Dirk Baberowski is one of the most successful professional Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...

 players. He has won three Pro Tours

Pro Tour (Magic: The Gathering)

The Pro Tour is the highest form of competitive play for the Magic: The Gathering collectible card game. It consists of a series of payout tournaments held throughout the world, each requiring an invitation to participate. Every PT awards a total of $230,000 in cash prizes, with $40,000 going to...

, tying him in second place with Jon Finkel

Jon Finkel

Jon Finkel is an American Magic: The Gathering and poker player. In the year 2000, he became the world champion of Magic, as well as being on the team that became the team world champion.-Career:...

. Two of those victories were won at team Pro Tours with his teammates of Phoenix Foundation, Kai Budde

Kai Budde

Kai Budde , is a professional Magic: The Gathering player, who holds the records for earnings, Pro Tour victories and lifetime Pro Points. His performances earned him the nicknames "The Juggernaut" and "King of the Grand Prix"...

 and Marco Blume

Marco Blume

Marco Blume is one of the most successful professional Magic: The Gathering players. He has won two Pro Tours and one Masters as a member of team Phoenix Foundation, his teammates being Kai Budde and Dirk Baberowski. He also won a German national championship individually in 1999.- Top 8...

.

In 2008, Barberowski was voted in the Hall of Fame

Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame

The Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Hall of Fame was started in 2005 to honor the most successful Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour players. The first inductions came on the tenth anniversary of the first Pro Tour event, and new Hall of Famers will be determined annually...

. He was inducted during the World championship

Magic: The Gathering World Championship

The Magic: The Gathering World Championships have been held annually since 1994. It is the most important tournament in the game of Magic: The Gathering, offering to the winner a cash prize of $45,000. Originally open to all competitors, Worlds is now an invitation-only event and the last Pro Tour...

 in Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....

.

Career

Dirk Baberowski qualified for Pro Tour

Pro Tour (Magic: The Gathering)

The Pro Tour is the highest form of competitive play for the Magic: The Gathering collectible card game. It consists of a series of payout tournaments held throughout the world, each requiring an invitation to participate. Every PT awards a total of $230,000 in cash prizes, with $40,000 going to...

 (PT) Chicago due to a 12th place at Grand Prix Zurich on 31 May 1998. PT Chicago on 25–27 September 1998 featured Tempest

Tempest (Magic: The Gathering)

Tempest was the 20th Magic: The Gathering set and twelfth expert level set, and the first set in the Rath Block, released in October 1997. The release of Tempest represented a large jump in the power level of the card set, compared to the previous Mirage block. Many cards from Tempest instantly...

-Stronghold

Stronghold (Magic: The Gathering)

Stronghold was the 21st Magic: The Gathering set and thirteenth expert level set, and the second set in the Rath Block, released in March 1998. The block includes Tempest and Exodus. Stronghold contains 143 cards...

-Exodus

Exodus (Magic: The Gathering)

Exodus was the 22nd Magic: The Gathering set, fourteenth expert level set, and the third and final set in the Rath Block, released on 15 June 1998. Its expansion symbol is a bridge...

Rochester Draft. Despite being his first PT appearance Baberowksi managed to win the tournament, drafting a green-white deck, widely considered a horrible color combination in that format.

Other than a 2nd place finish behind team mate Kai Budde

Kai Budde

Kai Budde , is a professional Magic: The Gathering player, who holds the records for earnings, Pro Tour victories and lifetime Pro Points. His performances earned him the nicknames "The Juggernaut" and "King of the Grand Prix"...

 at Grand Prix Amsterdam the most of the remaining season consisted of mediocre finishes at professional events. Baberowski managed another 2nd place at the European Championships in Berlin at the end of the season, though. A 63rd place at the World championship

Magic: The Gathering World Championship

The Magic: The Gathering World Championships have been held annually since 1994. It is the most important tournament in the game of Magic: The Gathering, offering to the winner a cash prize of $45,000. Originally open to all competitors, Worlds is now an invitation-only event and the last Pro Tour...

 in Tokyo sufficed to take home the Rookie of the Year award.

The only notable finish in the next two PT seasons was a top 8 finish, again at a Pro Tour in Chicago. After that Dirk banded up with Kai Budde and Marco Blume

Marco Blume

Marco Blume is one of the most successful professional Magic: The Gathering players. He has won two Pro Tours and one Masters as a member of team Phoenix Foundation, his teammates being Kai Budde and Dirk Baberowski. He also won a German national championship individually in 1999.- Top 8...

 to form the team Phoenix Foundation. Together they swept back to back team Pro Tours in New York (2001) and Boston (2002), also winning the Osaka

Osaka

is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

 team Master in between. The following season Phoenix Foundation managed another final day appearance in Boston (2003). Phoenix Foundation disbanded thereafter with the members quitting professional Magic.

Accomplishments

Other accomplishments:

• Rookie of the Year 1998–99
• Hall of Fame
  Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame
  The Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Hall of Fame was started in 2005 to honor the most successful Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour players. The first inductions came on the tenth anniversary of the first Pro Tour event, and new Hall of Famers will be determined annually...
  
  class 2008 vote leader