Why Magic: The Gathering Beats Poker or Chess Any Day

The creators of Magic: The Gathering were painfully aware that their game might be nothing more than a passing fad. So to maintain public interest they created a high-profile Pro Tour for Magic players, complete with TV coverage and cash prizes. It's a series of events Titus Chalk's new book Generation Decks, which chronicles the rise of the game from misunderstood novelty to pop culture fixture, investigates in detail. "There's a quote in the book from one of the very few executives who was behind the idea at the time, Rick Arons, and he said, 'Your grandmother might not understand what Magic: The Gathering is, but she'll understand what a check for $10,000 is,'" Chalk says in Episode 252 of the Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast. The strategy paid off, helping to foster a group of professional Magic players like Jon Finkel and David Williams who grew up in the spotlight and were accustomed to high-stakes card games.