(updated 2018.09.04) At the higher levels of scorekeeping, it’s common for scorekeepers to bring their own equipment with them, instead of using what the organizer has with them. This is primarily an advantage in familiarity: you can have your machine setup in the way that you want it, with the style of hotkeys that you […]
DCI numbers have expanded several times over the years. Originally, they were 4-digit numbers, and that number expanded to 5-digits, 6-digits, and — briefly — to 7-digits. When 8-digit numbers were introduced, they were actually 7-digit numbers with a check-digit. Check-digits are a simple verification scheme, in order to make sure that the rest of […]
The fundamentals of scorekeeping are the same for all tournaments, from PPTQs to GPs. When judging, the Comprehensive Rules don’t change between different event types, and there are only two different systems of resolving any given judge call. (based on the REL) There are structural differences at larger events, with judges specializing in specific roles […]
“I’m not on the pairings.” Cascade repairs are the normal fix in scenarios when the process of fixing an issue results in either an odd number of players being re-added to the event, or an odd number of players being left opponent-less. Very likely, the relevant player also has a record that would preclude them […]
No real introduction here, just a chance to talk — in probably more detail then anyone would want — on tiebreakers in Magic tournaments. This is a superset of information that can be found in Appendix C of the Magic Tournament Rules. Tiebreaker Components Match Points This is the same point total that you see […]
Appendix E of the Magic Tournament Rules discusses the number of rounds that are run for a normal Swiss tournament. Reading down the line, you’ll see the player counts increasing at a powers-of-2 rate: 32 players is five rounds, 128 is seven. The implication behind this is that, after all rounds of Swiss are completed, […]
WER has gone through many small changes in it’s eight years of existence, which has changed how a tournament is interacted with, as well as what parts of a tournament can be. One of the more recent and problematic behaviors that began happening was the occurrence of “Unknown, Unknown” players. Overview From a technical standpoint, […]
Wizards of the Coast has a desirable goal with the DCI and WPN: to make sure that no matter where you go, you will have the same kind of tournament experience. Blood Moon interacts identically with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, no matter if you’re in Boston or Bologna. A 33-player PPTQ will operate the same […]
