Jon Finkel facts for kids

Jon Finkel (born May 18, 1978) is a famous American player of the card game Magic: The Gathering. He is also a skilled poker player. Many people think Jon, often called "Jonny Magic," is one of the best Magic players ever. He has won many big tournaments. These include three Grand Prix events and three Pro Tour events. In 2000, he became the Magic: The Gathering World Champion. He also helped the United States team win the team part of that competition.

Jon Finkel's Amazing Magic Career

Jon Finkel was born in Brockport, New York. In 1992, his family moved to Woking, UK. There, he learned about Magic: The Gathering at a local game shop. When he returned to New York in 1995, he quickly became friends with Steven and Daniel O'Mahoney-Schwartz. They were known as the "OMS brothers."

In 1996, the very first Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour was held in New York. Jon competed in the Junior Division. He made it to the Top 8 players and won a $1,000 scholarship. After another Top 8 finish in the Junior Division at Pro Tour Columbus, Jon played in the main Pro Tour competition. This was at the 1996 World Championship in Seattle. He finished ninth, earning $3,200.

Jon had three Top 16 finishes in the 1996–97 season. But he didn't reach the finals until later. His first time in the Top 8 was at Pro Tour Chicago 1997. In the same season, Jon won his first Grand Prix title in Rio de Janeiro. He then won his first Pro Tour title in New York. He also finished third at the US Nationals and the World Championship. Jon eventually earned the title of Pro Player of the Year.

The 1998–99 season started with Jon winning another Grand Prix in Boston. He made his third Top 8 appearance in a row. This was a rare achievement at the time. Jon finished second in the Pro Player of the Year race that season. The next season, at the first Team Pro Tour in Washington, Jon finished third with his friends and teammates, Daniel and Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz.

After some average results, Jon won the US Nationals. He also won both the team and individual parts of the World Championship in 2000. Later that year, Jon also won the Magic Invitational. This special win allowed him to design his very own Magic card! His card, Shadowmage Infiltrator, was first printed in the Odyssey set. It has been reprinted in other sets since then.

After two more Top 8 finishes in the 2000–01 season, Jon's performance slowed down. He had two more Top 8 finishes in 2002–03. Then, he decided to step away from professional play. In 2005, he was chosen for the Hall of Fame. He received the most votes in the first group of inductees. Being in the Hall of Fame meant he could attend future Pro Tours without needing to qualify. In 2008, Jon attended and won Pro Tour Kuala Lumpur. He was the first player to win a Pro Tour after being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Mark Rosewater, a main designer for Magic, said Jon is "the most naturally gifted player the game has ever seen."

In recent years, Jon Finkel has also played in high-level poker tournaments. Other Magic players like David Williams and Noah Boeken have done this too. Jon currently works as a managing partner at a company called Landscape Capital Management.

As of 2021, Jon was the Treasurer for the board of directors of Gamers Helping Gamers. This is a non-profit group that helps college students who play Magic: The Gathering. They give out scholarships to help with tuition costs.