Signs in Magic: The Gathering - How to Read Signals

Magic: The Gathering is a collectible card game (CCG) that was created by Richard Garfield in early 1993. In simplicity, it's a game that combines the strategy and intellectualism of chess with the wit and cunning of poker. In reality mastering Magic: the Gathering it is more complex than chess and poker combined. The pieces of a chess board are static, do not change, and there is only a finite number of opening moves and countermoves. Magic: the Gathering is in a constant state of flux and ever expanding with each new expansion set - providing near infinite pieces, moves, and possibilities. There are many signs in Magic: the Gathering to read, and not all of them are during game play. In fact if one looks closely then he or she can interpret the signs in Magic: the Gathering that their opponents tell them - before the first card is even played.

Does your opponent use card sleeves?
Perhaps one of the first signs in Magic: the Gathering can be seen when one first shuffles his or her deck. The first telltale sign in Magic that one can notice is whether or not the cards are in deck sleeves. If the cards aren't in deck sleeves, one can discern that either their opponent doesn't care about his or her cards or that he or she doesn't own anything expensive. Right off of the bat this is useful information, as knowing one doesn't care about protecting their investment, one can safely assume that he or she won't be closely paying attention to what's going on within the game itself.

How does your opponent shuffle their deck?
The second sign in Magic one can notice at the beginning of each game is how their opponents shuffle their deck. Do they riffle shuffle or do they pile shuffle? This information is useful because if one is pile shuffling, it will be because he or she is either concerned with bending their cards and protecting their investment. This sends a signal that they may be playing with expensive cards, that they are serious about the game, and most likely have put effort into building their deck. It also shows that they are trying to sufficiently randomize the cards, thereby telling you that they are serious about opening a properly shuffled hand, and are thus serious about playing. In rare instances they may be trying to cheat, so make sure you shuffle your opponent's deck as well.

How does your opponent cut your deck?
The next sign in Magic: the Gathering to read is when it is time to cut each other's decks. Does your opponent wave his hand and not care? If so he or she doesn't care - and is playing for just fun. Cutting the deck in half is a sign of normality - it's the "norm" and what one generally expects. If your opponent decides to take the top card and put it on the bottom, or makes eight piles and puts them in a weird order, this is the telltale sign of a wacky personality. This Magic sign is very important, because it lets one know that their opponent is opt to try to bluff or psych one out with witty banter. If your opponent takes your deck, shuffles it a few more times, then cuts it, you know he is she is serious, and all about winning the game.

How does your opponent draw their Magic: the Gathering cards?
As each player proceeds to draw his or her hand, look at the manner in which your opponent draws his or her cards. Doe he or she haphazardly draw a stack? Do they draw them one at a time? The slower and more precisely one's opponent draws his or her opening hand, the greater the sign they are giving you that they are a more serious player.

How fast does your opponent play their turns?
Does your opponent quickly complete each of their turns, or do they take time to weigh their options? If they are playing fast, they they may be making mistakes. A good reference article to read on the speed of play is Playing fast does not mean you are playing right. While the tips in that article point to playing better, reading the signals an opponent sends by the speed in which they play their cards also tells you valuable information about them as well.

"Ok, I can tell if my opponent is serious or not, but what does that mean? And how does that affect the board position, or how I play?"
A serious player will perform and carry out each of his or her moves with decisiveness and reason. He or she will constantly scrutinize the game position after every action and pass of priority. During game play they will be careful to make sure that they don't send any signals, or if they do, then they are signs that they purposely want you to see.

For example, after the initial draw does your opponent re-arrange his or her hand? Do they keep the cards in the same order? When they draw a new card during their turn, do they place them in the same position each time? Or do they put them in different spots? If the player positions their newly drawn cards in the same spot every time they draw, then they are being careful not to send any signals that may send information to their opponents. If they place the cards they draw in different positions every time that they draw, it is safe to assume that they have their hand organized in one way or another.

If one watches the positions of the cards in their opponent's hand when he or she plays them, one can discern the code that their opponent is using to place the cards in his or her hand. They might be placed in order of casting cost, or by type. This information is useful because it allows you to know what they might be holding and if they can cast anything with the lands they have untapped just by looking at their hand.

What color(s) are your opponent playing?
Even if one's opponent doesn't show any signs by the way they hold their hand, then the cards they have on the table and the cards that they play each send a signal of their own. As an opponent plays, one can assume by the lands that they drop a generalization of their deck within the first three turns of each game. Knowing what deck they are playing gives you a good idea what to expect, as most net deck lists are identical (barring a few individualized differences).

For example if your opponent is playing nothing but Plains and small creatures, it is safe to assume that they are playing a White Weenie deck (an archetype). This information allows oneself to develop a game plan on how to combat their opponent's strategies. Does one play the mass removal spell now? If their hand is close to empty then the answer is yes, allowing for optimum card advantage.

A good opponent reads the signals that you send
On the flip side if the White Weenie player suspects that you may be running mass removal spells, then he or she might play more conservatively. This sign in Magic: the Gathering can be interpreted by the number of cards in their hand. A White Weenie deck will opt to play everything and go all out for the kill. However if they are holding a number of cards in their hand, then this is a signal that they are in fear of a mass removal spell. This signal is important because even if one isn't playing mass removal, one can bluff that they are. Even if one isn't, a successful bluff will trick one's opponent into thinking that you do have mass removal, and they will play more conservatively - thus buying one time to find an answer and obtain critical board position.

One of the oldest signs in Magic: the Gathering is two untapped Islands
In another scenario an opponent is playing a blue and black Legacy deck, with several Swamps and a couple of Islands in play - although you haven't seen any blue spells played thus far into the game. One of the oldest telltale signs in Magic: the Gathering to read or signals to send to an opponent is leaving two untapped Islands. The reason for this is that the card "Counterspell" costs two Islands to play, and like its namesake, can counter any spell (or Mana Drain for those who play Vintage). The key sign here is that one's opponent has two Islands untapped.

It is irrelevant whether or not they actually have a Counterspell in their hand, the mere sign that they have two Islands in play that are untapped is a signal to you that they want you to think they do. How does this affect one's game play? If one is concerned about the Islands, one will try to play around them, however this isn't necessary the smartest move. The smartest move would be to try to bate one's opponent by playing multiple cards on the same turn. They can't counter them all if they only have two Islands untapped, because they can only play one Counterspell. By playing a less important spell first then if they do have a Counterspell, then the less important spell will be countered, and the more important spell will resolve.

How does your opponent taps their lands?
Now take this same scenario, yet change one element. During an opponent's turn, he or she begins to tap his or her lands in order to play something. Among the cards tapped are the two Islands. Your opponent then untaps their lands and then proceeds to re-tap their lands to cast a spell leaving their two Islands untapped. This is a sign that they are not holding a Counterspell, because if they were then they wouldn't have tapped their Islands in the first place. One thus knows that it is safe to play whatever they want on their next turn. This sign isn't always 100% accurate, as a witty opponent is well aware of the signals that they give off, and they might have performed these actions on purpose so that one believes they aren't holding a Counterspell when in fact they are in order to bait you.

Reading signs in Magic: the Gatheirng can help you win games
There are many signs in Magic: the Gathering to read from an opponent during the course of a game, and if one is a good observer then he or she can pick on the signals that an opponent sends. By reading the signs and signals given by an opponent over the course of the game and successfully discerning the true signs from the fake ones, one can glean invaluable information that can cost his or her opponent the game - even before the first card has been played.

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