The first thing I would like to say is that this is in no way a humor article. I don't really smoke rabbit sh*t, but I may possibly be insane (just depends on your definition of insane). However, this entire post is written by me, the eccentric Mad Dog in seriousness (sort of a contradiction of terms). If you disagree with me, just remember, this is only my opinion. Just one opinion from one person who has never been to a Pro Tour but would like to.

Second, I want to make the point clear that my opinion about the formats of PTQ and PT is that they should be different. Yes, I support the varied formats. In fact, I not only think their formats should be done, but that differing formats between rounds in the PT itself are a great idea. Now I'll explain why I think so...

It has been argued that having different formats is like playing a totally different game. I disagree with this. While IA/AL differs greatly in card selection and strategy from Type II, they are not different games. A different game would be if WotC required everyone to play Jyhad or The Great Dalumti for the PTQ and then have Type II for PT. The differing formats are the same game, just under greatly altered ingredients. As long as WotC does not require UnGlued in one and not the other, or Portal of Vangaurd, then they will never get anywhere near having a different game from just changing formats. Even the difference between Sealed Deck and Draft aren't that wide. You select cards to make your deck, just like any game of Magic. In SD, your choices are very small and very hard. In Draft, you are essentially making a sealed deck but racing against other minds for the same resources simultaneously. In Constructed formats, you have small numbers of cards to choose from again. You can't just go using anything (Who in the world would use Jump in Type I) because you have to use only cards that will suffer the least damage from other threats out there. Metagaming limits your pool of choices to a small level, although I admit not the small amount that Sealed Deck or Draft does. Its all the same game.

While I often say that WotC is out to get our money, I side with them for having different formats. It isn't a plot to force Pro Tour players to get more cards. In fact, most PT players have these old cards which are useless in their collections since they've become too old for the newest formats. They have them just sitting in boxes, binders, etc and have no real use for them unless they want to play casually. By having varying formats, WotC is ensuring that PT players get to use their old cards and all the old strategies they perfect so long ago. In fact, if WotC wanted to make money out of the PT, then they would have it be only Sealed Deck, or only Draft, or only Type II. With the former two, the players are forced to buy cards each time they play. With the latter, players are forced to get only the newest sets and leave their older decks to pasture.

Imagine doing nothing but Draft. Imagine practicing for a PTQ and drafting for that, then drafting in the PTQ itself, then drafting again for practice for PT, then drafting again in the PT. Sure you'd have one heck of a load of Draft format experience, but you'd be very bored of it by then. You would be greatly agitated when or if you lose because you've spent all that time practicing and think you know everything about Drafting. The same goes if and format was held solid for PTQ then the PT. Imaging playing TeStEx all that time. It would be a little sickening to see Gerrard and the Weatherlight crew by the time you got done with it all. Keeping formats different inside PTQ and PT makes sure the boredom factor and the staleness is out of the game. Maybe elitism will still leak in, but that's irrelevant to PT. The point is that even though it may be chaotic for some, it would not be boring, especially when the formats change during the PT between rounds.

My last argument in favor of varied formats is the challenge it brings. I remember PT standing for "Pro Tour." Pro...means really good. The people who make it to PT are some of the best skilled players out there. I'd hate to think that the word "pro" meant somebody like me who likes playing with Fallen Empires. A pro should be excellent at any aspect of the game. If you're classified as a pro at a game, you should be able to be a pro no matter what view of that game you're slapped with, whether it be Type II, TeStEx, IA/AL, or whatever. If it wasn't the "Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour" then you wouldn't have to be good at different parts of the Pro Tour. We'd have to call it the "Standard Pro Tour" or the "Extended Pro Tour" or even the "Tempest Sealed Deck Pro Tour," because the people who went to a PT that didn't test their skills in varying areas could not be called pros of Magic. They could only be considered pros at whatever that one thing being tested as the same format of PTQ and PT would be. Now that isn't exciting or challenging. Pros should face a varied challenge and be able to overcome it.

There's my two cents. If I was standing on a soap box, sorry. I just wanted to voice and explain my opinion. I think PTQ and PT should differ in formats and never share them. Its my opinion. I don't smoke anything, especially rabbit droppings. I am Mad Dog, but this whole post was not a joke. Feel free to flame, question, suggest to, or whatever else in my direction. Good day and good gaming.