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Grand Prix (Magic: The Gathering)

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Grands Prix (GP) are professional Magic: The Gathering tournaments, awarding cash prizes, Pro Points and invitations to Pro Tours. 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 (Netherlands). More than 250 Grands Prix have been held since, the biggest being GP Las Vegas 2013 with 4,492 competitors, making it the biggest trading card game tournament ever held.[1]

History

Grand Prix Rotterdam 2009

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, although awarding comparatively small cash prizes — $30,000 in total compared to $250,000 at Pro Tour Paris a few weeks later. Grands Prix have since been held in such diverse places as Tokyo, Moscow, Rio de Janeiro, Toronto and Cape Town. Approximately 20–30 Grands Prix are held each year throughout the world.[2] In 2013 GP Las Vegas marked the biggest Magic tournament ever held with 4,492 players.

Tournament structure

All Grands Prix are two day tournaments, taking place on weekends. They are run using a modified Swiss system. 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, 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 awards cash prizes, Pro Points, and invitations to a Pro Tour. The best four competitors receive an invitation to a previously determined Pro Tour. Cash prizes have varied considerably, ranging from $10,000 to $54,000. Until 2013 December 01, Grand Prix top finishers will receive:[3][4]

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

As of 2013 December 07, the cash prize for Grand Prix finishers will be:

Place <1,200 Players 1,200–2,399 Players ≥24,000 Players
1st 4,000 USD 4,000 USD 4,000 USD
2nd 2,700 USD 2,700 USD 2,700 USD
3rd-4th 1,500 USD 1,500 USD 1,500 USD
5th-8th 1,000 USD 1,000 USD 1,000 USD
9th-12th 600 USD 600 USD 600 USD
13th-16th 550 USD 550 USD 550 USD
17th-23rd 500 USD 500 USD 500 USD
24th-32nd 400 USD 400 USD 400 USD
33rd-64th 300 USD 300 USD 300 USD
65th-100th 250 USD 250 USD
101st-150th 200 USD

Most successful players

The following players have won at least three Grand Prix.[5]

Name Wins Top 8
Germany Kai Budde 7 15
Japan Yuuya Watanabe 6 19
France Olivier Ruel 5 27
Japan Shuhei Nakamura 5 22
United States Alex Shvartsman 4 21
France Raphaël Lévy 4 19
Japan Tomoharu Saitou 4 17
Czech Republic Martin Jůza 4 17
Japan Masahiko Morita 4 16
Japan Katsuhiro Mori 4 13
United States Antonino De Rosa 4 11
United States Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz 4 10
United States Luis Scott-Vargas 4 10
United States Brian Kibler 3 13
United States Bob Maher, Jr. 3 10
United States Jon Finkel 3 9
Canada Ryan Fuller 3 9
United States William Jensen 3 9
United States David Williams 3 9
United States Chris Benafel 3 8
Brazil Carlos Romão 3 7
United States Trey Van Cleave 3 7
United States Gaudenis Vidugiris 3 6
Israel Shahar Shenhar 3 5
Germany Jim Herold 3 3

Most successful countries

Number of Grand Prix tournaments won by players from the following countries:

Rank Country Wins
1 United States United States 109
2 Japan Japan 72
3 Germany Germany 25
France France
5 Netherlands Netherlands 15
6 Australia Australia 14
Canada Canada
8 Brazil Brazil 11

As of 25 February 2013

See also

References

  1. ^ "Appreciating the Spectacle of Grand Prix Las Vegas". Wizards of the Coast. 26 June 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  2. ^ "Event Coverage Archive". Wizards of the Coast. 1 December 2008. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
  3. ^ "Worldwide Grand Prix Prize Structure". Wizards of the Coast. 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
  4. ^ "MAGIC: THE GATHERING® PREMIER EVENT INVITATION POLICY" (PDF). Wizards of the Coast. 26 December 2011. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
  5. ^ "Lifetime Grand Prix Top 8". Wizards of the Coast. 2008-12-08. Retrieved 2008-12-19.