Chris Pikula

{{short description|American Magic: The Gathering player}}

{{Infobox Magic: The Gathering Player

| name = Christopher Pikula

| image =

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| residence = New York

| nationality = American

| debut = 1996 Pro Tour — New York

| winnings = US$39,910{{cite web|title=Life Time Winnings Leaders|date=4 April 2006 |accessdate = 2 February 2010|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|url = http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=protour/standings/winnings|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081007112354/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=protour/standings/winnings|url-status = dead|archive-date = October 7, 2008}}

| pt_top_8 = 0 (3){{cite web|title=Lifetime Pro Tour Top 8s|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=2014-12-16|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/protour/standings/top8byplayer|archive-date=2016-04-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416180813/http://magic.wizards.com/en/protour/standings/top8byplayer|url-status=dead}}

| gt_top_8 = 0 (5){{cite web|title=Lifetime Grand Prix Top 8s|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=2014-12-16|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/protour/standings/gptop8byplayer|archive-date=2014-08-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808050545/http://magic.wizards.com/en/protour/standings/gptop8byplayer|url-status=dead}}

| pt_median_finish = 98

| lifetime_pro_points = 151

| pw_level = 43 (Battlemage)

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Christopher Pikula is an American Magic: The Gathering player. Pikula started playing on the Pro Tour at the very first Pro Tour in New York, 1996. He attended the other two Pro Tour events that season too, failing to attend only the World Championship. Success came at the beginning of the second season, when Pikula reached consecutive Pro Tour Top 8s. In the 1997–98 season he had another Top 8 appearance, this time at the World Championship. Afterwards he reached the Top 8s of two Grand Prix events, but gradually disappeared from the pro scene.

Pikula is best known for leading an anti-cheating drive during the early days of the Magic Pro Tour, when cheating was significantly more prevalent. He was ultimately successful, shifting attitudes in the community from one that largely tolerated cheating to one that is extremely anti-cheating. However, Pikula made a lot of enemies on the way and missed induction into the inaugural Magic Hall of Fame by one vote.{{cite web|url=https://articles.starcitygames.com/articles/cheating-at-the-magic-world-championship/|title=Cheating at the Magic World Championship|author=Patrick Chapin|date=22 December 2014|accessdate=10 April 2023}}

Pikula is also known for creating the Magic card {{mtgcard|Meddling Mage}}, his reward for winning the 2000 Magic Invitational.{{cite web | title = All-Star Studded | publisher = Wizards of the Coast | last = Rosewater | first = Mark | authorlink = Mark Rosewater | date = 10 May 2004 | accessdate = 2 February 2010 | url = http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/feature/211| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090602233649/https://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/feature/211| url-status = dead| archive-date = June 2, 2009}} In the 2005 season, he had a small comeback where he reached the Top 8 of another two Grand Prix events. Pikula also made Top 8 in 2017 at GP Orlando.