Paul Rietzl
{{short description|American Magic: The Gathering player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox Magic: The Gathering Player
| name = Paul Rietzl
| nickname = Little Darwin{{cite web|title=MEET (9) PAUL RIETZL|date=June 22, 2014|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=August 30, 2015|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/meet-9-paul-rietzl-2014-06-22|first=Price|last=Nate}}
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =Rietzl winning Pro Tour Amsterdam in 2010
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| residence = Los Angeles, California, United States
| nationality = {{flagicon|USA}} United States
| debut = 2002 Pro Tour Osaka
| winnings = US$248,990{{cite web|title=Top 200 All-Time Money Leaders|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/alltime|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=December 15, 2014|date=July 15, 2014|archive-date=September 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913003521/http://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/alltime|url-status=dead}}
| pt_median_finish =
| pw_level = 48 (Archmage)
| matches_played =
| footnotes =
}}
Paul Rietzl is an American Magic: The Gathering player. His greatest success was his win at Pro Tour Amsterdam in 2010, but his resume includes three more Pro Tour top eights, and thirteen Grand Prix top eights, including two wins. He was inducted into the Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame in 2014.{{cite web|title=THE 2014 CLASS OF THE PRO TOUR HALL OF FAME|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/twtw/2014-class-pro-tour-hall-fame-2014-08-01|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|first=Brian|last=David-Marshall|accessdate=August 11, 2015}}
Magic: The Gathering
=Career=
Paul Rietzl grew up in Boston, near the game store YourMoveGames, owned by future Hall of Famer Rob Dougherty, and was a longtime member of Team Your Move Games.{{cite web|title=Grand Prix Anaheim 2003 Top 8 Player Profiles|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=sideboard/gpana03/top8|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090602211445/https://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=sideboard/gpana03/top8|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 2, 2009|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=January 29, 2014}} Rietzl played his first Pro Tour, Pro Tour Osaka, when he was 16 years old,{{cite web|title=PAUL RIETZL'S ORIGIN STORY|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/paul-rietzls-origin-story-2015-08-06|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|first=Mike|last=Rosenberg|date=August 6, 2015|accessdate=August 11, 2015}} and his first major result came at Grand Prix Anaheim in 2003, where he made the top eight. The top eight also featured future Hall of Fame members Ben Stark and Ben Rubin. Rietzl would lose in the quarterfinals to Peter Szigeti, taking 6th place in the overall standings. Rietzl went on to make the top eight of the very next North American Grand Prix, in Oakland. Again, Paul lost in the quarterfinals, taking 7th place.
From 2002 to 2006, Rietzl was a regular at the Pro Tour. He didn't make any top eights, but put up some solid performances, including a 14th-place finish at Pro Tour Kobe 2004,{{cite web|title=Final Standings|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=August 11, 2015|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/protour/standings/gptop8byplayer|archive-date=August 8, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808050545/http://magic.wizards.com/en/protour/standings/gptop8byplayer|url-status=dead}} and a 26th-place finish at Pro Tour San Diego 2004.{{cite web|title=Final Standings|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=August 11, 2015|url=http://archive.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/ptsd04/standfin|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910150025/http://archive.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Events.aspx?x=mtgevent/ptsd04/standfin|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 10, 2015}} However, after Pro Tour Charleston 2006, Rietzl took a break from competitive play, his only Pro Tour until 2009 being Pro Tour San Diego 2007.
After his break, Rietzl returned to competitive play with a splash in 2009.{{cite web|title=ChannelFireball Author Profile|url=http://www.channelfireball.com/author/paul-rietzl/|publisher=ChannelFireball.com|accessdate=January 29, 2014}} Rietzl made his third Grand Prix top eight at Grand Prix Chicago. He made it to the semifinals this time, losing out to Andrew Probasco, and took third place in the tournament. Rietzl's result at the event qualified him for Pro Tour Honolulu 2009. He prepared for the tournament with various prominent players including Ben Rubin, Gabriel Nassif and Brian Kibler.{{cite web|title=Pro Tour Honolulu 2009 Top 8 Profiles|url=http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/pthon09/top8|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090611150515/http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/pthon09/top8|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 11, 2009|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=January 29, 2014}} Rietzl made his first Pro Tour top eight in Honolulu, losing in the semifinals to eventual winner Kazuya Mitamura.{{cite web|title=Semifinals: Pings and Swings|url=http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/pthon09/sf1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090611162331/http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/pthon09/sf1|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 11, 2009|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=January 29, 2014}} He has not missed a Pro Tour since.
Rietzl would have the biggest success of his career in the 2010 season, winning Pro Tour Amsterdam 2010.{{cite web|title=Rietzl Sweeps to Victory in Amsterdam|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/ptams10/welcome|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100905005252/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/ptams10/welcome|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 5, 2010|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=January 29, 2014}} The Pro Tour was noted for one of the most impressive Sunday rosters in Magic: The Gathering history, which included Kai Budde, Brian Kibler, Guillaume Wafo-Tapa and future Player of the Year Brad Nelson. Rietzl's win would be all the more impressive for the fact that he did not lose a single game within the top eight, beating Thomas Ma, Michael Jacob and Brad Nelson 3–0 in their best of five game matches. Rietzl prepared for the Pro Tour with various pro players, but gave particular credit to Gabriel Nassif, who helped design his deck.{{cite web|last=Rietzl|first=Paul|title=A Champion Returns|url=http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=9129|publisher=TCGPlayer.com|accessdate=January 29, 2014}}
Rietzl went on to make his third Pro Tour top eight in as many years at Pro Tour Paris 2011.{{cite web|title=Stark Flies High with Planeswalkers in Paris|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/ptpar11/welcome|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110214185627/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/ptpar11/welcome|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 14, 2011|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=January 29, 2014}} Rietzl would defeat Patrick Chapin in the quarterfinals and Vincent Lemoine in the semifinals to face Ben Stark in the finals of the tournament. Ultimately, Paul lost 3–1 to Stark, finishing in second place.{{cite web|last=Willoughby|first=Tim|title=Finals: Paul Rietzl vs. Ben Stark|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/ptpar11/finals|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110216200823/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/ptpar11/finals|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 16, 2011|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=January 29, 2014}}
Pro Tour Paris was held alongside Grand Prix Paris, which started the day after the Pro Tour. Having secured his place in the Top 8 of the Pro Tour, Rietzl took the unusual step of entering the Grand Prix, largely because he believed he would lose quickly in the quarterfinals to Patrick Chapin.{{cite web|last=Willoughby|first=Tim|title=Feature: Paul Rietzl's Long Weekend|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/ptpar11/feature/rietzlweekend|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110216200816/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/ptpar11/feature/rietzlweekend|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 16, 2011|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=January 29, 2014}} After three byes, Rietzl went 6–1 in the Grand Prix, earning a place in Day 2 of the event; this meant that he was playing the top eight of the Pro Tour as well as Day 2 of the Grand Prix. Ultimately, Rietzl would take 24th place at the Grand Prix despite also playing in the top eight of the Pro Tour, and forfeiting a match in the Grand Prix due to having to play his Pro Tour quarterfinal match. Rietzl's overall record for the weekend was 24-6-1.
Rietzl's fourth Pro Tour top eight came in the 2013–14 season, at Pro Tour Theros in Dublin, where Rietzl and Patrick Chapin played a black-white midrange deck that would ultimately result in 9th-place finish for Chapin and a 6th-place finish for Rietzl,{{cite web|title=Pro Tour Theros Final Standings|url=http://archive.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/ptths13/standfin|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219192945/http://archive.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/ptths13/standfin|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 19, 2014|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=August 11, 2015}} losing 2–3 in the semifinals to Makihito Mihara. He came close to a fifth top eight later in the season, at Pro Tour Journey into Nyx in Atlanta, but he finished 13th.{{cite web|title=Pro Tour Journey into Nyx Final Standings|url=http://archive.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/ptjou14/standfin|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208160834/http://archive.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/ptjou14/standfin|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 8, 2015|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=August 11, 2015}} Rietzl's overall performance during the season qualified him for the 2014 World Championship, where he finished 12th.{{cite web|title=FINAL STANDINGS|url=http://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/2014WC/final-standings-2014-12-07|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=August 11, 2015}}
Rietzl became eligible for the Pro Tour Hall of Fame in 2011, having played in his first Pro Tour over ten seasons prior and having amassed over 150 lifetime pro points.{{cite web|title=Magic Pro Tour Hall of Fame 2011 Ballot|url=http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/HallOfFame.aspx?x=mtgevent/hof/2011ballot|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025154315/http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/HallOfFame.aspx?x=mtgevent/hof/2011ballot|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 25, 2011|publisher=Wizards of the Coast|accessdate=January 29, 2014}} Rietzl placed 20th, 21st and 20th in the 2011, 2012 and 2013 ballots respectively. In 2014, he was voted into the Hall, placing second with 72.59% support. He was inducted at Pro Tour Khans of Tarkir in Honolulu, alongside Guillaume Wafo-Tapa and Makihito Mihara.
In the 2014–15 season, despite not finishing in the top eight of any Pro Tours, Rietzl managed to accumulate enough pro points to qualify for the World Championship for a second year running. This was in large part due to consistently solid Pro Tour finishes; he finished 40th, 35th, 27th and 60th respectively at the season's four Pro Tour events, and also put up two Grand Prix top eights, at GP Salt Lake City and GP San Jose.
= Top 8 finishes =
{{MTG pth header}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2003–04
|d = December 13–14, 2003
|l = Anaheim
|et = gp
|f = e
|p = 6
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2003–04
|d = February 7–8, 2004
|l = Oakland
|et = gp
|f = l
|p = 7
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2009
|d = March 7–8, 2009
|l = Chicago
|et = gp
|f = leg
|p = 3
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2009
|d = June 5–7, 2009
|l = Honolulu
|et = pt
|f = blc+bd
|p = 3
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2010
|d = September 3–5, 2010
|l = Amsterdam
|et = pt
|f = e+bd
|p = 1
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2011
|et = pt
|l = Paris
|f = s+bd
|d = February 10–13, 2011
|p = 2
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2012
|d = March 3–4, 2012
|l = Seattle-Tacoma
|et = gp
|f = l
|p = 6
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2012
|d = March 24–25, 2012
|l = Mexico City
|et = gp
|f = l
|p = 1
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2012–13
|d = May 26–27, 2012
|l = Anaheim
|et = gp
|f = blc
|p = 2
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2012–13
|d = October 13–14, 2012
|l = San Jose
|et = gp
|f = tl
|p = 1
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2012–13
|d = May 11–12, 2013
|l = Portland
|et= gp
|f = m
|p = 8
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2013–14
|et= pt
|l = Dublin
|f = s+bd
|d = October 11–13, 2013
|p = 6
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2013–14
|et= gp
|l = Albuquerque
|f = s
|d = November 23–24, 2013
|p = 8
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2014–15
|et= gp
|l = Salt Lake City
|f = l
|d = September 6–7, 2014
|p = 5
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2014–15
|et= gp
|l = San Jose
|f = tl
|d = January 31–February 1, 2015
|p = 2
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2015–16
|et= gp
|l = San Diego
|f = s
|d = August 8–9, 2015
|p = 3
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2015–16
|l = Seattle
|et = w
|d = August 27–30, 2015
|f = sp
|p = 3
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2015–16
|et= gp
|l = Oklahoma City
|f = m
|d = September 12–13, 2015
|p = 7
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2016–17
|et= gp
|l = Portland
|f = s
|d = August 13–14, 2016
|p = 7
}}
{{MTG pth event
|s = 2016–17
|d = September 10–11, 2016
|l = Louisville
|et= gp
|f = tl
|p = 4
}}
{{MTG pth footer|u = October 15, 2016
|s = [https://web.archive.org/web/20140621150252/http://magic.wizards.com/en/coveragearchive Event Coverage at Wizards.com]
|date=October 2016}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rietzl, Paul}}
Category:American Magic: The Gathering players