One of the biggest questions that I get asked is how to get to the next level.  Learning to build decks to beat an environment is certainly important to get an advantage (albeit temporarily) but there is a much more important way to improve your game and get you to the next level: Tight Technical Play.




So how do you perfect your game, your technical play, to the point where you make the fewest mistakes possible?  Notice that I didn't say 'play mistake free' cause even Pros make mistakes.  Don't believe me?

@dwpoker yeah I mean, what's done is done, but still stings. Gonna be awhile before I get over this one.
— Luis Scott-Vargas (@lsv) November 12, 2012

So what was LSV talking about?  Check this video from Round 15 from GP Chicago 2012 between Luis-Scot Vargas and Shane McDermott in Game 3 fighting for Top 8 (start at 26:01 for Game 3 and watch from 32:22 on for the misplay):


Wait, did LSV punt on camera?  Yes, he did.  Do you see the play that he should of made?  His best play instead of playing the Batterskull was to cast the Maelstrom Pulse targeting the Deathrite Shaman.  Why should he have made that play?  Can he win if he makes that play?  I don't know the answer to that but I can till you that by not making that play, he is dead.  Ever pros make mistakes and the difference between a Pro and an amateur player is that the Pros train themselves to make fewer mistakes.

How to Playtest Correctly

Knowing the right play from the wrong play is tougher than it sounds.  Playtesting is how you learn the right play from the wrong play but playtesting can be detrimental to you if you are playtesting incorrectly.  You mean you can playtest incorrectly?  Yes, you can.  So why is there only a right play vs. the wrong play?  Quoted from one of the greatest Magic players ever:

There’s no such thing as a good play. There’s the right play and then there’s the mistake. —Jon Finkel

When one of the greatest minds in Magic history speaks, most listen.  Let me show you an example of how Finkel came to this conclusion.  The following is from Michael Flores "The Ten Greatest Battles of All Time":

1. Steve OMS (Napster) vs. David Humpherys (Replenish)

It may have not seemed like much; both of these great Pro Tour Champions were now just one match out of Top 8 contention at the 2000 US Nationals. In the last round of Swiss, just one year before that vaunted expansion of prize money, with nothing on the line but some DCI points that would be ultimately meaningless for combatants of such standing, these players clashed for nothing but pride and the opportunity to show off a perfect game.

Steve knew that Dave was running Replenish. Going first, his hand was absolutely perfect—a couple of lands, Dark Ritual, Phyrexian Negator, Stromgald Cabal, and that most miserly of mulligans, the Vampiric Tutor itself, stared back at the boy from Brooklyn.

Think back at what you would have done with a grip like this.

Testing showed that in order to beat a Stromgald Cabal, Replenish needed either to ramp up to eight mana under absolutely no pressure or to have a Ring of Gix in play. Steve knew that if YMG had Ring of Gix at all, it wouldn’t have been in the maindeck. My first instinct as a spectator and silver bullet player was, “Swamp, Ritual, win!”

And then Steve showed me the right play.

Instead of turn 1 Stromgald Cabal, Steve went for turn 1 Phyrexian Negator. After the Hump passed his first turn, Steve untapped, cast Vampiric Tutor on his upkeep for a second Dark Ritual, and ensured the win by playing Stromgald Cabal on turn 2. Watching this game, it was painfully obvious how vastly superior Steve’s play was to the one I would have made. Of all the people to whom I have ever told this story, the only ones who came up with the complete, correct, answer to that opening hand were Pro Tour Champions Finkel and Mowshowitz.

Zvi once explained to me the problem with perfect play is that, especially with an overpowered-yet-decision-heavy deck like Napster or Turbo-Land, you will have ten possible plays, nine of which are wrong, but seven of which win the game. Making a play like mine would have in all likelihood won the game at some point, but would not have promoted correct play. In fact, a win in the face of an error rewards being bad. Go figure.

For his part, Jonathan Magic said, “Mike, if you keep testing with me and Steve, that will be the only play you see!”

If you want to maximize your success at Magic, you have to maximize your standards thus we need to start with your playtesting.

Rule #1 - Playtest with players better than yourself

Rule #2 - Take notes (or record) your playtesting sessions

Rule #3 - Play like you mean it

Rule #4 - Playtest more with your Sideboard cards