Pre-game Agreements

Salvatore La Terra

Fundamentals

• The tournament result should be determined only through a series of Magic games...

• ...but players seem to think otherwise!

• The right to concede or draw a game can't be taken away from players, if only for practical reasons.

Rules

• Concessions and intentional draws are legal

• Splitting the prize is legal

• Altering the result of a game in exchange for something is not legal

 More: 

• Agreements can't involve more than one table

• In the final round of a tournament, rules become less stringent

Practice

• A good rule of thumb to help players avoid problems: 

If you split, you can't concede; if you want to concede, don't split.

• This is a very conservative rule: the problem is not concurrence between split and concession, but causation.

Examples!

Davide and Mirko are good friends, they pool cards together, and they already know they'll split the PTQ prize “by default.”

• When they play each other in the last round, an intentional draw qualifies both for quarterfinals: the fill the slip and go have a beer.

Davide and Mirko are good friends, they pool cards together, and they already know they'll split the PTQ prize “by default.”

• When they play each other in the last round, an intentional draw qualifies both for quarterfinals: the fill the slip and go have a beer.

  

LEGAL

Davide and Mirko are good friends, they pool cards together, and they already know they'll split the PTQ prize “by default.”

• Davide and Mirko play in the last round of Swiss, but this time around one of them needs to win to qualify for quarterfinals. At the end of round, they're playing the third game.

• After a brief discussion on matches that have already ended, it's clear that Mirko's deck will mow through opponents to the Pro Tour, whereas Davide would have a much harder time. Davide concedes.

Davide and Mirko are good friends, they pool cards together, and they already know they'll split the PTQ prize “by default.”

• Davide and Mirko play in the last round of Swiss, but this time around one of them needs to win to qualify for quarterfinals. At the end of round, they're playing the third game.

• After a brief discussion on matches that have already ended, it's clear that Mirko's deck will mow through opponents to the Pro Tour, whereas Davide would have a much harder time. Davide concedes.

 

 

LEGAL

Mirko and Davide have met Gianluca in a previous PTQ. They know Gianluca is a very competitive player. • Mirko and Gianluca play each other in the final round of Swiss.

Gianluca asks Mirko to concede, and promises he'll give him 100€ if he wins the PTQ.

Mirko and Davide have met Gianluca in a previous PTQ. They know Gianluca is a very competitive player. • Mirko and Gianluca play each other in the final round of Swiss.

Gianluca asks Mirko to concede, and promises he'll give him 100€ if he wins the PTQ.

  

NOT LEGAL

Mirko and Davide have met Gianluca in a previous PTQ. They know Gianluca is a very competitive player.

• Davide if playing Gianluca in the PTQ final! With an ice gaze, he proposes this agreement: Gianluca will drop, he will takes all boosters the two of them win, and when Davide receives the travel award he will pay Gianluca half its value.

Mirko and Davide have met Gianluca in a previous PTQ. They know Gianluca is a very competitive player.

• Davide if playing Gianluca in the PTQ final! With an ice gaze, he proposes this agreement: Gianluca will drop, he will takes all boosters the two of them win, and when Davide receives the travel award he will pay Gianluca half its value.

  

NOT LEGAL

Mirko and Davide have met Gianluca in a previous PTQ. They know Gianluca is a very competitive player.

• Mirko is playing Gianluca in the last round of Swiss. A draw is enough to qualify both for the quarterfinals.

• Mirko proposes Gianluca to split all the prize they will win, Gianluca accepts, then they sign the slip for the intentional draw.

• When they meet again in the semifinals, Mirko promptly drops and propels Gianluca in the finals to win a bunch of boosters for him.

Mirko and Davide have met Gianluca in a previous PTQ. They know Gianluca is a very competitive player.

• Mirko is playing Gianluca in the last round of Swiss. A draw is enough to qualify both for the quarterfinals.

• Mirko proposes Gianluca to split all the prize they will win, Gianluca accepts, then they sign the slip for the intentional draw.

• When they meet again in the semifinals, Mirko promptly drops and propels Gianluca in the finals to win a bunch of boosters for him.

  

LEGAL

Mirko and Davide have met Gianluca in a previous PTQ. They know Gianluca is a very competitive player.

• Mirko and Gianluca are playing in the last round of Swiss. Mirko says: «Let's split the prize, so I can concede and go for a beer with Davide.»

Mirko and Davide have met Gianluca in a previous PTQ. They know Gianluca is a very competitive player.

• Mirko and Gianluca are playing in the last round of Swiss. Mirko says: «Let's split the prize, so I can concede and go for a beer with Davide.»

  

NOT LEGAL

Mirko and Davide have met Gianluca in a previous PTQ. They know Gianluca is a very competitive player.

• Mirko has already dropped, and is thinking with impatience of the boring control mirror that Davide (that came to the tournament in his car) will have to play in the last round with Gianluca.

• The generous Davide, seeing that his friend is very tired and knowing that they'll encounter a rainstorm on the way back home, concedes to Gianluca and sends him into the quarterfinals.

• Gianluca is moved by this display of manly friendship, and gifts Davide the boosters he would win in the worst case.

Mirko and Davide have met Gianluca in a previous PTQ. They know Gianluca is a very competitive player.

• Mirko has already dropped, and is thinking with impatience of the boring control mirror that Davide (that came to the tournament in his car) will have to play in the last round with Gianluca.

• The generous Davide, seeing that his friend is very tired and knowing that they'll encounter a rainstorm on the way back home, concedes to Gianluca and sends him into the quarterfinals.

• Gianluca is moved by this display of manly friendship, and gifts Davide the boosters he would win in the worst case.

  

LEGAL

Mirko and Davide have met Gianluca in a previous PTQ. They know Gianluca is a very competitive player.

• Davide is playing Gianluca in the last round of Swiss. The winner of the match will make Top 8.

• Davide proposes to Gianluca this agreement: «Whoever wins will split his prize with the loser.» Gianluca accepts, and Davide immediately concedes to go have a beer with Mirko.

Mirko and Davide have met Gianluca in a previous PTQ. They know Gianluca is a very competitive player.

• Davide is playing Gianluca in the last round of Swiss. The winner of the match will make Top 8.

• Davide proposes to Gianluca this agreement: «Whoever wins will split his prize with the loser.» Gianluca accepts, and Davide immediately concedes to go have a beer with Mirko.

  

LEGAL

Mirko and Davide have met Gianluca in a previous PTQ. They know Gianluca is a very competitive player.

• Davide is playing Gianluca in the finals, and proposes this agreement: Gianluca drops, takes all the boosters they win, and Davide gives him his playset of Jace the Mind Sculptor, since this is the last week-end they're legal in Standard. Gianluca also plays Legacy, so he accepts.

Mirko and Davide have met Gianluca in a previous PTQ. They know Gianluca is a very competitive player.

• Davide is playing Gianluca in the finals, and proposes this agreement: Gianluca drops, takes all the boosters they win, and Davide gives him his playset of Jace the Mind Sculptor, since this is the last week-end they're legal in Standard. Gianluca also plays Legacy, so he accepts.

  

NOT LEGAL

Mirko and Davide have met Cristiana and Gianluca in a previous PTQ.

• At a big Vintage event that offers the following prize structure: a box of Legends for each of the losing semifinalists, 200€ for the losing finalist and 400€ for the winner, Davide is playing Gianluca and Mirko is playing Cristiana.

• They agree to to take half a box and 150€ each, and end the tournament.

Mirko and Davide have met Cristiana and Gianluca in a previous PTQ.

• At a big Vintage event that offers the following prize structure: a box of Legends for each of the losing semifinalists, 200€ for the losing finalist and 400€ for the winner, Davide is playing Gianluca and Mirko is playing Cristiana.

• They agree to to take half a box and 150€ each, and end the tournament.

  

LEGAL

Mirko and Davide have met Cristiana and Gianluca in a previous PTQ.

• At a big Vintage event that offers the following prize structure: two copies of Jace the Mind Sculptor for each of the losing semifinalists, 200€ for the losing finalist and 400€ for the winner, Davide is playing Gianluca and Mirko is playing Cristiana.

• They agree to to take a Jace and 150€ each, and end the tournament.

Mirko and Davide have met Cristiana and Gianluca in a previous PTQ.

• At a big Vintage event that offers the following prize structure: two copies of Jace the Mind Sculptor for each of the losing semifinalists, 200€ for the losing finalist and 400€ for the winner, Davide is playing Gianluca and Mirko is playing Cristiana.

• They agree to to take a Jace and 150€ each, and end the tournament.

  

NOT LEGAL

Cristiana and Gianluca are very competitive players.

• Cristiana and Gianluca are playing in the last round of Swiss. Fully aware of Gianluca's weak spot, Cristiana winks as they shuffle, telling him there are better things they could do than play Magic. Gianluca concedes with a smile.

Cristiana and Gianluca are very competitive players.

• Cristiana and Gianluca are playing in the last round of Swiss. Fully aware of Gianluca's weak spot, Cristiana winks as they shuffle, telling him there are better things they could do than play Magic. Gianluca concedes with a smile.

  

NOT LEGAL

Cristiana and Gianluca are very competitive players.

• Cristiana is playing Gianluca in the last round of Swiss, and before they start shuffling she throws her tall wallet on the table, then slightly nudges it towards Gianluca. Gianluca understands what she means, and concedes.

Cristiana and Gianluca are very competitive players.

• Cristiana is playing Gianluca in the last round of Swiss, and before they start shuffling she throws her tall wallet on the table, then slightly nudges it towards Gianluca. Gianluca understands what she means, and concedes.

  

NOT LEGAL