Going into the 2019 Magic World Championship from His Family

If you would describe Raphael Levy in a word, he is a great father.

Image Copyright : Wizards of the Coast

From the first time he played in the Pro Tour in 1997 to the Pro Tour Ixalan which was held in 2017, he has an astounding career of playing in the Pro Tours for 91 times in a row. The hall of fame standing on the stage of competitive Magic has “declined” from a Pro Tour just once when it was on the same day as his son was born. We can’t talk about the numerous achievements he has done, but his glorious results include 3 Pro Tour Top8s, 23 Grand Prix Top8s (including winning the trophy 8 times), and leading the team to victory as a team captain in the 2013 World Magic Cup.

His principle of action has been not for just himself, but for the whole world of Magic. He appealed to the players to “suit up” in the Pro Tour-Berlin 2008, aiming for the development and prosperity of Magic, standing between the players and the Wizards of the Coast. He took part in the Magic Celebrity Cup last year and has been cooperative for doing th promotion of Magic.

He has earned Mythic points constantly last season and got in the Top 4 of Challengers to get a seat in the 2019 Magic World Championship.

Full-Time Pro to Full-Time Daddy

――Has your life as a full-time professional Magic player changed after your child was born?

Image Copyright : Twitter from Raphael Levy

“The changes were enormous. It changed my whole life.”

“Managing your time is important. There isn’t much time to play around. You need to make time to prepare for the Pro Tours and at the same time it’s important to spend time with your family too.”

“Watching my son growing and to always have some extra time you can use for him are the most important things.”

Best Partner

――here are many Magic players that have partners in Japan. Do you have any good ideas to a take balance between your life with your family and your hobbies like Magic, as a professional player of Magic and a father?

Image Copyright : Twitter from Raphael Levy

“The secret is to find your best partner. My wife is great. She understands how important it is to prepare for a tournament, and she knows I can’t leave it half done. I leave her in charge of the whole house while I’m preparing for the Pro Tours.”

“Of course, when the tournament is over and I’m back home, I pay her back and take care of our family. Luckily, we don’t have a big event every weekend so we can take some time to rest ourselves.”

――So, she understands your style of working well.

“That’s true. Were we talking about hobbies? I practice Jiu-Jitsu. I mainly exercise on lunch breaks while my son is at the daycare. To be a father, you need to forget about other hobbies. I might be able to share hobbies with my son in the future though.”

――Would you teach Magic to your son in the future? Do you hope to show yourself competing in the front line of Magic until your child gets older?

“Magic has been part of the recent 25 years of my life. He will know soon.”

“I have seen myself in my son many times. If he grows up to be like me, he would be attracted by Magic. Even if it wasn’t Magic, he would be attracted to something that makes you challenge with your brain.”

The Gravity of Magic

――Why have you been able to run in the front line of Magic for so long? Is it because you regard it as your job? Is it your enthusiasm for Magic? Let us know everything.”

“The reason why I have been able to play so long is that I’m good at this game. Sometimes better than other people.”

“In fact, for some reason, I have thought of starting something different in my 25 years of Magic. But somehow this game pulls me back to it. So, I am not planning to get another lifestyle abandoning Magic.”

To Make the Right Decisions

――Doesn’t your experience make you have prejudice in selecting decks and playing during games? How can we continuously make the right decisions?

Image Copyright : Wizards of the Coast

“Mistakes happen, we can’t avoid it completely. Past experiences bother you when you choose decks and when you play in games. If you can prepare and play with a perfect mind, you would win your way to the top with no doubt.”

“You cannot lack a healthy lifestyle for this. The quality of exercise and quality of sleep are the keys to health. This is the hardest point for a father with an age of over 35.”

“As I said before, you can’t do this naturally so you need to make some adjustments in your lifestyle to do it.”

The way of the professional

――I want to ask you as a great pioneer even when it is among the professionals. Things are changing for Magic by the introduction of MTG Arena. What role do you think professional players would need to play?

Image Copyright : MAGIC ESPORTS

“I’ve started streaming from a year ago, and it’s quite fun! You can share your experience with your followers and you learn a lot from your followers too.”

“The fact that you play and talk at the same time, so you can’t concentrate on playing completely, is different from ordinary. I want to show the top-level games and great playing skills by streaming MTG Arena, and show to be modest and friendly at the same time.”

“I frequently share how professional players see the game and how we conquer it from my long experience of Magic.”

Challenger

Levy added wins from the losers group and was nearly in the Top8, but he couldn’t make it. The small differences like one land card or one creature were what interfered with him from playing in the Top8.

We want to hear more about him, but it’s time he goes back to daddy Levy from professional player Levy. Let’s see him next time, playing in the MPL.