SCG Open Series Las Vegas!!

VIVA LAS VEGAS!!!

SCG Las Vegas Staff!

This week I visit Sin City, but I come not for the gambling, women, booze, shows, or the food. I come for MAGIC THE GATHERING!!!
The StarCityGames Open Series visited Las Vegas this past weekend, and I had the pleasure of being on staff for it, and WOW! was I happy! This city is amazing, with so many things that I would never get to see, I almost want to move here after this weekend!

KISS

MORE KISS!

I arrived in Vegas, and my hotel roommate for the weekend, Louis Fernandes, had not arrived (turns out his flight got delayed), so I met up with Amber Golden, an alterist and token generator I have had the pleasure to be at events for in the past. We decide to check out the MONSTER MINI-GOLF presented by KISS! This place was right down the road from where we were staying, and we decided to be kids again and play the video games they had. This was a blast! We won some tickets and got some cheap toys, you know, what everyone did as a child! There was a wedding chapel there as well.....luckily Amber is taken, and I escaped Vegas un-hitched lol!

THE FIELD!

Saturday starts off, and I am on deck checks...again....with a new team that I had not worked with. My team lead was Arturo Picazo, Adam White, and Will Bumgardner.  I did however recognize Adam White as "Taz" from a couple GP's I had attended in the past. Head Judge Eric Shukan gave us our instructions, and we started!

Judges getting ready to collect decklists

This was my team lead, Arturo Picazo's first team lead detail, but with Taz, Will, and myself on the team, everything went pretty smooth. We didn't really have that many problems....Those would present themselves on Sunday.

Sunday Legacy rolls around, and my new head judge, Jeremy Behunin, splits us off into our teams. I am AGAIN on deck checks, so I request to work side events. He allows it, and I head off to run the 8 man drafts, tourneys for a box, the 2 headed giant, and the called draft. Those that know me know that I loves me some side events, but became disappointed when I got pulled off of them to go back on the main event, because another judge was having some problems on it. I returned to check on side events, and he was having problems too, so I took this as an opportunity to help another judge. It didnt appear that he wanted the help, or thought he needed the help, but after he had a chat with Nicholas Sabin, he approached me and wanted to chat.
I discussed with him how he can improve his interaction with other judges, and to ask for help when he needs it. The family of judges is just that...A FAMILY. We all want each other to succeed and grow, and are more than willing to help another out when they need it. As it turns out, there is not a Las Vegas-based L2, so I may want to consider this as my relocation desination....who knows. I want to end up in a location that I can grow as a judge, and can grow the Magic and Judge community, so a location that seems to be in need will be the correct fit for me when I am done with this journey.

Limo down the Las Vegas Strip!

Dinner at the Luxor

panna cotta, tiramisu, and oreo cheesecake 

pork adobo, chicken piccata, and dover
sole w/ chili sauce

Tournament done, now it's time to see the scene!!! Taz, Bumgardner, Nick Rutkowski, TJ Morrison, Peter Golightly, and myself jump into a limo and tour the strip, on our way to the Luxor for the EPIC buffet, as suggested by Nick. The food was so amazing, everything was some of the best that I had eaten of its type in a while! I would absolutely recommend the buffet at the Luxor if you want good food and a great casino to visit!


flank steak w/ portobello sauce, prime rib with
creamy horseradish sauce, potatoes and gravy,
and bean blend



chilled snow crab and shrimp

TAZ channeling his inner baldy!



I departed Las Vegas on Monday, feeling pretty good about myself. I got to learn from senior judges, got to mentor an up and coming judge, got to see some amazing sights, and may have found another choice to final destinations. All in all, the trip was worth the long travel from the east coast....to the west coast...back to the east coast, as I am in Buffalo, NY this weekend.
Until next time!
Mikey