Raphaël Lévy
Encyclopedia
Raphaël Lévy is a professional Magic: The Gathering
player. He was inducted to the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Hall of Fame
in November 2006. He is the first player to have been inducted while active on the Pro Tour. He is one of only four players to have won Grand Prix on three different continents. (The others being Shuhei Nakamura, Alex Shvartsman
, and Carlos Romão
)
. A 130th place finish meant he did not qualify for the next Pro Tour. After missing Pro Tour New York
, he qualified for the 1997 World Championship
, and has not missed a Pro Tour since.
Lévy first began to attract attention the following season first by winning Grand Prix
Lyon
, and the reaching the top eight of the World Championship. He was the only non-American in an impressive top eight whose players now have a combined 37 Pro Tour Sunday appearances.
In 1998-99, Lévy continued to proform well with fourth place finishes and Grand Prix Barcelona
, and the European Championship in Berlin
. Before the turn of the millennium, Lévy put up his second Pro Tour Top eight. A semifinal loss to Brian Davis saw Lévy put up yet another fourth place finish.
Over the following six years, Lévy did well without standing out. He remained continuously qualified for the Pro Tour, and put up nine Grand Prix top eights. However, his third Pro Tour top eight would not come until seven years after his second. In 2006
, Lévy's two Pro Tour Top eights and streak of then 47 consecutive Pro Tours attended were enough to get him inducted into the Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame
. This honour served to reinvigourate Lévy's game. The following season
, he won back to back Grand Prix in Dallas and Singapore
. He made his third Pro Tour Top eight in Yokohama
, making him the first Hall of Famer to make it back to the Sunday stage.
Since then, Lévy has returned to putting up solid Pro Tour finishes without reaching the top eight, and has put up four more Grand Prix top eights.
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...
player. He was inducted to the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour 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...
in November 2006. He is the first player to have been inducted while active on the Pro Tour. He is one of only four players to have won Grand Prix on three different continents. (The others being Shuhei Nakamura, Alex Shvartsman
Alex Shvartsman
Alex Shvartsman is an American Magic: The Gathering player. While having enjoyed only a moderate degree of success on the Pro Tour, he is one of the most successful Grand Prix players ever. With 21 appearances, Shvartsman held the record for most Grand Prix top eights for a long time, and is now...
, and Carlos Romão
Carlos Romão
Carlos Eduardo Romão is a Brazilian Magic: The Gathering player. He is best known for his win at the 2002 World Championships. Along with Diego Ostrovich, he is widely regarded as the first South American to achieve success on the Pro Tour, and was the first South American to win a Pro...
)
Career
Raphaël Lévy began his Pro Tour career in 1997 at Pro Tour ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. A 130th place finish meant he did not qualify for the next Pro Tour. After missing Pro Tour New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, he qualified for the 1997 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...
, and has not missed a Pro Tour since.
Lévy first began to attract attention the following season first by winning Grand Prix
Grand Prix (Magic: The Gathering)
Grands Prix are professional Magic: The Gathering tournaments, awarding cash prizes, Pro Points and invitations to Pro Tours. They are open to all players and are usually the biggest Magic tournaments. The first Grand Prix was held on 22–23 March 1997 in Amsterdam...
Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, and the reaching the top eight of the World Championship. He was the only non-American in an impressive top eight whose players now have a combined 37 Pro Tour Sunday appearances.
In 1998-99, Lévy continued to proform well with fourth place finishes and Grand Prix Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, and the European Championship in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Before the turn of the millennium, Lévy put up his second Pro Tour Top eight. A semifinal loss to Brian Davis saw Lévy put up yet another fourth place finish.
Over the following six years, Lévy did well without standing out. He remained continuously qualified for the Pro Tour, and put up nine Grand Prix top eights. However, his third Pro Tour top eight would not come until seven years after his second. In 2006
Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour season 2006
The 2006 Pro Tour season was the eleventh season of the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour. On 18 December 2005 the season began with parallel Grand Prixs in Lille and Charlotte. It ended on 3 December 2006 with the conclusion of the 2006 World Championship in Paris. The season consisted of 22 Grand...
, Lévy's two Pro Tour Top eights and streak of then 47 consecutive Pro Tours attended were enough to get him inducted into the Magic: The Gathering 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...
. This honour served to reinvigourate Lévy's game. The following season
Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour season 2007
The 2007 Pro Tour season was the twelfth season of the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour. On 9 February 2007 the season began with Pro Tour Geneva. It ended on 9 December 2007 with the conclusion of the 2007 World Championship in New York. The season consisted of 16 Grand Prixs and 5 Pro Tours, held in...
, he won back to back Grand Prix in Dallas and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. He made his third Pro Tour Top eight in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, making him the first Hall of Famer to make it back to the Sunday stage.
Since then, Lévy has returned to putting up solid Pro Tour finishes without reaching the top eight, and has put up four more Grand Prix top eights.
Top 8 appearances
Other accomplishments- Magic: The Gathering Hall of FameMagic: The Gathering Hall of FameThe 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 of 2006