Breaking Down Grand Prix Trials

At a recent Grand Prix Trial (GPT),  a number of people asked me why we were using decklists. They cited a change to the tournament rules that decreed GPT's now be run as Regular (casual) rules enforcement level (REL). While they were in the same ballpark of correctness, there was a misunderstanding; I thought it would be a good idea to clarify any confusion.

TL;DR AT THE BOTTOM

A change was made recently stating that GPT's can be run as either Regular REL or Competitive REL. Prior to this, they could only be run at Competitive REL.

Very quick summary of the differences between the two:

Regular REL focuses on creating a more casual environment that is more inexperienced-player friendly. Penalties are rarely given out, logistics put in place such as decklists and registration of sealed pools are ignored in favour of a quicker and more relaxed tournament.

Competitive REL, in turn, is stricter in order to discourage breaking rules, or sloppy play. This encourages players to play fairly and cautiously.

It's crucial to emphasize that Competitive REL does not mean the event isn't about having fun. FNM's should be fun; Pro Tours should be fun; Magic should always be fun, and we have a long list of policies to ensure that.

One REL is not strictly better than the other which is why the option to run GPT's at either REL exists. Several factors go into a tournament organizer's choice, and I'll go over some of these below.

Appealing to new customers:

When organizing regularly scheduled tournaments like Friday Night Magic, it’s a given to consider your dedicated player base since they're the ones that are going to be there. You'll rarely pull players from other stores for weekly events

Special events like GPT's are a chance to draw in new players. As long as there are no similar events going on that day, all players within driving or public transit distance are potential customers. This is where an organizer may deviate from their REL of choice to appeal to a different audience.

Rewarding regular customers:

I've heard it many times. Stores running GPT's, or Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifiers (PPTQ) as a service to their established player base; they're unlikely to branch out to other stores but may want to try something new.

If a stores regulars want to try something competitive, the organizer may run it as Competitive REL; if the player base is casual, they may want the event to reflect that rather than reach out to new players.

Prizes. Prizes. Prizizes:

It's suggested by the Wizards Play Network that how you run tournaments should match what your intended prize structure is. High prizes should be seen as more competitive as the incentive to break the rules is there. Cheating is less likely when it's a few extra packs on the line, whereas $500 worth of whatever can inspire terrible actions.

Most players don't cheat, regardless of REL, and some players do cheat at Regular, but if there's a lot on the line, it is a good idea to take precautions.

Paying a judge:
This ties in with the prizes issue. Regardless of REL, all GPT's need a certified judge; some stores have an owner which is certified, or an employee who can run the event while on shift (which I don't recommend using if the event is going to be over 16 players) in which case paying a judge isn't a cost factor.

Most stores need to get outside help, and this help costs money. It's tough to justify this expense when you're only pulling in $5 per player. This may encourage stores to raise the price, subsequently raising the prize support - because no one wants to pay $20 to win three packs - which, as mentioned above, would be a better fit for Competitive REL.

TL;DR

1. GPT's can be run as Regular REL events, or Competitive REL events.
2. How that's decided is up to the organizer, and the only suggestion provided by Wizards of the Coast is to calculate entry fee and prizes into the decision. Everything else is up to the judgement of the organizer to decide what is best for their store.
3. Competitive REL events use decklists.
4. Some stores may opt to run an event as Regular REL while still using decklists

If you're ever curious as to why stores run events a certain way, it never hurts to ask.

Until next time, keep it fun.

Max Knowlan