Ben Stark

Last updated

Benjamin Stark
NicknamesBenS
Residence Tamarac, Florida, United States
NationalityAmerican
Pro Tour debut 1999 Pro Tour London
Winnings US$266,765 [1]
Pro Tour wins (Top 8)1 (5) [2]
Grand Prix wins (Top 8)2 (23) [3]
Lifetime Pro Points451 [4]
Planeswalker Level 50 (Archmage)

Benjamin "Ben" Stark is an American Magic: The Gathering player. His career accomplishments include back to back Pro Tour Top 8s in 2004 and winning Pro Tour Paris in 2011. In 2013, he was voted into the Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame. [5]

Contents

Magic: The Gathering

Beginning his career in 1999, Stark first came to prominence in 2004, making back to back Pro Tour Top 8s at Pro Tour Kobe and Pro Tour San Diego. [6]

Stark took a break from the game, not returning until late 2009. [7] Since his return, Ben Stark has been considered a Limited expert. [8] [9]

Stark went on to have great success in the 2011 Pro Tour Season, reaching the finals of Grand Prix Atlanta [10] and winning his first Pro Tour at Pro Tour Paris. [11] These finishes, along with other strong finishes throughout the season, led Ben to be a front-runner in the 2011 Pro Player of Year race. Ultimately, Ben would finish in joint 3rd place in the Player of the Year standings, alongside Martin Juza, with 56 pro points. Commentators argued that Stark hurt his chances of winning the Player of the Year title by failing to attend US Nationals and certain Grand Prix events. [12]

The 2012-13 Pro Tour Season was another very successful season for Stark. Stark made the Top 8 of four Grand Prix events, including a win at Grand Prix Indianapolis, [13] and made his fourth Pro Tour Top 8 at Pro Tour Gatecrash. [14] Stark's performance left him with a season total of 61 Pro Points, placing him 5th in the Player of the Year race, and an invite to the 2013 World Championship, where he made it into the Top 4 players after the Swiss rounds of the World Championship. [15] Stark lost to Shahar Shenhar in the semifinals of the World Championship taking 3rd Place overall.

Achievements

Top 8 appearances

 Season  Event type  Location   Format    Date   Rank 
2003–04 Grand Prix Kansas City, MissouriRochester Draft18–19 October 20033
2003–04 Grand Prix AnaheimExtended13–14 December 20035
2003–04 Pro Tour KobeBlock Constructed27–29 February 20047
2003–04 Pro Tour San DiegoBooster Draft14–16 May 20046
2009 Grand Prix BostonSealed and Booster Draft1–2 August 20092
2010 Grand Prix TorontoSealed and Booster Draft23–24 October 20104
2011 Grand Prix AtlantaExtended22–23 January 20112
2011 Pro Tour ParisStandard and Booster Draft10–13 February 20111
2012–13 Grand Prix AtlantaLegacy30 June–1 July 20125
2012–13 Grand Prix San Jose, Costa RicaSealed and Booster Draft15–16 September 20123
2012–13 Grand Prix IndianapolisSealed and Booster Draft22–23 December 20121
2012–13 Pro Tour MontrealStandard and Booster Draft15–17 February 20133
2012–13 Grand Prix CharlotteSealed and Booster Draft23–24 February 20137
2013–14 Grand Prix ProvidenceTeam Limited8–9 June 20134
2013–14 Grand Prix RiminiSealed and Booster Draft27–28 July 20135
2013–14 Worlds AmsterdamSpecial31 July–4 August 20133
2013–14 Grand Prix DetroitModern14–15 September 20134
2013–14 Grand Prix Dallas/Fort WorthStandard7–8 December 20134
2014–15 Grand Prix BaltimoreSealed and Booster Draft13–14 December 20143
2014–15 Grand Prix MemphisStandard21–22 February 20152
2014–15 Grand Prix Las VegasSealed and Booster Draft30–31 May 20155
2015–16 Grand Prix DetroitTeam Limited15–16 August 20152
2015–16 Grand Prix ParisStandard19-20 March 20162
2015–16 Grand Prix SydneyLimited30-31 July 20163
2016–17 Grand Prix WarsawStandard29-30 October 20166
2016–17 Grand Prix New JerseyStandard11-12 March 20174
2016–17 Grand Prix Mexico CityTeam Limited7-9 April 20171
2017–18 Grand Prix AtlantaStandard11-12 November 20172
2018–19 Pro Tour MinneapolisTeam Limited3-5 February 20182

Last updated: 5 August 2018
Source: Event Coverage at Wizards.com

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References

  1. ↑ "Top 200 All-Time Money Leaders". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "Lifetime Pro Tour Top 8s". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "Lifetime Grand Prix Top 8s". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  4. ↑ "Planeswalker Points (requires login)". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved 16 December 2014.[ dead link ]
  5. ↑ "Magic Pro Tour Hall of Fame 2013 Results". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  6. ↑ Channel Fireball Profile
  7. ↑ Magic TV: Extra – Interview with Ben Stark
  8. ↑ Vitor Damo da Rosa, Paulo (8 July 2013). "Hall of Fame 2013 Candidates – Ben Stark". ChannelFireball.com. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  9. ↑ David-Marshall, Brian (9 December 2011). "Pro Tour Cup Holders". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  10. ↑ Grand Prix Atlanta Coverage
  11. ↑ Pro Tour Paris Coverage
  12. ↑ Hagon, Rich (29 October 2011). "Player of the Year 2011: Why Japan Will Win". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 1 November 2011. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  13. ↑ "Ben Stark is the Grand Prix Indianapolis 2012 Champion!". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 26 December 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  14. ↑ "Pro Tour Gatecrash 2013". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  15. ↑ "2013 World Championship Event Coverage". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
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