Competitive Magic Primer

Here is a list of resources and concepts for a person aiming to be semi-competitive at Magic: The Gathering.  In order of importance, 3-2-1.

As always, demonstrate good sportsmanship.  Stay hydrated, and keep healthy snacks in your bag.  Get plenty of sleep and regular exercise.  The body cannot live without the mind - but the reverse is true as well.

3. Deck choice, Card choice, Metagame, Drafting, and Deckbuilding

Read articles and watch videos

ChannelFireball

StarCityGames

Wizards of the Coast Official Magic Website

TCGplayer

Watch live/archived tournament coverage

Official Coverage

SCGLive

Youtube archives

Watch Professional/skilled player/live tournament streams

Twitch.tv - Magic: The Gathering

Look at recent tournament results and decklists

StarCityGames, TCGplayer, http://mtgtop8.com/, etc.

Playtesting important matchups versus high-caliber opponents

If you bring your deck, and your partner brings theirs, you are not Playtesting.  You are merely playing.  To Playtest, you must build or proxy top performing decklists, and play matches both with and against the deck – including sideboarding.  It helps to have a specific goal in mind for testing – what are you hoping to learn?

Playing your deck in multiple tournaments or on Magic Online is the other way to playtest – also known as grinding.  Grinding is also pretty much the only way to playtest limited.

2. Rules

Learn the actual rules

You don’t need to read the Comprehensive Rules, Tournament Rules, and Infraction Procedure Guide cover to cover.  You do need to know what they contain.  It really helps you play better and communicate with your opponent or a judge much more clearly.

Below are some sections or concepts that are worth reviewing.

Comprehensive Rules:

http://wiki.magicjudges.org/en/w/Comprehensive_Rules

Keyword abilities and common card interactions

Steps & Phases of the turn CR:[500 to 513]

How to Cast spells / Activate abilities CR:[601] and [602]

Triggered Abilities [CR:603]

Replacement effects [CR:614]

State-based Actions [CR:704]

Tournament Rules:

http://wiki.magicjudges.org/en/w/Magic_Tournament_Rules

Mulligan and sideboard procedure

Communicating clearly with your opponent

Outside assistance/notes

Calling a Judge, appealing a ruling

Legally conceding or intentionally drawing games or matches [link]

Tiebreaker Math

Clearly communicating with your opponent

Tournament shortcuts and out-of-order sequencing

Infraction Procedure Guide:

http://wiki.magicjudges.org/en/w/Infraction_Procedure_Guide

Annotated IPG: http://wiki.magicjudges.org/en/w/Annotated_IPG

Calling a Judge

Slow Play [link]

Missed triggers [link]

Other Penalties and Infractions

1. Playing the Game Itself

Making strategic decisions on how, when, and why to play your cards:

To learn more about how to play better, start reading articles and watching videos.  Seek out people who you think are better than you are, and ask them to play with you and give you advice.

Identifying your role

Technical play

Tempo

Card Advantage

Calling a Judge

Communication with your opponent clearly

Deducing what cards your opponent might have
Playing around cards - if you can

Tracking life total changes with Pen & Paper

Using appropriate dice or tokens to maintain a clear game state

SEQUENCING YOUR PLAYS CORRECTLY

and

PLAYING TO YOUR OUTS