Come join Wizards of the Coast for our next Pro Tour stop in Houston, Texas! This information will help you to prepare now to attend in November. Pro Tour-Houston will be held November 8-10, 2002.

• Player Packet (340K PDF)
• How to Qualify
• Tournament Location - NEW
• Hotel information
• Format
• Mandatory Player Registration
• Prize Payout
• Artists
• Ancillary Events
• Player Contact
• Invitation List

location

Astrodomain Arena
Reliant Arena
8400 Kirby Drive
Houston, TX 77054

The Map shows location of parking lots near Reliant Arena. Cost is $6 each day except Nov 9, it is $7. There is no reentry for this price.

hotelHotel Information

Holiday Inn
Reliant Arena
8111 Kirby Drive
Houston, Texas 77054
Phone: 713-790-1900
Fax: 713-799-8574

Room Rate
Single/Double/Triple/Quad occupancy $69USD

The Holiday Inn is sold out. Their sister site, The Radisson, is honoring their rate. It is located about 2-3 blocks south of the Holiday Inn, still across the parking lot from the venue.

poweredby.10best.com/location.process/OID_EB39EA2D/OLID_3761/MID_46/

Address:
8686 Kirby Drive
Houston
Texas 77054
Telephone:
(713) 748-3221
Fax:
(713) 795-0657
Reservations:
(800) 333-3333 (800) 627-6461

Airport Information

www.houstonairportsystem.org/

Houston’s Hobby airport is the closest airport to Reliant Arena. From Hobby Airport a Taxi is about $25. George Bush Intercontinental is the major airport for Houston, but is on the opposite side of the city from Reliant Arena. A Taxi will run you around $45. Shuttles are available from both airports. Call 713-523-8888 for reservations and prices (generally 2/3 that of a taxi) or visit www.coachusa.com/services/shuttles/houston.html

formatFormat

Houston Masters Information

Format

• Extended Constructed
• 60 card minimum deck size, 15 card sideboard
• Decklists must be submitted 9:00 AM Friday at player meeting.
• Check www.thedci.com for format rules (Extended format rotates November 1, 2002)

Round Length

• 60 minute rounds, 14 Swiss Rounds total
• When time is called, the active player will finish the turn and five additional turns will be taken
• Stalling and slow play rules will be strictly enforced during the tournament.

Advancement

• All players participate in Friday's 7-round competition.
• Players with 13 or more match points after round 7 advance to Saturday's competition.
• The top 8 players after round 14 advance to Sunday's top 8 single-elimination finals.

Notes

• Players are responsible for knowing all DCI rules and high-level tournament rules.
• Players must bring pen, paper and appropriate counters.

Friday Schedule
8:45 AM: Seating for player meeting posted.
9:00 AM: Player meeting begins. Extended decklists will be collected during player meeting.
9:15 AM: Round 1 begins.

Saturday Schedule
8:45 AM: Pairings for Round 8 posted.
9:00 AM: Round 8 begins.

Sunday Schedule
8:00 AM: All top 8 players check in at feature match area.
9:00 AM: Single-elimination final matches begin.

mprMandatory Player Registration

Mandatory Player Registration

Player registration will occur at the tournament site 7:00–10:00 P.M. on Thursday, November 7, 2002.

Registration for the Masters Series Gateway tournament is at 8:00 A.M. on Thursday at the tournament site.

Players must have a signed waiver and consent form to compete at Pro Tour–Houston. Forms can be downloaded at wizards.com/protour and will be available onsite. Minors must have a parent or guardian's signature on these forms.

Return the registration and waiver forms to Wizards of the Coast or bring them with you to registration. We will make forms available for competitors at registration, if necessary.

Wizards of the Coast
Attn.: Pro Tour
P.O. Box 707
Renton WA 98057
Fax: (425) 687-8259

At registration, all participants must present one of the following forms of identification upon request:

• a driver's license, or
• a passport, or
• a copy of their birth certificates and photo IDs (school IDs are acceptable).

If you anticipate any difficulty registering during the official registration hours, please contact Andy Heckt at (425) 254-2941 or heckt@wizards.com.

prizePrize Payout

artistsArtist Appearances

Donato Giancola

Donato Giancola balances modern abstract concepts with realism in his paintings to bridge the worlds of fine and illustrative arts. He recognizes the significant cultural role played by visual art, and makes personal efforts to contribute to the expansion and appreciation of the science fiction and fantasy genre that extend beyond the commercial commissions of his clients. Since beginning his professional career in 1993 Donato's list of clients has continued to grow. From the major book publishers in New York to design firms on the West Coast, his commissions include companies such as LucasArts, National Geographic, DC Comics, HarperCollins Publishers, Penguin, Playboy Magazine, Sony, Tor Books, The Franklin Mint, Milton-Bradley, Hasbro, and Wizards of the Coast.

His illustrations have won numerous awards, including four nominations for the Artist Hugo Award, a 1998 and 2000 Chesley Award for Best Gaming Product Illustration, and Gold and Silver Awards from Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art. In addition, his work has been exhibited in dozens of shows at New York's Society of Illustrators and various galleries around the country.

Donato appears as a guest lecturer at various colleges, institutions, Magic tournaments and science fiction conventions, where he interacts with fans and displays original paintings. A comprehensive listing of his work, technique, and in depth biographical information is available on his website at www.donatoart.com.

Donato currently resides with his wife and daughter in Brooklyn, New York.

John Matson

John Matson developed his love of fantasy and science fiction at an early age, regularly covering his school folders and homework with doodles of an alien and barbarian persuasion. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he attended Milwaukee High School of the Arts and graduated in 1994 from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design with a major in Illustration.

He credits the 1970's book cover artwork of Darrell K. Sweet, the sci-fi/fantasy movie boom of the late 70's and early 80's and Richard Amsel's movie poster art for Raiders of the Lost Ark as his primary springboards for pursuing a career in art of this genre. Despite a few "suggestions" from instructors to shy away from this type of subject matter, John has done his best to make a go of it, having gotten his start by shopping his portfolio around at GEN CON 1994.

John jumped on the Magic locomotive beginning with Alliances, and has more or less stayed on the train ever since. He loves being able to tell people that he draws spacemen and such for a living, and keeps his sanity by staying in touch with all the other industry and genre artists he gets to meet at various conventions.

sidesSide Event Schedule

Side events are open to everyone.

Thursday

Friday

In order for events to begin on time, please arrive fifteen minutes before the scheduled starting time

Saturday

In order for events to begin on time, please arrive fifteen minutes before the scheduled starting time

Sunday

In order for events to begin on time, please arrive fifteen minutes before the scheduled starting time

Note: All events follow the Swiss-style pairings structure unless otherwise indicated.

Overnight Events
Wizards of the Coast, Inc. will offer tournaments twenty-four hours a day at Pro Tour-Houston! The following Magic: the Gathering tournaments will be added as requested (subject to space and judge availability):

All overnight events will be DCI sanctioned and follow the single-elimination format. Enjoy the competition all night long!

Start time, format, and prizes of all tournaments subject to change.

contactPlayer Contact

Andy Heckt
Wizards of the Coast
Player Coordinator
425-254-2941
Email: heckt@wizards.com