Tomoharu Saitou
Encyclopedia
is one of the most successful professional Magic: The Gathering
players.
2000. An 83rd place finish meant he fell just short of making money. Later the same season, he made his first standout finish by reaching the top eight of the Asia Pacific Championship. His quarter-final opponent was to have been Peter Chao of Singapore. However, Chao was not able to attend the final day of competition, and asked Saitou for a prize split. The judges ruled this to be bribery and disqualified Saitou, Chao, and Satoshi Nakamura who had acted as their interpreter.
After two seasons off tour, Saitou returned the Pro Tour in 2003–04
, and to the elimination rounds at the premier level by finishing eighth at Grand Prix
Nagoya. In 2005
, he made his first Sunday appearance on the Pro Tour. Alongside Tomohiro Kaji, and Kenji Tsumura
, he reached the top four of Pro Tour Atlanta. Saitou's team, One Spin, lost in the semifinals to the eventual champions Nova, with Saitou losing to Gabriel Nassif
.
In 2006
, Saitou won Pro Tour
Charleston as member of Team Kajiharu80, along with Tomohiro Kaji and Shouta Yasooka
. The next Pro Tour, held in Kobe
, Saitou made his first individual top eight appearance. He lost in the quarterfinals to Pro Tour first-timer and eventual champion Jan-Moritz Merkel. At the end of the 2006 season, Saitou was dubbed the PoY maker, because in the past two seasons his teammates, Tsumura and Yasooka, had won the Player of the year title. The following year
, it would be his turn.
In 2007, Saitou made his fourth Pro Tour top eight that year, in Yokohama
, losing to Kazuya Mitamura in the semifinals. He also top eighted Grand Prix Singapore
, and won Grand Prix Strasbourg
. At the end of the season, he won the Player of the year title, making him the first player to do so without either winning a Pro Tour or reaching the top eight of multiple Pro Tours.
The 2008 season
saw Saitou finishing third at Pro Tour Berlin
and making the Top 8 of three Grand Prix, but falling 20 points short of defending his title.
In 2009
Saitou won back to back Extended Grand Prix in Singapore and Kobe. The following season
, he made the top eight of three more Grand Prix, winning in Columbus
. At Pro Tour Amsterdam it was announced that Saitou would be inducted into the Hall of Fame
. Two weeks before his induction Saitou was disqualified for stalling at Grand Prix Florence. He subsequently received an 18 month suspension from the DCI. One day before the Hall of Fame induction ceremony Wizards of the Coast
announced that Saitou would not be inducted due to his suspension.
Other accomplishments:
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.
Career
Saitou debuted at Pro Tour ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
2000. An 83rd place finish meant he fell just short of making money. Later the same season, he made his first standout finish by reaching the top eight of the Asia Pacific Championship. His quarter-final opponent was to have been Peter Chao of Singapore. However, Chao was not able to attend the final day of competition, and asked Saitou for a prize split. The judges ruled this to be bribery and disqualified Saitou, Chao, and Satoshi Nakamura who had acted as their interpreter.
After two seasons off tour, Saitou returned the Pro Tour in 2003–04
Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour season 2003–04
The 2003–04 Pro Tour season was the ninth season of the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour. On 23 August 2003 the season began with parallel Grand Prixs in Yokohama and London. It ended on 5 September 2004 with the conclusion of the 2004 World Championship in San Francisco...
, and to the elimination rounds at the premier level by finishing eighth at 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...
Nagoya. In 2005
Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour season 2005
- Final standings :- Pro Player of the year standings :- Grand Prixs – Helsinki, Brisbane, Yokohama, Porto Alegre, Paris, Chicago, Osaka :GP Helsinki # Olivier Ruel# Mikko Leiviskä# Jean Charles Salvin# Ulrik Tarp# Anton Jonsson...
, he made his first Sunday appearance on the Pro Tour. Alongside Tomohiro Kaji, and Kenji Tsumura
Kenji Tsumura
is a professional Magic: The Gathering player from Japan. He is one of only seven players to have reached the top eight of a Pro Tour more than five times.-Career:...
, he reached the top four of Pro Tour Atlanta. Saitou's team, One Spin, lost in the semifinals to the eventual champions Nova, with Saitou losing to Gabriel Nassif
Gabriel Nassif
Gabriel Nassif is a French professional card player. He is known for his continuous success on the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour and was the 2004 Pro Tour Player of the Year. He also enjoys playing poker, having moderate success at the World Series of Poker in recent years...
.
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...
, Saitou won 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...
Charleston as member of Team Kajiharu80, along with Tomohiro Kaji and Shouta Yasooka
Shouta Yasooka
is a Japanese Magic: The Gathering player. He is best known for his success in the 2006 Pro Tour season, when he won Pro Tour Charleston with Tomohiro Kaji and Tomoharu Saitou, as well as the Player of the Year title....
. The next Pro Tour, held in Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, Saitou made his first individual top eight appearance. He lost in the quarterfinals to Pro Tour first-timer and eventual champion Jan-Moritz Merkel. At the end of the 2006 season, Saitou was dubbed the PoY maker, because in the past two seasons his teammates, Tsumura and Yasooka, had won the Player of the year title. The following year
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...
, it would be his turn.
In 2007, Saitou made his fourth Pro Tour top eight that year, 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...
, losing to Kazuya Mitamura in the semifinals. He also top eighted Grand Prix 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...
, and won Grand Prix Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
. At the end of the season, he won the Player of the year title, making him the first player to do so without either winning a Pro Tour or reaching the top eight of multiple Pro Tours.
The 2008 season
Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour season 2008
The 2008 Pro Tour season was the thirteenth season of the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour. It began on 15 December 2007, with Grand Prix Stuttgart, and ended on 14 December 2008, with the 2008 World Championship in Memphis. The season consisted of twenty-one Grand Prixs, and four Pro Tours, located...
saw Saitou finishing third at Pro Tour 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...
and making the Top 8 of three Grand Prix, but falling 20 points short of defending his title.
In 2009
Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour season 2009
The 2009 Pro Tour season was the fourteenth season of the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour. It began on 17 January 2009 with Grand Prix Los Angeles, and ended on 22 November 2009 with the conclusion of the 2009 World Championship in Rome. The season consisted of nineteen Grand Prixs, and four Pro...
Saitou won back to back Extended Grand Prix in Singapore and Kobe. The following season
Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour season 2010
The 2010 Pro Tour season was the fifteenth season of the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour. It began on 13 February 2010 with Grand Prix Oakland, and ended on 12 December 2010 with the conclusion of the 2010 World Championship in Chiba, Japan. The season consisted of eighteen Grand Prixs, and four Pro...
, he made the top eight of three more Grand Prix, winning in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. At Pro Tour Amsterdam it was announced that Saitou would be inducted into 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...
. Two weeks before his induction Saitou was disqualified for stalling at Grand Prix Florence. He subsequently received an 18 month suspension from the DCI. One day before the Hall of Fame induction ceremony Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
announced that Saitou would not be inducted due to his suspension.
Accomplishments
Notes: Tomoharu Saitou reached the top eight of the 2001 APAC Championships as the number 1 seed after two days of competition. He was disqualified for bribery, along with Satoshi Nakamura and Peter Chao.Other accomplishments:
- Pro Player of the Year 2007