New Play or Draw Rule Debuts at Amsterdam!

by News | posted at 2010-08-26 23:54:00
tagged: MTG, Magic, Magic the Gathering, Pro Tour, Amsterdam, PT Amsterdam, Play, Draw

In an email sent out to pro players invited to Pro Tour-Amsterdam late Thursday, Wizards of the Coast Organized Play Program Manager Scott Larabee announced a change to the play/draw rule that will debut in the Netherlands. From the email:

"For the first game of each match in the Top 8, the player that finished higher in the Swiss rounds chooses either to play first or to play second.  For subsequent games in each Top 8 match, the usual Play/Draw rule applies (loser of the previous game decides whether to play first in the next game.)"

The announcement indicates the change is a test for the Pro Tour, and will only impact the Top 8 of the tournament. Regardless, it is a significant change to a rule that has essentially been unchanged for years. The new change will provide a motivation for players to continue competing late into the day, even when intentional drawing could lock them into the Top 8. Could that fact play a significant role in determining the final eight players in Amsterdam? We'll find out next week as the Pro Tour gets underway.

The email from Larabee detailed other information about the Pro Tour, including the usual Pro Tour player's party being released with the Assault on Mirrodin sneak peek at the upcoming new set, as well as a host of rules scenarios and common play situations likely to come up during the event.

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