202: Don't Let Circumstances Affect Your Fundamentals with Matthew Pope

Matthew Pope started playing Magic during Scars of Mirrodin and his first Launch Party was Magic 2012. Innistrad was the first pre-release he attended (and ran) at his local game. He was taught by a friend in college (the last 2 years of high school) and has come a long way with 1 Grand Prix Top 8 which was a 2nd place finish at Grand Prix Barcelona 2017. Matthew lives in the United Kingdom.

Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Matthew Pope when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep202

First Set

Scars of Mirrodin

Favorite Set

Innistrad

Favorite Card

Geist of Saint Traft

Early Challenge

Mulligan decisions. Matt noticed that even as he got better at mulligan decisions, he would revert back in high stakes games.

Worst Magic Moment

Matt attended a PPTQ and went 4-0-1. He wins the quarter finals and plays the best player in the room in the semi-finals. In game 3, Matt chokes and he missed the RPTQ invite. It was so close and the burn was real. Matt didn't attack based on a bluff from his opponent. Matt learned to play around what he should and ignore what he can't play around.

Proudest Magic Moment

Top 8 at Grand Prix Barcelona 2017.

Biggest Mistake Players Make

Playing around cards when it doesn't matter/wont make a difference.
Also, deck selection without enough time to get good at it.

Parting Guidance

Don't let circumstance affect your fundamentals. Mulligan decisions are huge, so practice, practice, practice and don't forget what you've learned.

Connect With Matthew Pope

Twitter:@immagicmatt

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Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community.

Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com

 

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