Gabriel Nassif
{{Short description|French professional card player (born 1983)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox Magic: The Gathering Player
| name = Gabriel Nassif
| nickname = YellowHat{{cite journal | issue = 46 | volume = 8 |date=May 2003 | journal = The Sideboard | publisher = Wizards of the Coast | title = Top 8 Profiles | pages = 6–7 | last = Bennett | first = Josh}}
| image = Gabriel Nassif in Congress hotel.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Nassif in 2025
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1983|11|8|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = {{flagicon|France}} French
| winnings = $709,810{{cite web|title=Top 200 All-Time Money Leaders|accessdate=28 July 2022|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|date=21 April 2022|url=https://magic.gg/events/top-200-all-time-money-leaders}}
| pt_median_finish =
| pw_level = 49 (Archmage)
| footnotes =
}}
Gabriel Nassif (born 8 November 1983)Gabriel Nassif 2007 Pro Player card (from the Magic: The Gathering Lorwyn expansion) is a French professional card player. He is known for his continuous success on the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour and was the 2004 Pro Tour Player of the Year. He also enjoys playing poker, having moderate success at the World Series of Poker in recent years. In 2010, Nassif was inducted into the Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame.
Magic: The Gathering
Gabriel Nassif first caught public attention at Magic Block Constructed Grand Prix London, 2001 where he reached the finals with his aggressive White/Blue/Red deck, and lost to German "Juggernaut" Kai Budde.{{cite web|title=2001 Grand Prix London Coverage|date=2 September 2001|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=5 April 2009|url=http://www.wizards.com/sideboard/event.asp?event=GPLON01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011023233048/http://www.wizards.com/sideboard/event.asp?event=GPLON01|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 October 2001}} This was only the first of many successes Nassif would have in Constructed. At that time he was already wearing his trademark yellow hat that eventually led to his nickname "Yellow Hat".[http://www.smfcorp.net/articles/article.php?id=185 Interview of Gabriel Nassif] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080707220236/http://www.smfcorp.net/articles/article.php?id=185 |date=7 July 2008 }}, 27 October 2007 by the Secte des Magiciens Fous
Only one week later Nassif made Top 4 at Pro Tour: New York 2001 with teammates Nicolas Olivieri and Amiel Tenenbaum, in what was only his second Pro Tour. He again lost in the finals to Kai Budde's team Phoenix Foundation.{{cite web|title=2001 Pro Tour New York Coverage|date=9 September 2001|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=5 April 2009|url=http://www.wizards.com/sideboard/event.asp?event=PTNY01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011024002936/http://wizards.com/sideboard/event.asp?event=ptny01|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 October 2001}}
After a relatively quiet year and a half, Nassif returned to success with an impressive string of high finishes, including fifth place at Pro Tour: Venice 2003,{{cite web|title=Live Coverage of 2003 Pro Tour Venice|date=23 March 2003|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=5 April 2009|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=sideboard/events/ptven03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011012025/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=sideboard/events/ptven03|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 October 2008}} second place at the 2003 Yokohama Masters,{{cite web|title=Live Coverage of 2003 Masters Yokohama|date=11 May 2003|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=5 April 2009|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=sideboard/events/mastersyok03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011011914/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=sideboard/events/mastersyok03|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 October 2008}} ninth place at the 2003 World Championships,{{cite web|title=Live Coverage of 2003 World Championship|date=10 August 2003|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=5 April 2009|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=sideboard/events/worlds03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011012045/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=sideboard/events/worlds03|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 October 2008}} second place at Pro Tour: New Orleans 2003,{{cite web|title=Live Coverage of 2003 Pro Tour New Orleans|date=2 November 2003|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=5 April 2009|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=sideboard/events/ptno03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011012015/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=sideboard/events/ptno03|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 October 2008}} second place at Pro Tour: Kobe 2004,{{cite web|title=Live Coverage of 2004 Pro Tour Kobe|date=29 February 2004|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=5 April 2009|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/ptkob04/welcome|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011013015/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/ptkob04/welcome|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 October 2008}} seventh place at the 2004 World Championships,{{cite web|title=Nuijten, Nassif dominate Worlds|date=5 September 2004|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=5 April 2009|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/worlds04/welcome|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009153307/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/worlds04/welcome|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 October 2008}} and Pro Tour: Atlanta 2005 champion with teammates Gabriel Tsang and David Rood as Team Nova.{{cite web|title=Nova Burns Brightest in Atlanta!|date=13 March 2005|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=5 April 2009|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/ptatl05/welcome|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011012944/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/ptatl05/welcome|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 October 2008}}
With three Pro Tour Top Eights in the 2003–04 season including two runner-up finishes, Nassif earned the 2004 Player of the Year award. He has been dubbed by many as the best Constructed player in Magic. Indeed, he has often met success with home-made designs. Tooth and Nail, a deck directly derived from Nassif's TwelvePost deck he piloted to the finals at the 2004 Pro Tour Kobe, was one of the best performing deck in Standard until Mirrodin rotated out of the format in 2005. He showed his gaming prowess again when he made the Top 8 of the 2006 World Championships piloting a blue/white MartyrTron deck that, according to Randy Buehler, "broke the format". Nassif lost in the semifinals to Makahito Mihara and his Dragonstorm combo deck.{{cite web|title=Mihara, Dutch Crowned World Champions|date=3 December 2006|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=5 April 2009|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/worlds06/welcome|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009153317/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/worlds06/welcome|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 October 2008}}
Ironically, Nassif made Top 8 of the 2007 World Championships with a mono-red Dragonstorm deck designed by him and American teammate Patrick Chapin, where he again made a semifinal exit while playing against Patrick Chapin in the mono-red Dragonstorm mirror.{{cite web|title=Historic Win for Peleg, Swiss at Worlds|date=9 December 2006|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=5 April 2009|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/worlds07/welcome|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905232908/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/worlds07/welcome|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 September 2008}} 2008 was a weaker season for Nassif. His only significant finish was a second place at Grand Prix Brussels. It was also the first season since 2000–01 that Nassif did not reach the Top 8 of a Pro Tour. The following season Nassif won the first Pro Tour of the season with a 61-card five colour control deck.{{cite web|title=Nassif: The Greater Power|date=8 March 2009|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=9 April 2009|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/ptkyo09/welcome}}{{dead link|date=August 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} He then followed up his PT win with a first-place finish at the next event: Grand Prix Chicago.
=Distinctions=
- Nassif was the first player to win the Player of the Year race without a Pro Tour victory that season.
- Nassif has lost more Pro Tour Finals than any other player.
- Nassif defeated Nicolai Herzog to become Player of the Year, despite the fact that Herzog had won two Pro Tours that year.
- According to Ask Wizards, Nassif also boasts the highest-ever constructed rating at 2318 in round 18 of Pro Tour–Kobe in February 2004.
=Accomplishments=
{{MTG pth header}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2001–02
|et= gp
|l = London
|f = blc
|d = {{sort|2001-09-01|1–2 September 2001}}
|p = 2
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2001–02
|et= pt
|l = New York
|f = tl
|d = {{sort|2001-09-09|7–9 September 2001}}
|p = 2
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2002–03
|et= pt
|l = Venice
|f = blc
|d = {{sort|2003-03-23|21–23 March 2003}}
|p = 5
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2002–03
|et= gp
|l = Prague
|f = s+b
|d = {{sort|2003-04-13|12–13 April 2003}}
|p = 6
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2002–03
|d = {{sort|2003-05-11|8–11 May 2003}}
|l = Yokohama
|et = m
|f = e
|p = 2
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2003–04
|et= pt
|l = New Orleans
|f = e
|d = {{sort|2003-11-02|31 October–2 November 2003}}
|p = 2
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2003–04
|et= pt
|l = Kobe
|f = blc
|d = {{sort|2004-02-29|27–29 February 2004}}
|p = 2
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2003–04
|et= n
|l = Tours
|f = s+bd
|d = {{sort|2004-07-18|17–18 July 2004}}
|p = 2
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2003–04
|et= w
|l = San Francisco
|f = sp
|d = {{sort|2004-09-05|1–5 September 2004}}
|p = 7
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2005
|et= pt
|l = Atlanta
|f = tl
|d = {{sort|2005-03-13|11–13 March 2005}}
|p = 1
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2005
|d = {{sort|2005-05-17|17–20 May 2005}}
|l = Los Angeles
|et= i
|f = sp
|p = 5
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2006
|d = {{sort|2006-05-10|10–12 May 2006}}
|l = Los Angeles
|et= i
|f = sp
|p = 4
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2006
|et= w
|l = Paris
|f = sp
|d = {{sort|2006-12-03|29 November–3 December 2006}}
|p = 4
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2007
|et= gp
|l = Amsterdam
|f = 2hg
|d = {{sort|2007-03-11|10–11 March 2007}}
|p = 2
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2007
|et= w
|l = New York
|f = sp
|d = {{sort|2007-12-09|6–9 December 2007}}
|p = 3
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2008
|et= gp
|l = Brussels
|f = s+b
|d = {{sort|2009-05-04|3–4 May 2008}}
|p = 2
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2009
|et= pt
|l = Kyoto
|f = s+bd
|d = {{sort|2009-03-01|27 February–1 March 2009}}
|p = 1
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2009
|et= gp
|l = Chicago
|f = leg
|d = {{sort|2009-03-08|7–8 March 2009}}
|p = 1
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2009
|et= gp
|l = Tampa
|f = s+b
|d = {{sort|2009-10-25|24–25 October 2009}}
|p = 5
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2018
|et= gp
|l = Lille
|f = s
|d = {{sort|2018-10-28|26–28 October 2018}}
|p = 2
}}
{{MTG pth footer|u = 26 October 2009
|s = [https://web.archive.org/web/20080905235617/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtg/eventcoverage/main Event Coverage at Wizards.com]
|date=March 2009}}
Other accomplishments
- Pro Tour Player of the Year 2003–04
- Three-time player at the Magic Invitational{{cite web|title=Tiago Triumphant|date=21 October 2007|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=5 April 2009|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/mi07/welcome|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002114241/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/mi07/welcome|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 October 2008}}{{cite web|title=Ruel Invokes Invitationalists for Victory|date=12 May 2006|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=5 April 2009|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/mi06/welcome|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011012924/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/mi06/welcome|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 October 2008}}{{cite web|title=Soh Rides Online Skills to Victory|date=20 May 2005|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=5 April 2009|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/mi05/welcome|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011012919/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/mi05/welcome|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 October 2008}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box | title=Pro Player of the Year | before={{flagicon|GER}} Kai Budde | years=2003–04| after={{flagicon|JPN}} Kenji Tsumura}}
{{s-end}}
Poker
Nassif has had 30 cashes at the World Series of Poker, including back-to-back cashes at the 2010 and 2011 main events, finishing 73rd and 189th respectively. As of August 2018, Nassif's live tournament earnings exceed $1,100,000.{{Cite web |title=Gabriel Nassif's profile on The Hendon Mob |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=38869 |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-players/15092-gabriel-nassif Card Player profile]
- [https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=38869 Hendon Mob profile]
- [https://www.worldpokertour.com/player/gabriel-nassif/ WPT profile]
- [https://www.wsop.com/players/profile/?playerid=4332 WSOP profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nassif, Gabriel}}
Category:French Magic: The Gathering players