# Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour season 1998–99

The 1998–99 Pro Tour season was the fourth season of the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour. It began on 5 September 1998 with Grand Prix Boston and ended on 8 August 1999 with the conclusion of 1999 World Championship in Tokyo. The season consisted of fourteen Grand Prix, and five Pro Tours, located in Chicago, Rome, Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo. At the end of the season Kai Budde from Germany was awarded the Pro Player of the year title.

## Pro Tour – Chicago (25–27 September 1998)

As in the previous season a rookie won the inaugural Pro Tour. In the finals Dirk Baberowski defeated Casey McCarrel. Jon Finkel also had another final eight showing, his third in a row.

### Tournament data

Prize pool: $151,635 Players: 324 Format: Tempest Booster Draft (Tempest-Stronghold-Exodus) Head Judge: Charlie Catino

### Top 8

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Dirk Baberowski | 3 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Dominique Coena | 1 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Dominique Coena | 1 | Dirk Baberowski | Dirk Baberowski | 3 | | | |
| | | | Benedikt Klauser | Benedikt Klauser | 0 | | | |
| 4 | Benedikt Klauser | 3 | Benedikt Klauser | Benedikt Klauser | 0 | | | |
| 5 | Jon Finkel | 2 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Jon Finkel | 2 | | | | Dirk Baberowski | Dirk Baberowski | 3 |
| | | | | | | Casey McCarrel | Casey McCarrel | 1 |
| 3 | Jeff Fung | 3 | | | | | | | Casey McCarrel | Casey McCarrel | 1 |
| 6 | Ryan Fuller | 1 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Ryan Fuller | 1 | Jeff Fung | Jeff Fung | 0 | | | |
| | | | Casey McCarrel | Casey McCarrel | 3 | | | |
| 2 | Casey McCarrel | 3 | Casey McCarrel | Casey McCarrel | 3 | | | |
| 7 | Martin Cedercrantz | 2 | | | | | | |

#### Loser's Bracket

Pro Tour Chicago also had Top 8 loser's bracket, that had matches held as best of three instead of five. The first round paired the quarter-finals losers against each other. Finkel defeated Coene 2–1 and Fuller defeated Cedercrantz 2–0. In the second and final round the winners of the first round were paired against the losers of the Top 8 semi-finals. Fung defeated Finkel 2–1 and Klauser defeated Fuller 2–1.

### Final standings

| Place | Player | Prize | Comment |
| 1 | Dirk Baberowski | $25,000 | Pro Tour debut |
| 2 | Casey McCarrel | $15,000 | 2nd Final day |
| 3 | Jeff Fung | $10,000 | |
| 4 | Benedikt Klauser | $8,000 | 1st Austrian in a Top 8 |
| 5 | Jon Finkel | $6,500 | 4th Final day |
| 6 | Ryan Fuller | $5,500 | |
| 7 | Martin Cedercrantz | $4,800 | |
| 8 | Dominique Coene | $4,300 | |

## Pro Tour – Rome (13–15 November 1998)

Tommi Hovi won Pro Tour Rome, thus becoming the first player to win two Pro Tours. Reportedly Hovi was particularly happy to win another Pro Tour, because he won his first due to a disqualification, and thus felt it was not a proper victory. Olle Råde became the first player to have five Top 8 appearances.

### Tournament data

Prize pool: $151,635 Players: 266 Format: Extended Head Judge: Carl Crook

### Top 8

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Erik Lauer | 1 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Nicolas Labarre | 3 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Nicolas Labarre | 3 | Nicolas Labarre | Nicolas Labarre | 3 | | | |
| | | | Federico Dato | Federico Dato | 1 | | | |
| 4 | Mark Le Pine | 1 | Federico Dato | Federico Dato | 1 | | | |
| 5 | Federico Dato | 2 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Federico Dato | 2 | | | | Nicolas Labarre | Nicolas Labarre | 1 |
| | | | | | | Tommi Hovi | Tommi Hovi | 3 |
| 3 | Tommi Hovi | 3 | | | | | | | Tommi Hovi | Tommi Hovi | 3 |
| 6 | Justin Gary | 2 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Justin Gary | 2 | Tommi Hovi | Tommi Hovi | 3 | | | |
| | | | Olle Råde | Olle Råde | 0 | | | |
| 2 | Olle Råde | 3 | Olle Råde | Olle Råde | 0 | | | |
| 7 | André Konstanczer | 2 | | | | | | |

#### Loser's Bracket

The first round of the loser's bracket paired the quarter-finals losers against each other. Le Pine defeated Lauer 2–0 and Gary defeated Konstanczer 2–1. In the second and final round of the loser's bracket the winners of the first round were paired against the losers of the Top 8 semi-finals. Dato defeated Gary 2–1 and Le Pine defeated Råde 2–1.

### Final standings

| Place | Player | Prize | Comment |
| 1 | Tommi Hovi | $25,000 | 3rd Final day, First player to win two Pro Tours |
| 2 | Nicolas Labarre | $15,000 | |
| 3 | Mark Le Pine | $10,000 | 2nd Final day |
| 4 | Federico Dato | $8,000 | |
| 5 | Olle Råde | $6,500 | 5th Final day |
| 6 | Justin Gary | $5,500 | |
| 7 | Erik Lauer | $4,800 | |
| 8 | André Konstanczer | $4,300 | |

## Pro Tour – Los Angeles (26–28 February 1999)

Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz won Pro Tour Los Angeles defeating his friend and fellow New Yorker Jon Finkel in the final.

### Tournament data

Prize pool: $151,635 Players: 337 Format: Urza's Saga Rochester Draft (Urza's Saga) Head Judge: Charlie Catino

### Top 8

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Lucien Bui | 1 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Jon Finkel | 3 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Jon Finkel | 3 | Jon Finkel | Jon Finkel | 3 | | | |
| | | | Worth Wollpert | Worth Wollpert | 1 | | | |
| 4 | Worth Wollpert | 3 | Worth Wollpert | Worth Wollpert | 1 | | | |
| 5 | Svend Geertsen | 2 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Svend Geertsen | 2 | | | | Jon Finkel | Jon Finkel | 1 |
| | | | | | | Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz | Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz | 3 |
| 3 | Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz | 3 | | | | | | | Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz | Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz | 3 |
| 6 | Mike Long | 1 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Mike Long | 1 | Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz | Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz | 3$^*$ | | | |
| | | | Terry Lau | Terry Lau | 2$^*$ | | | |
| 2 | Patrick Chapin | 0 | Terry Lau | Terry Lau | 2$^*$ | | | |
| 7 | Terry Lau | 3 | | | | | | |
$^*$ = The semi-final of O'Mahoney-Schwartz against Lau went over six games. One of the games had been a draw. After five games the score was 2–2 and a draw, thus the sixth game became necessary.

### Final standings

| Place | Player | Prize | Comment |
| 1 | Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz | $25,000 | 2nd Final day |
| 2 | Jon Finkel | $15,000 | 5th Final day |
| 3 | Worth Wollpert | $10,000 | |
| 4 | Terry Lau | $8,000 | |
| 5 | Lucien Bui | $6,500 | |
| 6 | Patrick Chapin | $5,500 | 2nd Final day |
| 7 | Svend Geertsen | $4,800 | 3rd Final day |
| 8 | Mike Long | $4,300 | 3rd Final day |

## Pro Tour – New York (30 April – 2 May 1999)

In the finals of Pro Tour New York Casey McCarrel defeated Shawn Keller, both playing nearly identical decks, which was designed by Ben Rubin, Lan D. Ho, and Terry Tsang, who also made the Top 8 with the deck. The concept of their decks was to quickly generate huge amounts of mana to play big spells. Rob Dougherty and David Humpherys played nearly identical decks, designed by YMG.

### Tournament data

Prize pool: $151,635 Players: 308 Format: Urza's Saga Block Constructed (Urza's Saga, Urza's Legacy) Head Judge: Dan Gray

### Top 8

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Zvi Mowshowitz | 3 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Terry Tsang | 2 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Terry Tsang | 2 | Zvi Mowshowitz | Zvi Mowshowitz | 2 | | | |
| | | | Casey McCarrel | Casey McCarrel | 3 | | | |
| 5 | Casey McCarrel | 3 | Casey McCarrel | Casey McCarrel | 3 | | | |
| 4 | Christian Lührs | 2 | | | | | | |
| 4 | Christian Lührs | 2 | | | | Casey McCarrel | Casey McCarrel | 3 |
| | | | | | | Shawn Keller | Shawn Keller | 1 |
| 3 | Shawn Keller | 3 | | | | | | | Shawn Keller | Shawn Keller | 1 |
| 6 | Nicolas Labarre | 1 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Nicolas Labarre | 1 | Shawn Keller | Shawn Keller | 3 | | | |
| | | | Dave Humpherys | Dave Humpherys | 1 | | | |
| 7 | Dave Humpherys | 3 | Dave Humpherys | Dave Humpherys | 1 | | | |
| 2 | Rob Dougherty | 1 | | | | | | |

### Final standings

| Place | Player | Prize | Comment |
| 1 | Casey McCarrel | $25,000 | 3rd Final day |
| 2 | Shawn Keller | $15,000 | |
| 3 | Zvi Mowshowitz | $10,000 | |
| 4 | Dave Humpherys | $8,000 | |
| 5 | Rob Dougherty | $6,500 | |
| 6 | Christian Lührs | $5,500 | |
| 7 | Nicolas Labarre | $4,800 | 2nd Final day |
| 8 | Terry Tsang | $4,300 | |

## 1999 World Championships – Yokohama (4–8 August 1999)

Kai Budde won the 1999 World Championship, defeating Mark Le Pine in the finals. The match went into the books as the shortest individual Pro Tour final ever, taking about 20 minutes. The title allowed Budde to take the Pro Player of the year title as well.
The United States defeated Germany in the team finals to win the national team title.

### Tournament data

Prize pool: $250,000 Players: 208 Individual formats: Urza's Saga Rochester Draft (Urza's Saga-Urza's Legacy-Urza's Destiny), Standard, Extended Team formats: Team Sealed (Urza's Saga-Urza's Legacy-Urza's Destiny) – Swiss; Standard – Finals Head Judge: Charlie Catino

### Top 8

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Jakub Slemr | 2 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Matt Linde | 3 | | | | | | |
| 8 | Matt Linde | 3 | Matt Linde | Matt Linde | 2 | | | |
| | | | Mark Le Pine | Mark Le Pine | 3 | | | |
| 5 | Mark Le Pine | 3 | Mark Le Pine | Mark Le Pine | 3 | | | |
| 4 | Gary Wise | 1 | | | | | | |
| 4 | Gary Wise | 1 | | | | Mark Le Pine | Mark Le Pine | 0 |
| | | | | | | Kai Budde | Kai Budde | 3 |
| 3 | Jamie Parke | 1 | | | | | | | Kai Budde | Kai Budde | 3 |
| 6 | Kai Budde | 3 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Kai Budde | 3 | Kai Budde | Kai Budde | 3 | | | |
| | | | Raffaele Lo Moro | Raffaele Lo Moro | 0 | | | |
| 7 | Nicolai Herzog | 1 | Raffaele Lo Moro | Raffaele Lo Moro | 0 | | | |
| 2 | Raffaele Lo Moro | 3 | | | | | | |

### Final standings

| Place | Player | Prize | Comment |
| 1 | Kai Budde | $34,000 | |
| 2 | Mark Le Pine | $22,000 | 3rd Final day |
| 3 | Raffaele Lo Moro | $16,000 | |
| 4 | Matt Linde | $13,000 | |
| 5 | Jakub Slemr | $11,000 | 3rd Final day |
| 6 | Jamie Parke | $9,500 | |
| 7 | Gary Wise | $8,250 | |
| 8 | Nicolai Herzog | $7,250 | |

### National team competition

* United States (Kyle Rose, John Hunka, Zvi Mowshowitz, Charles Kornblith)
* Germany (Marco Blume, Patrick Mello, David Brucker, Rosario Maij)
* Norway (Nicolai Herzog, Sturla Bingen, Bjorn Joumsen, Marius Johnsen)
* Sweden (Jimmy Oman, Richard Soderberg, Ken Asp, Kristian Hellman)

## Pro Player of the year final standings

After the World Championship Kai Budde was awarded the Pro Player of the year title.
| Rank | Player | Pro Points |
| 1 | Kai Budde | 75 |
| 2 | Jon Finkel | 65 |
| 3 | Casey McCarrel | 63 |
| 4 | Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz | 57 |
| 5 | Mark Le Pine | 52 |