Kitchen Table Magic

In this episode, I’m talking to veteran pro player Christian Calcano. Christian has been on the pro tour for over 7 years, and recently Top 8’d his first one at Pro Tour Amonkhet. His emotional response was celebrated by his team and the community as he was interviewed by Brian David-Marshall. Christian shares with us about his early days playing Magic, slowing making his way to the top. Christian is an expert in limited, and he gives us valuable advice about drafting. I caught up with Christian in the summer of 2017. Go say hi to him on Twitter @CCalcano He’s also on Facebook.com/Calcano I hope you enjoy my conversation with Christian Calcano! Music Credits (in order of appearance): Our theme song is Play the Game by Antracto (Yes I bought the rights, if you're curious) Patreon music: Griptape by Joakim Karud & David Cutter Music Card Kingdom ad music: Take Me Higher by Jahzzar Paragon City Games ad music: Clouds by Joakim Karud Preview clip music: Redbone by Childish Gambino I hope you enjoyed

In this episode, I’m talking to Brazilian Hall of Famer, Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa. Paulo has been on the professional scene for almost two decades and he’s the youngest player to reach 300 lifetime pro points. Recently, Paulo won Pro Tour Hour of Devastation and has the second most Pro Tour Top 8’s behind Jon Finkle. Paulo shares with us about his life as a professional Magic player, how he got started playing Magic, and his life in Brazil. Paulo also talks to us about improving at Magic, his competitive mindset, and his thoughts on his Semifinals match with Yam Wing Chun at Pro Tour Hour of Devastation. I caught up with Paulo in the summer of 2017. Go say hi to him on Twitter @PVDDR You can also read his articles that he posts on Channel Fireball. I’ll have all the links in the show notes at KitchenTableMagic.org. https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Paulo_Vitor_Damo_da_Rosa https://www.channelfireball.com/author/paulo-vitor-damo-da-rosa/ http://twitter.com/PVDDR http://facebook.com/paulo.vitor.52459615 I hope you en

In this episode, I’m talking to rapper, comedian, filmmaker, and Magic player, Billy the Fridge. Billy started with local rap battles in the Seattle area and making his own films on a budget. Soon, his creativity made it to the front page of Reddit and where his thoughtful lyrics and edgy visual style caught the attention of millions. Billy is true Magic player at heart, writing and performing Cardboard Crack, an ode the game we love. Since then, Billy has completed his latest album “ill!” which is out now. Billy met up with me last summer 2017 to talk about music, his creative process, and of course Magic: The Gathering. I hope you enjoy my conversation with rapper, Billy the Fridge. Music Credits (in order of appearance) Our theme song is Play the Game by Antracto (Yes I bought the rights, if you're curious) Giveaway music: Flix & Chill by Joakim Karud Card Kingdom ad music: Take Me Higher by Jahzzar Paragon City Games ad music: Clouds by Joakim Karud Preview clip music: Casin by glue70 I’ve got a ne

In this episode, I’m talking to Eric Dupuis from Wyrmwood Gaming. Wyrmwood Gaming is the premier company making expertly crafted wooden deck boxes, dice vaults, and other gaming accessories. Eric has a background in both carpentry and business, and he shares with us the journey of how Wyrmwood started to how it became a household name today. All of Wyrmwood products showcase quality lumber from around the world with colors and patterns that naturally occur in the wood. Wyrmwood then masterfully designs products using ancient and modern techniques. Eric also talks about a new addition to Wyrmwood’s product lineup, the Prophecy gaming table, available in all different kinds of woods. I caught up with Eric during the summer of 2017. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Eric Dupuis of Wyrmwood Gaming. Music Credits (in order of appearance) Our theme song is Play the Game by Antracto (Yes I bought the rights, if you're curious) Giveaway music: Flix & Chill by Joakim Karud Card Kingdom ad music: Take Me Highe

In this episode, I’m talking to the founder of Chessex, Donald Reents. Chessex makes a variety of high quality dice in different shapes, color combinations, and designs. Donald has been in the gaming industry for decades as an avid chess and backgammon player. Donald cares about the quality of his products and one day decided that he needed to take matters into his own hands and make his own beautiful dice. When he found the right factory in Germany, Donald’s creativity took off with a myriad of designs and color combinations. For over 25 years, Donald and Chessex has brought fun and quality to the gaming community. I caught up with Donald during the summer of 2017. You can check out Chessex’s catalog at chessex.com, that’s http://chessex.com. You can find Chessex dice at almost every local game store that sells table top games and Magic: The Gathering products. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Donald Reents, the founder of Chessex. Music Credits (in order of appearance) Our theme song is Play the G

I’m talking to legendary player, Jay Schneider, the creator of the first Burn Deck, popularly known as Paul Sligh Red. Jay created Sligh Red because it was play tested to beat his good friend Paul Sligh, who ironically was an avid blue player. In doing so, Jay created the concept of the Mana Curve, which is now a foundation of how Magic is played and decks are built. Jay also worked for Wizards R&D where he helped play test paper products and had a big role in developing the hugely successful Duels of the Planeswalker game for Xbox. I’m amazed to hear of Jay’s contributions to Duels of the Planeswalkers as it was a milestone for Wizards of the Coast in their journey to create a widely adopted digital game. And now that Magic Arena has been announced I hope to see some design elements from Duels. If you want to read up more from Jay, I’ve included links at KitchenTableMagic.org to his past articles about the original Paul Sligh Red deck. Please enjoy my interview with the legendary Jay Schneider. Music Cr

I’m talking to the legendary collector of all things Vintage Magic, Daniel Chang, the President and CEO of Vintage Magic.com. Daniel has seen it all, the rarest of the rare, Alpha sets, Power 9, Black Lotus, original art, even cards that are rumored not to exist. Daniel travels the world connecting buyers and sellers with priceless artifacts of history. Daniel shares with us his passion for preserving the historical artifacts of Magic: The Gathering and his thoughts on MTG finance. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Daniel Chang of Vintage Magic. Super special thanks to Daniel Chang for sharing his stories with us. Follow Vintage Magic on Twitter @VintageMTG Vintage Magic is on Facebook.com/VintageMTG Support Vintage Magic on Patreon.com/VintageMagic for super cool deals on rare MTG collectables And watch Daniel’s vlogs on YouTube, just search for Vintage Magic. I’ll have all of the links in the show notes at KitchenTableMagic.org Music Credits (in order of appearance) Our theme song is Play the Game by

Happy Halloween Everyone! In this very special episode, we’re diving into the Magic community’s spookiest mystery, the Séance Buyout. Two years ago, reddit user jobs141910 created a post giving users a bounty to purchase and destroy as many copies of Séance as possible. Then, about a year ago, the same mysterious user offered a reward of $40k worth of bitcoins to whoever pilots a Séance deck to prominence on the Pro Tour. Joining us today, MTG finance expert Jason Alt joins us to enlighten us on the mystery that is Séance guy. Then, pro player and renowned deck builder, Zac Elsik talks to us about how to brew up a competent Séance deck. Then our third guest, joining us from deep in the internet, Séance Guy jobs141910 himself is joining us to answer our burning questions! I hope you enjoy my interviews with Jason Alt, Zac Elisk, and reddit user jobs141910. Go say hi to Jason Alt on Twitter @JasonEAlt Go say hi to Zac Elisk on Twitter @UTDZac Go say hi to Seance Guy on Reddit /u/jobs141910 Music Credits (in

Coming up on next episode of Kitchen Table Magic. I’m talking to pro player Zac Elsik and MTG finance expert Jason Alt about the Magic community’s spookiest mystery, Séance! Two years ago, reddit user jobs141910 created a post giving users a bounty to purchase and destroy as many copies of Séance as possible. Then, about a year ago, the same mysterious user offered a reward of $40k worth of bitcoins to whoever pilots a Séance deck to prominence on the Pro Tour. Pro player Zac Elsik talks to us about how to build a competent Séance deck. MTG finance expert Jason Alt joins us to enlighten us on the mystery that is Séance guy. And if we Séance hard enough, the person at the center of this mystery, reddit user jobs141910, might reach out to us through the depths of the internet. Join us for this special Halloween episode where we conjure the ghosts and spirits of Magic reddit, all on the next episode of Kitchen Table Magic.

In this episode, I’m talking to Jadine Klomparens, pro player, writer, and tournament grinder on the SCG Tour. Jadine is a skilled player and rose to prominence when she got to the finals of GP Chicago 2014. And ever since, Jadine’s been grinding it out at GPs, the Pro Tour, and on the SCG Tour. Jadine has written for TCG Player and Star City Games for years and regularly guests on Emma Handy’s stream. Jadine talks to us about the valuable lessons she’s learned playing competitive magic and tells us some hilarious stories about playing on the Pro Tour. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Quiet Fish, Jadine Klomparens. Go say hi to Jadine on http://twitter.com/thequietfish Music Credits (in order of appearance) Our theme song is Play the Game by Antracto (Yes I bought the rights, if you're curious) Patreon: Shine by Joakim Karud Card Kingdom ad music: Take Me Higher by Jahzzar Paragon City Games ad music: Clouds by Joakim Karud Preview clip music: Ghosts N Stuff - Deadmau5 (get it? it's a preview for

In this episode, I’m talking to Josh Lee Kwai, co-host of the Command Zone Podcast and Game Knights. Josh is a professional in the movie industry and you might have seen his work from Disney princess movies, the Fast and the Furious, Scott Pilgrim vs the World, and Star Wars. Running for over 180 episodes, Josh and Jimmy host the Command Zone, a weekly podcast about all things Commander. Josh brings his special effects wizardry to the realm of Magic to direct and produce Game Knights, a YouTube series that’s leading the way with live gameplay footage of Magic. Josh also has a Patreon Supporters gift, so stick around. I hope you enjoy my conversation with one of the innovative minds behind the Command Zone and Game Knights, Josh Lee Kwai. Music Credits (in order of appearance) Our theme song is Play the Game by Antracto (Yes I bought the rights, if you're curious) Josh's Patreon Gift: Prodigal Sorcerer Shine by Joakim Karud Card Kingdom ad music: Take Me Higher by Jahzzar Paragon City Games ad music: Cl

Welcome to Special coverage of the Magic World Championships 2017 in Boston. I’m your host Sam Tang, and you’re listening to Kitchen Table Magic, presented by Hipsters of the Coast, Card Kingdom, and Paragon City Games. The Magic World Championships are going on right now in Boston. Twenty four of the world’s best competitors are battling it out right now, October 6th, 7th and 8th. In this episode, I’ll be bringing you clips from my interviews with Gerry Thompson, Donald Smith Jr, Christian Calcano, and Paolo Vitor Damo da Rosa. You’ll get to listen to how they got started playing Magic, their early experiences on the Pro Tour, and their journey on how they arrived at Worlds this weekend. My interview with Gerry Thompson aired for Season 1 episode 10. My interviews with Donald, Christian, and Paolo are airing later in Season 3. Best of luck to all the competitors at Worlds this weekend. Listeners, be sure your words of support through social media for our competitors, and please enjoy my interview with Gerry,

In this episode, I’m talking to Dev, from Strictly Better MTG. Dev is the rapping YouTuber with the deck tech strategy and feline co-hosts. With over 60,000 YouTube subscribers, Dev is a major player in the MTG community providing strategy, news, and set reviews. Dev has been playing Magic from early in the game’s history and his expansive knowledge of Magic makes for thorough and in-depth videos. Dev enjoys teaching the community how to build a better deck to accommodate both competitive and budget conscious players. And Dev’s down to earth attitude and personality makes his content easy to understand and relatable. Also, Dev has a special gift for Patreon Supporters, and I’ll tell you how to get a signed card from Dev. http://twitter.com/sbmtgdev https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpZCNYMXJI_ptSBD3t47NOQ https://www.patreon.com/SBMTG I hope you enjoy my interview with Dev of Strictly Better MTG. I’ve got a new YouTube Channel called Play MTG Woo! And if you like the Kitchen Table Magic podcast by Sam Tang,

In this episode, I’m talking to Dan Burdick, the lead of Play Design, a new division of R&D for Magic: The Gathering. While Mark Rosewater is trying to break the game, Dan and his crazy team of wizards is making sure Magic stays functional and playable. Dan considers all the cards available in the game of Magic to make up the physics engine that governs the MTG universe. He uses this unique way of thinking to balance the play environment for players. Dan has a motley crew of spell slinging professionals to help him make sure Kitty Combo doesn’t happen again… Melissa DeTora, Paul Cheon, Andrew Brown, Ian Duke, Bryan Hawlee, Adam Prosak, and Andrew Veen are the members of the new Play Design team. Stick around to the end so you can find out how to get a special signed card from Dan Burdick himself! Hey listeners, I’m excited for a special Patreon supporters gift from Dan Burdick. I have copies of Felidar Guardian signed by Dan Burdick. It’s a little funny, it’s a little troll. And it’s Dan’s way of telling th

I’m talking with the Magic Community’s best visual storyteller, The Magic Man Sam. Sam’s stunning videos highlight the art of prominent artists such as John Avon, Nils Hamm, Terese Neilsen and many more. Sam’s videos also give perspective on Magic history’s most influential cards such as Rancor, Thoughtseize, One with Nothing, Thragtusk and Snapcaster Mage. Sam meticulously crafts his videos to tell a story we’ve never heard before. I’m so excited to bring you my conversation with the one and only Magic Man Sam. Also, stick around to the end to learn how you can get a special gift from my hombre with the same nombre. I hope you enjoy! Check out stuff by the Magic Man Sam: https://twitter.com/RhysticStudies http://RhysticStudies.com I’ve got a new YouTube Channel called Play MTG Woo! And if you like the Kitchen Table Magic podcast by Sam Tang, you’re gonna love the new YouTube channel Play MTG by Sam Tang! It’s an upbeat, fast paced new YouTube Channel featuring deck techs from Pros, learn to play tutorials,

Welcome to the Season 3 premier of Kitchen Table Magic. It is so good to be back. Over the summer, I’ve been hard at work booking and interviewing new guests for this season. You’re really going to enjoy all the interview’s I’ve had. Let’s kick things off with our first guest of Season 3! I’m speaking with former L5 judge, and founding member of the Elder Dragon Highlander Rules Committee, Sheldon Menery. Sheldon helped to popularize Magic’s most fun format, EDH now officially recognized by Wizards as Commander. Sheldon tells us about the early history of when Commander was still called Elder Dragon Highlander, and even how it got it’s name. Follow Sheldon on Twitter http://twitter.com/SheldonMenery Link to the official MTG Commander website: http://mtgcommander.net Sheldon also has a special gift for listeners, stick around to find out how to get it. I hope you enjoy my conversation with one of the original Elder Dragons, Sheldon Menery! Sponsors: Card Kingdom Kitchen Table Magic is brought to you by

In this episode, I’m speaking with Richard Garfield, the creator of Magic: The Gathering. Richard is fascinated with games and one day asked himself, what happens if not all players have the same deck? Richard tells us that the cornerstone of Magic, the five flavors of mana, was an idea that he thought about frequently and tinkered with in his other games. Richard shares thoughts on certain cards, his hopes for the future of Magic, and other games he’s proud to have made. Richard has a website and blog at http://www.threedonkeys.com/blog/ Richard also wrote an article on Facebook titled “A Game Players Manifesto” I’ll have a link to that article in the show notes at KitchenTableMagic.org. Special thanks to Laura Cornejo and Mox Boarding House Bellevue for providing a private room for Richard and I to record in. More information can be found at moxboardinghouse.com/private-rooms I hope you enjoy my conversation with the creator himself, Richard Garfield. Thanks everyone for listening to the season 2 finale of

In this episode, I’m speaking with Brian Lewis, better known as the Professor of Tolarian Community College. The Professor created the Magic community’s most subscribed YouTube channel, clocking in at over 200,000 subs. The Professor started Tolarian Community College with reviews on card sleeves, deck boxes, and binders. Later the Professor expanded to funny skits, card previews, deck techs, and community news. The Professor shares what it means for him to create videos full time and his hopes for the future. I hope you enjoyed my conversation with the Professor. Go say hi to the Prof on Twitter @TolarianCollege https://twitter.com/TolarianCollege Go check out his videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/tolariancommunity For enrollment information into TCC, go to TolarianCommunityCollege.com And if you’re going to GP Vegas 2017, the Professor will be there, so go give him a hug and high five. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the esteemed Professor of Tolarian Community College. Thanks everyone for liste

Coming up on the next episode of Kitchen Table Magic, I'm interviewing Brian Lewis, better known as the Professor of Tolarian Community College. The Professor created the Magic community’s most subscribed YouTube channel, clocking in at over 200,000 subs. The Prof and I sit down to talk about how it all got started, what’s next, and the meaning of life, all on the next episode of Kitchen Table Magic. Listen to the Professor next week Tuesday 6/13/17 on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Soundcloud, and MTGCast.com.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Emma Handy, writer at Star City Games, competitor on the SCG tour, and Magic streamer. Emma is very thoughtful when it comes to writing her articles because she is an educator at heart. Emma started in Yugiyoh and joined the Magic community for a better culture and player attitude. After playing Magic at her local card store, Emma quickly became competitive to play at SCG Opens. Emma wrote about her experiences as a trans woman in the competitive Magic community, and that has resonated with many people. She cares deeply about making the community an inclusive and welcoming place. Emma and I also play Magic’s fifteenth most popular format, Flip It or Rip It. Go say hi to Emma on Twitter @Em_TeeGee https://twitter.com/Em_TeeGee Emma streams at https://www.twitch.tv/em_teegee Emma is also on facebook.com/EmmaHandyMTG And if you’re a Magic player looking for an amazing coach to improve your game, Emma is available! I will also be sharing links to Emma’s articles in the show not