chicken rice bowl. This is an expert-level play, and one I learned from Pro Tour runner-up, Benton Madsen.

Get Good Sleep

The second half of staying physically sharp is to get good sleep for your event. One of the hardest aspects for me during two-day tournaments is maximizing how much sleep I get. It can be hard on your body to adapt to a new sleeping arrangement, especially if you're flying into a new time zone. I personally am a light sleeper, so I try to be cautious over who I stay with (sorry my snoring friends), so I usually shell out more money for my own room. It can be expensive at times, but if I really want to win a Regional Championship, sleep is paramount.

Have a Sideboard Guide

This is advice that I used to reject. Sideboard guides can be dangerous, because if you follow them as gospel, you might end up mindlessly sideboarding out cards that actually might've been good against your opponent's deck configuration. However, sideboard guides can also help you mentally shortcut.

At the Minneapolis RC I actually used a sideboard guide, even though I had played a decent amount of Azorius and Jeskai Control in Standard. Sensei-in-chief Mike Flores actually wrote one out for me at my request, and while I made a few minor tweaks, I followed the guide pretty closely throughout the event.

This was extremely helpful for me because it allowed me to mentally shortcut in long matches of Magic. Jeskai, well Control decks in general, take a long time to win, so maximizing your brainpower is paramount. While I didn't follow this guide to a T, it did keep me focused, especially as I began to get more physically exhausted into the throes of day two.

Register Your Deck Ahead of Time and Don't Play on Friday

This might be a personal preference, but I do not like playing Magic the day before a major event. I get that if you're traveling, and already taking Friday off from work, you might want to sit in the convention center as long as possible and get the max out of your weekend. However, this is a dangerous way to over exhaust yourself before the main event has even begun. I like using Friday to travel and relax, and not worry about things.

Since I like taking the week before the event to play-test and configure my deck, not playing Magic Friday means you have ample time to submit your decklist and maybe make some minor tweaks. It is true that I was updating my decklist for Minneapolis up until ten minutes before the online submission deadline, but if I had taken more time out for myself during the week to practice I probably wouldn't have needed to stress on Friday. Overall, it's important to use Friday to adjust to your environment and rest up, and not stress over what deck you're playing.

Buy New Sleeves

This one is kind of a no-brainer, but I see a lot of people mess this up, even at the local RCQ level. While tournament rules have definitely become more lax over the years (just last year my opponent at a RCQ only received a mere warning for having some cards double-sleeved and some single-sleeved) I'd rather not take any chances when sleeving up my deck, and always opt to buy new spotless sleeves.

Depending on how aggressive you shuffle I might even err on the side of buying new sleeves for day two, because playing at professional rules enforcement level comes with more penalties if your sleeves are marked. Pony up the $12 and buy a new pack before every event to mitigate any issues that might come up during a deck check or judge call - it's not worth the potential game loss. By proxy, I'd also make sure to check with the head judge of your event that both your sleeves are fine and that no foils are showing up as warped in your deck.

Stay Organized and Only Bring the Essentials

The last thing you want to do during a two-day long competitive event is physically drag yourself down with crap you don't need. I see so many players lugging around these huge backpacks full of cards, binders, and playmats at these events, and it never makes sense to me. Going off of what I said earlier about "mental shortcutting," you don't want to weigh yourself down with items that don't matter. Do you really want to be fishing through your bag at the start of every round for your deck or box of dice?

Pack a simple bag of just your deck, extra sleeves, lifepad/writing utensil, dice, and any snacks and water you want to bring. It's that simple. This is also why I don't use a playmat at these events, it's just one more thing to put in your bag you have to physically take out every match - I'd rather not worry about it. Keeping your belongings organized and uncluttered will keep your mind organized throughout the event.

Don't Use Foreign Language Cards

Look, unless you're fluent, don't bring cards you can't read to the event. This is such an easy way to trip yourself up, and one I've also fallen to in the past. For example, I royally screwed myself in a match at the first Pioneer Regional Championship in Atlanta when I played a Japanese copy of Farewell.

You see, I thought Farewell exiled Enchantments, before Creatures. Well I was wrong, and ended up exiling my own Temporary Lockdown letting free my opponent's Llanowar Elves and Voyaging Satyr.

You might think to play foreign language cards to trip up your opponents, but it's honestly not worth the risk to trip yourself up!

Always Call a Judge

Judges are not only present at these events to help things run smoothly, they're there to help you as well. If you think your opponent is explaining a play incorrectly or is trying to angle shoot, you can always call a judge to verify. For example, here's an actual scenario that came up during a match at the Spotlight Series: Dragon Limited event.

My opponent and I were in a long, grindy Sealed match. We had both agreed to play faster, so on my turn I cast a Mardu Monument, vocally said "I'm going to get a Plains, pass turn," and picked up my deck and gave my opponent the chance to go to their turn. During their draw step I realized I had no more Plains in my deck, so I said "I have no Plains, I'm actually going to get a Mountain instead." My opponent stopped and replied "well, you said Plains so you fail to find." My opponent assured me he was right, but thankfully I knew to call a judge. The floor judge heard our story, and then to my surprise said that since I had declared Plains, I failed to find.

Immediately I appealed this ruling. Now this is important - any time you disagree with the floor judge's ruling, even if you have a small shred of doubt, always appeal. The head judge came over, heard our story and the floor judge's ruling, and eventually reversed the ruling! I was able to search for the land I wanted, since Mardu Monument gives a choice between Plains, Mountain, and Swamp, and we continued playing.

My opponent eventually apologized and thankfully I won the match after that long-winded call. All in all, the main lesson you should take away from this is that you should always call a judge if you're ever unsure of anything, whether it's a card interaction question or you think your opponent is doing something shady. You can always appeal or ask a judge a question away from the table.

A Little Sunlight Never Hurt Anybody

While playing Magic is not a physically demanding skill, it's still important to get up and about and stretch between rounds. I think your head can get congested staying inside too long, surrounded by nerds and cardboard, so it's vital to step outside to get some fresh air and sunlight (just make sure you steer clear of the smoking/vaping section). This is especially helpful after a tough loss, as it'll help keep you from beating yourself up. This will clear your mind and give you perspective.

It's About the Gathering More than the Magic

While this whole article has been a lesson on how to make decisions to overall increase your chances of succeeding in a tournament, the reality is at the end of the day, that we're just playing a game of wizard squares. Magic means different things for different people, and it can be crushing to not hit your mark at an event despite you putting in hours of preparation.

While you should take these events seriously if you want to win, you should never overextend yourself and be too hyper focused - you lose sight of what really matters. Magic has always been about the friends you make and the experiences you share with them. It's important to have perspective both when you win and lose. This will help you identify how you can improve, not only as a player, but as a person. Each event should be a chance to better yourself and share an experience with the ones who make it all worthwhile.

Competitive Magic is incredibly challenging, but it's an experience that I keep coming back to over and over again. It's a great way to push yourself as a player against likeminded opponents who want to win just as badly as you do. While these events are daunting, especially for newer players, I hope these lessons will help you better navigate your next two-day event. Regardless if your next Spotlight Series or Regional Championship event is your first, there are always ways you can improve that don't involve actually playing the game or picking your deck.

-Roman Fusco