The Gam Podcast

In this benchmark, incredible episode, Gerry and Bryan welcome reigning World Champion Javier Dominguez to the podcast, fresh off his Top 4 finish at GP Lille. They discuss Javier’s incredible run the last few years, his gaming history, and how to got to be where he is now. If you want to know how a World Champion approaches competitive gaming, you can’t miss this episode. Music: Witcher 3 - Kaer Morhen Contact and Support: https://twitter.com/g3rryt https://twitter.com/bryango https://twitter.com/TheGAMPodcast thegampodcast@gmail.com Patreon.com/thegampodcast

Picking a Standard deck is tough these days. Is Golgari by far the best? Is it Selesnya’s time to reclaim glory? Has Mono-Red Aggro been a sleeper this whole time? Gerry and Bryan have Josh Cho join the show to discuss Standard, what they like, where the format is headed, and what to play this weekend. By the end of the episode, all three are on the same page! Music: Jamestown - Chyptune Timestamps: Decks we're leaning towards - 3:46 Golgari - 12:42 Jeskai Control - 27:51 U/R Arclight Phoenix - 35:58 Selesnya Tokens - 53:12 Metagame predictions - 59:18 Question of the week - 1:04:24 Contact and Support: https://twitter.com/g3rryt https://twitter.com/bryango https://twitter.com/TheGAMPodcast thegampodcast@gmail.com Patreon.com/thegampodcast

Bryan and Jonathan are back for the eleventh episode of Head GAMs! As promised, the hosts are continuing the discussion from last week’s episode, but this time they are focused on their greatest psychological strengths. What one aspect of Bryan’s psychological makeup has been most instrumental in shaping his approach to life? Why is Jonathan able to find success dealing with adverse times? How have these strengths improved not only the hosts’ lives, but also their approach to competitive performance? All this and so much more on this week’s Head GAMs! Don’t forget you can support the Head GAMs podcast and check out the great perks we’re offering our patrons over at www.patreon.com/HeadGAMsPodcast Contact and Support: patreon.com/HeadGAMsPodcast twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/JonathanACarter twitter.com/HeadGAMsPodcast headgamspodcast@gmail.com

Golgari is the deck to beat in Standard! Gerry and Bryan dissect the winning lists, talk about what they like and dislike, and where they would take Golgari moving forward. They also discuss what the other top decks can do to have a better chance against Golgari. What decks should you stay away from and which look poised for a breakout? Timestamps: Music: Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo - Character Select Golgari's Dominance - 5:00 Control Decks - 28:01 GW - 49:46 Question of the Week - 1:03:53 Contact and Support: https://twitter.com/g3rryt https://twitter.com/bryango https://twitter.com/TheGAMPodcast thegampodcast@gmail.com patreon.com/thegampodcast

Bryan and Jonathan are back for the tenth episode of Head GAMs! The hosts kick off the show by discussing a surprising aspect of last week’s cast that generated a groundswell of support and interest amongst Head GAMs listeners. Then it’s on to the main topic, as both Bryan and Jonathan reveal and discuss what they consider to be their biggest psychological weaknesses. They hold nothing back, sharing some of their own regrettable moments as they try to inspire listeners to work on their own faults. How was Jonathan damaging some of his most important relationships? How did Bryan’s inability to check his ego hurt his legal career? Don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom! Both hosts are optimistic that they can, and often do, control their worst faults, and they want to share with you how they’ve managed to do so. Plus, the hosts will be back next week to discuss their greatest psychological strengths! Don’t forget you can support the Head GAMs podcast and check out the great perks we’re offering our patrons

You asked for it, so you got it! Gerry and Bryan tackle this week's mammoth decklist dump that contains 51 (!) unique decks. They'll be back to their normal metagame analysis next week, but this was too good of an opportunity to pop up. If you like Standard technology, brews, metagame discussion, and talk of what's over-performing or under-performing (and that's why you're here, right?), you don't want to miss this nearly two hour long episode. Decklist dump: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/mtgo-standings/competitive-standard-constructed-league-2018-10-08 Music: Persona 5 Soundtrack - Will Power Why does MTGO exist? - 3:04 Abzan Control - 8:57 Jeskai Control - 11:50 Golgari Explore - 14:08 Boros Dragons - 16:46 Boros (ft. Path of Mettle) - 20:22 Jeskai Drakes - 24:44 Boros Angels - 26:05 Boros (ft. Miltia Bugler) - 28:19 Mono Red - 30:25 Grixis Control - 32:09 Abzan - 35:06 Mono Red Flame of Keld - 37:47 Golgari - 39:25 Izzet Drakes- 41:27 G/W - 43:39 Abzan - 44:58 Boros - 46:53 G/W - 49:03

Bryan and Jonathan are back for the ninth episode of Head GAMs! Didn’t get enough sleep after our last episode? No worries, the hosts continue last week’s discussion, picking up with some unanswered questions. Can you really learn in your sleep? How do prescription drugs affect sleep? Jonathan then gives a helpful guide for evaluating the quality of your own sleep. Finally, the show closes with some brief tips for making sure your nutrition is optimized at your next competition. Try these tips before your next event and see what proper preparation can do for you! Don’t forget you can support the Head GAMs podcast and check out the great perks we’re offering our patrons over at www.patreon.com/HeadGAMsPodcast Links: youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene Contact and Support: patreon.com/HeadGAMsPodcast twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/JonathanACarter twitter.com/HeadGAMsPodcast headgamspodcast@gmail.com

Guilds of Ravnica is out on Magic Online and the first results are in! Gerry and Bryan analyze the 5-0 metagame, deck by deck, all the while discussing their own experiences in Standard. If you're playing a tournament this weekend (or just want a head start in the format) you can't miss this one! Music: Mega Man 11 Fuse Man Theme Timestamps MTG Arena - 3:37 Goblins - 7:21 Golgari - 10:37 Boros - 17:36 Mono Blue - 22:13 U/W Control - 24:45 Boros Angels - 28:54 Golgari Bryan's list - 30:22 Grixis Midrange - 31:17 U/B Surveil - 34:39 Mono Green - 39:18 Mono Red Dragons - 41:11 Boros Midrange - 42:54 Abzan - 46:20 Jeskai control - 48:10 G/W Tokens - 51:25 Mono Red - 55:50 G/W knights - 56:54 Bant Midrange - 1:01:02 Mono White - 1:04:01 Question of the Week - 1:12:36 Contact and Support: twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/TheGAMPodcast thegampodcast@gmail.com Patreon.com/theGAMpodcast

Wake up people! Bryan and Jonathan are back for the eighth episode of Head GAMs! The hosts are putting on their pajamas, getting comfy, and leading a talk about settling down for a good night’s sleep. Why do so many of us treat sleep as an afterthought, when it has such a dramatic effect on our performance? What happens to us physiologically when we are sleep deprived? Are there potential solutions available for those among us who are problem sleepers? Bryan talks through his own historical problems with sleep and Jonathan drops his usual tidbits of knowledge throughout the cast, challenging our listeners to treat sleep as an important part of their performance regimen. Don’t sleep on this episode! Don’t forget you can support the Head GAMs podcast and check out the great perks we’re offering our patrons over at www.patreon.com/HeadGAMsPodcast Contact and Support: patreon.com/HeadGAMsPodcast twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/JonathanACarter twitter.com/HeadGAMsPodcast headgamspodcast@gmail.com

We try to not be a drama podcast, but Gerry's experience at the World Championship is something that must be talked about. Bryan had some personal questions regarding the weekend that he'd been pondering, and Gerry is happy to answer them. They also delve into the various myths surrounding the release of a new set. Is it strategically correct to play aggro or at least be proactive? How does having all purpose answers like Assassin's Trophy change the equation? Music: Braid Timestamps: Gerry protesting Worlds - 2:11 New Standard - 27:00 What we would play week 1 - 56:58 Question of the Week - 1:04:02 Contact and Support: twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/TheGAMPodcast thegampodcast@gmail.com Patreon.com/theGAMpodcast

Bryan and Jonathan are back for the seventh episode of Head GAMs! This week, the hosts are talking through their own experiences with burnout in the professional and competitive realm. After defining exactly what the term means, the hosts give helpful tips for identifying burnout in ourselves and others. Bryan then posits a controversial opinion regarding what he sees as a common and unjustified response to competitive burnout. And finally, as always, Jonathan has some concrete steps we can take to alleviate the stress of burnout. Don’t forget you can support the Head GAMs podcast and check out the great perks we’re offering our patrons (including the first of our newly announced vlogs!) over at www.patreon.com/HeadGAMsPodcast Contact and Support: patreon.com/HeadGAMsPodcast twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/JonathanACarter twitter.com/HeadGAMsPodcast headgamspodcast@gmail.com

The full Guilds of Ravnica preview is up, so it means time to do call our Top 10s from the set! Gerry and Bryan agree on a lot of things, but the top of their GRN lists aren’t it. Music: Undertale Bryan's honorable mention - 3:49 Gerry's honorable mention - 8:32 Gerry's #10 - 9:31 Bryan's #10 - 13:11 Gerry's #9 - 15:14 Bryan's #9 - 19:48 Gerry's #8 - 23:00 Bryan's #8 - 24:47 Gerry's #7 - 27:25 Gerry's #6 - 31:13 Bryan's #6 - 33:27 Gerry's #5 - 36:36 Bryan's #4 - 41:31 Bryan's #3 - 42:38 Gerry's #2 - 46:18 Question of the week - 57:06 Contact and Support: twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/TheGAMPodcast thegampodcast@gmail.com Patreon.com/theGAMpodcast

Bryan and Jonathan are back for the sixth episode of Head GAMs! This week, the hosts sent out questions related to past show topics to a bunch of listeners. Join Bryan and Jonathan as they explore and discuss listener responses related to past failures, issues with motivation, and so much more. If you’d like to participate in the next listener focused show, we’ve got good news for you. There are a limited number of participation slots available as a reward over on our brand-new Patreon page! Come support the Head GAMs podcast and check out the great perks we’re offering our patrons over at www.patreon.com/HeadGAMsPodcast Contact and Support: patreon.com/HeadGAMsPodcast twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/JonathanACarter twitter.com/HeadGAMsPodcast headgamspodcast@gmail.com

It’s preview season and, as expected from a Ravnica set, the hits don’t stop coming! Join Gerry and Bryan as they tackle cards like the format defining Assassin’s Trophy, the difficult to evaluate Dream Eater, Vraska, Niv-Mizzet, Izoni, and everything else. Music : Celeste Timestamps: Assassin's Trophy - 3:29 Vraska, Golgari Queen - 6:49 Find Finality - 10:45 District Guide - 14:17 Izoni, Thousand-Eyed - 19:21 Molderhulk - 21:35 Nullhide Ferox - 24:28 Mausoleum Secrets - 27:41 Midnight Reaper - 29:28 Deafening Clarion - 32:10 Response Resurgence - 35:40 Goblin Cratermaker - 37:42 Niv-Mizzet, Parun - 38:55 Expansion Explosion - 42:12 Ionize - 44:18 Chemister's Insight - 45:54 Arclight Phoenix - 52:17 Dream Eater - 55:45 Notion Rain - 58:32 March of the Multitudes - 1:03:24 Bounty Agent - 1:06:02 Beast Whisperer - 1:07:21 Guildmage's Forum - 1:11:10 Question of the Week - 1:13:34 Contact and Support: twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/TheGAMPodcast thegampodcast@gmail.com patreon.com/theg

Bryan and Jonathan are back for the fifth episode of Head GAMs! The listeners have spoken again, and they asked us to spend this week’s episode discussing motivation. How does motivation relate to self-determination theory? What’s the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation? How can we tap into our core values to provide us the motivation to pursue self-improvement? All this and more on this episode of Head GAMs! Links: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ National Suicide Hotline – 1-800-273-8255 Contact and Support: twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/JonathanACarter twitter.com/HeadGAMsPodcast headgamspodcast@gmail.com

The first wave of Guilds of Ravnica previews are out, and we cover them all! From mechanics to manabases, everything is covered. Music: Donkey Kong Country 2 Timestamps: New mechanics - 0:58 The mana - 8:31 Legion Warboss - 12:33 Ral, Izzet Viceroy - 16:29 Thought Erasure - 20:42 Underrealm Lich - 26:43 Emmara, Soul of the Accord - 30:11 Boros Challenger - 33:54 Quasiduplicate - 35:12 Sinister Sabotage - 37:43 Macabre Hatchery - 38:48 Impervious Greatwurm - 40:20 Firemind's Research - 41:48 Narcomoeba - 43:59 Status and Statue - 51:31 Conclave Tribunal - 57:00 Moodmark Painter - 1:00:02 Question of the Week - 1:09:36 Contact and Support: twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/TheGAMPodcast thegampodcast@gmail.com www.patreon.com/thegampodcast

Bryan and Jonathan are back for the fourth episode of Head GAMs! This week, listeners chose the topic of discussion via Twitter poll, and people wanted to hear all about Impostor Syndrome. How does Jonathan define Impostor Syndrome? Who among us is suffering from this pervasive form of self-doubt? How does Impostor Syndrome affect our ability to perform, and what can we do to overcome this mode of thinking? Bryan and Jonathan share experiences from their own battles with Impostor Syndrome and provide advice designed to help put Impostor Syndrome behind you. All this and more on this episode of Head GAMs! Contact and Support: twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/JonathanACarter twitter.com/HeadGAMsPodcast headgamspodcast@gmail.com

It’s the week before preview season, and that means it’s perfect time for a “level up” episode, heavily inspired by the workings of Michael Majors! Gerry and Bryan talk about decks from Magic’s past that seemingly showed up out of nowhere, even though the pieces were there the whole time. They make the case for devouring information and not dismissing anything, even if it’s not quite there yet, in the hopes that their listeners can be on the forefront of technology. What do each of these decks and engines have in common? Bryan’s Friday article on StarCityGames.com is the perfect companion piece. Music: Dragon Ball FighterZ Timestamps: Rotation & Head GAMs - 3:30 Main topic - 8:12 Question of the week - 53:50 Contact and Support: twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/TheGAMPodcast thegampodcast@gmail.com www.patreon.com/thegampodcast

Bryan and Jonathan are back for the third episode of Head GAMs! This week, the hosts are talking about practice. Not a game… practice. The discussion starts with the oft-cited “10,000 hour” rule. Does it really take 10,000 hours to become an expert at something? Jonathan then introduces his four-step system for effective practice and references his experience working with some of the top esports competitors in the world, including stories about how the best of the best practice their craft. Your preparation for your next big event starts here—with Head GAMs! Contact and Support: twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/JonathanACarter twitter.com/HeadGAMsPodcast headgamspodcast@gmail.com

Despite having to drop out of Grand Prix Los Angeles due to a migraine, Gerry learned two key secrets to winning in Standard. While it might be too late for him to utilize that knowledge, it’s perfect timing for those trying to win an RPTQ in the coming weeks. Even Bryan is on board! For those playing Modern this weekend, Bryan shares his perfect metagame deck. Oddly enough, Gerry agrees with him! The GAM Podcast is in perfect harmony this week. Music: Starcraft Protoss Victory Theme Timestamps: GPLA - 2:02 Sorcerous Spyglass - 10:16 R/B - 21:34 Grixis - 38:22 Modern - 44:54 Contact and Support: twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/bryango twitter.com/TheGAMPodcast thegampodcast@gmail.com www.patreon.com/thegampodcast