Ben Stark
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Benjamin Stark | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | BenS |
| Residence | Tamarac, Florida, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| 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 Points | 451[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]
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, Missouri | Rochester Draft | 18–19 October 2003 | 3 |
| 2003–04 | Grand Prix | Anaheim | Extended | 13–14 December 2003 | 5 |
| 2003–04 | Pro Tour | Kobe | Block Constructed | 27–29 February 2004 | 7 |
| 2003–04 | Pro Tour | San Diego | Booster Draft | 14–16 May 2004 | 6 |
| 2009 | Grand Prix | Boston | Sealed and Booster Draft | 1–2 August 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | Grand Prix | Toronto | Sealed and Booster Draft | 23–24 October 2010 | 4 |
| 2011 | Grand Prix | Atlanta | Extended | 22–23 January 2011 | 2 |
| 2011 | Pro Tour | Paris | Standard and Booster Draft | 10–13 February 2011 | 1 |
| 2012–13 | Grand Prix | Atlanta | Legacy | 30 June–1 July 2012 | 5 |
| 2012–13 | Grand Prix | San Jose, Costa Rica | Sealed and Booster Draft | 15–16 September 2012 | 3 |
| 2012–13 | Grand Prix | Indianapolis | Sealed and Booster Draft | 22–23 December 2012 | 1 |
| 2012–13 | Pro Tour | Montreal | Standard and Booster Draft | 15–17 February 2013 | 3 |
| 2012–13 | Grand Prix | Charlotte | Sealed and Booster Draft | 23–24 February 2013 | 7 |
| 2013–14 | Grand Prix | Providence | Team Limited | 8–9 June 2013 | 4 |
| 2013–14 | Grand Prix | Rimini | Sealed and Booster Draft | 27–28 July 2013 | 5 |
| 2013–14 | Worlds | Amsterdam | Special | 31 July–4 August 2013 | 3 |
| 2013–14 | Grand Prix | Detroit | Modern | 14–15 September 2013 | 4 |
| 2013–14 | Grand Prix | Dallas/Fort Worth | Standard | 7–8 December 2013 | 4 |
| 2014–15 | Grand Prix | Baltimore | Sealed and Booster Draft | 13–14 December 2014 | 3 |
| 2014–15 | Grand Prix | Memphis | Standard | 21–22 February 2015 | 2 |
| 2014–15 | Grand Prix | Las Vegas | Sealed and Booster Draft | 30–31 May 2015 | 5 |
| 2015–16 | Grand Prix | Detroit | Team Limited | 15–16 August 2015 | 2 |
| 2015–16 | Grand Prix | Paris | Standard | 19-20 March 2016 | 2 |
| 2015–16 | Grand Prix | Sydney | Limited | 30-31 July 2016 | 3 |
| 2016–17 | Grand Prix | Warsaw | Standard | 29-30 October 2016 | 6 |
| 2016–17 | Grand Prix | New Jersey | Standard | 11-12 March 2017 | 4 |
| 2016–17 | Grand Prix | Mexico City | Team Limited | 7-9 April 2017 | 1 |
| 2017–18 | Grand Prix | Atlanta | Standard | 11-12 November 2017 | 2 |
| 2018–19 | Pro Tour | Minneapolis | Team Limited | 3-5 February 2018 | 2 |
Last updated: 5 August 2018
Source: Event Coverage at Wizards.com
References
- ↑ "Top 200 All-Time Money Leaders". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
- ↑ "Lifetime Pro Tour Top 8s". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
- ↑ "Lifetime Grand Prix Top 8s". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
- ↑ "Planeswalker Points (requires login)". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved 16 December 2014.[dead link]
- ↑ "Magic Pro Tour Hall of Fame 2013 Results". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ↑ Channel Fireball Profile
- ↑ Magic TV: Extra – Interview with Ben Stark
- ↑ Vitor Damo da Rosa, Paulo (8 July 2013). "Hall of Fame 2013 Candidates – Ben Stark". ChannelFireball.com. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Grand Prix Atlanta Coverage
- ↑ Pro Tour Paris Coverage
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Pro Tour Gatecrash 2013". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
- ↑ "2013 World Championship Event Coverage". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2013.