Magic: The Gathering Rules - Beginning and Ending The Game

Beginning and Ending The Game

Each player uses his or her own deck to play the game. In most formats, a deck must have a minimum of 60 cards; there is no maximum deck size. With the exception of basic lands, only four cards with the same name can be in a deck. Certain formats have exceptions or additional limitations to the above rules. In tournaments, players may be allowed the use of a fifteen card sideboard. Sideboard cards can be swapped for cards in the main deck in between games against the same opponent.

At the beginning of a game, each player shuffles his or her deck. Players then decide who will start, using any mutually agreeable method (flipping a coin, for example). Each player then draws seven cards from his or her library to form his or her starting hand. In turn order, each player may then decide to mulligan; that player shuffles his or her hand and library together and draws a new hand of one less card. A player can do this all the way down to a zero-card hand if he or she wishes, drawing one less card each time. In multiplayer games, players can mulligan for free one time, drawing seven cards a second time. Any further mulligans draw one card fewer each time, as normal.

A player wins the game by eliminating all opponents. Players typically begin the game with 20 life and lose when any of the following conditions are met:

• That player has 0 or fewer life
• That player is required to draw a card but has no cards left in his or her library
• That player has 10 or more poison counters (although poison cards are not printed very frequently)
• Specific cards may also dictate (or prevent) other ways of winning or losing the game