Robert Maher Jr. (born July 10, 1978[6] in Wisconsin), is a professional Magic: The Gathering player. He picked up the Magic game after sustaining a football injury in high school, and has gone on to become one of the most celebrated players in the game's history, earning the nickname "The Great One". Bob currently owns the Toy and Game distribution company ACD Distribution which is located in Middleton, Wisconsin.
| Bob Maher | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | The Great One[1] |
| Born | July 10, 1978 |
| Residence | Madison, Wisconsin, United States |
| Nationality |  American |
| Pro Tour debut | Pro Tour New York 1996 (junior) 1997 Pro Tour Los Angeles (senior) |
| Winnings | US$157,452[2] |
| Pro Tour wins (Top 8) | 1 (4)[3] |
| Grand Prix wins (Top 8) | 3 (10)[4] |
| Median Pro Tour Finish | 94 |
| Lifetime Pro Points | 267[5] |
| Planeswalker Level | 47 (Archmage) |
Magic: The Gathering
editMaher played in the junior division of the very first Pro Tour in 1996.[7] His first senior Pro Tour would be in Los Angeles in 1997.[7] The 1999–2000 Pro Tour season would be Maher's most successful season. He would win Pro Tour Chicago and Grand Prix Seattle, make the Top 8 of Grand Prix Nagoya and take second place at the 2000 World Championship. Maher's success throughout the season earned him the Pro Player of the Year title.
In 2002, Maher was suspended from the DCI for 6 months for committing tournament fraud. He participated in false tournaments with Jason Moungey and Chad Butterfield and used the rating points gained to qualify for the World Championships.[8]
Maher won the Masters Series in Yokohama in 2003 and the 2004 Magic Invitational, thus becoming the third player to win a Pro Tour, a Grand Prix, a Masters, and an Invitational. Dark Confidant, the card-design he submitted for winning the Invitational, appeared in the Ravnica: City of Guilds set, bearing his likeness. The card has been well received and has seen considerable play in nearly every sanctioned format it has been legal in. In 2010, ChannelFireball.com ranked Dark Confidant as the best Invitational card.[9] In 2006, Maher was inducted into the Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame as the vote leader in the Class of 2006.[7]
From 2005 to 2014 Maher played only very infrequently on the Pro Tour. He played Pro Tour Journey Into Nyx and Pro Tour Magic 2015, and participated in Pro Tour Fate Reforged as a member of a new team.[10]
Accomplishments
edit| Season | Event type | Location | Format | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | Grand Prix | Kansas City | Extended | 27–28 March 1999 | 3 |
| 1999–00 | Pro Tour | Chicago | Extended | 3–5 December 1999 | 1 |
| 1999–00 | Grand Prix | Seattle | Extended | 15–16 January 2000 | 1 |
| 1999–00 | Grand Prix | Nagoya | Team Limited | 22–23 April 2000 | 3 |
| 1999–00 | Worlds | Brussels | Special | 2–6 August 2000 | 2 |
| 2000–01 | Masters | New York City | Extended | 29 September–1 October 2000 | 5 |
| 2000–01 | Masters | Chicago | Limited | 1-3 December 2000 | 5 |
| 2000–01 | Grand Prix | Detroit | Limited | 31 March–1 April 2001 | 3 |
| 2001–02 | Grand Prix | Montreal | Limited | 13–14 October 2001 | 6 |
| 2001–02 | Masters | New Orleans | Limited | 1–4 November 2001 | 3 |
| 2001–02 | Grand Prix | Houston | Extended | 5–6 January 2002 | 5 |
| 2002–03 | Pro Tour | Boston | Team Limited | 27–29 September 2002 | 3 |
| 2002–03 | Grand Prix | Copenhagen | Limited | 12–13 October 2002 | 1 |
| 2002–03 | Pro Tour | Houston | Extended | 8–10 November 2002 | 7 |
| 2002–03 | Grand Prix | Los Angeles | Limited | 23–24 November 2002 | 2 |
| 2002–03 | Masters | Venice | Team Limited | 21–23 March 2003 | 3 |
| 2002–03 | Masters | Yokohama | Extended | 9–11 May 2003 | 1 |
| 2002–03 | Grand Prix | Detroit | Block Constructed | 12–13 July 2003 | 1 |
| 2003–04 | Invitational | Los Angeles | Special | 11–13 May 2004 | 1 |
| 2005 | Invitational | Los Angeles | Special | 17–20 May 2005 | 8 |
| 2006 | Grand Prix | Madison | Team Constructed | 25–26 March 2006 | 3 |
Last updated: 20 April 2009
Source: Wizards.com
Other accomplishments:
- Pro Player of the Year 1999–2000
- Magic Hall of Fame class of 2006
References
edit- ^ Bennett, Josh (January 2002). "Top 8 Profiles". The Sideboard. 8 (44): 6–7.
- ^ "Top 200 All-Time Money Leaders". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2014-09-13. Retrieved 2014-12-16.
- ^ "Lifetime Pro Tour Top 8s". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016-04-16. Retrieved 2014-12-16.
- ^ "Lifetime Grand Prix Top 8s". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2014-08-08. Retrieved 2014-12-16.
- ^ "Planeswalker Points (requires login)". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved 2014-12-16.[dead link]
- ^ Bob Maher 2007 Pro Player card (from the Magic: The Gathering Lorwyn expansion)
- ^ a b c "Pro Tour Hall of Fame profile". Wizards of the Coast. 2006. Archived from the original on December 3, 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
- ^ "Suspended Player Update". Wizards of the Coast. 2002-01-28. Archived from the original on February 2, 2002. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
- ^ "Magic TV: Extra – Ranking the Invitational Cards" (Video). ChannelFireball.com. 13 March 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
- ^ "Top 8 Profiles — Matt Sperling". 4 January 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
