Worst Magic: The Gathering Blunder In Pro Tour History

[@NikachuMTG]

Thanks for watching and SUBSCRIBE for more! Let's get to 100k! 😁

[@briancerkvenik9702]

O n l y if you stop making bathroom jokes

[@ClanzDream]

Fake. You aren't Nikachu. He doesnt ever smile.

[@joseadrianoferreira944]

Check game 5 of Gonçalo Pinto in Pro tour Dominaria final. He was ahead and played conservatively, just to loose :(

[@thekilla1234]

This is one of those situations where you keep picking the card up to read it again to see if the rules text changes.

[@ROYBGP]

Hostage Taker

[@doggosuchwow1593]

@@ROYBGP omg soooo relatable lmao! XD

[@Therodaas]

@@ROYBGP what's that do again? *yoinks up the card to rtc* damn, that's deece. *contemplates play then forgets what HT does, reyoinks card to rtfc again*

[@cbmadcow]

Or maybe if I keeping flipping my cards around in my hand will magically change them. I know they do this for a reason but seriously why do you have to keep playing with your cards in their hand.

[@liamwelsh4665]

@@cbmadcow to quote MTGRemy “I like to pass the time with friction”

[@lodagin]

Yeah, following the "play cards as late as possible" rule sometimes can make you do some dumb stuff. I do this all the time, so it's fair to assume anyone would while under the pressure of a grand final.

[@technole]

@CHEFF pool Yeah if anything current Innistrad teaches this well, effects that can only work on 2nd main phase, after creatures take damage, die to combat, etc.

[@Duskrequim]

I really find the way that "Pros" play to be the biggest issue. They are Way to jittery and make fast actions, while doing their constant shuffle. This leads to alot of mistakes. While they might "Appear" to people to be the "way to play as a pro"... It really is a BAD way to play magic.

[@technole]

@@Duskrequim constant hand shuffling makes me angry as a spectator. Like there is no advantage of doing that, using up energy that could be used for more brain power.

[@lodagin]

@@Duskrequim except the shuffling tic, I too tend to play pretty fast, so I end up making a lot of mistakes like the one in this video. Especially if I play digital.

[@Duskrequim]

@@technole Yeah... when I go to an LGS for FNM and someone is doing that, I usually catch them trying to cheat as well.

[@AlexOvTheAbyss]

This oddly reminded me of a game I played at an LGS years ago. Opponent attacked, it was my turn, went to combat on my turn, and then my opponent went "oh wait, no, I want to go back and attack with this instead, so I win". Don't miss playing against that guy.

[@VydeoGramesJunk]

I hate when people take back stuff tbh.

[@PuApOoK]

@@VydeoGramesJunk That's when you have to politely tell them, "Sorry, no. Your turn is over."

[@VydeoGramesJunk]

@@PuApOoK yesterday it happened where someone was literally arguing with me about my own cards, they were wrong. It took the judge 30 seconds to be like no, he's right and you're wrong. To be like I want to take that play back and do it completely differently, it's like bro wtf?

[@AlexOvTheAbyss]

@@VydeoGramesJunk I'm ok with people taking things back (or tapping mana differently, etc.) in a casual environment, and if it is the same phase. But after you've already passed turn and it's half way through the next? Yeah, no.

[@ShineDawg]

People need to learn from mistakes and not ask to take backs. I let my 5 year old replay mess ups, but not if you're at a shop playing locals. Let your mistakes be learning lessons. I remember like it was yesterday, twice I could of won on my turn and misplayed. The worst is when the other player over explains your mistake and just rubs it in. Best thing to do is just take the W and be kind to the losing player. All the best fam

[@Lanoraptor]

That was just heart breaking. I knew what I was getting myself into when I clicked on the video... but my heart still sank when he turned that card sideways. God damn. I had to pause the video and walk away.

[@eliamagri7413]

Me too man... My soul crashed... Same reaction...

[@T4N7]

Ya, I was waiting like "how did he mess up? Wut could possibly go wrong right now?" N then the tap n I screamed at my phone

[@pennastar]

Snap!!!!

[@BankaiFever]

I literally said “oh no” out loud when he did that. Smh

[@meekrab9027]

It was awful watching it live, just crushing.

[@travismcarthur8320]

So intense! I definitely feel for Yam. Reminds me of a kaladesh standard match where I was playing simic energy/+1 counters and on my last attack completely forgot to use my hashep oasis for the last bit of pumping I needed to win

[@mushimeep]

I threw a game with my witherbloom sacrifice deck by forgetting to attack with my eye twitch. Feels bad

[@philcoats6812]

Sorcery speed combat "trick" I used to play a lot of stompy, I've blundered with Hashep Oasis more than my fair share, I feel you.

[@ih7729]

Wow cool fuckup 😐

[@kelp-ist3469]

@@ih7729 don't think your perfect man cause sorry to burst your bubble but nobody's perfect

[@V2ULTRAKill]

I lose so many edh games by ignoring my board state and fishing for a combo

[@VinnieKielbasa]

13:22 Look at how nervous he is after the blunder. Almost as nervous as if he has to use a toilet, on an airplane, but he can't open the toilet door, and then someone comes up and opens it, but quickly goes inside, and now he has to wait for that person to finish, and he really needs to poop.

[@VinnieKielbasa]

I like how the people commenting already have the whole thing analyzed in their head, know which card would win the game and instantly realize that he shouldn't attack, one quarter of a second after he taps Hazoret. They not only have an astounding knowledge about Magic and the decks in the standard they're commenting, they also have such wits and grasp on what's going on there.

[@hoylematt1]

This moment sticks out in my mind so much, cause Yam Wing Chung always slow rolled the card off the top, yet he rushed into combat and performed the blunder.

[@riusaldregan]

KZbin suggested some of your videos to me and I really appreciate you explaining keywords like Indestructible. I haven't played MTG in decades but these are still very easy videos to follow along with.

[@NikachuMTG]

Glad to hear it! When I got back into Magic after an 8 year break it was really hard to follow so I appreciated the little details to explain the cards (if I ever got it)

[@Kaisingsens]

People probably underestimate how hard it is to play 2 days of 7-10 hours of highly competitive magic. I respect anyone who can keep it together to get this far in such a high level event! Plus the added pressure when you already got this far.

[@benjaminghazi787]

It’s a card game

[@brandonprice119]

@@benjaminghazi787 right and chess Is a board game. acute mental focus for long periods is taxing that's my point ... what's yours?

[@Jabberwocky818]

@@brandonprice119 I think his point is that he wants to express how ignorant he is.. I think he nailed it.

[@cameronkoblitz4248]

I just won a regional qualifier at a LGS and I can say even 1 day of 9 hours of competitive magic is exhausting.

[@TheKazzerscout]

@@benjaminghazi787 The most complicated game ever created, yes is also a card game.

[@alistaircushnie5551]

It's interesting, I heard an interview with Huey Jensen, he said he deliberately slows down as he is reaching lethal as most players tend to speed up. I have done similar when you can see the finishing line and your play speeds up and you make an error, not quite the same stakes though!

[@KolossusB]

Yep, especially in a situation like this where you're not running on the usual round timer. If you're in too much of a hurry to get to the finish line, you're liable to trip. If you're already in the lead all you need to do is keep an even pace. As it should be on your opponent to be sweating and dealing with racing thoughts at that point. The difference in experience level between the two plays made the difference on that day.

[@Xorthis]

As much as we can say, Yam should have won that, it comes down to the fact that Da Rosa handled himself better under pressure. They're playing the same cards, same deck, the difference is, he didn't misplay. That's what a world champion should be. Yep, Yam had an out. Sadly, he wasn't professional enough to keep cool and play the cards in the right order... Poor Yam though, he will probably relive tapping that Hazoret for the rest of his life. You could see how badly he wanted that win, right from when he was deciding to play it or not, down to pulling the spell he needed.

[@DXYS95]

Yeah, that's the difference between good players and average ones. Anyone can play the best deck, but it ultimately comes down to whoever makes the least mistakes throughout the tournament. Small stuff like this will often cost you the game

[@KAR1492]

@@DXYS95 I would hardly call Yam an average player though. He played incredibly well, but one mistake can make the difference between winning a tournament and becoming a KZbin cautionary tale.

[@brzzzy]

@@DXYS95 get outta here, the guy literally made 1 fatal mistake all tournament, your saying good players have to be perfect? any champion coulda made the same mistake, have some empathy unless you really think you can do better. I also disagree with saying "anyone can play the best deck", as anyone whose played enough magic knows, the timing, the order of the stack mean there are many decisions being made at a time that could each cost you the game. Retrospect is the only way to know if playing somethign turn one was the right move by the end of the game.. common

[@DXYS95]

@@brzzzy Are you all American in this comment section? Because you all seem to struggle with reading. I have never said that the guy playing Hazoret is trash at the game or anything. I said that the best players commit the least mistakes throughout the tournament and that, even though you're both playing the same deck, the most consistent player will come out on top most of the time. My point is: Da Rosa deserved to win, since he made less mistakes than his opponent.

[@brzzzy]

@@DXYS95 again disagree. We are watching a video of a final game in the tournament, you think no body made mistakes all tournament? They are all professional, sure the person who makes the least mistakes will do better, but every magic player has done what yam has done in a less competitive environment. You alsoweren’t there and frankly doesn’t sound like you play much magic, considering EVERY other comment shows some empathy for a mistake we all coulda made.

[@MakeThisPlaceIgnite]

These are really great videos for new players. As someone who already knows all of these historic Mtg moments it’s still nice to see this style video for players so everyone can enjoy the game the way I got to over the years

[@IronBrutzler]

Please more of those videos. I just got back into magic after 15+ years and it is awesome to see all this

[@arronthomas68]

Wasn't it so much fun back in the day. I remember playing when revised was popular. Back when you were disappointed if you pulled a dual land.

[@clarenceyax8117]

When you're in the heat of the moment and are thinking about all your possible situations and outs, and also plays your opponent may have based on what he has done, it is so easy to make a mistake like this in that brief moment when you get what you need and let your guard down. Classic, keep the content coming Nikachu!

[@DakonBlackblade2]

What makes this even crazier is that the crowd loudly gasps as Yam draws the only out that gives him the victory, so for sure Paulo knew Yam had lethal and that he had just gained a second lease on life. PVDDR went on to win this Pro Tour btw, and if I remember correctly he did not have too much of a hard time on the final match.

[@LucianDevine]

A much better outcome for PVDDR than the last time he was on the other side of a potential blunder like this in the top 8 of a pro tour.

[@Xylarxcode]

Wait, what? Is that really a thing? Back in my YGO days, they actually kicked a guy out because he audibly gasped at a guy's topdeck. He didn't do it intentionally and he definitely wasn't trying to share information. He was just mindblown that that particular card was drawn exactly when needed and instinctively gasped. They kicked him out, because they saw it as tipping off the opponent. You can't react to the things people draw in a way that gives the opponent information on what it might be. I thought for sure MTG would have a similar rule. People reacting to a card that got drawn is giving the opponent information and that kind of advantage could potentially lead to them changing a strategy they wouldn't have otherwise and completely change the game.

[@DakonBlackblade2]

@@Xylarxcode The rule does exist, but in a moment like that in a tournament this important shit may happen, but you can gear the gasps in the video when he draws the card. They have headsets on so maybe they can't hear it, but we certainly do.

[@jackalpwn42]

That's absolutely brutal. I think it's safe to say we've all been there at some point. Probably not with that much at stake but we've all had those top-tier misplays that would have won us the game.

[@Intellectualfreethinker]

In a low stakes commander tournament years ago when I was a new player, I had a cyclonic rift in my hand that would have saved me, but forgot it was an instant, and ended up randomly discarding it to my opponent's nath of the guild leaf. A crowd had formed to watch, and when I discarded it they all audibly went "OOHH!" That was over ten years ago, but it sure was embarrassing.

[@jackalpwn42]

@@Intellectualfreethinker It really do be like dat sometimes, we've all been there

[@shaneh5483]

This is similar to the dude who dropped the football before entering the endzone. They ended up losing the game. Note that I said that they lost the game, not they should've won that game. Found it. Philly vs Dallas in 2008 DeSean Jackson flicked the ball behind him before entering the endzone. That would have put them up by 6; they lost by 4 that game.

[@leandroteixeira33]

This eminds me of one game on SCG (I think it was Modern Living End vs Scapeshift). Top 8 match, 1 - 1 tie, Living End has lethal on board through blockers. Scapeshift tries to combo with 7 lands. With the 6 triggers on the stack, the LE player uses Beast Within on a land, making 5 of the 6 triggers fizzle. Instead of just going "untap, attack with everything, win" against a tapped out opponent, he just concedes the game on the spot in a moment where this was basically the only way to lose.

[@1nePercentJuice]

That was a hard one to watch. I love the content you're putting out Nikachu, keep it up man.

[@gustavoaffonso8942]

The sad thing is he actually played the game well strategically, but it's hard to keep your nerves under control in such a situation

[@stevenalvarez2924]

As a person who plays fighting games for fun. The blunders you make are as much your own fault as the great calls you make. It goes back to the old saying of, "The first to flinch loses." Chun flinched at a crucial moment and it cost him. Happens to the best of us.

[@lolitacarrion4468]

I think a lot of the more inexperienced players will attempt to match the speed that there opponents play at and thats a no no. Don't run down a clock but play at your own pace and THINK IT THROUGH!

[@guydunn8259]

This was a fun video. I would love more commentary on pro tour stuff its fun and educational!

[@NikachuMTG]

More to come!

[@harktischris]

That was crazy, I could almost physically feel the stress myself just from watching each player (the hand shaking, too)! I would be so bummed out if I made that blunder, I'd probably be on tilt, so props to the guy for getting it together and still playing sharply afterwards, even if it didn't amount to a game win.

[@wetwillyis_1881]

I love this series, Nikachu, please keep it going. This one in particular makes me so nostalgic. This pro tour, the one where Wyatt Draby won, and the last tournament where Izzet Phoenix was legal and kicking ass will always make me almost cry. Those tournaments are so memorable and bring me back to some of the best times I ever had playing magic.

[@NikachuMTG]

Ah okay!

[@ayyyyy7707]

@@NikachuMTG Learn how to read

[@RobJT]

Its funny and weird that Arena is much better visually but I find it worse to watch as competitive play than the real thing.

[@wetwillyis_1881]

@@RobJT I feel you mate.

[@lynk5902]

That is brutal. It is the same feeling in chess when you see the ability to checkmate your opponent and pick up the wrong piece. For those that don't know, tournaments all play touch-move meaning if you touch a piece and can legally move it on your turn, you must move that piece and not any other.

[@LucianDevine]

I find this especially interesting as this is not the first time that Paulo has been on the other side of the table when something like this happened in the top 8 of a pro tour! This is the first time he won though, as his opponent managed to find the line that would still beat him last time.

[@Vardaris]

I haven't watched the video yet. But i know which one is it and I remember watching it. I can still remember the pain in his facial expression . So sad. @Nikachu MTG there is a match between Kai Budde and Seth Manfield where Kai is mana screwed the whole game but hangs in there with Seth playing very well too and in the end Kai just steals the game with a trick. One of the best examples for all those people who just nag about their lands all the time. You should make a video about it.

[@NikachuMTG]

Sounds GREAT! I’ll look for it

[@maxiewawa]

@@NikachuMTG Or this one game where Seth from mtggoldfish is playing turbo fog against a mono red opponent, the guy just keeps attacking into Seth's fogs and nexus of fate, then MODO just decides to have a seizure, Seth can't log in in time and loses the match. Absolute classic. I've been watching Seth since Khans of Tarkir and that's my most memorable story! Never give up.

[@jamesbrains1350]

I remember watching this live and rich hagons improvised coverage after the game, so tough to watch i got so anxious watching the draw for incendiary flow. Pro tours were sick at this time, this moment and lsv's vampire bluff were legendary moments.

[@kccolossal3439]

I have to say I love watching your videos, very easy to understand what’s going on, you explain the situations in good detail, keep up your hard. I can definitely appreciate a good video

[@NikachuMTG]

I appreciate that!

[@kherubim1]

That misplay must have been extremely stressful for Yam, messing up on the sequencing of plays. I would have been on tilt if it happened to me.😖

[@deepvybes]

I'm just wondering why a "pro tourny" doesn't even have a place for hand cards to be placed down. The board looks so messy.

[@magusofthebargain]

Mistakes happen. Yam had exact lethal. Going to attack step too early put him 1 damage off lethal. Ouch.

[@chandir7752]

No he couldn't have put him to 1 because he's already in declare attackers. So he doesn't get to activate the ability before declaring attackers, meaning hazoret can't attack this turn no matter what. It didn't matter that the spells were sorceries.

[@EclipseHighroller]

@@chandir7752he never declared attackers, he picked up his Hazoret but never said he was attacking. He lost on a stupid rule assuming that when someone picks up a card it must be declare attackers

[@evilengine9]

I played MTG back in the day. It was a much simpler game back the. I’ve been out of it for a while, but stumbled across this channel and am LOVING IT! Keep up the great work and awesome videos!

[@NikachuMTG]

Welcome aboard!

[@Spayroe]

I remember watching this one live. I felt so bad for him. He played some amazing magic, and made that one little misstep.

[@deeperinsider2544]

not amazing enough!! 😂😂😂

[@54m0h7]

I get the feeling Nikachu was recently on a plane and really needed the washroom.

[@tonydiazist]

I actually need to learn not to hold back for main phase 2. It's valid in some strategies but in aggro you have to just be fast so play your sorceries main face 1 and then swing

[@GodlordBazi]

Not that much time ago I won the finals of a local tournament almost the same way. I was down to 5 life, opponent was down to 2, he had Hazoret on the field VS my Ahn-Crop Crasher and sadly I was one mana short of just shocking him into oblivion, so I had to pass the turn. He draws, becomes overly excited and moves to combat phase with two cards in hand. When the ref pointed out his mistake, he went from bad to worse and used shock on my face instead of my creature on top of it all. It honestly took me a minute to realise what had just happened there. Later it turned out that this guy was a major dyslexic and in the heat of the match he read my 3/2 as a 2/3, so in addition to his mistake he thought that his burn spell was one damage short of killing my only creature. Hell, my winning turn almost hurt me more than him.

[@jostew8846]

Hi Nickachu, been watching this over and over and your other videos - I just enjoy how you comentate which helps me relax at work. Nice job!!!

[@NikachuMTG]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching. Enjoy!

[@goodisgood153]

Keep the content coming Nikachu ! I rarely see channels who cover mtg pro history

[@DermoNONE]

Interestingly enough earlier that year Paulo had made a video of CFB using this exact interaction with Hazoret as an example

[@Tamyndris]

BOOM! Your video and that amazing (!!) art in those Amonkhet cards ingnited some fire for MTG, I must say ... Also "Hazoret Aggro" sounds really cool. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@TwoCentReview]

What is the music at 15:45? I have heard it somewhere else, but I can’t remember where…

[@NikachuMTG]

I don’t know the actual name but you can probably find it on KZbin as: Elevator Music - Gaming Background Music (HD)

[@AnthonyAllen-w4n]

Whats up with the "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire B.G.M. @13:20-15:10 and then it turns in F'Kin elevator music! 😆 😂

[@utes5532]

It's like both of these players think that playing a rush deck as physically fast as possible will make the cards deal more damage. I almost feel like Yam got psyched into playing really quickly by Paulo, leading to the mistake

[@andrewbmore1310]

Anxiety is NO JOKE. Did ya''ll see how His hands were shanking when he jumped the gun the first time? I felt his pain and almost couldn't even force myself to watch the whole video. Its my first time watching or hearing about this game. I did play MTG also and somewhat casually play now. That was tough.

[@joltman81]

Oh man, to be so close to the dream, and to screw up because your excitement moves faster than your brain. We've all been there. I also enjoyed piecing together the second story, about the Nikachu once got stuck in line for the bathroom on an Air Canada Flight, and the Captain made him wait... I've also been in that situation...

[@devindevore5857]

You have a strong personality. A fantastic narration ability. Just wanted to encourage you!

[@NikachuMTG]

Thanks! There's more to come!

[@devindevore5857]

@@NikachuMTG I'll be eagerly awaiting

[@cassandracastro2759]

Well, keeping your head cool under pressure is a skill, so I think the most skilled player won. In the end, the cards you get are random, there's no skill in that, but what you choose to do with what you get is what makes the difference.

[@AfroMyrdal]

I've only just found your channel and I've never played Magic, but I find these films really interesting. True nail biter!

[@bryantbravo9363]

I was playing arena a lot after the pandemic. Luminarch Aspirant works differently on paper. I went to a Pioneer event and I could have won a few rounds if I was aware of the Luminarch trigger at the beginning of combat instead when she attacks. I was told during a round the week after…

[@Nr4747]

Pros, just like us, are humans and make mistakes. There is a famous moment where an opponent of Lee Shi Tian played a Verdillion Clique against him in a Modern match to disrupt his combo - and simply forgot to use the trigger to look at Tian's hand a tuck away a combo piece ! Things like these simply happen, especially in high pressure situations.

[@daringtraveler]

I thought the worst blunder in history was the recent additions to R&D that put Saheeli Rai & Felidar Guardian in the same set block.

[@bayanimanansala5220]

Yam’s annoying behavior of slowly previewing EVERY draw bit him in the ass. He sets himself up to be surprised and excited every time he does that and in the end he actually excited himself too much that it cost him the match. And yes its annoying because it slows down the game. It might just be an extra 2-3 seconds but if you do it for every draw, that adds up to a lot of unnecessary waste of time.

[@lollyblaster]

man i feel so bad for him. ive seen insane blunders in many TCG tournaments, and i couldnt imagine the regret they carry

[@EricDMMiller]

Watching these videos and it always looks like the players are experiencing meth withdrawal. They're all twitchy as fuck and constantly moving shaking. It's ridiculous.

[@Mothedge]

Oof that's rough. That would've 100% put me on tilt. Good job playing through

[@seankeenan1983]

4 Hazoret Aggro Challenger decks was my introduction into MTG lol

[@sebastienyoakim904]

That red deck is the best deck I have ever played. It was so consistent and unstoppable. Crazy to think a simple misplay lost him so much.

[@johnfarrier715]

I love how the announcer was like “it’ll take 17 mins to see what he drew” 😂

[@Rigel_AlphaVersion]

Reminds me of that time I was a newbie in tournaments. I was playing Standard Eldrazi Green vs Caw Blade. I'm gonna cast Emrakul the next turn and needs to survive the attack from Inkmoth with sword. I forgot to activate my Wall of Tanglecord to have reach.

[@tmon3y777]

This video makes me glad I'm not on an airplane waiting in line to use the bathroom.

[@AnimateDead]

Still fairly new to mtg so forgive me but I believe yam should’ve won! I don’t understand why he was able to tap the card to attack if the text clearly states he can’t with his current hand. Shouldn’t he be safe? Or continue play? With out passing his attack turn? I’m Confused. 😵‍💫

[@NikachuMTG]

His problem is that he moved to the point of the turn where he is allowed to attack, but once he got there, he discovered that the Hazoret cannot attack. So he had to continue the turn without attacking.

[@AnimateDead]

@@NikachuMTG Ahhh I see, makes sense! Still a reall bummer, I feel real bad for the kid. But that chandra top deck to hand shake was savage by paulo haha.

[@saltedllama2759]

Shows how important experience can be. The big pressure moment, has the win, doesn't keep his cool.

[@tylahjames]

I just got into Pokémon the TCG a few weeks ago and have been watching a bunch of TCG videos here on KZbin. It’s a new hobby I’m venturing into along with my watches, wood working and Lego hobbies. I’m watching this and am thinking that announcer sounds so familiar, and then it clicked. As in his videos he has a MTG play mat or mouse pad on his work bench for his watches. I recognized the voice. Is that @WristwatchRevival announcing the match? Edit. I just did some research and found the full match and it 100% is lol. So random.

[@ForLorNVuLgaR]

Is your background white sound absorbers?

[@NikachuMTG]

yes

[@ForLorNVuLgaR]

@@NikachuMTG Dude thats such a great idea! Just shine whatever LED light and you have a dif background evry time!

[@NikachuMTG]

@@ForLorNVuLgaR correct! It's a lot of work to set up and I think most people would prefer to use a green screen. But I prefer to have it the LED way.

[@calebskillin2694]

that sucks, i lost in a similar way, paid to equip live wire lash, but never moved it to the creature i intended to equip it to, dumped 4 gut shots into the glistener elf to kill opponent with infect damage from the lash triggers. nope never announced or moved card. it was 2 am, final match of our local shops big tourney. stupid mistakes cost games. borborygmos comes to mind

[@karayi7239]

12:45 I mean.. hazoret can NOT be tapped, because it can NOT attack.. why does tapping it move you to combat? it's an illegal move, it should be re-winded with a warning or DQ. It's literally the equivalent of saying "I tap my forehead to attack you for 3 billion dmg", it's not a move you can make, it shouldn't count as combat initiation.

[@shinobu-39]

The last turn's destiny draw and misplay aside, what are your thoughts about attacking with Hazoret the turn before? Personally, I would probably have done the same and count on the odds. But since it's a mirror, did Paulo also play Hazoret? If so, if he drew Hazoret, he'd have 8 damage to kill Yam and that seems like a very big risk.

[@NikachuMTG]

Paulo had Hazoret in the deck. Hard to say if attacking or blocking was the best plan one turn earlier. It was a tough spot.

[@thekilla1234]

He most likely put himself as dead in 2 turns and wanted to set himself up to win in 2 turns. Every extra turn you give to your opponent in a mirror match when you are at disadvantage just makes the situation worse and worse, so while holding Hazoret back might have extended the game, each turn will likely increase his chance of losing. By attacking, he enables game winning draws which turns the game from a calculated high percentage win for PVDDR, to a coin flip for both players, which favours the losing player. Also remember that he always had the option to do what he did after accidentally skipping his combat step if he didn't draw the card for lethal, so missing the top deck wasn't an instant loss.

[@jordanharrison8769]

He'd die to exactly Hazoret either way, you swing there.

[@lastofusclips5291]

i can't imagine the stress level in that type of situation. part of playing at the elite level is to be able to manage your emotions and many just wilt when the stakes are high. i'd probably make worse mistakes in that situation lol

[@TenShadowsAl]

Awesome video Nikachu. Def feel bad for Yam. It is what it is though. Mistakes happen but I do enjoy watching aggro decks go at it

[@gailonebell2154]

I love how you really explain what's happening here. So many mtg videos are impossible to tell what's happening. Nikachu's are the best.

[@NikachuMTG]

Glad you think so!

[@fr3k4z0id]

I remember this.. I watched this live and got so frustrated I punched the wall and that gaping hole got Oko printed two years later. The hole was so big in the wall that eventually Wizards couldn't handle it and got Oko banned in the end.

[@noctisarcanus7894]

Why did you stop saying that you're a Merfolk Master at the beggining of your videos? Did you abbandon Merfolk? Is there a new master that is superior to you? What happened?

[@NikachuMTG]

I only say it when I'm making Merfolk videos on my stream channel. Most people can't relate to what I'm talking about.

[@DubWubby]

Love these pro play analysis videos!

[@jamesquiggins]

Anybody have the deck lists for this match or know where I can find them?

[@vargsieber]

Back when it happened it pissed me off, because Yam clearly won from the cards he drew and before the missplay wit the attack he piloted the game very well, but I see it a bit different these days, if you play in the semifinals of a pro tour you just can't make mistakes like that, even if you get excited. Sure PVDDR didn't deserve it, but he didn't do anything wrong either so a win is a win.

[@jeremycortes6349]

The opponent did something wrong and did not properly play to his outs by not sequencing correctly, paulo did. I personally wouldn’t say Paulo didn’t deserve it. You have to capitalize on mistakes, blunders, and opporunities given to you.

[@GoldenSunAlex]

@@jeremycortes6349 Yeah. He played better by not making a critical mistake. It's like if you're dominating your opponent in chess, then make a mistake that loses the Queen and lose, your opponent still deserved the win as they didn't screw up.

[@jeremycortes6349]

@@GoldenSunAlex exactly. It’s all a part of the game being played.

[@toddjones1480]

Why would anyone want games to be decided by the draw?

[@Goldschmitt]

Aww man.. Feel bad for the guy, but still, that's what happens when you are in a hurry.. Felt like when I discarded with Rielle before end of turn while having a Song of Creation and Psychosis Crawler on the board and losing the game while my last opponent was almost with no more life in a ''similar'' race situation.. Very sad..

[@MajestixComicsClix]

Was waiting for this one! Lol Can you do the top decks of Craig Jones and Gab?

[@NikachuMTG]

yes, it's on my to-do list.

[@Dgriffin425]

Maybe someone can clear this up for me, couldn't he have cast one of the burn spells in his hand as an instant, allowing him to then use the 5/4 as an attacker? Or does turning your creature sideways imply you're in a different part of thr combat phase

[@NikachuMTG]

turning the card sideways implied he was in the attack step and it was too late to cast a spell.

[@Dgriffin425]

@@NikachuMTG are you not allowed to cast instant speed spells while choosing your attackers?

[@Dgriffin425]

I'm an idiot. They're both sorceries lmao

[@NikachuMTG]

even if they were instant, when you enter the attackers step, the first thing you're allowed to do is attack or not. After that decision, you can cast instant or activated abilities. That's why he didn't activate Hazoret to dump a card, because it's too late.

[@maximerogues6999]

It might be a dumb question but, why Yam didn't use Hazoret's ability to discard a card and make it able to attack ? It would have dealt one damage less than if he played his burn spell but still ...

[@NikachuMTG]

Sadly when he declared his attack it was too late to activate the ability.

[@raphaelmorgan2307]

I feel for Yam, but when you ask who's the rightful winner... Paul. It sucks, but Yam messed up and it cost him the game. Sometimes that happens.

[@Sbiridiu]

Considering how the guy flushed an amazing victory straight down the toilet, I really dig all the bathroom analogies along the video.

[@natecatt2539]

I remember watching this live from Yam. I would’ve thrown a chair or flipped a table out of pure frustration.

[@josiahowen1974]

"You're opponent being bad is always an out." -Phil Gallagher

[@Meowmeow.age.6]

So if I pick up my creature... I am basically moving into attack? Even if I don't say anything?

[@NikachuMTG]

Not necessarily. But if you tap it and let go, you’re definitely trying to attack. We might not have heard it, but I believe Yam asked to attack before actually tapping the creature.

[@tayo-music]

Oh my god. I had to pause and just say “no” into my pillow like 40 times. That was so devastating. No matter what you already declares the combat phase. Crazy ass game

[@TheSLATEcleaner]

The worst blunder in Pro Tour History is the Finals of Pro Tour Chicago 1999. You can watch the entire match on KZbin [heads up, it's long]. Bob Maher Jr. [spoiler for a two decade old match] wins 3-2 in a match where his opponent [Brian Davis] should've gotten a clean 3-0. The old adage is "[Davis] is the only player to lose a Pro Tour 5-0". Everything about watching the set is painful, from the unsleeved copies of cards like Tundra and Wasteland getting riffle-shuffled to there being an in-person crowd close enough to heckle the players to the series of obvious misplay after misplay that led to Davis losing. If you ever have an hour and a half to spare and want to watch one of the most infamous Magic Finals of all time, I can't recommend it enough.

[@NikachuMTG]

I have a video showing one of the games from Davis-Maher ;) But I dont think it compares to having the match locked up in hand, knowing it, then failing to execute it properly.

[@GjemliKallinn]

If he enters declare attackers step and cant declare an attack with hazoret, cant he just use its ability and then declare an attack? Obviously he cant cause of what happened but why cant he use its ability?

[@NikachuMTG]

Once you go to the attack step, the first and only thing you're allowed to do is choose what attacks. But that number can be 0 attackers. Only after attackers are declared can you play spells and activate abilities. So once he got to the declare attacker step with 2 cards, he was stuck.

[@GjemliKallinn]

@@NikachuMTG ahh i see thank you very much

[@AnthonyAllen-w4n]

18:48 My man shat himself on that airplane... The entirety of all the passengers, And all the crew members, Threw Yam Wing Chun out the plane's door, And told him to fly, "Ya stinky bastard"! 😂😂😂😂😂

[@GreenFenril]

I think this is more nerves, or as my late step-father calls it, the "Yipies" Chun was about to knock off a MTG HoFer, and drew the nuts to make it happen. He got too excited he made that fatal mistake and went to combat. After playing magic for hours and going up against one of the greatest, things like this will happen. It just sucks when it does. In a situation like this, it's always smart to take a quick breather to gather your bearings, relax, and play the cards right

[@ThatsCrazyBro3752]

You picked the best picture to show someone in their prime, I salute you

[@fkylw]

Can I just note that at 14:19 Yam is just bending PVDDR's card repeatedly for virtually no reason?

[@andrewhoward6946]

It hurts to watch. I definately understand the instinct of "play your cards as late as possible for maximum information" but seeing him pass into combat with all his mana untapped was painful to watch.

[@xerowolf4242]

I know how bad something like this feels like. It was many years ago back it the mid 2000's. Ravnica: city of guilds had just been released recently. I had quit magic a couple years before this and was hanging out with some friends who still played looking at the new set and I came up with an idea for this deck. So I decided to go with them to a big tourney at Neutral Ground in NYC and was well on my way to winning. I was playing green/white with glare of subduel, scion of the wild, elves, birds, and lots of squirrel tokens. As far as I know, I think the deck was an original concept at the time. The best part was IT WAS ALMOST ENTIRELY MADE OUT OF CARDS FROM THE RAVNICA SET! lol. But I miscounted the amount of damage I could deal by 1 point in game 3 against my opponent and thought I had to hold back a defender and pray my opponent didn't topdeck his win condition. He did tho, and I lost. I could have got him to 0 and a stupid simple math mistake cost me the win lol. It still saddens me to this day thinking about it. That was the last tourney I ever played in and it would have been really nice to win it.

[@daverichards9141]

As someone once said, the key to wining magic is to wait for your opponent to make a mistake and capitalize on it.

[@DeezeeBreezee]

I would think that a card you can’t go to combat with if you have more than one card in your hand would not tap or declare combat off you had more than one card in your hand?

[@malcolmellis7734]

Really love how this adds to the lore of the mazah region

[@noahkingkong]

Why do people play shock instead on lightning bolt? It’s the same amount of mana but deals more damage I don’t understand

[@NikachuMTG]

The format they are playing is Standard, so they can only play cards from the last 5-8 sets. Lightning Bolt wasn't part of those sets at the time.