Still with me huh? Still want to know what makes some people win and others lose?

Well, ok then! Now I’m going to provide you with a reversed view of what I wrote last week. I know you can’t wait! This really is just an expansion of what I said, and it should make things perfectly clear that 99% of us have a lot to work on - So, let’s go!!!

#1 I know the cards better than you

This one has no exception. Knowledge is power, and unfortunately some people process information better or “differently” than others do. This is why they appear to be better at certain things than others, which often looks like it is effortless. One of the ways I try to compensate for that is to study up the day before a big tournament. Find out what your deck’s weaknesses are, and be prepared.

For Prereleases, check the spoilers to see what might sound interesting or “broken” so that you know what you might be up against. Don’t be the guy who over-extends on playing creatures only to find that Wizards featured a new Wrath of God card a week ago.

#2 I know my chance of winning are better than YOURS!

There’s an old saying “I’d rather be lucky than good” and Magic is no different. Sometimes you have to go with your gut. Only hindsight will tell you what the right answer was or might have been. However, don’t be too hard headed to listen to what that “right answer” is.

Trick has a great quote from the Legendary Jon Finkle which is: "If there is a good play and a better play, then the good play is actually a bad play." This is so true with MTG, in fact I’d say it’s rather true in life. Once you’ve drawn that keep-able hand of 7 cards, you may believe that your options are limitless. However, there are statistical probabilities which fit within the legal rules of the game and the laws of the land and these are considered “right plays”. For example, having a 2 land hand and laying the “come into play tapped” land on turn 2 rather than on turn 1 when you have a 2 casting cost card in hand. Is this play a mistake? Usually. Does it happen? You know it does.

#3 I just play better than YOU!

It’s very easy to be intimidated by a guy who’s won a Pro Tour or perhaps even a jokester who co-hosts a weekly podcast, but ultimately the guy who makes the fewest mistakes is usually going to win. Even if you don’t know everything, have faith in what you do know. Tell yourself, ”Untap, Upkeep, Draw” every time you begin your turn. Start thinking about basics and work your way up to the advanced levels. Don’t give up because you make lots of mistakes; iron them all out by starting at the beginning. Most of all HAVE FUN! Just remember that winning is twice is fun as losing.

#4 I’m a WINNER and you are a loser!

Just play, let the end result speak for itself. You are going to win some and lose some, but what will truly make that difference in you is asking the “Why” and “How”. Sometimes you’ll encounter a jerk that doesn’t want to talk about the match or talks trash about the match. Don’t complain about manascrew, but acknowledge it by shuffling better or rethinking your land ratio in your deck. Don’t blame the deck, blame yourself. You shuffled it. You decided to copy the deck from some crappy brainless website without properly testing it.

You can't win if you aren't willing to lose. Play your cards, and play them whenever you think is best. Win or lose, ask yourself, ask your opponents or ask some random Asian guy if there was something else that could have been done to be better.

Now, here are some of the more vague items that you can REALLY turn around for yourself:

#1 I’m not THAT “OLD”

It’s true what I said; young people do win at this game. However, no matter what age you are, you can certainly find this game fun. And, if you choose to be competitive, you can do that too! It really is about dedication and finding support in your test group as well as from your loved ones.

#2 Baggage

I’ve been very fortunate to have loved ones who support me and my love/addiction to this game. Being a single father of 2 children, I know it can be tough juggling life’s responsibilities, work, etc. I could NEVER say enough of my family who continue to show me love and my friends who put up with my constant nonsense. Without their support, I would be just some old guy with a higher than average rating and talking about the days of true Magic.

Make sure you reward those who support you, share your love and appreciation and sometimes share your packs. If you playtest with a group of players who really do know what they’re doing, hook them up with some loot. My old team, the GoodFellas, worked up a split for each and every event we played in together. This kept us focused and supportive of each other, as everyone’s entry fee contributed to the spoils of victory. Unfortunately, this can also cause turmoil, which it did for that team during their “golden years."

#3 Money

This one is actually easy. There are a lot of people who share card pools. In fact, many pros do not even own huge collections of cards, rather they depend on sponsors or “teams” to gather and create the decks that win. This helps with expenses and doesn’t keep money lying around. Now I’m not saying you should sell those Tarmogoyfs now, because Uncle Lee will lend them to you next weekend. What I am saying is that your end may justify your means, and if selling cards helps pay for a plane ticket or a tank of gas, your selling those cards could result in a tournament victory or a run in with someone who might be your best friend for life.

There are others who are “professional” traders, and when not involved with matches are usually in the trading area picking up cards to sell to the highest bidder. I refer to these folks as "Bounty Hunters." Being successful at this takes a lot of work and energy, but can be very fruitful in the money you can make and the collection you can accrue. Our sponsors at Coolstuffinc.com ALWAYS have cards that they’re buying and I believe their prices for them are very competitive. I know of people who buy 15 rares for $1 and sell them at 5 for a $1 to dealers. And, occasionally stumble on a card that might sell for $1 by itself. You may not think that that can make much, but what if you do that 100 times or even 1000 times. Nuff said!

Sponsorships are another way to save some $$$ and in some cases make money. There are many people willing to sponsor noble causes. Take NASCAR for instance, they wear outfits plastered with labels and advertisers everywhere! Not sure that I want to have a Preparation H label on my bum, but if it pays, then I’m willing! I believe the future has some VERY large sponsors for “smart” business minded Magic players, we’re just not asking the right questions or giving the right answers. “What will sponsoring a player do for me?” will be the first question they ask and what will your answer be? “I will wear a cool shirt with your name on it while I spend your profits," may not be what they’re looking for. However, if NIKE hears that I support their product in sports of the Mind and Body, then maybe they might listen. If they learn that the benefits of their clothes or shoes have helped me win X number of tournaments, well now we’re talking. It really is about your business model and whether you believe in yourself and your sport.

#4 Friends! How many of us have them?

You don’t really have to have friends to succeed in this game. You merely have to work hard. Having a team just shares the load among you all. There are many times that I want to write an article or state something totally out from left field because I believe it really does help me play this game better. What stops me is that I’m not sure if anyone would understand. So, I just internalize it and wait for a better moment. With so many different opportunities to shuffle cards, you can achieve some very effective playtesting without obligating yourself to others. Simply log in to MTGO or head to a nearby Friday Night Magic session. It’s convenient and easy.

Before the internet made a huge impact on MTG I took pride in my metagame skills and would build decks that I knew would dominate the current “top” decks in the format. This earned me the title of “Best Sunday Player” by many of my friends, because I couldn’t win a Saturday PTQ but would win the Sunday cash or prize tournament with ease. On that thought, the internet is a tremendous tool for all types of information and Magic decks are NOT an exception. If you don’t know by know, Faeries and Reveillark, are the 2 most commonly played decks in the world at this time, but that can change in an instant. If you don’t tune in to this Monday’s episode, you might miss what deck is next.

SUMMARY

Some people have what it takes to be good naturally, but I’m a firm believer in hard work and I believe that anyone can be great on any given day with the proper preparation. The Hall of Fame is a decent measure of consistency on the Pro Tour but we’re talking about winning and if I can get you to win once, I feel I’ve done my job. But winning consistently will take much more work from you.

The rules are the only thing that is presented on a consistent and fair playing field. No one is above the rules. If you cannot understand the reasoning behind the current Reveillark combo stack (not necessarily verbalizing it, in Tricks case as you'll see in Monday's episode) then, you need to work on your understanding of the rules. You may not need to know it for casual games, but indeed you do need to know it for competitive play.

Next, check your attitude. More on that in the future.

Bluffing is something someone asked about recently on the forums and all I can say is I may or may NOT know anything about bluffing. Seriously though, we will talk about that in a future discussion or article.

As I mentioned, this article is meant to be for those individuals who read it first and then find that something within it which pertains to them.

What does it take to win? Well why don’t you tell me? - Let me know in the forums what you think it takes. If you mention luck though, I’m going to vomit.

-- Lee