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5 months ago ::
Jan 14, 2013 - 9:12AM
#421
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Date Joined:
Mar 20, 2003
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Are RTR booster prices getting devalued or are tickets becoming more valueable?
This question is equivalent to "Are ALL prices lowering or just RTR booster prices?" which you should be able to answer for yourself.
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5 months ago ::
Jan 14, 2013 - 9:28AM
#422
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Cervantez was observing the drop in RTR prices and attributing this to phantom sealed. I haven't been observing current price trends, so I don't see where I'd have enough information to chalk it up to tickets simply being worth more. Someone who's observing broader prices might be able to.
I will speculate that perhaps the decrease in RTR pack prices is normal during this portion of set release cycles. Perhaps this is just the expected decrease that happens when the "life expectancy" becomes very short. Shouldn't we expect the RTR pack price to steadily drop until Gatecrash comes out?
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5 months ago ::
Jan 14, 2013 - 3:25PM
#423
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Well 4-pack sealed was a good way use boosters, since it didnt cost tickets and it had a pretty good EV. So when they cancelled it I immediately wondered what would happen to pack prices. Therefore I am a bit biased in my observation about current pack prices not rebounding from the Cube outburst.
I don't have data from ISD a year ago, but other booster prices have remained relatively stable the last month. Only DKA has devalued, but that's more because of a surplus in supply relative to ISD I believe. M13, which also has phantom sealeds instead of 4-pack sealeds, has remained stable at 3.5. However supply of M13 boosters is much lower (no incoming boosters from constructed) and far less M13 phantom sealeds have fired.
Btw, I find the new phantom queues very fun to play. Because of the low cost I can now afford to try more wacky stuff, like going 5 colors instead of always playing it save. Cause even if it failes it only costs me 4 tickets and I had some fun for 2-3 rounds. Golgari splashing Mercurial Chemister and Sphinx's Revelation anyone? :-)
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5 months ago ::
Jan 14, 2013 - 11:39PM
#424
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There's something incredibly deadening about a format where you know more or less for a fact that you are losing money, however. With pack opening, even if the average EV is not great, you might open well and be on a streak for a bit. I'll never be doing a phantom event.
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5 months ago ::
Jan 15, 2013 - 2:42PM
#425
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Date Joined:
Jul 24, 2004
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There's something incredibly deadening about a format where you know more or less for a fact that you are losing money, however. With pack opening, even if the average EV is not great, you might open well and be on a streak for a bit. I'll never be doing a phantom event.
The psychology of that statement, spoken by many drafters and most gambling addicts, has always blown my mind. It doesn't matter if you go on a good "streak" and come out ahead over a dozen drafts or whatever. Over the long run, given the average value of booster pack, you will lose less in the phntom events. I guess a big part of the drafting experience is the thrill of that streak and the dream of it possibly going on forever. But that is just as true in the phantom events when the prize structure is 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 for a 4 tix entry fee.
If over the course of the year you lose $500 in non-phantom or $400 in phantom, was it worth $100 for that one month where you ripped some major money cards and were $200 ahead for a period?
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5 months ago ::
Jan 15, 2013 - 4:29PM
#426
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There's something incredibly deadening about a format where you know more or less for a fact that you are losing money, however. With pack opening, even if the average EV is not great, you might open well and be on a streak for a bit. I'll never be doing a phantom event.
The psychology of that statement, spoken by many drafters and most gambling addicts, has always blown my mind. It doesn't matter if you go on a good "streak" and come out ahead over a dozen drafts or whatever. Over the long run, given the average value of booster pack, you will lose less in the phntom events. I guess a big part of the drafting experience is the thrill of that streak and the dream of it possibly going on forever. But that is just as true in the phantom events when the prize structure is 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 for a 4 tix entry fee.
If over the course of the year you lose $500 in non-phantom or $400 in phantom, was it worth $100 for that one month where you ripped some major money cards and were $200 ahead for a period?
Pretending that limited Magic play is not very simlilr to a gambling addiction to many regulars is ignoring the facts.
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4 months ago ::
Jan 16, 2013 - 2:21PM
#427
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The psychology of that statement, spoken by many drafters and most gambling addicts, has always blown my mind. It doesn't matter if you go on a good "streak" and come out ahead over a dozen drafts or whatever. Over the long run, given the average value of booster pack, you will lose less in the phntom events. I guess a big part of the drafting experience is the thrill of that streak and the dream of it possibly going on forever. But that is just as true in the phantom events when the prize structure is 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 for a 4 tix entry fee.
So you're aware that the greatest magic player in the world is probably looking at an EV of flipping burgers for each hour they invest in drafting/sealed on Magic Online, and could tap similar skills for much, much more money in poker?
Glad we're on the same page about the relative value of rational calculation versus emotional thrill in playing magic with money on the line.
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4 months ago ::
Jan 17, 2013 - 12:07AM
#428
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I think it's time for one more change from Wizards. It's time to make (tradable) universal phantom packs. The price to enter these events would then be 4 tickets or 1 phantom pack, and the prize structure would still be 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0, except the prize would also be these phantom packs.
Either that or just allow entry into the event with a single RTR pack....although this price structure sort of fails once the sealed format has 2 or 3 sets.
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4 months ago ::
Jan 17, 2013 - 8:51AM
#429
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Date Joined:
Mar 20, 2003
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I think it's time for one more change from Wizards. It's time to make (tradable) universal phantom packs. The price to enter these events would then be 4 tickets or 1 phantom pack, and the prize structure would still be 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0, except the prize would also be these phantom packs.
You mean, kinda like the cube-only tickets they had?
(Why call em packs if all they are is "entry tickets".)
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4 months ago ::
Jan 17, 2013 - 7:13PM
#430
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Prize is as perfect as it ever will be, and phantoms are firing like crazy with gatecrash just around the corner in an expansion that won't include rtr in the next sealed cycle. When gatecrash sells around 3.6, phantoms will fire on demand. When packs sell for around 3, we still rejoice in the chance to play sealed.
I think the most important change beyond the next Magic Online version is that sealed is now a supported format. And sealed is great for not just limited understand, but for improved magic skills. Everyone rejoices for 4 ticket phantom sealed, and we anticipate for the future of Magic.
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