Most Pauper tournaments on Magic Online are run with the aid of **DCI Reporter**, an extremely useful software tool published by the Duelists' Convocation International (the governing body for sanctioned Magic tournaments). Reporter helps tournament organizers keep track of pairings and results, generate pairings for each round, and most importantly, calculate standings and tiebreakers for each player. By familiarizing yourself with the software, you can help provide the Pauper community its most needed service: hosting tournaments! Even if you don't run a tournament yourself, you can still help by occasionally filling in for your regular host. This article will get you started.

This article deals with the specific case of using DCI Reporter to run a fairly simple Swiss-style event on Magic Online (although I hope that after reading it, you'll have a basic understanding that you can apply to other situations). For a more general introduction to the software, see " off with DCI Reporter", by level 2 judge Thomas Ralph.

It's not necessary to read this guide from start to finish. If you only need simple step-by-step instructions on how to operate the software during a tournament, you can just start at The Normal Course of Events and follow the numbered items straight through. If you want background information or other explanations, or if something goes wrong, consult the bulleted items indented below the numbered items, read the introduction to each section, and look at the sections under Irregularities.

Please correct any errors you discover in this article, and add your own tips and tricks!

DCI Reporter runs on Windows 95 and higher. The version I used to write this guide was 2.9.3c. Your version may differ in some of the particulars.

• Before the Tournament
  • Why Use DCI Reporter?
  • Obtaining the Software
• The Normal Course of Events
  • Creating the Tournament
  • Registering Players
  • Backing Up Your Tournament Files
  • Generating Pairings Normally
  • Posting the Pairings
  • Entering Results
  • Posting the Results
  • Making a Top N Playoff
• Irregularities
  • Registering Players Who Arrive Late
  • Deleting the Current Round's Pairings
  • Choosing the Pairings Yourself
  • Dropping Players Late
  • Dropping a Player Who Received a Bye This Round
  • Letting Players Back into the Tournament after They've Dropped

#beforeBefore the Tournament

#why_useWhy Use DCI Reporter?

If your tournament uses the Swiss rounds format, probably the best reason to use DCI Reporter is because it calculates tiebreakers for you automatically, according to the DCI's system. (For a good introduction to the DCI's tiebreaker system, read Jim Grimmett's article " or Nothing: Breaking the Tie".)If you use Swiss rounds but //don't// use DCI Reporter, then you're doing one of two things: calculating tiebreakers yourself, or not using the DCI's system for tiebreakers. Doing the calculations yourself is likely to take a lot of time, during which your players will be twiddling their thumbs, because you can't even start until after all the matches in the round have finished. But if you don't use DCI tiebreakers, whatever system you do use is probably not going to accurately reward players based on their performance. The DCI's system is designed specifically to make sure that the players whose achievements during the tournament are the most impressive end up at the top of the rankings. Even in a relatively relaxed tournament, there's no good reason to use a system that might advance a player with worse performance than someone who got left behind. For these reasons, I recommend always using DCI Reporter to run Swiss tournaments.

Even if your tournament doesn't feature Swiss rounds, DCI Reporter can still be useful. It can quickly assign random pairings, keep track of the results for you, and output them in a standard format. The software supports various types of both single- and double-elimination tournaments.

#obtainObtaining the Software

If you are a registered DCI judge, you can download DCI Reporter from the web site. If you are not, you can probably find a copy somewhere by searching the web. But you should exercise great caution in deciding whether to trust software that you download from web sites with which you're unfamiliar. Also, I don't know whether Wizards is okay with Reporter being distributed in that way, so keep it under your hat.

Don't assume that you can get the software any old time and just launch right into a tournament (no matter how excellent this guide may be). Download it several days in advance of the tournament, make sure you have a non-corrupted (and virus-free) file, and run a few practice tournaments ahead of time. Most people make some mistakes or encounter an unexpected situation their first time out; the more experience you have with the software, the better.

#normalThe Normal Course of Events

#create_tournamentCreating the Tournament

1. Start DCI Reporter.
2. Open the **File** menu and click **Create New Tournament**.
3. Enter a **Tournament Name**.
   • Choose a name that will be easy to find in a list later on.
4. Change the number of **Rounds in tournament** to the number of Swiss rounds you wish to play.
   • //Don't overlook this step!// Changing the number of rounds mid-tournament may be difficult and/or have adverse effects on the pairings or standings.
   • You should advertise in advance how many rounds your tournament will have, even if you can only give a range. Your players will want to know how much time they should expect to spend at your event. Most Pauper tournaments have the same fixed number of rounds each week, usually three or four. Some tournaments may have a variable number of rounds, depending on turnout.
   • If you are planning to cut to a top 4 (or 8, or whatever) playoff bracket after the Swiss, do //not// include those rounds in this total -- only enter the number of Swiss rounds.
5. If your tournament has a **Maximum number of players**, enter it in that box. The default maximum is probably more than enough.
6. In the "Select Game" section, make sure that **Magic: The Gathering** is selected (this should be the default).
7. In the "Select Options" section, clear the **DCI Sanctioned Tournament** checkbox.
   • This will stop Reporter from asking you for a Sanctioning Number.
8. In the "Select Pairing Method" section, make sure that the **Swiss Pairing** checkbox is marked (this should be the default).
9. Click **OK**.
10. A message box will inform you that the tournament has been created successfully (unless it wasn't, in which case I don't know what to tell you). The Tournament Code it provides is your tournament's unique identifier, but you usually won't need to know it, as long as you gave your tournament a name that's easy to remember.
11. Find your tournament in the Tournaments list. Double-click inside its row. The Status window will appear, displaying the details of your tournament.
    • If you realize at this point (or later) that you made a mistake in setting up the tournament, you may be able to correct it on the Tournament Setup dialog. Open the **File** menu and click **Tournament Setup**. Note that you may have to use the **X** or **Cancel** buttons to leave the Tournament Setup dialog if you don't fill in all of the data (and you don't need to).
    • Some errors cannot be corrected, and you may have to create a new tournament. To do so, you must first exit the current tournament by opening the **File** menu and clicking**Close Tournament**. Then repeat these instructions from step 2.

#register_playersRegistering Players

1. Make sure you have created and opened the tournament, and that the settings are correct, as described above.
2. Ask your players to begin registering. Each tournament organizer (TO) has their own preference for how to do this. Some ask players to type "register" in the channel where the tournament is being held; others prefer to have users send them a private message (PM).
3. Open the **Edit** menu and click **Players**.
4. The Data Entry dialog defaults to what you want: the **Enroll** radio button selected, and the cursor in the **First Name** field.
5. Since this is the internet, you probably don't know your players' real names. Press SPACE and then ENTER to give the player a blank first name and move to the **Last Name**field. Type the first player's username and press ENTER again (or click the **Enter** button). The player's information will be displayed in the list to the right, and the name fields will be cleared.
   • You can enter players in any order; Reporter will sort their names alphabetically and pair them randomly. Reporter assigns player numbers in the order in which you enter players, but these are merely unique identifiers for record-keeping purposes; they have no real significance.
   • If you make a typo in a player's name, select **Change Enrolled**, then double-click on the erroneous name. That player's information will be displayed in the fields. Re-enter the correct information, but don't press the ENTER key until you've corrected both fields. When you do press ENTER, the information will be updated, and the radio button will return to **Enroll**.
   • If a player shouldn't have been entered at all, or has to drop before the registration period ends, select **Delete**, double-click that player's name in the list, then click **Enter**. The player will not be removed from the list, but they will be marked as deleted. If you need to re-enter this player later, select **Re-enter**, click their name, then click **Enter**. The radio button is //not// reset after you perform these functions.
   • It's helpful to confirm registrations somehow, so players don't worry that you may have overlooked them. You could send them a response via PM, or periodically echo the list of registered players in the channel.
6. Repeat step 5 until each player has been entered.
7. Click **Save and Close**.
   • You can still return to the Data Entry dialog and enter, change, or delete more players as described above. If you need to enter a player after the first round has begun, see Registering Players Who Arrive Late and/or Choosing the Pairings Yourself.

#back_upBacking Up Your Tournament Files

Reporter saves the data you've entered automatically and immediately, so you probably don't need to make backups throughout the tournament. However, this feature can be useful for other reasons. For example, DCI-R backup files can be imported directly into Gatherling.

1. Open the **File** menu and click **Back up tournament files**.
2. Navigate to the directory in which you want to save the backup files. You must double-click on the name of the directory to open it (simply highlighting it isn't sufficient).
   • If you want to make a new directory for this tournament, mark the **Create New Folder** checkbox, type the directory name in the field, and click **Create this Folder**.
3. Click **Back up**.
4. Reporter will tell you that the backup has been completed. Click **OK**.

#generate_pairingsGenerating Pairings Normally

At the beginning of the first round, and after you have finished entering the results for each round, generate the next round's pairings by following these steps.

1. Open the **Perform** menu and click **Pairing**.
2. Make sure that the **Default Tables** checkbox is marked.
3. Click **Pair**.
4. Reporter should tell you that pairing was successful. Click **OK**.
   • Problems with generating the pairings can occur at this point. The most likely problem is that too many players have dropped from your tournament, and there aren't enough players left to pair everyone against a player with a similar record that they haven't played before. If the number of active players is low, but pairing is not a problem, Reporter may warn you about the situation, but you can safely ignore the warning (at least for now). If the problem prevents Reporter from generating pairings, the first thing you should do is try again -- the error may not happen a second time. If it persists, however, you may have to think creatively about how to finish the tournament.
5. Assuming there were no errors, the pairings for the new round will be displayed. Inform your players of the pairings, and begin the round.
   • This is a good time to back up your tournament files.

To retrieve the Pairings by Table dialog after you have closed it:

1. Open the **View** menu.
2. Click **Pairings by Table**.
3. Highlight the round whose pairings you want to view.
4. Click **OK**.

#post_pairingsPosting the Pairings

Some TOs simply retype the pairings in the event's channel. I prefer to copy them to the event's forum thread. This lets players review them at any time without bothering you, and more importantly, provides a record of the event in case anything happens, such as MTGO's servers or your computer crashing. Players can even use this record to re-create the event if for some reason you are unable to continue hosting. To post pairings in a thread on the Magic Online message boards:

1. With the Pairings by Table dialog active (see above), open the **Edit** menu and click **Copy to ClipBoard**. Click **OK**.
2. Begin adding or editing a post in the event's thread. Place your cursor in the text area and press CTRL+V to paste the pairings.
3. Highlight the pasted text and click the **Code** button (image:code.gif).
4. Click **Preview Post** and make sure everything looks okay, then click **Submit Reply**.
5. Copy the URL of the thread, and paste it into the channel.

#enter_resultsEntering Results

Ask your players to report their match results in a consistent fashion, with the idea of minimizing the risk that you will miss a result or enter it incorrectly. Some TOs ask the players to report their results in the event's channel, in a separate channel set up exclusively for reporting, or via PM to you. Players should also inform you if they intend to drop from the tournament at this time. Follow these steps to record each result as you receive it.

1. Open the **Edit** menu and click **Results Entry**.
2. When you receive the results of a match, double-click on the name of one of the players in the list at the right. The names of both players will be displayed in boxes on the left.
   • Note that which name is displayed on the top and which on the bottom is determined by Reporter, and is not affected by which name you clicked on.
3. If either (or both) of the players has dropped from the tournament, mark the **Drop1** or **Drop2** checkbox to the left of that player's name.
4. Use the small buttons located below the players' names to enter the result of the match. The top number corresponds to the number of games the top player won, and likewise for the bottom number and player.
   • For example, if the player listed second won the match two games to one, click the button with a 1 above a 2.
   • If for some reason you need to enter a match loss for both players, click **DL** (Double Loss).
   • If you enter an incorrect result, clear the **Outstanding results** checkbox to display all players' names again, then repeat this process. Click **OK** to confirm the change.
5. When you enter the last match result, Reporter may close the dialog automatically. If it doesn't, click **Save and Close**.
6. Post the results.
7. At the end of the last Swiss round, you may wish to hold a Top N playoff. However, this is not necessary: players will be ranked according to their performance in the Swiss rounds, and you can award prizes or points based on those standings. To access them, open the **View** menu and click **Standings**.

#post_resultsPosting the Results

When you finish entering results, Reporter may automatically display the Standings dialog. You can post this chart to update players on the tournament status, but players may find it easier to read the "Results by table" chart instead. You can always post both charts, if you like. Whatever you do, I recommend posting results in some form. This helps players figure out how they and their friends/opponents are doing without having to ask you, and most importantly, helps reassure them that you're conducting the event correctly and honestly.

1. Open the **View** menu and click **Results by table**.
2. Open the **Edit** menu and click **Copy to ClipBoard**.
3. Begin adding or editing a post in the event's thread. Place your cursor in the text area and press CTRL+V to paste the pairings.
4. Highlight the pasted text and click the **Code** button (image:code.gif).
5. Click **Preview Post** and make sure everything looks okay, then click **Submit Reply**.
6. Copy the URL of the thread, and paste it into the channel.

#top_nMaking a Top //N// Playoff

Many tournaments use the results of a few Swiss rounds to seed a single-elimination playoff bracket, with only a certain number (some power of 2) of the top players qualifying. Prizes and/or points are then awarded to these players based on the results of the playoff.

1. Open the **Perform** menu and click **Playoff Pairing**.
2. Click the button with the number of players you want to advance to the playoff round. To hold a top 4 playoff, click **4**, for a top 8, **8**, etc.
3. If you want to rearrange the brackets after Reporter generates them, you can do so by double-clicking on one player, then double-clicking on the player you want them to switch with. However, the default pairings are based on the players' standings in the tournament, so you shouldn't change them unless you have a good reason for it.
4. Click and drag over the brackets to highlight them, then open the **Edit** menu and click **Copy to ClipBoard**.
5. Post the pairings.
6. Click **Enter Results**.
7. As the match results come in, click on the name of each winning player.
   • Copying this data to the clipboard is not supported, but it should be easy enough to retype at this point.
   • The Standings dialog (open the **View** menu and click **Standings**) will not reflect the results of the playoff games. If you post the standings, or award points or prizes that are supposed to reflect the results of the playoff bracket, remember to adjust manually.

#irregularitiesIrregularities

#late_entryRegistering Players Who Arrive Late

Most tournaments hold a registration period for about half an hour before the first round begins. This lets players know when they can show up without worrying that they'll be wasting their time, which in turn helps ensure that the organizer doesn't have to scramble to enter the majority of the players at the last minute.

As organizer, it's your decision whether or not to allow players to register if they show up after the first round has already begun. You may prefer to enforce the rules strictly, to minimize the hassle for you and encourage punctuality in the future. Or you may prefer not to turn away anyone who wants to play. In that case, follow these instructions to add late entrants to the tournament.

These instructions assume that pairings for round 1 have already been generated. If they have not, simply follow the instructions in Registering Players as normal.

1. Open the **Edit** menu and click **Players**.
2. Mark the **Enroll** radio button.
3. Reporter may warn you that you are performing a late enrollment. Click **OK**.
4. As with normal player entry, type a SPACE in the **First Name** field, then the player's username in the **Last Name** field. Click **Enter**.
5. Depending on the status of the tournament, Reporter may present you with one of these prompts:
   1. If you are between rounds (i.e., all results for one round are complete, but pairings for the next have not been generated), Reporter may ask whether you want to give this player a bye for the past round(s). Click **Yes** //or// **No** according to your policy.
      • The answer to this question affects the results of the tournament, so be sure that you understand why you are choosing either option. The DCI scoring system treats a bye as, essentially, a win against a null player -- so it affects a player's win record positively, but doesn't affect their tiebreakers vs. other players with the same number of wins and losses. In general, I would advise against rewarding players for showing up late, and thus would recommend clicking **No** here.
   2. If you are in the middle of round 1 (i.e., pairings have been generated and some, but not all, results may have been entered), Reporter may prompt you to take one of these actions: (a) re-pair the round, (b) pair the late player against the player who received a first-round bye (if anyone did), (c) enter the late player with a bye, or (d) enter the late player without a bye. Each of these options will be preceded by a number (which may differ depending on how many of these options are available). Type the number of your choice in the text field, then click **OK**.
      • Re-pairing the round is a nuisance for both you and the players who have already started their games. Nevertheless, there may be a good reason to do it. For example, if you suspect that a player is trying to get some advantage by intentionally arriving late and not getting paired, you may wish to re-pair in order to thwart this attempt.
      • If you choose to pair the late player against the player who received a bye, Reporter should update the pairings for you automatically. If it doesn't, you can do it yourself. See the section on Choosing the Pairings Yourself for instructions.
      • If there is no existing bye, or if you choose not to have the late entrant play in round 1 (which may be advisable if it is late in the round, to avoid delaying the start of the next round), the concerns about byes that I mentioned above still apply.
6. If more than one player arrived late, repeat from step 2 for each one.
   • You may have to click a radio button other than **Enroll**, then back on **Enroll**, to get Reporter to let you add another player.
7. Click **Save and Close**.

#delete_pairingsDeleting the Current Round's Pairings

You may need to delete the pairings for the current round in certain circumstances, such as if you discover that the previous round's results were entered incorrectly. Deleting pairings will also delete any results you have entered for the current round, so pay attention and don't delete pairings for an earlier round by mistake.

1. Open the **Perform** menu and click **Pairing**.
2. Click **OK** to delete the pairings for the current round.
3. Click **No** so that Reporter does not generate new pairings on its own.
4. Reporter will inform you that the current round has been reset to the round before the one whose pairings you deleted. That round's results will remain unchanged.

#ordered_pairingChoosing the Pairings Yourself

Usually you should let Reporter generate pairings according to its own system, in the interest of fairness, and so as not to give the appearance of playing favorites. But in certain circumstances, such as if you accidentally delete the pairings after posting them, generating ordered pairings may help you smoothly resolve a difficult situation. It is also useful if the original host loses connection during a tournament, and you volunteer to take over.

1. Write down the pairings that Reporter generated (or figure out the pairings that you want to force Reporter to use, according to whatever your method is).
   • Table numbers are not important, since this is an online tournament, but feel free to record them if it makes your life easier.
2. If pairings for this round already exist, delete them first.
3. Open the **Perform** menu and click **Ordered Pairing**.
4. A message box will explain the purpose of the Ordered Pairing feature. Click **OK**.
5. Double-click the name of one of the players in the first pairing.
6. Double-click the name of the other player in the first pairing.
7. Click **Enter Pairing**.
8. Repeat steps 5 through 7 for the rest of the pairings.
   • To correct a mistaken entry for one of the players, click inside the white box to the right of the **Player 1** or **Player 2** label, then double-click the correct name in the list.
   • To correct a mistaken entry for a previous table, use the small scrollbar next to the **Table** label to scroll up or down until the correct table is displayed.
   • A bye will be entered automatically when you double-click on the last player's name, and will not be displayed in the list at the right.
9. Click **Save Pairings and Close**.
10. Reporter will confirm that the ordered pairings were saved. Click **OK**.
11. To view the pairings, open the **View** menu and click **Pairings by Table**. Select the latest round and click **OK**.
12. Post the pairings.

#late_dropDropping Players Late

Make a point of reminding players to be punctual and clear when announcing their drops, because if you need to drop someone after pairing a round, the best solution is usually to re-pair, which is something you'd like to avoid as much as possible. But no matter how much you remind them, sooner or later you'll find yourself in this situation anyway.

If you discover that you need to drop a player before you have generated pairings for the next round, simply return to results entry, clear the **Outstanding Results** checkbox, and re-enter the result of that player's match, making sure to mark the **Drop1** or **Drop2** checkbox as appropriate.

If the player doesn't declare their intention to drop until after you have announced the pairings for the next round, don't feel as if it's your responsibility to compensate for their thoughtlessness -- especially if the reason they dropped could be because they didn't like their match-up. Treat it as if that player had conceded the match 0-2 and dropped during the new round.

If you've made it past the preceding paragraphs, we'll assume that there's a good reason for dropping the player late -- probably because they announced their drop on time, but you overlooked it.

If the player who drops is one of those at the lowest-ranked (highest-numbered) table, and there is no bye in the round yet, you could decide to simply enter an 0-2 match loss for that player and drop them this round. However, note that this may lower that player's standing in the tournament -- which may in turn adversely affect their prizes or points earned, if your tournament awards either of those things -- and/or unduly improve their opponent's tiebreakers beyond what would have happened if they had simply received a bye. Therefore, I recommend against using this method unless you are certain that neither of those things will matter. Alternatively, you can write down these pairings, follow the instructions below, then re-create the same pairings for the new round, giving a bye to the player at the low table.

Assuming that you can't use any of the above shortcuts, follow these instructions. You will have to re-pair the round.

1. Tell players to halt any matches that they have already begun, and that those matches will not count, because the round is being re-paired.
   • It is a good idea to insist on this even if it is likely that some of the pairings will end up being the same.
2. Open the **Perform** menu and click **Pairing**.
3. Reporter asks you to confirm that you want to delete the pairings and results (if any) for the current round. Click **OK**.
4. Reporter asks for confirmation that you want to make new pairings. Click **No**.
5. Reporter tells you that you are now in the previous round. Click **OK**.
6. Open the **Edit** menu and click **Results Entry**.
7. Clear the **Outstanding Results** checkbox.
8. Double-click on the name of the dropped player in the list at right. The data about the player's match, including the result you entered, is displayed. Verify that the result was correct.
9. Mark the **Drop1** or **Drop2** checkbox next to the player's name.
10. Click **Enter**.
11. Reporter asks you to confirm that you are changing the result. Click **OK**.
12. Click **Save and Close**.
13. Generate pairings for the new round as usual. Note that these pairings may well differ from the pairings you originally generated for this round.
    • As noted above, if the player who dropped was at the bottom table, you can instead re-create the previously generated pairings, leaving the other player at the bottom table with a bye.
14. Inform your players of the updated pairings, and begin the round.

#drop_byeDropping a Player Who Received a Bye This Round

Ordinarily, if a player drops during a round, you simply mark the **Drop** checkbox next to their name on the Results Entry dialog. However, if the player who dropped was the player who had a bye in that round, they won't appear on the Results Entry dialog. If you need to drop this player:

1. Open the **Edit** menu and click **Players**.
2. Select the **Drop** radio button.
3. Double-click the player's name in the list at right.
4. Click **Enter**. The word "Drop" should appear next to this player's name in the list.
5. Click **Save and Close**.
6. Enter the remaining results for this round as normal. When you generate the pairings for the next round, double-check that the dropped player was not paired.

#reentryLetting Players Back into the Tournament after They've Dropped

If at all possible, don't do it.

If a player clearly announces their intention to drop, and then changes their mind after the tournament has moved on, I strongly recommend against indulging this behavior. It makes life difficult for you, and for everyone else if you have to re-pair the round.

More subtly, it may give players the impression that they don't have to respect the rules, or that you're a pushover. Naturally you want to attract a lot of players and make sure they all get to participate and enjoy themselves, but be wary of going too far in this pursuit, and don't be afraid to lay down the law when necessary. A smoothly run tournament with clear, consistent rules is in everybody's best interest -- except for the kind of player you probably don't want at your tournaments anyway.

However, if there was a misunderstanding about the player's intention to drop, or if there is a good reason to let them back in, follow these steps.

1. First of all, re-entering a player may not be possible at all during a round whose results are still incomplete -- Reporter will simply prevent you from doing it if this is the case. You may have to wait until results entry for the round is finished.
2. Open the **Edit** menu and click **Players**.
3. Select the **Re-enter** radio button.
4. Double-click on the player's name in the list at right.
5. Click **Enter**.
6. Reporter may ask one or more questions to make sure you know (a) that this is strange and (b) how you plan to fix it. Click **OK** in reponse to them.
7. Reporter will verify that the re-entry was successful. Click **OK**.
8. Click **Save and Close**. Re-pair the round.
   • Reporter may suggest performing an ordered pairing. However, you can -- and probably should -- just delete the pairings and then pair the round normally.)