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Chris Pikula
Demographics
Nickname Meddling Mage
Residence Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States
Nationality {USA} American
Professional Career
Pro Tour debut Pro Tour New York 1996
Top Finishes 3 (0 wins)
GP top 8s 5 (0 wins)

Christopher Pikula is an American former professional player. He was one of the game's early stars, debuting at the very first Pro Tour in New York; he reached the top eight of two Pro Tours in 1996, and a third at the 1998 World Championships.[1]

History[ | ]

Pikula was known for his anti-cheating stance and has been given some of the credit for cleaning up the Pro Tour.[2][3] He retired from professional play in the early 2000s, but continued showing up for the occasional Pro Tour and Grand Prix. He won the 2000 Magic Invitational in Kuala Lumpur, resulting in the creation of Meddling Mage.

Since the introduction of the Hall of Fame, Pikula has been close to being voted in. In 2006, he received the sixth most votes, where the top five made it to the Hall of Fame.[4] In 2013, he received 38.4% of the votes, where 40% was the necessary threshold for Hall of Fame induction.[5] After 2013, the required Pro Points to be on the Hall of Fame ballot was increased to 150, meaning Pikula, with 135 points at the time,[6] was no longer eligible. Since then, Pikula has attended multiple Grand Prix events to reach 150 points and get back on the ballot; this was featured in the 2016 documentary "Enter the Battlefield".[7] He reached the 150 point threshold during the 2016–17 season and posted his first Premier Event top eight in 12 years when he finished fourth at Grand Prix Orlando 2017. Back on the Hall of Fame ballot for the 2017 voting, Pikula reached the previous threshold for induction, earning 41.1% of the votes; however, the threshold for induction into the hall had been raised before the 2017 voting, and so he did not make it.

Accomplishments[ | ]

Season Event type Location Format Date Rank
1996–97 Pro Tour Atlanta Sealed Deck 15–17 September 1996 7
1996–97 Pro Tour Dallas Standard 22–24 November 1996 4
1997–98 Worlds Seattle Special 12–16 August 1998 6
1998–99 Grand Prix Kansas City Extended 27–28 March 1999 2
1998–99 Grand Prix Washington, D.C. Limited 19–20 June 1999 2
2005 Grand Prix Chicago Team Limited 18–19 December 2004 3
2005 Grand Prix Philadelphia Legacy 12–13 November 2005 2
2016–17 Grand Prix Orlando Limited 25–26 March 2017 4

Source: Wizards.com

Pro Tour results[ | ]

List of the Pro Tour results and winnings of Chris Pikula
Season Pro Tour Format Finish Winnings
1996 New York Standard (New York Style) 26
1996 Los Angeles Booster Draft 122
1996 Colombus Block Constructed 26 $1,500
1996–97 Atlanta Sealed Deck 5 $5,500
1996–97 Dallas Standard 3 $9,000
1996–97 Los Angeles Rochester Draft 208
1996–97 Paris Block Constructed 72
1996–97 New York Booster Draft 97
1996–97 Worlds (Seattle) Special 49 $500
1997–98 Chicago Extended 167
1997–98 Mainz Rochester Draft 81
1997–98 Los Angeles Block Constructed 20 $2,050
1997–98 New York Booster Draft 54 $470
1997–98 Worlds (Seattle) Special 6 $5,500
1998–99 Chicago Booster Draft 98
1998–99 Rome Extended 38 $840
1998–99 Los Angeles Rochester Draft 329
1998–99 New York Block Constructed 156
1999–00 Washington, D.C. Team Limited 80
1999–00 Chicago Extended 214
1999–00 Los Angeles Booster Draft 204
2000–01 New York Team Limited 64
2000–01 Chicago Standard 139
2001–02 New York Team Limited 51
2001–02 New Orleans Extended 32 $1,250
2001–02 San Diego Rochester Draft 278
2002–03 Boston Team Limited 117
2003–04 Seattle Team Limited 8 $2,400
2005 Atlanta Team Limited 84
2011 Philadelphia Modern and Booster Draft 312
2013–14 Theros in Dublin Standard and Booster Draft 33 $1,500
2016–17 Hour of Devastation in Kyoto Standard and Booster Draft 438
2017–18 25th Anniversary in Minneapolis Team Constructed 42 $2,000

Source: Wizards.com

External links[ | ]

References[ | ]

  1. Mark Rosewater (July 10, 2020). "Drive to Work #756 - Chris Pikula". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  2. Toby Wachter (2002-06-19). "Interview: Chris Pikula Part 1". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2016-05-13.
  3. Ted Knutson (2004-12-17). "The Magic University - Cheaters Always Prosper". Star City Games. Retrieved on 2016-05-13.
  4. 2006 Ballot. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. 2013 Ballot. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. Statistical Breakdown of 2013 Candidates. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. Enter the Battlefield - Life on the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour. Wizards of the Coast (2016-04-26). Retrieved on 2016-05-13.
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