# Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour season 2008

The 2008 Pro Tour season was the thirteenth season of the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour. It began on 15 December 2007, with Grand Prix Stuttgart, and ended on 14 December 2008, with the 2008 World Championship in Memphis. The season consisted of twenty-one Grand Prixs, and four Pro Tours, located in Kuala Lumpur, Hollywood, Berlin, and Memphis. The Grand Prixs from June until August were designated Summer Series Grand Prixs, awarding more prizes and additional Pro Points. At the end of the season, Shuhei Nakamura became the fourth consecutive Japanese player to win Pro Player of the year. Dirk Baberowski, Michael Turian, Jelger Wiegersma, Olivier Ruel, and Ben Rubin were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

## Grand Prix – Stuttgart
### GP Stuttgart (15–16 December 2007)

* Format: Limited
* Attendance: 1336
* Shuhei Nakamura
* Robert van Medevoort
* Jonathan Bergström
* Raul Porojan
* Joel Calafell
* Fried Meulders
* Patrizio Golia
* Marc Vogt

## Pro Tour – Kuala Lumpur (15–17 February 2008)

Jon Finkel of the US won Kuala Lumpur, becoming the first Hall of Fame member to do so after his induction. The top eight is considered to be one of the best ever, with the players having a total of six Pro Tour wins between them prior to Kuala Lumpur.

### Tournament data

Prize pool: $230,795 Players: 346 Format: Booster Draft (Lorwyn-Morningtide) Head Judge: Toby Elliott

### Top 8

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Nicolai Herzog | 2 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Marcio Carvalho | 3 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Marcio Carvalho | 3 | Marico Carvalho | Marico Carvalho | 1 | | | |
| | | | Jon Finkel | Jon Finkel | 3 | | | |
| 4 | Jon Finkel | 3 | Jon Finkel | Jon Finkel | 3 | | | |
| 5 | Guillaume Wafo-Tapa | 0 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Guillaume Wafo-Tapa | 0 | | | | Jon Finkel | Jon Finkel | 3 |
| | | | | | | Mario Pascoli | Mario Pascoli | 1 |
| 2 | Mario Pascoli | 3 | | | | | | | Mario Pascoli | Mario Pascoli | 1 |
| 7 | Mike Hron | 0 | | | | | | |
| 7 | Mike Hron | 0 | Mario Pascoli | Mario Pascoli | 3 | | | |
| | | | Ming Xu | Ming Xu | 2 | | | |
| 3 | Ming Xu | 3 | Ming Xu | Ming Xu | 2 | | | |
| 6 | Joel Calafell | 1 | | | | | | |

### Final standings

| Place | Player | Prize | Pro Points | Comment |
| 1 | Jon Finkel | $40,000 | 25 | 12th Final day, 3rd Pro Tour win |
| 2 | Mario Pascoli | $20,000 | 20 | |
| 3 | Marcio Carvalho | $15,000 | 16 | 2nd Final day |
| 4 | Ming Xu | $13,000 | 16 | 1st Chinese Player in a Top 8, Pro Tour debut |
| 5 | Guillaume Wafo-Tapa | $11,000 | 12 | 2nd Final day |
| 6 | Mike Hron | $10,500 | 12 | 2nd Final day |
| 7 | Joel Calafell | $10,000 | 12 | |
| 8 | Nicolai Herzog | $9,500 | 12 | 5th Final day |

## Pro Tour Hollywood (23–25 May 2008)

Charles Gindy became the second American to win a Pro Tour in the 2008 season. Playing a green-black elf/rock deck, he defeated Germany's Jan Ruess, playing merfolk, in the finals.

### Tournament data

Prize pool: $230,795 Players: 371 Format: Standard Head Judge: Sheldon Menery

### Top 8

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Shuhei Nakamura | 3 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa | 2 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa | 2 | Shuhei Nakamura | Shuhei Nakamura | 1 | | | |
| | | | Jan Ruess | Jan Ruess | 3 | | | |
| 4 | Jan Ruess | 3 | Jan Ruess | Jan Ruess | 3 | | | |
| 5 | Makihito Mihara | 2 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Makihito Mihara | 2 | | | | Jan Ruess | Jan Ruess | 0 |
| | | | | | | Charles Gindy | Charles Gindy | 3 |
| 2 | Nico Bohny | 2 | | | | | | | Charles Gindy | Charles Gindy | 3 |
| 7 | Charles Gindy | 3 | | | | | | |
| 7 | Charles Gindy | 3 | Charles Gindy | Charles Gindy | 3 | | | |
| | | | Yong Han Choo | Yong Han Choo | 2 | | | |
| 3 | Marijn Lybaert | 0 | Yong Han Choo | Yong Han Choo | 2 | | | |
| 6 | Yong Han Choo | 3 | | | | | | |

### Final standings

| Place | Player | Prize | Pro Points | Comment |
| 1 | Charles Gindy | $40,000 | 25 | |
| 2 | Jan Ruess | $20,000 | 20 | |
| 3 | Shuhei Nakamura | $15,000 | 16 | 5th Final day |
| 4 | Yong Han Choo | $13,000 | 16 | |
| 5 | Nico Bohny | $11,000 | 12 | |
| 6 | Makihito Mihara | $10,500 | 12 | 3rd Final day |
| 7 | Marijn Lybaert | $10,000 | 12 | 2nd Final day |
| 8 | Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa | $9,500 | 12 | 3rd Final day |

## Pro Tour Berlin (31 October – 2 November 2008)

Luis Scott-Vargas of the US, defeated Matej Zatlkaj in the finals of Pro Tour Berlin. Six of the eight quarter finalists, including all four semi-finalists, played variants on the Elf-Ball combo deck.

### Tournament data

Prize pool: $230,795 Players: 454 Format: Extended Head Judge: Sheldon Menery

### Top 8

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Kenny Öberg | 2 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Luis Scott-Vargas | 3 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Luis Scott-Vargas | 3 | Luis Scott-Vargas | Luis Scott-Vargas | 3 | | | |
| | | | Tomoharu Saitou | Tomoharu Saitou | 2 | | | |
| 4 | Tomoharu Saitou | 3 | Tomoharu Saitou | Tomoharu Saitou | 2 | | | |
| 5 | Jan Doise | 1 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Jan Doise | 1 | | | | Luis Scott-Vargas | Luis Scott-Vargas | 3 |
| | | | | | | Matej Zatlkaj | Matej Zatlkaj | 0 |
| 2 | Martin Juza | 2 | | | | | | | Matej Zatlkaj | Matej Zatlkaj | 0 |
| 7 | Sebastian Thaler | 3 | | | | | | |
| 7 | Sebastian Thaler | 3 | Sebastian Thaler | Sebastian Thaler | 1 | | | |
| | | | Matej Zatlkaj | Matej Zatlkaj | 3 | | | |
| 3 | Denis Sinner | 2 | Matej Zatlkaj | Matej Zatlkaj | 3 | | | |
| 6 | Matej Zatlkaj | 3 | | | | | | |

### Final standings

| Place | Player | Prize | Pro Points | Comment |
| 1 | Luis Scott-Vargas | $40,000 | 25 | |
| 2 | Matej Zatlkaj | $20,000 | 20 | |
| 3 | Tomoharu Saitou | $15,000 | 16 | 5th Final day |
| 4 | Sebastian Thaler | $13,000 | 16 | 2nd Final day |
| 5 | Kenny Öberg | $11,000 | 12 | |
| 6 | Martin Juza | $10,500 | 12 | |
| 7 | Denis Sinner | $10,000 | 12 | |
| 8 | Jan Doise | $9,500 | 12 | |

## 2008 World Championships – Memphis (11–14 December 2008)

The World Championships began with the induction of Dirk Baberowski, Michael Turian, Jelger Wiegersma, Olivier Ruel, and Ben Rubin, into the Hall of Fame. In the individual competition, Antti Malin of Finland emerged as the World Champion from a top eight including only one player without a prior Sunday appearance. In the team competition, it was the first time that the top four teams would play on Sunday, as opposed to only the top two. The US team defeated Australia in the finals.

### Tournament data

Prize pool: $245,245 (individual) + $192,425 (national teams) Players: 329 Formats: Standard, Booster Draft (Shards of Alara), Extended Head Judge: Toby Elliott

### Top 8

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa | 2 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Jamie Parke | 3 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Jamie Parke | 3 | Jamie Parke | Jamie Parke | 3 | | | |
| | | | Tsuyoshi Ikeda | Tsuyoshi Ikeda | 0 | | | |
| 4 | Frank Karsten | 0 | Tsuyoshi Ikeda | Tsuyoshi Ikeda | 0 | | | |
| 5 | Tsuyoshi Ikeda | 3 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Tsuyoshi Ikeda | 3 | | | | Jamie Parke | Jamie Parke | 1 |
| | | | | | | Antti Malin | Antti Malin | 3 |
| 2 | Antti Malin | 3 | | | | | | | Antti Malin | Antti Malin | 3 |
| 7 | Akira Asahara | 1 | | | | | | |
| 7 | Akira Asahara | 1 | Antti Malin | Antti Malin | 3 | | | |
| | | | Hannes Kerem | Hannes Kerem | 2 | | | |
| 3 | Kenji Tsumura | 2 | Hannes Kerem | Hannes Kerem | 2 | | | |
| 6 | Hannes Kerem | 3 | | | | | | |

### Final standings

| Place | Player | Prize | Pro Points | Comment |
| 1 | Antti Malin | $45,000 | 25 | 2nd Final day |
| 2 | Jamie Parke | $24,000 | 20 | 2nd Final day |
| 3 | Tsuyoshi Ikeda | $15,000 | 16 | 3rd Final day |
| 4 | Hannes Kerem | $14,000 | 16 | 1st player from Estonia to Top Eight |
| 5 | Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa | $11,000 | 12 | 4th Final day |
| 6 | Kenji Tsumura | $10,500 | 12 | 6th Final day |
| 7 | Frank Karsten | $10,000 | 12 | 3rd Final day |
| 8 | Akira Asahara | $9,500 | 12 | 2nd Final day |

### National team competition

* United States (Michael Jacob, Paul Cheon, Sam Black)
* Australia (Aaron Nicastri, Brandon Lau, Justin Cheung)
* Brazil (Willy Edel, Vagner Casatti, Luiz Guilherme de Michielli)
* Japan (Masashi Oiso, Yuuya Watanabe, Akihiro Takakuwa)

## Pro Player of the year final standings

After the World Championship, Shuhei Nakamura was awarded the Pro Player of the year title, making Japan the first country to win the title in four consecutive years.
| Rank | Player | Pro Points |
| 1 | Shuhei Nakamura | 70 |
| 2 | Olivier Ruel | 58 |
| 2 | Luis Scott-Vargas | 58 |
| 4 | Marcio Carvalho | 50 |
| 4 | Tomoharu Saitou | 50 |

## Performance by country

Japan had the most Top 8 appearances at 6 although they had less than half as many players on the Pro Tour in the season than the United States, which had the secondmost Top 8 appearances at 5.
| Country | T8 | Q | Q/T8 | M | GT | Best Player (PPts) |
| Japan | 6 | 154 | 26 | 155.5 | 19 | Shuhei Nakamura (70) |
| United States | 5 | 347 | 69 | 196.5 | 16 | Luis Scott-Vargas (58) |
| Germany | 3 | 74 | 25 | 208 | 3 | Jan Ruess (35) |
| Belgium | 2 | 30 | 15 | 158.5 | 3 | Marijn Lybaert (33) |
| Brazil | 2 | 28 | 14 | 185.5 | 4 | Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa (42) |
| France | 1 | 90 | 90 | 183.5 | 6 | Olivier Ruel (58) |
| Italy | 1 | 74 | 74 | 230 | 3 | Mario Pascoli (40) |
| Spain | 1 | 53 | 53 | 224 | 1 | Joel Calafell (33) |
T8 = Number of players from that country appearing in a Pro Tour Top 8; Q = Number of players from that country participating in Pro Tours; M = Median finish over all PTs; GT = Gravy Trainers (aka players with a Pro Players Club level of 4 or more) from that country created in the 2009 season; Best Player (PPts) = Player with the most Pro Points from that country, Pro Points of that player in brackets.