Bob Maher Jr.
{{Infobox Magic: The Gathering Player
| name = Bob Maher
| nickname = The Great One{{cite journal |last=Bennett |first=Josh |date=January 2002 |title=Top 8 Profiles |journal=The Sideboard |volume=8 |issue=44 |pages=6–7}}
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1978|7|10|mf=y}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| residence = Madison, Wisconsin, United States
| nationality = {{flagicon|United States}} American
| debut = Pro Tour New York 1996 (junior)
1997 Pro Tour Los Angeles (senior)
| winnings = US$157,452{{cite web|title=Top 200 All-Time Money Leaders|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/alltime|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=2014-12-16|archive-date=2014-09-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913003521/http://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/alltime|url-status=dead}}
| pt_median_finish = 94
| highest_constructed_rating =
| highest_limited_rating =
| pw_level = 47 (Archmage)
| matches_played
| footnotes =
}}
Robert Maher Jr. (born July 10, 1978Bob Maher 2007 Pro Player card (from the Magic: The Gathering Lorwyn expansion) in Wisconsin), is a professional Magic: The Gathering player. He picked up the Magic game after sustaining a football injury in high school, and has gone on to become one of the most celebrated players in the game's history, earning the nickname "The Great One". Bob currently owns the Toy and Game distribution company ACD Distribution which is located in Middleton, Wisconsin.
''Magic: The Gathering''
Maher played in the junior division of the very first Pro Tour in 1996.{{cite web | url = http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/HallOfFame.aspx?x=mtgevent/hofplayer/bmaher | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081203232707/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/HallOfFame.aspx?x=mtgevent/hofplayer/bmaher | url-status = dead | archive-date = December 3, 2008 | title = Pro Tour Hall of Fame profile | publisher = Wizards of the Coast | year = 2006 | accessdate = 2009-04-20}} His first senior Pro Tour would be in Los Angeles in 1997. The 1999–2000 Pro Tour season would be Maher's most successful season. He would win Pro Tour Chicago and Grand Prix Seattle, make the Top 8 of Grand Prix Nagoya and take second place at the 2000 World Championship. Maher's success throughout the season earned him the Pro Player of the Year title.
In 2002, Maher was suspended from the DCI for 6 months for committing tournament fraud. He participated in false tournaments with Jason Moungey and Chad Butterfield and used the rating points gained to qualify for the World Championships.{{cite web | title = Suspended Player Update | publisher = Wizards of the Coast | date = 2002-01-28 | accessdate = 2009-04-20 | url = http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=sideboard/news/sb20020128c| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20020202161205/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=sideboard/news/sb20020128c| url-status = dead| archive-date = February 2, 2002}}
Maher won the Masters Series in Yokohama in 2003 and the 2004 Magic Invitational, thus becoming the third player to win a Pro Tour, a Grand Prix, a Masters, and an Invitational. {{mtgcard|Dark Confidant}}, the card-design he submitted for winning the Invitational, appeared in the Ravnica: City of Guilds set, bearing his likeness. The card has been well received and has seen considerable play in nearly every sanctioned format it has been legal in. In 2010, ChannelFireball.com ranked {{mtgcard|Dark Confidant}} as the best Invitational card.{{cite web|title=Magic TV: Extra – Ranking the Invitational Cards|url=http://www.channelfireball.com/home/magic-tv-extra-ranking-the-invitational-cards/|publisher=ChannelFireball.com|accessdate=25 November 2011|format=Video|date=13 March 2010}} In 2006, Maher was inducted into the Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame as the vote leader in the Class of 2006.
From 2005 to 2014 Maher played only very infrequently on the Pro Tour. He played Pro Tour Journey Into Nyx and Pro Tour Magic 2015, and participated in Pro Tour Fate Reforged as a member of a new team.{{cite web | title = Top 8 Profiles — Matt Sperling | date = 4 January 2015 | accessdate = 12 January 2015 | url = http://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/gpden15/top8profiles}}
=Accomplishments=
{{MTG pth header}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 1998–99
|d = {{sort|1999-03-28|27–28 March 1999}}
|l = Kansas City, Missouri{{!}}Kansas City
|et = gp
|f = e
|p = 3
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 1999–00
|d = {{sort|1999-12-05|3–5 December 1999}}
|l = Chicago
|et = pt
|f = e
|p = 1
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 1999–00
|d = {{sort|2000-01-16|15–16 January 2000}}
|l = Seattle
|et = gp
|f = e
|p = 1
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 1999–00
|d = {{sort|2000-04-23|22–23 April 2000}}
|l = Nagoya
|et = gp
|f = tl
|p = 3
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 1999–00
|et= w
|l = Brussels
|f = sp
|d = {{sort|2000-08-06|2–6 August 2000}}
|p = 2
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2000–01
|d = {{sort|2000-10-01|29 September–1 October 2000}}
|l = New York City
|et= m
|f = e
|p = 5
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2000–01
|d = {{sort|2000-10-01|1-3 December 2000}}
|l = Chicago
|et= m
|f = l
|p = 5
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2000–01
|d = {{sort|2001-04-01|31 March–1 April 2001}}
|l = Detroit
|et= gp
|f = l
|p = 3
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2001–02
|d = {{sort|2001-10-14|13–14 October 2001}}
|l = Montreal
|et= gp
|f = l
|p = 6
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2001–02
|et= m
|l = New Orleans
|d = {{sort|2001-11-04|1–4 November 2001}}
|f = l
|p = 3
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2001–02
|et= gp
|l = Houston
|f = e
|d = {{sort|2002-01-06|5–6 January 2002}}
|p = 5
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2002–03
|d = {{sort|2002-09-29|27–29 September 2002}}
|l = Boston
|et= pt
|f = tl
|p = 3
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2002–03
|d = {{sort|2002-10-13|12–13 October 2002}}
|l = Copenhagen
|et= gp
|f = l
|p = 1
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2002–03
|d = {{sort|2002-11-10|8–10 November 2002}}
|l = Houston
|et= pt
|f = e
|p = 7
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2002–03
|d = {{sort|2002-11-24|23–24 November 2002}}
|l = Los Angeles
|et= gp
|f = l
|p = 2
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2002–03
|d = {{sort|2003-03-23|21–23 March 2003}}
|l = Venice
|et= m
|f = tl
|p = 3
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2002–03
|d = {{sort|2003-05-11|9–11 May 2003}}
|l = Yokohama
|et= m
|f = e
|p = 1
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2002–03
|d = {{sort|2003-07-13|12–13 July 2003}}
|l = Detroit
|et= gp
|f = blc
|p = 1
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2003–04
|d = {{sort|2004-05-15|11–13 May 2004}}
|l = Los Angeles
|et= i
|f = sp
|p = 1
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2005
|d = {{sort|2005-05-17|17–20 May 2005}}
|l = Los Angeles
|et= i
|f = sp
|p = 8
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2006
|d = {{sort|2006-03-26|25–26 March 2006}}
|l = Madison, Wisconsin{{!}}Madison
|et = gp
|f = tc
|p = 3
}}
{{MTG pth footer
|u = 20 April 2009
|s = [https://web.archive.org/web/20080905235617/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtg/eventcoverage/main Wizards.com]
|date=July 2011}}
Other accomplishments:
- Pro Player of the Year 1999–2000
- Magic Hall of Fame class of 2006
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box | title=Pro Player of the Year | before={{flagicon|GER}} Kai Budde | years=1999–2000| after={{flagicon|GER}} Kai Budde}}
{{succession box | title=Magic Invitational Champion| before={{flagicon|SWE}} Jens Thorén | years=2004 | after={{flagicon|Malaysia}} Terry Soh}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maher, Bob}}