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"Listen! I will be honest with you,
I do not offer the old smooth prizes,
But offer rough new prizes."
-Walt Whitman, Song of the Open Road
It is with this poem that Fred Reinfeld opens his book Why You Lose At Chess, one of the most readable and practically useful chess manuals ever published. Rather than write a traditional chess book, most of which Reinfeld describes as "addressing a convention of grandmasters somewhere on Mount Olympus," Reinfeld addresses the practical, meaningful reasons that the mediocre chess player (myself strongly included) loses games.
While I first recommend this book to any chess players out there, many of Reinfeld?s ideas, observations, and accusations apply equally well to Magic. So, in a series of articles, using Reinfeld?s method and reasoning, I will examine the reasons why you lose at Magic. Try not to become self-defensive at the notion; after all, we all lose at Magic (again, myself strongly included). By understanding why you lose at Magic, though, you can begin to correct those reasons.
So, submit your ego to a temporary bashing, and find out why you lose at Magic.
REASON ONE: YOU LOSE BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT KIND OF PLAYER YOU ARE
Everyone has their own particular style of play with which they feel most comfortable, whether they realize it or not. The player who will perform equally well in every situation is non-existent. Rather, we all have our specific styles and talents. If they are used correctly, they can be a great asset to your play. Ignore them, and you start yourself off at a great disadvantage.
1) You lose because you have no idea what kind of player you are.
There are many different types of Magic players. First, the attacker. The attacker likes fast-paced games, and is most comfortable on the offensive. The attacker plays best with beatdown decks like stampy, sligh, or aggro-black. Second, there is the controller. The controller wants to be in charge of the game, and is most comfortable when the opponent has been rendered powerless. The controller plays at his best with a deck like draw-go or prison. Finally, there is the combo player. The combo player wants to play Magic like glorified solitaire, and is comfortable winning with one abrupt turn or play. The combo player will perform best at the helm of a bargain or replenish deck.
Now, it is not true to say that one type of player can?t play decks that don?t fit their style of play. However, they will never play that deck at 100% of their true skill. A player will always be most comfortable, and most effective, with a deck that matches what type of player they are. But you don?t know what kind of player you are, so you lose.
How do you find out what kind of player you are? Well, there are a few questions that can help. Ask yourself what colors do you like playing most. Do you like complicated games or simple ones? Long games or short ones? Do you like surprises, or are you a control freak? Do you need to have a plan, or do you like to play on impulse? This type of Magic personality quiz can help you understand what kind of player you are, but nothing can take the place of experience. Try different types of decks, and see which ones you feel most comfortable with. Know thyself! Stop handicapping yourself due to nothing more than a lack of self-understanding.
Knowing yourself applies to competitive venues as well as deck selections. A great casual player may be king of the living room but uncomfortable in a tournament hall. Likewise, great competitive players can devour tournaments but be truly bothersome to play in a fun environment.
If you are more at home in a casual atmosphere, you?re probably better off with less competitive venues, like pre-releases or local tournaments. Unfortunately, the Pro Tour is probably not for you. Competitive players will likely perform best at competitive tournaments like qualifiers or regionals, but may not fare so well at a pre-release.
2) You lose because you rely on your alibi.
Alibi is a somewhat flattering term for your excuse for losing. Oh, don?t get self-righteous, everyone has one. How many times have you heard "I got mana-screwed", "I just hate that deck", "It was a nightmare match-up", "He got lucky", "He topdecked everything while my deck just crapped out", "I didn?t sleep last night", and on and on. When was the last time you actually said "His deck was better than mine and he played better" after losing a game?
We all like winning, and, consequently, we all dread to lose. Thus, after a few loses, you come up with your alibi - the excuse for losing. An alibi is comforting; it protects us from disappointment. You become less worried about losing because your alibi is ready. As Reinfeld says, "the alibi is applied after the first loss, then before every other loss."
First off, the alibi is tactless. Give your opponent some credit for a job well done. Second, the alibi is destructive. Once you become mentally locked into this false reason why you can?t win, it not only prevents you from finding out why you really don?t win, but it also stops you from taking steps towards winning.
As long as you rely on your alibi, you?ll never be able to truly get to the root of your problems, or correct them. Discards your alibi.
So, UNDERSTAND AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TO YOUR STRENGTHS AND PLAY STYLE, AND DISCARD YOUR ALIBI.
Well, that?s all for this first segment of why you lose at Magic. Now rebuild your ego by correcting these reasons why you lose. You?ll feel better, and you?ll play better.
Robert Butts
"Remember, I?m pulling for ?ya, ?cause we?re all in this together."
-Red Green.
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