Few groups involved in the Magic Pro Tour see and hear as much as the judges. As we cast a wider view on the environment when devising slots for the 2005 Invitational, it seemed natural to include them as a voting body.
To determine which players would make it onto the judges' ballot, a nomination form was sent to all Level 3 and higher judges with the names of all Pro players with 30 or more Pro Points in the Nagoya standings. The judges nominated five players who best combined sportsmanship and playing skill.
Taking the top seven names from the nomination process, we then asked the same body of judges for a single vote from this field of candidates:
- Kamiel Cornelissen
- Eugene Harvey
- Nicolai Herzog
- Anton Jonsson
- Raphael Levy
- Antoine Ruel
- Olivier Ruel
And without further ado, the winner of the Judges' vote is...
Eugene Harvey
Final Standings
Eugene Harvey 24.4%
Anton Jonsson 17.1%
Olivier Ruel 17.1%
Nicolai Herzog 12.2%
Antoine Ruel 9.8%
Kamiel Cornelissen 9.8%
Raphael Levy 9.8%
Said one judge: "Eugene Harvey doesn't normally take up a lot of judges' time because he's an excellent player and a good sportsman. This is our opportunity to let him (and others) know that we do notice the 'good guys' out there."
Thanks to all the judges who participated, and congratulations Eugene!