Hello !

From now on, I will be posting Ancestral Recall espisodes on Judge Apps.

What is Ancestral Recall :

For a year now, I have been searching for old articles on the blog.
Every week, I will present one of those articles, and the articles of each month will be focused on a specific theme.

Until today, I was only posting the episodes on the french judges Facebook group. Now an english version will go on here.

I hope this project will be useful to you and that you'll enjoy it !

Feel free to PM me if you want to react to something.

You can also contact me if you want to share something related to the current month topic. I will put it in the next episode (anonymously or not, as you choose), and it will be useful to everyone :)

You can find all Ancestral Recall's episodes in the Learning Sphere section of the Blog here : https://blogs.magicjudges.org/learning/ancestral-recall/

See you on Tuesday for the first episode ;)

Edited Charles-Henri Turpin (April 10, 2018 07:27:37 PM)

Hello everyone !

This month we will focus on “difficult game endings”. The selected articles will explain how to detect and manage bribery, or improperly determining a winner situations.

For this first week, here is a piece by Kevin Deprez. He explains the reasons that can lead players to put themselves in those kind of situations, how to spot them and prevent any incident. It was written in 2013 and can still save your life during a tournament ! :)

https://blogs.magicjudges.org/whatsupdocs/2013/11/01/unsporting-conduct-improperly-determining-a-winner-and-bribery/

As I said in the initial post, feel free to share any experience you had with this kind of situation via PM. If you’re ok with it, I will put it in the next episode alongside its article ;)

See you next week, when we will talk about unsporting behaviour in general !

(This episode can be found in the Learning Sphere section of the Blog here : https://blogs.magicjudges.org/learning/ancestral-recall/ancestral-recall-march-2018/ancestral-recall-march-2018-episode-1/)

Edited Charles-Henri Turpin (April 10, 2018 07:27:21 PM)

Hello !

Second week, second episode of Ancestral Recall. Just like last week, here is a new article on difficult game endings.

Today, the next part of Kevin Deprez’s article I presented last time. In this one, he focuses on techniques to avoid complicated situations, and restates the exact definitions of the infractions. The end of the article also talks about the philosophy of the documents in regards to those situations : to punish is good, to prevent is better. Sometimes, players are “dragged” into illegal situations, without thinking about it and without knowing that what they are doing is forbidden.

https://blogs.magicjudges.org/whatsupdocs/2015/03/20/preventing-serious-problems/

Next week, a last article will be brought out of the archives. Until then have a good read ;)

(This episode can be found in the Learning Sphere section of the Blog here : https://blogs.magicjudges.org/learning/ancestral-recall/ancestral-recall-march-2018/episode-2/)

Edited Charles-Henri Turpin (April 10, 2018 07:27:08 PM)

Hello everyone =)

The third episode of Ancestral Recall and its series on difficult game endings is here !

This week, the piece I chose is a very complete one about intentional draws, conceding, and prize sharing. It explains precisely what is legal, what is not, and what you have to do to do everything properly. The end of the article is dedicated to situations examples, probably covering what already happened to you on the field, each time explaining what you have to do.

The article was written by Aruna Prem Bianzino et Christian Busquiel Sanz.

https://blogs.magicjudges.org/playerexperience/2016/08/02/intentional-drawing-conceding-and-splitting-prizes/

See you next week for another series !

(This episode can be found in the Learning Sphere section of the Blog here : https://blogs.magicjudges.org/learning/ancestral-recall/ancestral-recall-march-2018/episode-3/ )

Edited Charles-Henri Turpin (April 10, 2018 07:26:54 PM)

Hey there !

Today, a new cycle of Ancestral Recall starts ! This month, we are looking into the basics of judging: the floor judging.

The first piece has been written by Kevin Desprez and focuses on how to watch a game as efficiently as possible. Please note that David Lyford-Smith also wrote about this subject and Kevin is quoting him a few times with his approval :)

Everyone has already watched a game during a tournament. What I found interesting in this piece is that Kevin starts from a few assessments :

- A lot of judges do not play enough to understand immediately what is going on in a game and do not necessarily want to/have time to spend to focus on a specific game just to know what is happening.
- Exactly knowing what is going on in a game often allows to spot gameplay errors, suspect behaviours or understanding players reactions.
- There are tips and tricks allowing to quickly enter into a game even if one does not know the format or the played decks well

Starting from this, after explaining that yes, one can be a judge and not like playing that much and that is not bad, the article gives the keys to be efficient despite that when watching a Magic game as a judge. And in the end… it makes us want to do it !

This article is really interesting. I personally enjoy watching games a lot, and I loved it for all its tricks allowing to have a summary of the game in the blink of an eye. I also noticed that it removes the complexes of the judges that do not like that or find watching games boring, giving them alternative possibilities, thus making the desire to look further into a game grow.

Anyway, a very good piece to start this series !

Have a nice read and see you next week ! ;)

https://blogs.magicjudges.org/whatsupdocs/2015/04/28/efficiently-watching-magic/

(This episode can be found in the Learning Sphere section of the Blog here : https://blogs.magicjudges.org/learning/ancestral-recall/april-2018-floor-judging/episode-1/ )

Edited Charles-Henri Turpin (April 10, 2018 07:28:31 PM)

Hi !

For this second Ancestral Recall about floor judging, I found a piece from David Lyford-Smith (quoted in the last episode) about methods on efficiency optimization in a tournament space.

This article just has them ALL. It starts by stating the goal of a floor judge, then presents multiple methods of positioning, each time explaining their advantages and flaws. David also thought about interactions between judges ! A whole day on the field means we will be able to take time for exchanging with our colleagues, and he also has a method to be able to do it while still being efficient :)

https://blogs.magicjudges.org/articles/2015/04/28/keeping-floor-coverage-active-and-player-focused/

In other words, whatever may be your position in a tournament, this article explains how you can be the most efficient possible, in your actions (judging, communication, etc.) but also in your customer service.

Enjoy your reading and see you next week ! ;)

(This episode can be found in the Learning Sphere section of the Blog here : https://blogs.magicjudges.org/learning/ancestral-recall/april-2018-floor-judging/episode-2/ )

Edited Charles-Henri Turpin (April 17, 2018 07:04:08 PM)

Hello everyone !

Another Ancestral Recall episode during our month dedicated to floor judging. This week’s piece is focused on a touchy subject : do we have to do a backup or not ?

In his article, Kevin Desprez explain the way he approaches this and presents some situations. With their help, he will be able to explain how we can know when a backup is possible and more importantly, when doing one is better than leaving the game as it is.

The method allows to pretty easily know in which situation we are and how to do a proper backup if we need to. It also allows to be able to justify our decision to the players whatever it is and *this* is what is important after all: that everybody agrees on the fact that the judge’s decision is as just as possible, to be able to continue the game in a good spirit/mood.

https://blogs.magicjudges.org/whatsupdocs/2015/08/20/backing-up-philosophy-and-methodology/

See you next week !

(This episode can be found in the Learning Sphere section of the Blog here: https://blogs.magicjudges.org/learning/ancestral-recall/april-2018-floor-judging/episode-3/ )

PS: Sorry for the delay, yesterday the servers seemed down :/

Edited Charles-Henri Turpin (April 25, 2018 07:09:52 PM)

Ancestral Recall Time !

This month’s cycle will be dedicated to Grand Prix !

Let’s start with the first step of a GP: the first piece is from Paul Baranay and Evan Cherry and it’s about cover letters.

As far as I am concerned, it is something that often got me stuck. I have always been interested by GPs for the challenge they offer, for all the logistic needed, the feeling to be part of a whole where every little piece is important and really helps the event to go smoothly. As a bonus, a GP is the occasion to meet a ton of judges, to learn more about them and to discuss rules, tournament “techniques”, culture, the world, life and so on.

But the first step to access a GP as a judge is to manage to channel all those feelings in a cover letter, to be able to explain why you are interested and what you can bring to this particular event.

The article gives key subjects and explains how to develop them without overdoing it and how to focus on what will be interesting for the person who is reading you. It also gives general tips and dedicates its last part to the behaviour anyone should aim for if their application is rejected (as it will happen more than once in a judge’s lifetime).

https://blogs.magicjudges.org/articles/2014/09/03/writing-effective-cover-letters/

I say no more and let you read. Good luck for your future cover letters and see you next week ! ;)

(This episode can be found in the Learning Sphere section of the Blog here: https://blogs.magicjudges.org/learning/ancestral-recall/may-2018-grand-prix/episode-1/ )

Hello everyone!

For the second piece of June’s Ancestral Recalls about Grand Prix, I found a series of articles from David de la Iglesia (and other collaborators varying from one article to the other). This series focuses on 3 teams in which a judge can work during a GP : Logistic, Deck Check and Paper.

The following piece is about the logistic team and outside the fact that it will allow you to see pictures from judges you know 7 years younger (#Shock), it goes deep into every role of this team and gives means to fulfill them in the fastest and easiest way possible.

https://blogs.magicjudges.org/articles/2011/03/27/running-the-logistics-team/

(Links to the other articles are at the end of the page)

I personally hope to do my next GP in this team as I tried every other ones, and this article gave me a welcomed global view of what would be asked from me :)

See you next week!

(This episode can be found in the Learning Sphere section of the Blog here: https://blogs.magicjudges.org/learning/ancestral-recall/may-2018-grand-prix/episode-2/ )

For this week’s Ancestral Recall, and the last one of this series, here is a piece from Enrico Riccardi titled: “How to HJ your first Side Events at a GP”.

I love this one. As you may have understand during those Ancestral Recall weeks: I like what is well structured and straight to the point. I like this one for 3 reasons:

1 - It has 3 clearly distinct parts: before the D day, the D day, and during the tournament.
2 - It insists on not panicking. Not because it’s unproductive but because “nothing can really go wrong”
3 - It is pretty exhaustive and ends with the best recommandation: “Have fun !”

https://blogs.magicjudges.org/articles/2013/12/17/how-to-hj-your-first-side-events-at-a-gp/

Some reassuring stuff before taking the leap :)

Have a good read and see you in june for the next cycle ! ;)

(This episode can be found in the Learning Sphere section of the Blog here: https://blogs.magicjudges.org/learning/ancestral-recall/may-2018-grand-prix/episode-3/ )

Edited Charles-Henri Turpin (May 22, 2018 07:31:38 PM)

Hello everyone !

New month means new Ancestral Recall cycle. This time it will all be about the Exemplar Program (EP for short).

When a new wave starts, it always bring two questions :

- How to spot an exemplar behaviour ?
- How to write a recognition ?

Two questions to which this first piece will try to answer.

https://blogs.magicjudges.org/exemplar/nomination-guidelines/

In his article, Bryan Prillaman explains what are the selection criterias for recognition and what kind of behaviour may call for one.

Despite what we might think when we first learn about the program, saving the world in three minutes and fifteen seconds single-handedly and with your eyes closed is not mandatory to be legitimately recognized. Sometimes, a simple action that makes the community’s life easier may do a lot of good and deserves to be recognized. Some other times, a big self-improvement allowing you to be a better judge may be spotted by another judge and earn you a recognition. Helping a fellow judge in need is also an exemplar behaviour. There are plenty of deeds that can be used in the EP.

The most important thing is, as Bryan says: does this behaviour should be emulated ? If yes, then it should be known by the community and so recognizing the person in the EP is a good idea.

That’s all for today. Good luck in your recognitions, have a good read, and as always, see you next week ! ;)

(This episode can be found in the Learning Sphere section of the Blog here: https://blogs.magicjudges.org/learning/ancestral-recall/june-2018-the-exemplar-program/episode-1/ )

New week new Ancestral Recall.

Hello !

This week, to continue our series on the Exemplar Program, here is a piece from Jack Doyle:

https://blogs.magicjudges.org/exemplar/the-anatomy-of-a-recognition/

Last week, we talked about what kind of behaviour can be worthy of a recognition in the EP. In his piece written in the beginning of the program (right after the second wave), Jack explains why some recognitions have been rejected, and gives some examples of “good” and “bad” recognitions.

So here we can find all the traps in which not to fall (like “recognizing as a payment”), and some nice recognitions.

I hope it will be useful to you for your next recognitions ;)

As always, have a good read and see you next week !

(This episode can be found in the Learning Sphere section of the Blog here: https://blogs.magicjudges.org/learning/ancestral-recall/june-2018-the-exemplar-program/episode-2/ )

Hello !

Third week for the Ancestral Recall cycle on the Exemplar Program.

Today’s piece is about recognitions toward level 1 judges. The EP structure encourage judges to recognize judges of all levels and it may be complicated to find level 1s “worthy” of a recognition.

Most of the time it is a visibility problem: they attend fewer big tournaments, they do not have leaders roles that would give them the occasion to go beyond expectations etc.

But like Carlos Ho and Jasper Overman explain, it is sometimes easier to find in what level 1s are exemplar since we expect less of them. As such, any sincere initiative that is useful to other judges or to the community is already totally worthy !

https://blogs.magicjudges.org/exemplar/recognizing-level-1-judges/

In their piece, they show us some examples of recognitions and give us tips to find occasions to recognize level 1 judges. That may give you some ideas :)

Have a great week and see you next month !

(This episode can be found in the Learning Sphere section of the Blog here: https://blogs.magicjudges.org/learning/ancestral-recall/june-2018-the-exemplar-program/episode-3/ )

Hello everyone!

This month, let us look at investigations. For some, investigating only happens in complicated situations ; for others, it's the beginning of any and every call. Something everyone can agree on is that it can be time-consuming and that at first, no one really knows how to investigate.

To see a long investigation to its end is usually the job of the Head Judges. In smaller events, the HJ may also be the floor judge and has to answer every call, and will have to take care of the investigation from start to finish.
In bigger events, it's usually the FJ who will open the investigation, and the HJ who will later close it. In these situations, what are the informations the FJ needs to pass on, and how should they collect them ? What position to assume ? And how to unlock a complicated situations between players ?

Kevin Desprez answers all those questions and more.

https://blogs.magicjudges.org/whatsupdocs/2015/01/09/594/

It is yet another article full of advices and tips helping us not to get lost in the middle of a complex investigation. Specific points are made and the logic driving them explained. With that in mind, we'll all be much more serene and comfortable to answer our next calls :)

That's it for this week. Enjoy your reading, and I'll see you next week for the next step of our investigation cycle ! ;)

(This episode can be found in the Learning Sphere section of the Blog here: https://blogs.magicjudges.org/learning/ancestral-recall/july-2018-investigations/episode-1/ )

Edited Charles-Henri Turpin (July 10, 2018 07:04:07 PM)

Hello everyone !

Wow… for this second Ancestral Recall on investigations, here is a series of EXCELLENT pieces brought to you by Eric Shukan.

Through those 3 articles, Eric explains to us how to lead an investigation efficiently and how to come to a final conclusion as fast as possible.

The first part is focused on what he calls the “Collateral Truths”, or facts allowing you to go for one opinion or another:

https://blogs.magicjudges.org/articles/2014/12/30/investigations-the-search-for-collateral-truths/

The second one is about the risk/gain balance that can lead players to lie or behave wrongly during a game. It also makes a parallel between premeditated cheating and opportunistic cheating:

https://blogs.magicjudges.org/articles/2015/01/06/investigations-the-search-for-collateral-truths-part-2/

Finally, the third part talks about when you should stop an investigation. Dedicating too little time to it can make you miss an important information, but giving it too much time can delay your tournament and even sometime change what players are saying, making your decision process a nightmare. The piece gives us the perfect timing for when to stop the investigation and how to recognize it:

https://blogs.magicjudges.org/articles/2015/01/13/investigations-the-search-for-collateral-truths-part-3/

Each of those is full of examples and frankly, I think this series is awesome ! A resource of great value for any judge facing investigations. I personally totally changed my views on those after reading it.

I hope you’ll like them as much as I did !

Have a good read and see you next week ;)

(This episode can be found in the Learning Sphere section of the Blog here: https://blogs.magicjudges.org/learning/ancestral-recall/july-2018-investigations/episode-2/ )

Edited Charles-Henri Turpin (July 17, 2018 07:00:22 PM)