Humans of Magic

"I love Magic so much, I want it to be presented for what I know that it is -- and that's the best game on the planet." I broke my recording hiatus after REALLY getting into the GAM Podcast, one of the finest competitive Magic podcasts around. Bryan Gottlieb co-hosts the show and is a poker-player-turned-bartender-turned-lawyer. So when the opportunity to interview Bryan came up, I knew that I had to go for it. Here is our full conversation, in which we discuss: - Bryan's childhood - The art of content creation - Career and life choices - Helping others in unorthodox ways - Why Magic is the greatest game ever - ...and much, much more! Enjoy! -- Bryan Gottlieb -- @BryanGo GAM Podcast - @TheGAMPodcast

I am excited to share this conversation with Dan Signorini, a.k.a. Nitewolf9 on MTGTheSource. Dan and David Gearhart created the “Team America” deck, which started off as an elaborate joke and has evolved into the BUG / Grixis Delver decks of today. Chance are, if you have ever played or played against a Delver deck, you have been influenced by Dan’s deck building choices. Dan is a long-standing member of the North Virginia Legacy community, which includes players such as Alix Hatfield, Jesse Hatfield, Anwar Ahmed, David Gearhart, David Price, Damon Whitby, and many others. Together, the group has developed influential decks such as Canadian Threshold, Solidarity, Dredge, Zoo, and (of course!) Team America. Dan was also one of Bob Huang’s early mentors. Bob has, in turn, popularized the de facto Grixis Delver build that we know so well today. It is no exaggeration to say that Dan and his group have been instrumental to the development of the Legacy format, and “Type 1.5” before that. Furthermore, Dan has had a strong influence on *me*. When I started playing competitive Magic almost ten years ago, he was the person I learned from. Dan was the one to offer me advice on how to play the “Team America” deck and matchup tips. I would not be creating content today, or playing Magic at all, without his kindness and support. For these reasons, this episode is very special to me. In true “Humans of Magic” fashion, the discussion touches on everything Dan cares about – family, community, music, martial arts, competitive mindset, and more. Dan speaks openly about a wide variety of topics, and I hope that you enjoy listening to it. Time stamps: [03:17] Introduction [09:28] Eternal Weekend [13:58] Dan’s day job [16:57] Childhood and family background [29:33] Dan’s best friend in high school [33:20] Learning martial arts [39:48] Diffusing conflict [44:08] Being curious about life [46:02] First Magic experience [48:18] The North Virginia Magic crew [54:52] On being open-minded [56:30] From Suicide Black to Team America [1:05:00] Curio Cavern [1:07:26] Thoughts on the current Legacy format [1:13:03] The ban of Sensei’s Divining Top – correct? [1:16:25] Ban Deathrite Shaman? [1:18:56] Ban Delver of Secrets? [1:21:21] More thoughts on Legacy [1:29:37] On playing well in high-level competition [1:32:50] How Dan has helped other players develop [1:34:35] What Dan’s learned from the community [1:36:14] Goals [1:37:05] Things Dan would tell himself, if he could go back five years [1:39:22] On happiness [1:41:26] Things that piss Dan off [1:46:22] Tips for new competitive players

Jarvis Yu is back. He was my first guest on the show, and I am excited to have him back. In this two-part series, I sit down with Jarvis for an in-depth conversation. Part 1 is Jarvis’ year in review. Jarvis opens up about his accomplishments, goals, and insights for the coming year. He is also brutally honest about where he needs to improve in order to reach the next level. As Jarvis plays on the Pro Tour and is a regular on Team Massdrop East, you may find his observations helpful to your own player development. Part 2 (THIS EPISODE) is a Legacy Lands mini-primer straight from the master himself. As one of the most accomplished Lands players on the planet—two Grand Prix Top 8 finishes, including 1 win, and a Top 16 finish—Jarvis is uniquely qualified to speak on this subject. We cover deck basics, matchups, card choices, and more. Definitely give this episode a listen if you want to unlock the intricacies of the deck. For maximum Jarvis, make sure you listen to both parts. I hope that you enjoy listening to this double-header series as much as I enjoyed recording it. Subscribe to “Humans of Magic” on iTunes today. And if you like what you hear, leave a review on iTunes to support the cause. And tell a friend, too :) Read full text transcripts of “Humans” audio interviews here: www.humansofmagic.com

Jarvis Yu is back. He was my first guest on the show, and I am excited to have him back. In this two-part series, I sit down with Jarvis for an in-depth conversation. Part 1 (THIS EPISODE) is Jarvis’ year in review. Jarvis opens up about his accomplishments, goals, and insights for the coming year. He is also brutally honest about where he needs to improve in order to reach the next level. As Jarvis plays on the Pro Tour and is a regular on Team Massdrop East, you may find his observations helpful to your own player development. Part 2 is a Legacy Lands mini-primer straight from the master himself. As one of the most accomplished Lands players on the planet—two Grand Prix Top 8 finishes, including 1 win, and a Top 16 finish—Jarvis is uniquely qualified to speak on this subject. We cover deck basics, matchups, card choices, and more. Definitely give this episode a listen if you want to unlock the intricacies of the deck. For maximum Jarvis, make sure you listen to both parts. I hope that you enjoy listening to this double-header series as much as I enjoyed recording it. Subscribe to “Humans of Magic” on iTunes today. And if you like what you hear, leave a review on iTunes to support the cause. And tell a friend, too :) Read full text transcripts of “Humans” audio interviews here: www.humansofmagic.com

Martin Juza is a “Magic: The Gathering” Hall of Famer, Platinum Pro, and self-proclaimed “Professional Tourist.” His list of achievements is nothing short of astounding: 3 Pro Tour Top 8s, 26 Grand Prix Top 8s (including 4 wins), and over 500 lifetime Pro Points. Martin is also widely considered to be one of the best Limited players of all time. What do we talk about? • Martin’s childhood in the Czech Republic • Martin’s first Magic experiences and how he leveled up as a player • How Martin overcame the odds to turn “pro” and travel the world • Martin’s favorite places to visit — including an active volcano! • Martin’s thoughts on the current state of Limited Subscribe to “Humans of Magic” on iTunes today. And if you like what you hear, leave a review on iTunes to support the cause. And tell a friend, too :) Read full text transcripts of “Humans” audio interviews here: www.humansofmagic.com

This week, I want to share a conversation that I had with 21-year old wunderkind Noah Walker. Noah is a Magic player, competitor, basketball enthusiast, and...camp counselor?!? In fact, the conversation started off quite slowly. Noah was not quite sure what to make of some stranger asking him questions over Skype. But once we started talking about his passion for helping kids, and how he is giving back to the same summer camp that he has attended since he was eight years old... EVERYTHING CHANGED. We ended up having quite a good talk about everything. Family. Growing up in Massachusetts. Facing defeat and picking yourself back up. The Boston Celtics. The importance of possessing the proper mindset, especially in the heat of competition. I certainly knew very little about Noah at the beginning of our conversation. But I walked away from our chat extremely impressed. And to think that Noah is only 21 years old -- that is pure awesome! That is why I am excited to share this recording with you, as part of the "Humans of Magic" series. Intro music from https://www.bensound.com

Tifa Robles wears many hats. She is the founder of the Lady Planeswalker Society, a gamer, and a mother. We first talk about her day job in gaming and how she brings the passion to gamers on a national level. Tifa also shares her principles for building inclusive gaming cultures, and the trials and tribulations of starting LPS. Last but not least, Tifa shares what it is REALLY like to be a mother — and how it has given her greater happiness and joy.

Will Jonathan is a sports psychologist. mental performance coach, and Channel Fireball contributor. In this conversation, Will gives me advice on how to improve my mental game. According to him, it is all about focusing on process instead of results. And guess what -- it worked! Right after talking to Will, I Top 4’d a big Magic tournament during the same week! How’s that for some practical advice?

"Humans of Magic" interviews Christian Calcano, esteemed Gold Level Pro and Pro Tour Amonkhet Top 8 finalist. We go into Christian's backstory and how he feels about the game today. Please share this podcast with your friends! We have a lot of great content planned for this year -- subscribe now to make sure you don't miss any episodes.

We are back with the first 2017 episode of “Humans of Magic”! Our first guest of the year is Kai Sawatari. Kai is half-German, half-Japanese, all amazing. He’s a serious Legacy player with 4th and 17th place finishes at Grand Prix events. This podcast was hilarious. We talk about: - How Kai’s father would let him win at games! - Getting destroyed by a Goblin Charbelcher deck when he was 12 years old! - Irrational confidence! - Bromance! - Japanese culture and the crazy smiley guy! - The biggest mistake Kai ever made as a competitive player! (spoiler: it involves sleeving up Terminus) Too many exclamation marks, for sure. Hope you enjoy the listen!