My First Judging Experience

Over the pre-release weekend for Theros, I had a chance to participate in Magic in a new way that I've long wanted to attempt.  Working with my good friend and semi-local TO, Nick Coss, I was allowed to Judge a Sunday sealed event with over 30 players.  I want to share with you how I found it to be a rewarding experience and some advice if you're interested in doing the same.

The Wish
I've written before how I wanted to explore the idea of becoming a Judge.  I still feel like a newbie, especially when people start talking about wild EDH combos or sick Legacy decks, but some of my shininess has finally started to rub off.  I knew that to take the first steps I wanted to do so with someone who was experienced and patient.

The only problem I faced wasn't who to approach about becoming a Judge, but rather when could I do it.  You see, gentle reader, Nick's store isn't exactly in my backyard.  Top Deck Games is over an hour away for me by car.  My local game store, by extension, is only just over ten minutes away.  I am a guy with many commitments, from work to school to other volunteer activities, so getting out to judge for my first time was a matter of aligning some serious planetary bodies.  The clock was ticking for me though - I have a definite goal in mind.  I want to become an L1, hopefully before the end of the year.

So I reached out to Nick a few days before I thought I could be there and popped the question.  It wasn't as romantic as getting down on one knee (texting rarely is), but I did get a small chill up my spine when he agreed.

The Secret World of Judging
Here's the first (and I think most important) thing you need to know about judging an event.  Lean in close, because it's a little bit of a secret.  Are you ready?

You don't have to be an L1, or even a Rules Adviser, to help with an event.

I was blown away when I learned that.  Surely it had to be wrong?  But no, let us back up for a minute and look at what the Judge program really is about.  There is a word that appears over and over again.  That magical word is 'Mentoring'.  The entire program is built upon this principle.  To be a mentor, one must have experience and knowledge that is both of value and worth sharing to others.

Nick, while an L1, is also a Tournament Organizer since he both owns a store and runs events there and offsite.  That makes someone like him an ideal person to talk to as a first step to becoming a Judge.  He is someone willing to both share his experience and offer a place for someone interested in the quest to take the black.  He is a mentor and looks forward to sharing his knowledge and resources.  His store is full of smart players, which makes some things either but definitely raises expectations.

I saw one other advantage with going to Top Deck Games instead of my local game store, at least initially.  While I've played there a few times and have learned the names of a couple of the regulars, it was a place that I didn't have strong relationships with the other players.  I wanted to try my hand at helping with an event for the first time in a place that I could comfortably fail at, without being judged too harshly by people who have become my friends.  I didn't expect to fall flat on my face.  If I did though, I knew that my relative anonymity at Nick's would allow me to do it without making me feel worse for having done so in front of people I knew well.

So with that in mind, I found out when Nick wanted me there and made a few plans of my own.

Prep Work
Any successful event starts with careful planning.  Careful planning is integral.  I knew that Nick would do his usual outstanding job preparing his store and staff, which meant I only had to worry about myself.  I reviewed what I knew about the event:

• It was at Regular REL w/ new rules and interactions
• It was sealed and would run 4-5 hours
• I would be helping to some degree, but I didn't know how much

Figuring out known quantities is easy and how to answer them is more so.  For the first item, I'd spend time reviewing the Comprehensive Rules, paying particular attention to parts of a turn and spell casting.  As this would be a limited environment, I wasn't overly worried that I'd get complicated questions about Layers.  To nail down my set specific interactions, I'd review the FAQ posted by WotC on Theros.  I didn't know if I'd be making calls by myself or not, but I figured the more I knew the better I'd feel.

The second item required some advanced planning on my part.  The event would fire off at noon, and I was bringing my younger son to play in it.  We both also wanted to stay afterwards to play in the 2HG event.  So clearly, food was going to be important to both of us (hungry players are cranky and make stupid plays).  My plan was to feed us both a good breakfast before leaving the house, plan to arrive at Nick's with at least 30 minutes to spare before start time and hit a convenience store on the way.  This meant leaving the house no later than 10am.  Jacob and I would pick up some snacks (beef jerky for me), a couple of subs, and drinks.  The subs we could place in the fridge behind the counter and the rest we'd go through to keep our energy up until we needed to eat.

The last item was still a mystery.  I figured that Nick would give me as much rope as I felt I was capable of taking.  We've known each other for almost ten years.  He trusted that I wouldn't bite off more than I felt I could chew and conversely, I believed he wouldn't let me get in over my head.  So with a small amount of trust in us both being right - I put the question out of my mind.

The Event

To make a long story a better one (keep it pithy), everything worked out almost as I had planned.  Jacob and I arrived earlier than we thought we would with lunch and snacks in tow.  Nick allowed me to do the opening announcement and make calls with the understanding that if I felt I didn't know an answer I was to defer to the staff at the store.  I'd say there where about 35 players in the room.  That is more than double what is recommended for a first Judging experience, but I wasn't worried.  I'm an old dude as many of you now by know, with a small lifetime worth of experience to help me to handle younglings.  Nick's clients also don't fall into the spectrum of your average LGS, many of them are very experienced players as well.  And the best part, everyone (including me) seemed to have a good time.

There are a few things I'll take away from the experience that I want to share with you:

• Keep a timer on hand in situations where the game room is distanced from the clock. (Smartphones work well).
• Have a copy of the Comp Rules accessible.  I use MTG Guide, an app available for iPhones.  Make sure it is updated.
• Realize you aren't in it alone.  The store owner likely wants to see you succeed as much as you do.
• Wear comfy shoes.  I was basically on my feet for most of the afternoon.  Mostly by choice - I wanted people to see me, but also so I could better see what was going on around me.
• Be prepared to say, "I don't know, let me check."  The one time I did it I found the answer in the Comp Rules.  But it isn't the end of the world to state you're not sure of an answer.
• Keep your eyes open.  I made one call just by observing players shuffling - I'm sure I'd catch more if I had fewer people to watch and more experience with which to catch errors.

The whole experience was more liberating than I could believe.  I had done my homework so I felt pretty comfortable.  But more than that, I wasn't the one antagonizing over a decision about which of 2 or 3 cards was the best play.  I was the one watching the play happen, realizing that I was only there to help if needed.  Playing and Judging are two very different worlds.  Yet I think as I spend more time in the future Judging, I'll come to love them equally.

For me, the best end to the day was that I was able enter into a 2HG event with Jacob.  We went 2-1, with him calling all of the shots.   I couldn't be more proud - especially since his smart play kept my butt out of the fire more than once.  All-in-all, the entire day was a wonderful experience.  I look forward to playing at Nick's again, Judging whenever possible (even now at my local LGS) and eventually becoming an L1.  I know my wallet will thank me when I do.

Gentle reader, just do me one favor.  Don't tell my wife that Jacob and I didn't get back home until two hours past Jacob's bedtime for a school night.  We can plan for a lot of things, but one thing you can't plan for is having so much fun you forget the time.

And that, my friends, makes for a perfect day.

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Several closing notes:

1. While I was allowed to Judge the event without anyone else in the room, many pre-releases are done this way.  Since it is at Regular REL, there is no qualification that a Judge be present.  Also, while we only conversed briefly twice, a business partner and store stakeholder was present in the game room as a player.  At anytime, I'm sure he could have stepped in if I had made a mistake that required it.

2. Top Deck Games can host upwards of 150 players and they have well over a 100 players attend their prerelease.  If you're near Philadelphia and a gamer, you do yourself a disservice in not checking them out.

3. I've known Nick for about 10 years.  I wouldn't put it past him that from the first moment he put a deck of Magic in my hands over a year ago that this wasn't his plan from the beginning.  He'll smile at this I'm sure.  But he'll admit...NOTHING.

4. It is highly recommended that your first Judging event be for a group of between 8 and 16 players.  Want more info?  I can't recommend the Magic Judge Wiki enough.  There are other sources, but this is a great starting point for those interested.

Reblogs & Retweets & Mentions of all kinds are appreciated - as an independent writer I'm only read when others like what they see and share with their friends.