195: Don't Stop and Don't Quit with Jorge Mantilla

04/28/17 • 38 min

MTG Pro Tutor - Insights, Tips & Advice from Magic: The Gathering Pros

Jorge Mantilla is 28 years old and was born in Miami, Florida. He started out by playing Poker and sneaking into casino's throughout high school to make extra money. He’s a well known Spearfisherman through his videos on youtube/Instagram. He started playing Magic after Dragons of Tarkir and fell in love with Limited. He’s been to 2 Grand Prix's - Atlanta, where he won the last 4 rounds in a row to make day 2 and Orlando where he made Top 8. Jorge lives in Miami, Florida.

Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Jorge Mantilla when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep195

First Set

Dragon of Tarkir

Favorite Set

Kaladesh

Favorite Card

Walking ballista

Early Challenge

Side boarding and deck building. Every time Jorge lost in Limited, he would look at his opponent's deck at ask why was each card in that deck.

Worst Magic Moment

Losing his first PPTQ win-and-in. Jorge learned the importance of early pressure and keeping good hands.

Proudest Magic Moment

Top 8 at GP Orlando.

What Have You Learned From Magic

Confidence and being nice to people.

Advice to New Limited Players

Watch a good drafter and learn why they chose what they did.

Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself

"I have the confidence to achieve my goals."

Biggest Mistake Players Make

Not keeping track of the board state.

How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event

Jorge did a Limited event online every day for about 8 months.

What's in Your Tournament Bag

Draft box: Lands, tokens, sleeves, paper, dice

Parting Guidance

Play frequently. Don't stop. Don't quit.

Magic Resource

Twitch.TV, CFB

Connect With Jorge Mantilla

Jorge can be found in the MTG Pro Tutor Facebook group.

Check Out Magic Story

Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community.

Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com

Sponsors

Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Jorge Mantilla when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep195

First Set

Dragon of Tarkir

Favorite Set

Kaladesh

Favorite Card

Walking ballista

Early Challenge

Side boarding and deck building. Every time Jorge lost in Limited, he would look at his opponent's deck at ask why was each card in that deck.

Worst Magic Moment

Losing his first PPTQ win-and-in. Jorge learned the importance of early pressure and keeping good hands.

Proudest Magic Moment

Top 8 at GP Orlando.

What Have You Learned From Magic

Confidence and being nice to people.

Advice to New Limited Players

Watch a good drafter and learn why they chose what they did.

Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself

"I have the confidence to achieve my goals."

Biggest Mistake Players Make

Not keeping track of the board state.

How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event

Jorge did a Limited event online every day for about 8 months.

What's in Your Tournament Bag

Draft box: Lands, tokens, sleeves, paper, dice

Parting Guidance

Play frequently. Don't stop. Don't quit.

Magic Resource

Twitch.TV, CFB

Connect With Jorge Mantilla

Jorge can be found in the MTG Pro Tutor Facebook group.

Check Out Magic Story

Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community.

Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com

Sponsors

Previous Episode

194: You Need a Little Hubris with Kasper Nielsen

Kasper Nielsen is a new face on the Pro Tour as he just made his first Grand Prix Top 8 at Utrecht 2017. Kasper lives in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Kasper Nielson when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep194

First Set

Tempest

Favorite Set

Theros (least favorite) lol

Favorite Card

Snapcaster mage

Early Challenge

Qualifying for the Pro Tour. Kasper would make it to the finals/qualifying rounds and lose. He finally broke through at GP Utrecht.

Worst Magic Moment

Kasper got a win he didn't deserve because he didn't understand the cards and the judge he asked were confused.

Proudest Magic Moment

Making top 8 at GP Utrecht 2017. Kasper was so excited to finally making it to the Pro Tour.

Biggest Mistake Players Make

Underestimating yourself and your chances, especially against a "known" player. This happens with local "and losses". A little degree of hubris is good in a player. Say "I'm going to beat this player" or at least "I can beat this player."

How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event

At the previous GP, Kasper studied the best decks and talked to others about which deck beat which others and why. He chose a deck and started practicing. He took a deck to a friend's house and played the mirror for 5 hours so he could deeply understand the deck. He attended local events to stay sharp nad then when Utrecht came he studied the meta again, chose a deck and practiced - a lot.

Parting Guidance

Remember to have fun!

Magic Resource

Twitch.TV, CFB

Connect With Kasper Nielsen

Twitter:@ks_nielsen

Check Out Magic Story

Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community.

Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com

Sponsors

Next Episode

196: GP Champion Corey Baumeister on Building a Successful Magic Network

Corey Baumeister is a Gold Level Professional Magic player who has 2 Grand Prix top 8's to his name including a win in New Jersey 2017! He also has 1 top 16 and 2 top 32 finishes at the Pro Tour. Corey lives in Fargo, North Dakota.

Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Corey Baumeister when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor! Listen here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep196

First Set

Onslaught

Favorite Set

Ravnica City of Guild

Favorite Card

Ogre savant

Early Challenge

Deck design during new sets.

Worst Magic Moment

Pro Tour Austin. Corey was playing a win-and-in match for Top 8 of the Pro Tour. Corey misplayed because he didn't know the matchup.

Proudest Magic Moment

Winning Grand Prix New Jersey 2017.

What Have You Learned From Magic

Recognizing mistakes and adjusting.

Best Format

Standard

Advice for New Standard Players

Follow events and see what's winning. Find answers to that deck by scouring legal cards.

Deepest Thing You've Learned About Yourself

Don't be so critical of yourself.

Biggest Mistake Players Make

Using luck as a crutch for your losses. It takes a smart player to realize they did something wrong.

How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event

Corey played hundreds of games leading up to the Grand Prix. He knew his deck inside and out.

What's in Your Tournament Bag

Boogie board, stockpile of cards, dice

Parting Guidance

If you have the will to chase the dream then don't quit playing.

Magic Resource

Knowledgeable friends

Connect With Corey Baumeister

Twitter:@CoreyBaumeister

Check Out Magic Story

Magic Story brings the lore of the Multiverse to life in an audio presentation never before heard in the Magic community.

Listen to Episode 1 here or on www.magicthestory.com

Sponsors

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