Shaun Penrod talks tips and stories with professional Magic: The Gathering
320 episodes listed below
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MTG Pro Tutor is a top rated Magic: The Gathering podcast and here's why: professional Magic players and community notables share their origin stories twice a week (Tue & Fri) and impart actionable tips you can use the next time you sit down to play. Learn from the wealth of experience they've built through hours of practice and playing against hundreds of opponents and start seeing improvements in your own skill right away. Don't you hate feeling like you play and play and don't improve? Surrounding yourself with better players is the best way to level up and the MTG Pro...
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Firsthand tournament memories turn competitive Magic's tactics, mistakes and community knowledge into a useful oral history.
Sean Penrod builds an oral history of competitive Magic: The Gathering from the recollections of players and community figures. His interviews begin with personal routes into the game, then follow the decisions, mistakes and relationships that shaped a life around organized…
Three lands destroyed, three lethal creatures ignored: your next misplay gets a cautionary tale from Sean Penrod.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
Jacob Hart traces how doubt, losses, and hard-won results rebuilt his confidence.
Jacob Hart's long Magic slump gives the episode a clear emotional line. After missing four or five Pro Tours in a row, he had begun to wonder whether he was still good enough to return.
A practical, conversational look at turning tournament preparation into better in-game choices.
Competitive Magic comes through as a discipline of small adjustments: learning when to spend life total as a resource, studying successful decks, and preparing for what a tournament might bring.
A locked game becomes a clear lesson in testing a fresh idea before abandoning a sound plan.
A locked game turns on one costly pivot: a player destroys three lands instead of the creatures that can kill him. The conversation gets at the useful part of that mistake.
Christoffer Larsen's 13-0 GP Portland run frames a warm look at friendship, choices, and competitive Magic.
Christoffer Larsen's 13-0 start at GP Portland gives this return visit a clear spine, but the episode is just as interested in what happens around the match slips.
A steady reminder that better Magic comes from repetition, attention, and learning to respect the unexpected.
The episode stays close to the practical side of losing: what to notice after a mistake, which card to respect, and how a near miss can turn into better play.
This episode of MTG ProTutor features an interview with Matt Brown, sharing his journey in competitive Magic: The Gathering to inspire listeners to achieve their Pro Tour dreams.
This episode of the MTG ProTutor podcast features host Sean Penrod introducing the show, thanking listeners and sponsors, discussing recent Magic: The Gathering events, and previewing an interview with guest Goncalo Pinto.
This episode of MTG ProTutor features host Sean Penrod introducing the show, thanking a new patron, and discussing patron benefits and a monthly giveaway, with the main topic being how to switch gears mid-game in Magic: The Gathering with guest Robert Swarowski.
This episode features an interview with the MTG ProTutor admins—Luke Kimmel, Dan Bodtke, and Aaron Scott—to share their stories and insights into the Magic: The Gathering community.
This episode introduces a discussion on the challenges of qualifying for the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour and invites listeners to share their biggest obstacles.
This episode introduces an in-person interview recorded at Paragon City Games, discussing Magic: The Gathering topics and upcoming events like the Dominaria Sealed League.
This episode features an interview with Nick Waugh about overcoming challenges in Magic: The Gathering, focusing on what players can't control when trying to qualify for the ProTour.
This episode discusses how finding a mentor can help players succeed in Magic: The Gathering, featuring insights from Alexander Kreuz and host Sean Penrod.
This episode features an interview with Magic the Gathering Hall of Famer Eric Froehlich, discussing his journey and insights, while also thanking supporters and promoting community engagement.
This episode features an interview with Giordano Fagiolo, a Magic: The Gathering player who placed 2nd at GP Brussels 2018, discussing strategies like playing more lands and building friendships to succeed in the game.
This episode features an interview with Magic: The Gathering player Michael Kundegraber, discussing his recent tournament successes and insights, while also announcing a hiatus for the MTG ProTutor podcast.
This episode features an interview with returning guest Kasper Nielsen, a Magic: The Gathering player with two Grand Prix titles, discussing his growth and insights as a competitive player.
This episode features an interview with GP Champion Eli Kassis discussing how to identify cheating in Magic: The Gathering tournaments.
This episode of MTG ProTutor features host Sean Penrod introducing guest Arseniy Egorov, discussing sponsor Paragon City Games, and announcing winners of giveaways and sealed leagues.
This episode of MTG ProTutor features host Sean Penrod introducing guest Ricardo Sanchez to discuss how to test for the Modern format in Magic: The Gathering, with personal anecdotes from a recent pre-release event.
This episode features an interview with Josh Collier, who qualified for his first Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour through the RPTQ system, discussing his journey and tips for competitive play.
This episode features an interview with Nils Gutierrez, who placed 6th at GP Brussels 2018, discussing international Pro Tour insights and strategies for competitive Magic: The Gathering players.
This episode features an interview with Gabriel Joglar, winner of GP Orlando, discussing his rise in competitive Magic: The Gathering and how to handle challenging situations gracefully.
This episode celebrates the 300th milestone of the MTG ProTutor podcast, featuring host Sean Penrod expressing gratitude to listeners and promoting community engagement through events like the M19 Prodigy Sealed League.
Host Sean Penrod introduces episode 299 of MTG ProTutor, focusing on helping Magic: The Gathering players improve their skills and achieve tournament success, with an upcoming interview featuring Kyle Cooper about his Grand Prix Orlando Top 8 finish.
This episode features an interview with returning guest Aleksa Telarov, who shares stories and insights from his recent success at Pro Tour Dominaria to help listeners improve their Magic: The Gathering skills.
The host discusses recent Grand Prix tournament technology problems and promotes the podcast's sealed league prize support from Paradise City Games.
This episode features an interview with Max Margolis, a renowned Magic: The Gathering player, focusing on learning strategies and insights from top players to improve skills.
This episode features an interview with Michael Mapson, a listener-turned-guest who qualified for the Pro Tour, discussing his journey and insights into competitive Magic: The Gathering.
This episode of MTG ProTutor features an interview with competitive Magic: The Gathering player Daniel Ward, discussing his achievements and insights into the game.
This episode of MTG Pro Tutor features an interview with Niklas Dahlquist discussing the mis-estimation pitfall in Magic: The Gathering, along with promotions for the newsletter and community events.
This episode of MTG ProTutor features an interview with Lars Dam discussing drafting strategies and decision-making in Magic: The Gathering, with host Sean Penrod sharing his pre-release experience for the Dominaria set.
This episode of MTG ProTutor features host Sean Penrod discussing recent events like Grand Prix tournaments and a Sealed League, while teasing upcoming interviews with players like Brian Braun-Duin.
This episode of MTG ProTutor features host Sean Penrod introducing the show's format, thanking patrons, and announcing giveaways, with a focus on connecting listeners with expert Magic the Gathering players to improve their competitive skills.
Sean Penrod hosts episode 274 of MTG ProTutor, discussing the ongoing Rivals of Ixalan Sealed League, his excitement about finding old Commander decks and receiving an MTG Arena beta invite, while thanking sponsors and patrons.
This episode features an interview with Daniel Mabee, a semi-competitive Magic: The Gathering player, discussing how belief affects win rates in the game.
This episode of MTG ProTutor discusses recent unbannings in Magic the Gathering's Modern format, focusing on Jace the Mind Sculptor and Bloodbraid Elf, while introducing the show's format of interviewing top players.
Host Sean Penrod introduces episode 308 featuring Pro Tour champion Luis Salvatto while sharing personal updates on playing Magic: The Gathering online and discussing upcoming tournaments.
This episode celebrates the podcast's 1 million download milestone and introduces a discussion with Quinton Lip about how autopilot thinking can hinder performance in Magic: The Gathering.
This episode of MTG ProTutor features host Sean Penrod discussing recent Magic: The Gathering events, including the pre-release for Magic Core 2019 and upcoming Grand Prix tournaments, while promoting the show's Facebook community for player interaction.
This episode of MTG ProTutor features host Sean Penrod discussing upcoming Grand Prix events, thanking sponsors and patrons, and encouraging listeners to suggest guests while promoting community engagement in Magic: The Gathering.
This episode features an interview with Jessica Estephan, a Grand Prix champion who made world history, discussing her achievements and insights in Magic: The Gathering.
This episode features an interview with Magic: The Gathering player Zach Allen, discussing his recent success at Pro Tour Guilds of Ravnica and insights for improving gameplay.
This episode features an interview with Pro Tour champion Andrew Elenbogen, discussing his recent win at Pro Tour Guilds of Ravnica and exploring themes of humility and strategy in competitive Magic: The Gathering.
This episode of MTG ProTutor features host Sean Penrod discussing community support and Patreon goals before introducing guest Luke Southworth.
This episode of MTG ProTutor introduces a new mission to inspire Magic: The Gathering players to improve their skills and promote life-enhancing change through gaming experiences, while acknowledging listener support and upcoming guest Ben Ragan.
This episode features an interview with Zac Turgeon, discussing his experiences and insights as a Magic: The Gathering player, including updates on the Guilds of Ravnica sealed league and patron giveaways.
This episode features an interview with competitive Magic: The Gathering player Joshua Bausch, focusing on strategies to become 'tilt proof' and improve mental resilience in tournament play.
This episode features an interview with GP Champion William Courson, focusing on his insights and strategies to help Magic the Gathering players improve their skills and qualify for competitive events like the ProTutor.
This is a best-of episode featuring an early interview with Magic: The Gathering player Patrick Chapin, discussing his origin story and insights from the game.
This best-of episode features an interview with legendary Magic: The Gathering player Jon Finkel, discussing his insights and story to help listeners improve their gameplay.
This episode features an interview with Kellen Pastore about his 4th place finish at GP New Jersey 2018, discussing Magic: The Gathering deck preferences and strategies.
Host Sean Penrod introduces guest Isaa to discuss game state IQ and handling loss in Magic: The Gathering, while announcing a sealed league event and thanking patron supporters.
In this episode of MTG Pro Tutor, host Sean Penrod introduces guest Jedrek Szm, a skilled Magic player with a top-eight finish at Grand Prix Warsaw 2017, and discusses patron giveaways and sponsor Paragon City Games.
GP champion Jeremy Frye shares his Magic: The Gathering journey, from early struggles acquiring cards to winning team events, while offering tips on competitive play, variance, and personal growth through the game.
Sean Penrod's MTG Pro Tutor episode 268 interviews Jacob Hart about staying competitive through a long slump and getting results back after years of interruption.
Sam Socheski argues that Magic improvement starts with treating life total as a resource, not a score to protect.
Sean Penrod announces that MTG ProTutor will publish one episode each Friday in 2018 instead of two episodes per week.
["Thoralf Severin says Magic changed for him when older students told him there was no single best card, only cards that work together.", "Sean Penrod hosts the show, and Thoralf is the Berlin guest whose record includes a Nationals top eight, a Pro Tour top 16, a Magic Online Championship sixth place, and coverage work at GP Lyon 2015.", "Thoralf says he just finished studying artificial intelligence and wants to work on interfaces and learning systems for games.", "He ties his improvement to post-match discussion, specialist friends in his play group, and testing advice like One with the Wind before trusting it."]
Christopher Larsen talks with Sean Penrod on MTG Pro Tutor episode 265 about leaving active duty Navy for the reserves after seven years and then turning more of his time into Magic travel and team testing.
MTG ProTutor host Sean Penrod interviews Jared Silva, Star City Games’ Organized Play Department Manager and a Level 3 judge, about the revised Magic judge program.
Richard Garfield designed Magic around both high luck and high skill, a combination Aryeh says few games achieve.
A proxied professional deck taught the Professor that isolated homebrewing limits Magic improvement.