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[The Sports Issue]

If poker is a sport, how about ‘Magic: The Gathering?’

When Magic: The Gathering champion-turned-poker pro Jon “Jonny Magic” Finkel took Las Vegas for millions, the rest of us figured it out: Magic—the fantasy card-trading game—ain’t child’s play. It’s a serious endeavor requiring mental dexterity, odds calculations and the ability to read opponents.

Like poker. So if poker is a sport—ESPN sure treats it like one—maybe we should treat Magic as a sport, too.

Danielle Jurek, resident “Wizard” at Las Vegas’ Little Shop of Magic argues, “Magic could be considered a sport the same way chess is considered a sport. It’s two people trying to outwit and outthink one another.”

Like race car driving, “Magic often calls for feats of endurance,” Jurek explains. “In tournaments, you might have to stay sharp throughout eight-plus hours of game play.”

The Little Shop of Magic hosts Magic: The Gathering tournaments on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. But before you drop by to play, spend some time revising and perfecting your deck—just like a baseball player breaks in a new glove.

Little Shop of Magic 4160 S. Durango Drive #120, 307-6127.

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