Magic: The Gathering Tournament Champion is First to Capture the Title in 2009

The Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour season kicked-off this weekend in Kyoto, Japan. Gabriel Nassif from Paris, France was the first to be crowed Pro Tour champion in 2009 and took home $40,000. Luis Scott Vargas from Davis, California, Akimasa Yamamoto from Iwade-shi, Japan and Brian Robinson from North Quincy, Massachusetts filled out the top four. Nassif’s win in Kyoto marks his first Pro Tour victory although he’s had several top-8 finishes and was the 2004 Player of the Year. Since 1996, Wizards of the Coast has given away more than US$32 million in prize money, which includes both cash prizes and scholarship awards.

Pro Tour Kyoto was a Standard Constructed and Booster Draft format event with a number of public events played simultaneously – each awarding prizes of its own. This was the first time Conflux – the most recent set release – was playable in a large-scale sanctioned event. In addition to competitive events, players were able to meet legendary artists and Conflux contributors Todd Lockwood, Jeremy Jarvis, and D. Gregory Alexander.

The Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour is the highest form of competitive play for the collectible trading card game. It is a series of high payout tournaments held throughout the world and run by the Wizards of the Coast “Organized Play” division. The Pro Tours culminate in the Magic World Championships each year. Next stop on the Pro Tour will be Honolulu, Hawaii in June followed by Pro Tour Austin, Texas in October and the World Championships in Rome, Italy in mid-November.

About Magic: The Gathering
Introduced in 1993, Magic: The Gathering is the premier and original trading card game that inspired an entirely new game genre. Gamers, deemed “Planeswalkers,” are empowered to control their destiny through the use of illustrated cards featuring spells and magical creatures. Combining the dynamics of a card game with the excitement of trading and collecting, Magic offers fun for casual players, as well as options for highly competitive tournament players.

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