tournaments

Index	Table of Contents	Terms
	Tournaments

Tournaments are the most exciting part of playing Magic Online. Through tournaments players can earn great prizes, increase their ratings, and earn respect from fellow players. Tournaments are events that pit you against a field of other players and are one of the most efficient ways to determine who is the best player.

Tournaments can be found in the Premier Events room and the Sanctioned Tournaments room. Every tournament type and format is available in the Premier Events room. Events in this room are larger, more special, and take place less frequently then events in the Sanctioned Tournaments room.

Tournament Structure
How rounds are played is different for each tournament. In the Premier Events room, tournaments usually take a single day. Some tournaments in the Sanctioned Tournaments room, however, can last several days or even weeks.

Tournaments can be run either Swiss draw or single elimination. Swiss draw allows you to play for the duration of a tournament even if you lose one or more matches. In single elimination you are out of the tournament as soon as you lose a match. Many Swiss tournaments use single elimination for playoffs.

Tournament Formats
There are three different types of tournaments:
Constructed
Sealed Deck
Draft (Booster and Rochester)

Within each type of tournament are many different types of formats.

Formats for Constructed events refer to the card sets that are legal to be used in that tournament. For example, the Invasion Block Constructed format allows cards from the Invasion, Planeshift, and Apocalypse sets.

Formats for Sealed Deck and draft events refer to the card sets that will be used in the tournament. For example, an Invasion, Planeshift, and Apocalypse draft would use boosters from those sets.

Tournament Requirements
Some tournaments have qualifications players have to meet before joining a tournament. This may mean having a certain rating, winning a qualifying event, or even being a member of a clan. Make sure you check the tournament requirements before trying to join a tournament.

Tournament Listings
When you enter the Premier Event room or any of the Sanctioned Tournaments rooms you will see a list of all current and recent tournaments. Each row gives details about a tournament.

Description
Tournament organizers can put a comments about a tournament in this column. While the description might be informative, you should look at the other information provided before joining.

Type
This tells you what kind of tournament you're reading about. Tournaments can be Constructed, Sealed, Booster Draft, or Rochester Draft.

Product Used
For Constructed events, this will tell you what sets are legal in the tournament. For example, the Invasion Block Constructed format allows cards from the Invasion, Planeshift, and Apocalypse sets. Make sure your deck contains only cards that are legal for the event before joining.

Formats for Sealed and draft events refer to the card sets that will be used in the tournament. For example an Invasion, Planeshift, and Apocalypse draft would use boosters from those sets. Make sure you own the product needed before joining the tournament.

# Players
This is how many players are currently signed up for the tournament if it hasn't begun or how many players are still playing in it if it has.

Starting Time
Sometimes a tournament lists a specific date and time when it will begin. You can sign up for a tournament ahead of time, just make sure you're logged on when the tournament starts. Even if you're not logged on you'll be paired up, which could result in a match loss. See Disconnection Policies for more information.

If the starting time says As soon as possible, the tournament will start a few minutes after the minimum number of players is reached.

Status
This will tell you what's currently happening in a tournament. If the status is Waiting for players, the tournament is still open for players to join.

It may also say what part of the tournament is taking place (such as Round 1 or Deckbuilding). These tournaments are running and no more players can join.

The status field may also read Finished, which means just that: the tournament is over.

Min Players
The minimum number of players required for the tournament to start.

Max Players
The maximum number of players that can join the tournament.

Structure
The tournament structure will be either Swiss draw or Single elimination.

Playoffs
Tournament playoffs sometimes have a different structure or format than the main event. This column will say either Swiss draw or Single elimination, and will include the format if it's different from the main event. Most tournaments cut to a single elimination top 8.

If the tournament is a Constructed or a draft event, the top 8 will be the same format.

If the tournament was Sealed Deck, often the top 8 is either Booster or Rochester Draft.

K-Value
All Magic Online tournaments have a k-value, which means a player's ratings are affected by playing in a sanctioned tournament. K-value determines how many rating points a player may win or lose each match. K-values can be 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, or 48.

Clans Only
If this column says Yes, only members of clans can play in that tournament. If it says No, then the tournament is open to anyone.

Teams
If this column says Yes, then it is a team tournament. If it says No, then the tournament is open to single players.

Player List
Depending on the tournament's status, this will list all players registered for, participating in, or played in the tournament.

Time Limits
This shows how long each round lasts in a tournament. In Limited-format events this will also tell you how long you will have for deck construction. See Clocks & Time Limits for more information.

Entry Requirements
Some events require players have a certain rating or place highly in a qualifying event to join.

Qualifies for
If a tournament has an entry in this column, placing highly can qualify you for the listed tournament.

How Do I Join a Tournament?
To join a tournament, first read over the listings in the Premier Events room or one of the Sanctioned Tournaments rooms. Select a tournament you want to join, then click Go To to see a listing of all players registered for the tournament. Then click Join.

You'll be asked to provide any event tickets or product required for the tournament. If you are playing in a Constructed-format event, the game will also ask you to browse for a deck. Choose one that is legal for the format and click OK.

Once you're registered for a tournament, you need to make sure you're logged on when the tournament starts. This is either the time specified on the listing, or when the minimum number of players is reached. A bar on the bottom of the Magic Online screen will tell you approximately how long until the tournament begins.

Dropping From a Tournament
If you decide not to play in a tournament you signed up for you can go to the tournament and click Drop. You can also right click on the bar for the tournament on the bottom of the Magic Online screen and select Drop.

If you drop before the tournament begins, you'll be refunded the product you provided to join. Dropping any time after a tournament begins means you won't get any product back.

If you drop between rounds, you won't be paired for the next round.

If you drop during a match, you'll receive a match loss for that match.

In a Limited-format event, if you drop during the deckbuilding stage, you'll receive a match loss for the first round.

Tournament Rules and Guidelines
All Magic Online tournaments have a set of floor rules players need to abide by. These state the specifics of each rule of playing in a sanctioned event and outline some do's and don'ts. These documents are the Universal Tournament Rules Applicable to Magic Online, The Magic Online Floor Rules, and the Magic Online Penalty Guidelines.