GRAND PRIX DENVER

JANUARY 2-4, 2015

Tournament Location

Crowne Plaza Denver International Airport Convention Center

15500 E 40th Ave.

Denver,  CO 80239

Official hashtag:#gpden CLICK HERE FOR MAP GP DENVER WEBSITE

GENERAL INFORMATION

After a two-year hiatus, the Magic Grand Prix circuit returns to the Mile-High City for Grand Prix Denver! Choose your allegiance and fly your banner in the main event, and battle in the Standard Constructed format featuring Khans of Tarkir. With a full complement of artists, seminars, and other attractions as well as a packed Side Events schedule, Grand Prix Denver has something to offer every Magic player.

Highlights of the weekend include the Free Friday Mini Master, a free Standard Seminar by Luis Scott-Vargas, the Super Sunday Series events, and of course, the fantastic items available on the Prize Wall! You can also pick up cards you still need from one of the many vendors on site; don't forget to bring them over to Artist Alley to get them signed.

If you're interested in battling all weekend, pick up an Infinite Constructed Bracelet and play in any or all of our Constructed Scheduled Side Events. If you'd rather see the sights, the convention center is located only a short distance from downtown, where many exciting restaurants and attractions await. Whether it's your first Grand Prix or your fiftieth, Grand Prix Denver is the best way to kick off 2015!

Entry into the Grand Prix event venue is free of charge.

Main Event Registration Fee: $50.00 - Maximum Main Event Capacity is 1,500
Registration online until January 2 at 8 p.m.
Registration will be held on-site Friday, January 2 from 12 p.m.  – 8 p.m.
There will be no on-site registration on Saturday.

Many Grand Prix offer additional services to participants, such as Sleep-In Specials and VIP packages. Sleep-In Specials allow players with byes to skip the player meeting on Saturday and arrive shortly before their first round begins. VIP packages provide various perks such as complimentary bottled water, special seating, and exclusive artist signings. Details of these services vary from event to event; please check the organizer's web site for specifics.

The format for Grand Prix Denver is Standard Constructed. For more information on the format and schedule, click here.

Players can earn tournament byes for the Grand Prix Denver main event on Saturday by meeting the appropriate Planeswalker Point thresholds by December 31 or by winning a Grand Prix Trial that awards byes to this event.

For more information on the number of byes you can earn for this event and how to earn them, click here.

Along with the main event, there are additional side-event tournaments to play in at a Grand Prix. Side events are offered at all Grand Prix on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. For details on side events that you can find at every Grand Prix, click here.

A list of additional events and a full schedule for when side events take place can be found on www.grandprixdenver.com. All side events (except casual events) will have a Planeswalker Points multiplier of 3x.

Last Chance Trials

Booster pack prizes award Khans of Tarkir product.

Standard Trials run from 12 p.m. – 7 p.m. and have a $25.00 entry fee
Khans of Tarkir Sealed Trials run from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. and have a $30.00 entry fee
Prizes:
1st - two byes for the GP main event, a VIP Upgrade including Sleep-in Special, and either 36 packs of 360 Prize Wall Tickets
2nd – 36 packs or 360 Prize Wall Tickets
3-4 – 18 packs or 180 Prize Wall Tickets
5-8 – 10 packs or 100 Prize Wall Tickets
9-16 – 4 packs or 40 Prize Wall Tickets

Some of the hottest and most famous artists in Magic will be joining us at Grand Prix Denver. All artists will be available to sign cards, playmats, and more. In addition, all will be selling prints, artist proofs, original art/sketches, and doing custom alterations of mats and cards!

Artists attending Grand Prix Denver include Christopher Rush, Aaron Miller, Steve Argyle, Jeff Miracola, Jim Pavalec, and Chris Rahn. For more information on artists, click here.

The event is closest to Denver International Airport.

Driving directions to the venue

Public transportation info

The Tournament Organizer has set up a room block at the Crowne Plaza Denver International Airport. Click here for room block rates.

PROMOTIONAL ITEMS

Get your promo card by playing in the Grand Prix (while supplies last).

Participants in the Grand Prix Denver main event will receive an event-exclusive playmat.

Watch live streaming video coverage of Grand Prix Denver on DailyMTG and Twitch.TV/ChannelFireball, hosted by Hall of Famer Luis Scott-Vargas, Hall of Famer Ben Stark, and Limited Resources host Marshall Sutcliffe. Coverage starts on Saturday at 9:15 a.m. local time (MT)/8:15 a.m. PT/11:15 a.m. ET/4:15 p.m. GMT. Coverage resumes Sunday at the same times. 

FORMAT AND SCHEDULE

Format: Standard Constructed
Main Event Registration Fee: $50 - Maximum Main Event Capacity is 1,500 Players

  • Online registration until January 2 at 8 p.m.
  • On-site registration on January 2 from 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
  • Saturday, January 3: Grand Prix Denver begins at 9:00 a.m.
  • Sunday, January 4: Day Two begins at 9:00 a.m.

Registration for the Grand Prix main event closes Friday night. There will be no Saturday registration.

The main tournament at Grand Prix Denver is open to Magic players of all ages.

Players must have a signed waiver and consent form to compete at Grand Prix Denver. Forms can be downloaded here and will be available on-site. Minors must have a parent of guardian’s signature on these forms. Minors will not be able to register or play unless we receive a waiver signed by a parent or guardian. No exceptions.

  • Standard Constructed
  • Deck lists are required
  • Players must use the same deck on Day Two that they used on Day One
  • Modified Swiss-style (50-minute rounds).
  • Day One will consist of 9 Swiss rounds. Day Two will consist of 6 Swiss rounds and the Top 8 single-elimination finals.
  • All players with an X-2-0 record (or better) or the top 64 players – whichever is greater – advance to the second day of competition for prizes and invitations.
  • The Top 8 players after the final Swiss round on Day Two will advance to the Top 8 single-elimination playoff.
  • Top 8 playoff matches will be best 2 of 3.
  • Top 8 playoff matches will have no time limit. (Players are still expected to play at a normal pace and complete playoff matches in a reasonable amount of time.)
  • Standings after the Swiss rounds will be used to determine final order in the standings for losing players in the quarterfinal and semifinal playoff rounds.
  • For the first game of each match in the Top 8, the player that finished higher in the Swiss rounds chooses either to play first or to play second. For subsequent games in each Top 8 match, the usual Play/Draw rule applies (loser of the previous game decides whether to play first in the next game).

Judges

Judges interested in applying for the event should do so using the Judge Center.

Notes

  • Planeswalker Points multiplier 8x, Rules Enforcement Level (REL) is Competitive on Day One and Professional on Day Two.
  • The Magic: The Gathering Tournament Rules and the Magic: The Gathering Infraction Procedure Guide are in effect for this event unless specifically overruled by information in this Format Document. Rules documents can be found in the Magic Document Center.
  • Players are responsible for bringing their own method of tracking life totals, card sleeves, and appropriate counters or tokens.
  • In the event that a player who wins an invitation to a Pro Tour stop at a Grand Prix has already qualified for an invitation, the invitation does not pass down under any circumstances. Previous qualification may be through a Qualifier tournament, through performance at a professional tournament, or by being an invited DCI player (valid upon the date of the official rank announcement for the appropriate professional tournament).

PRIZE STRUCTURE

Place Prize Money
1 $4,000
2 $2,700
3-4 $1,500
5-8 $1,000
9-12 $600
13-16 $550
17-23 $500
24-32 $400
33-64 $300
65-100 $250*
101-230 $200*
*If Grand Prix attendance is 1,200-2,399 participants, prize money will be paid out to 100th place. If Grand Prix attendance is 2,400-3,599 participants, prize money will be paid out to 150th place. If Grand Prix attendance is 3,600 or more participants, prize money will be paid out to 230th place. 

Attendance at a Grand Prix is calculated on participation, not preregistration. The Tournament Organizer will announce GP attendance as soon as this is confirmed. Tournament attendance and standing are subject to review by Wizards of the Coast before being finalized.

Top 8 finishers also earn invitations and airfare to Pro Tour Dragons of Tarkir.

In addition, all players with 39 match points or greater at the end of the event will receive an invitation to Pro Tour Dragons of Tarkir.

All prizes displayed in U.S. dollars. Prizes subject to change. For every event held in the U.S., a 30% withholding tax will automatically be deducted from the prize payments to all international players, unless the player has an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) that has been filed with the withholding agent. (For information on applying for an ITIN, please visit www.irs.gov) In some cases, players may be eligible to reclaim the 30% withheld; please consult with a tax professional in your area. Tax forms for prizes paid within a calendar year will be mailed by March of the following year. These tax forms are very important, and it is recommended that they be retained for five years. If you do not receive a form, you must contact us within one year to request a copy.
Place Pro Point
1 8
2 6
3-4 5
5-8 4
Top 8 players receive Pro Points based on rank. All other players receive Pro Points based on their match point total at the end of the event.
Match Points Pro Points
39+ 4
36-38 3
33-35 1
0-32 0

TOURNAMENT BYES

Grand Prix tournament byes can be earned either through a player's yearly Planeswalker Points total or by winning a Grand Prix Trial. 

Byes earned through Planeswalker Points are calculated using the Planeswalker Point totals from all reported events as of the Wednesday immediately before the Grand Prix. Points earned in tournaments held at the Grand Prix event site do not count toward earned byes at that Grand Prix.

Winners of a Grand Prix Trial tournament are awarded two byes in the Grand Prix that it feeds. Trial byes are not cumulative with other byes and do not pass down. Byes are not cumulative throughout the season or year. Byes do not pass down under any circumstances. Players who accumulate multiple byes to a particular Grand Prix tournament receive only the bye for the greatest number of rounds. For complete information about Grand Prix byes and their corresponding competitive season, please check the Magic: The Gathering Premier Event Invitation Policy.

  • Winners of this event's Grand Prix Trial tournaments.
  • Players with a Pro Players Club level of Silver
  • Players who have accumulated at least 2,250 Planeswalker Points in the 2014 Yearly Award Season (March 18, 2013 - June 1, 2014)
  • Players who have accumulated at least 2,250 Planeswalker Points in the 2015 Yearly Award Season (June 2, 2014 - May 31, 2015)

  • Players who have accumulated at least 1,300 Planeswalker Points in the 2014 Yearly Award Season (March 18, 2013 - June 1, 2014)
  • Players who have accumulated at least 1,300 Planeswalker Points in the 2015 Yearly Award Season (June 2, 2014 - May 31, 2015)

SIDE EVENTS

Along with the main event, there are additional side-event tournaments to play in at a Grand Prix. The Side Events listed in this section are on the schedule of every Grand Prix.

Last-Chance Trials
Earn a valuable Two-Round bye by winning one of the Last-Chance Trials. Last-Chance Trials are 32-person single-elimination events, starting as soon as 32 players register.

"Foiled Again"
A straight Swiss tournament lasting three or four rounds. Participants get one past promo card for playing, then one additional promo card per match win. Format varies by event.

Value Drafts
Enjoy a special discount on pick-up drafts on Saturday. Actual times and prices vary by event.

"Rebound" Event
Format at organizer's discretion. The winner(s) earn free entry into the "Super Sunday Series" (see Sunday Side Events). Players who also played in the main Grand Prix tournament will get a discount for entry.

Super Sunday Series
Qualifier tournaments for the Super Sunday Series will be held at each Grand Prix. The Top 8 players in the Super Sunday Series qualifier will each be awarded a commemorative Grand Prix water bottle. The winner of the Super Sunday Series qualifier will earn an invitation and travel award for the Super Sunday Series Championship 2016, expected to be held in January 2016 in Seattle. The Super Sunday Series Championship experience also includes a tour of Wizards of the Coast, dinner with Wizards employees, and more.

ARTIST INFORMATION

CHRISTOPHER RUSH

One of the original 25 illustrators for the first Magic set, Christopher Rush created the art for some of Magic's most recognizable cards. Some of those cards include Lightning Bolt, the Ice Age Brainstorm, and the famous Black Lotus.

ART BY CHRISTOPHER RUSH

CONTACT INFORMATION

Tournament Organizer: ChannelFireball
Email: events@channelfireball.com
Phone: 1-408-727-8727