40: Practice, Practice, Practice - The "Secret" to Sam Pardee's Success

Sam Pardee is a Grand Prix superstar. So far he’s grabbed 7 Grand Prix top 8s, with wins in Detroit (team) and Portland (Modern). Sam lives in Berkeley California. Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Sam Pardee when he shared his story on MTG Pro Tutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep40 First Set Ice Age Favorite Set Invasion   Rise of the Eldrazi Favorite Card Gideon JuraGavony Township Early Challenge Side boards - Sam would just copy a side board and not think why the cards are there or pick 15 cards that weren't really good. Rigorously going through each match up and thinking which cards you need in the match up with others really help. Level Up Moment Right after Worlds 2012 Sam played Tempered Steel, which was out of his comfort zone, twice a day on MTGO. He learned the deck inside out, including how to side board, and feels this period really boosted his skills. Proudest Magic Moment Pro Tour Born of the Gods. Sam's team, Face to Face Games, did really well and he loved being part of that moment. Best Format Modern - You get such an edge knowing your deck inside out. (Currently playing Splinter Twin.) How to Choose a Standard Deck Consider what was visible from the most recent tournaments and play decks that come from a different angle. For example if Dromoka's Command is really popular, don't play a card that gets blown out by it (like an enchantment based deck). Biggest Mistake Players Make Not advancing your own game because you ascribe too much to your opponent's plays. Card Evaluation Tips Sam takes a hard look at new lands, especially when a rotation is going to happen, because the mana base will have a huge impact on the direction of the format. When evaluating cards for eternal formats, the casting cost is very important because the barrier to entry is very high. Sealed & Draft Tips Sealed: Sam looks at his bombs, answers to bombs, and cards that are resilient to removal. Draft: Through practice (repetition) you get a better feel for reading the draft and managing your curve. Find the time to draft regularly and you'll see improvement. Sam drafts 10-20 times to get a feel for the format and then uses that information to do well. Team Building Putting together a group of people you like and have similar goals is the basis of a team. A minimum of 8 players is kind of the standard so you can hold a draft but 10-12 is better in case a member has to step out for something. When you have your core group and come up short for the Pro Tour then bring people on through a trial period. If things work out, keep them, if not then you can part way cordially.  How to Effectively Play Test Find a group of people who have similar goals to you and that you like hanging out with and play a lot. Improvement Suggestions Use proxies to play test and then invest in the deck you really like before your event. Magic Resource Channel Fireball Watching Streams Magic Online Connect With Sam Twitter: @Smdster Like What You Hear? If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review. Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content. I read every single one and look forward to your feedback.