This is Inside The Magic Studio with your host Robert Martin, the interview podcast with the best in Magic: The Gathering. My guest this episode is Ben Rubin.
0:00 – 0:43 – Intro to the show and guest.
0:43 – 1:37 – What made you such an innovative deckbuilder?
1:37 – 3:45 – What was it about Rubin Zoo that worked so well versus the metagame?
3:45 – 4:36 – This is a quote by you. “Brian Kibler has made a lot of great decks. Some of them played in famous circumstances (Red Zone Doran), some less so. I was around for most of them.” What did you mean by this?
4:36 – 5:19 – You ran a W/G Rebel deck to success for a fifth-place finish at Pro Tour New York. With Modern Masters coming out, how does it feel to have series of cards coming out that can reflect that?
5:19 – 6:12 – What was your favorite deck you played?
6:12 – 8:17 – You made it to the finals of your first Pro Tour at the age of fifteen. What was that experience like?
8:17 – 8:46 – What where your thoughts after the event?
8:46 – 9:59 – You won two Masters Events, the only person to do so. How difficult was that event to play in?
9:59 – 11:04 – In both of those wins, you beat Jon Finkel on the road to victory. In an article, it was said that he’d rather not sit down against you in a crucial match of Magic. What does that statement mean to you? Also, how was it that you could beat Jon like this?
11:04 – 11:49 – You were very successful in multiple formats when some players specialize in one. What was it that made you so well rounded in Magic?
11:49 – 13:12 – Your play style is considered to be daring. I want to bring up a couple situations and have you tell me how these worked for you. Bluffingversus Randy Buehler at fifteen-years-old to make your first Pro Tour top 8?
13:12 – 13:52 – Keeping a no-land hand in the finals of Grand Prix Anaheim with Dump Truck against a notorious fast deck in Red Deck Wins?
13:52 – 16:43 – I read a post from you talking about Dan Clegg and settling the Living Death deck controversy. How many other stories are we missing out on and is there another like this you can talk about?
16:43 – 17:58 – You played when Magic was on ESPN2. Was there anything different about playing with that type of coverage?
17:58 – 19:15 – You stepped away from Magic at a young age. Why?
19:15 – 20:50 – How much desire do you have to play competitively again?
20:50 – 21:09 – What would it take to make you come back?
21:09 – 22:24 – You work for Pinnacle Sports. What do you do for them? And how is life on the island?
22:24 – 23:03 – Who do you enjoy watching play Magic when you can?
23:03 – 24:32 – When you saw Brian Kibler pull the double shot to win, did it reignite memories of matches you played?
24:32 – 25:18 – When you watch some of the younger players play, do any of them catch your eye?
25:18 – 26:18 – You know the next Pro Tour you go to that BDM and Rich will feature you. What will it be like when BDM asks you for that interview?
26:18 – 26:50 – How many matches have you watched where they are both afraid to do something that might lose it all where with your styleyou’d be willing to take to those chances to win?
26:50 – 28:14 – When Kai offered the draw at the end of day 2 and you said no, what was that like for you?
28:14 – 29:34 – Players today are willing to take draws to make day 2 or take them to make Top 16 when they might be able to make Top 8 by percentages. How does this bother you as a player?
29:34 – 30:55 – When you were fifteen-years-old how difficult was it to get your parents to agree to go to all these places?
30:55 – To End – What was the best thing about playing professional poker?