Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour season 1996–97

Six Pro Tours were held in the 1996–97 season. Five Grand Prixs were held in the season. However, they did not award Pro Points. Based on final Pro Tour standings Pro Points were awarded as follows:

Atlanta was the only Pro Tour ever to host an individual Sealed Deck competition as the main event. Furthermore, the cards were all previously unknown to the players as Mirage product was used, but Mirage had not been officially released yet. Also Atlanta was the first Pro Tour that allowed players to intentionally draw matches.{{cite web | first = Mark | last = Rosewater | title = On Tour, Part 1 | publisher=Wizards of the Coast | date = 26 July 2004 | accessdate =1 December 2008 | url = http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/tour-part-1-2004-07-26}}{{cite web | first = Matthew | last = Vienneau | title = Pro Tour Atlanta 1996 Report. No, Really. | publisher = Wizards of the Coast | date = 22 November 2005 | accessdate = 15 May 2016 | url = http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom%2Fdaily%2Fsw93| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060705143045/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/sw93| url-status = dead| archive-date = 5 July 2006}} In the end German Frank Adler won Pro Tour Atlanta over Darwin Kastle.

Prize pool: $150,000 ($250,000 including Team Competition and scholarships for the Junior Division){{cite web|title=Pro Tour-Atlanta Final Results |publisher=Wizards of the Coast |year=1996 |accessdate=15 April 2016 |url=http://www.wizards.com/ProTour/Atlanta_Results.html |url-status=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19961219132111/http://www.wizards.com/ProTour/Atlanta_Results.html |archivedate=19 December 1996 }}

Players: 192

Format: Sealed Deck (Mirage)

Aaron Souders won the Junior Division against Louis Beryl. Jason Gordon and Daniel Connelly were the other semi-finalists. The quarter-finalists were David Lively, Trevor Blackwell, James Murphy, and Alexander Sutherland. The team of Mark Chalice, Scott Johns, Mark Justice, Preston Poulter, and Mario Robaina won the Team Competition against Dave Lyon, Mike Reinking, Kevin Stelzer, Jeff Sternal, and Chris Stelzer for a prize of $11,000.

Eventual Pro Player of the year Paul McCabe won Pro Tour Dallas. The Canadian defeated Jason Zila from the US in the final. Olle Råde had his third Top 8 appearance while playing only his fourth Pro Tour. Pro Tour Dallas also featured a Type I (now Vintage) division, which Scott Johns won.{{cite web|title=[Report] PT Dallas Type I Tournament |last=Kuta |first=Jeffrey |date=25 November 1996 |publisher=The Magic Dojo |accessdate=13 April 2016 |url=http://thedojo.net/tourney96/ptd1.961125jku.txt |url-status=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19990218053527/http://thedojo.net/tourney96/ptd1.961125jku.txt |archivedate=18 February 1999 }} Justin Schneider won the Junior Division for $16,000 scholarship over Jeremy Baca in the finals. Eventual Hall of Famer Patrick Chapin and Jeff Simoneau lost in the semi-finals.{{cite web|title=Final Results, Magic: The Gathering® Pro TourTM-Dallas November 22-24, 1996 |publisher=Wizards of the Coast |year=1996 |accessdate=15 May 2016 |url=http://www.wizards.com/Leagues_and_Tournaments/ProTour/Dallas_Results.html |url-status=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19970501080509/http://www.wizards.com/Leagues_and_Tournaments/ProTour/Dallas_Results.html |archivedate=1 May 1997 }}

Prize pool: $150,000 ($250,000 including Classic Division and Junior Division scholarships){{cite web|title=Pro Tour Tournament Formats |publisher=Wizards of the Coast |year=1996 |accessdate=15 April 2016 |url=http://www.wizards.com/ProTour/Format.html |url-status=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19961219084421/http://www.wizards.com/ProTour/Format.html |archivedate=19 December 1996 }}

Players: 242

Format: Standard

{{8TeamBracket

| RD1 = Quarter-finals

| RD2 = Semi-finals

| RD1-team1 = Brian Hacker

| RD1-score1 = 2

| RD1-team2 = Olle Rade

| RD1-score2 = 0

| RD1-seed3 = 5

| RD1-team3 = Paul McCabe

| RD1-score3 = 2

| RD1-seed4 = 4

| RD1-team4 = Robert Thornburg

| RD1-score4 = 0

| RD1-seed5 = 3

| RD1-team5 = Chris Pikula

| RD1-score5 = 2

| RD1-seed6 = 6

| RD1-team6 = George Baxter

| RD1-score6 = 1

| RD1-seed7 = 7

| RD1-team7 = Peer Kröger

| RD1-score7 = 0

| RD1-seed8 = 2

| RD1-team8 = Jason Zila

| RD1-score8 = 2

| RD2-seed1 =

| RD2-team1 = Brian Hacker

| RD2-score1 =

| RD2-seed2 =

| RD2-team2 = Paul McCabe

| RD2-score2 =

| RD2-seed3 =

| RD2-team3 = Chris Pikula

| RD2-score3 =

| RD2-seed4 =

| RD2-team4 = Jason Zila

| RD2-score4 =

| RD3-seed1 =

| RD3-team1 = Paul McCabe

| RD3-score1 =

| RD3-seed2 =

| RD3-team2 = Jason Zila

| RD3-score2 =

}}

Justin Schneider won the finals of the Junior Division against Jeremy Baca for a $16,000 scholarship. The other semi-finalists were Patrick Chapin and Jeff Simoneau. The quarter-finalists were Jason Moungey, Vinnie Falcone, Yubin Tao, and Adam Jansen.{{cite web|title=Final Results, Magic: The Gathering Pro TourTM-Dallas |publisher=Wizards of the Coast |year=1996 |accessdate=15 April 2016 |url=http://www.wizards.com/ProTour/Dallas_Update.html |url-status=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19961219074155/http://www.wizards.com/ProTour/Dallas_Update.html |archivedate=19 December 1996 }}

Tommi Hovi won Pro Tour Los Angeles, winning the final against David Mills. It was the only Pro Tour final ever to be decided by a disqualification. Mills was disqualified because he repeatedly tapped his lands after (rather than before) attempting to play a spell, which was not allowed at the time. Leading to an upset amongst the players it was eventually decided that Mills would be allowed to claim his prize, despite being originally disqualified without prize.

Los Angeles was also the first Pro Tour to use the so-called Paris Mulligan. Previously players were allowed to take a mulligan if they had an all-land or no-land starting hand. Instead players could now mulligan whenever they wished to do so, but had to draw an opening hand with one card less. The name Paris Mulligan actually refers to the subsequent Pro Tour in Paris, which was the first Constructed Pro Tour to use this rule.

Jess Means won the finals of the Junior Division against eventual Hall of Famer Zvi Mowshowitz.{{cite web|title=Pro Tour Los Angeles Cybercast |publisher=Wizards of the Coast |year=1997 |accessdate=15 May 2016 |url=http://www.wizards.com/Leagues_and_Tournaments/ProTour/LA_RA_Update.html |url-status=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19970501060941/http://www.wizards.com/Leagues_and_Tournaments/ProTour/LA_RA_Update.html |archivedate=1 May 1997 }}

Prize pool: $150,000

Players: 236

Format: Rochester Draft (Mirage-Visions)

Head Judge: Tom Wylie{{cite web | title = Head Judges of Pro Tours and World Championships | publisher=XS4ALL | accessdate =16 November 2009 | date = 30 October 2009 | url = http://magic.wiki.xs4all.nl/index.php?title=Head_Judges_of_Pro_Tours_and_World_Championships}}

GP Amsterdam (22–23 March)

{{ordered list

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Emmanuel Vernay

| {{flagicon|FRA}} David Nott

| {{flagicon|NED}} Wessel Oomens

| item4_value = 3| {{flagicon|NED}} Sven Dijt

| item5_value = 5| {{flagicon|NED}} Roeland Van der Hoevenen

| item6_value = 5| {{flagicon|NED}} Matt Henstra

| item7_value = 5| {{flagicon|GER}} Michael Huth

| item8_value = 5| {{flagicon|NED}} Dominique Coene

}}

Paris was the first Pro Tour held outside the United States. In the finals, the biggest names of Magic at the time (Mike Long and Mark Justice) met to determine the champion. Both decks present in the final belonged to Long as he had previously loaned his deck to Justice. Eventually Long won the match, en route winning a game which his Combo deck was not capable of winning any more, but he convinced Justice to concede anyway.

Prize pool: $150,000

Players: 223

Format: Mirage Block Constructed (Mirage, Visions)

{{col-begin}}

{{col-3}}

GP Washington D.C. (26–27 April)

{{ordered list

| {{flagicon|USA}} Mike Long

| {{flagicon|USA}} David Price

| {{flagicon|USA}} Nate Clarke

| {{flagicon|USA}} Chad Solo

| {{flagicon|USA}} Scott Seville

| {{flagicon|USA}} Michael Pustilnik

| {{flagicon|CAN}} Terry Borer

| {{flagicon|USA}} Dennis Bentley

}}

{{col-3}}

GP Tokyo (4–5 May)

{{ordered list

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Kenichi Fujita

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Toshiki Tsukamoto

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Yoshiyuki Tsuruta

| item4_value = 3 | {{flagicon|JPN}} Yoshikazu Ishii

| item5_value = 5 | {{flagicon|JPN}} Goro Matsuo

| item6_value = 5 | {{flagicon|JPN}} Masami Ibamoto

| item7_value = 5 | {{flagicon|JPN}} Satoshi Nakamura

| item8_value = 5 | {{flagicon|JPN}} Takashi Niwa

}}

{{col-3}}

GP Barcelona (4–5 May)

{{ordered list

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Pierre Fayard

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Alain Fernandez

| {{flagicon|ESP}} Ivan Garcia

| item4_value = 3 | {{flagicon|ESP}} Santiago Rodriguez

| item5_value = 5 | {{flagicon|FRA}} Mathieu Poujade

| item6_value = 5 | {{flagicon|FRA}} Nicholas Olivieri

| item7_value = 5 | {{flagicon|ESP}} Joaquim Casa

| item8_value = 5 | {{flagicon|FRA}} Michel Debard

}}

{{col-end}}

Canadian Terry Borer won Pro Tour New York, defeating Ivan Stanoev in the finals. In the finals of Junior Division Ron Franke beat Jamie Parke.{{cite web|title=The final standings from Pro Tour - New York. |publisher=Wizards of the Coast |date=4 June 1997 |accessdate=15 May 2016 |url=http://www.wizards.com/Leagues_and_Tournaments/ProTour/new_york_results.html |url-status=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19970606174229/http://www.wizards.com/Leagues_and_Tournaments/ProTour/new_york_results.html |archivedate=6 June 1997 }}

Prize pool: $150,000

Players: 259

Format: Booster Draft (5th Edition-Visions)

GP London (12–13 July)

{{ordered list

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Michel Sochon

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Cyrille DeFoucaud

| {{flagicon|ENG}} Ollie Schneider

| item4_value = 3| {{flagicon|SCO}} Graham Thomson

| item5_value = 5| {{flagicon|BEL}} Ben Possemiers

| item6_value = 5| {{flagicon|GER}} Daniel Brickwell

| item7_value = 5| {{flagicon|ENG}} Robin McCandless

| item8_value = 5| {{flagicon|FRA}} Frederic Bannach

}}

{{main|Magic: The Gathering World Championship#1997 World Championship}}

Jakub Slemr from the Czech Republic won the World Championship. He defeated Janosch Kühn from Germany in the final, playing a mainly black aggro-deck, dipping into all other colours for utility. Canada won the team competition in a final against Sweden.

Prize pool: $200,000 (individual) + $50,000 (national teams)

Players: 153

Format: Standard, Rochester Draft (Mirage-Visions-Weatherlight), Extended

1. {{flagicon|CAN}} Canada (Gary Krakower, Michael Donais, Ed Ito, Gabriel Tsang)
2. {{flagicon|SWE}} Sweden (Nikolai Weibull, Mattias Jorstedt, Marcus Angelin, Johan Cedercrantz)

After the World Championship Paul McCabe was awarded the Pro Player of the year title.

{{reflist}}

{{Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour seasons}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour season 1996-97}}

Category:Magic: The Gathering professional events