Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz

Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz is an American Magic: The Gathering player. At the height of his career in the late 1990s, he was considered one of the best players. He is well known as a friend and teammate to Jon Finkel.

Steven O'Mahoney-Schwartz
Nickname(s)Steve O
Steve OMS
ResidenceBrooklyn, New York, United States[1]
NationalityUnited States American
Pro Tour debut1996 Pro Tour Columbus
WinningsUS$ 88,352[2]
Pro Tour wins (Top 8)1 (3)[3]
Grand Prix wins (Top 8)4 (10)[4]
Lifetime Pro Points242[1]
Planeswalker Level46 (Archmage)

Career

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O'Mahoney-Schwartz first qualified for the Pro Tour in its inaugural season, at Pro Tour Columbus.[5] An unimpressive finish left him outside the top sixty-four needed to win money, and unqualified for the World Championship.

The following season saw O'Mahoney-Schwartz make it back to the Pro Tour with a higher degree of success and consistency. He played five of seven events winning money at two of them.[6][7]

The following year was O'Mahoney-Schwartz's break-out season. He reached the quarter-finals of Grand Prix Toronto, the first event of the season.[8] After a weak finish at Pro Tour Chicago, he made top eight of the second Pro Tour of the year in Mainz.[9] In the elimination bracket, he made it all the way to the finals before losing to Matt Place. A string of Grand Prix top eights including wins in Madrid and Zurich[10] put him in third place in the Player of the Year Race, at the end of the season.[11]

At Pro Tour Los Angeles the following year, he reached the top eight for a second time.[12] He won the event, defeating Mike Long, Terry Lau, and Jon Finkel in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals respectively. His other top finishes that season were at Grand Prix Boston and Oslo.[10]

A few months following his win, O'Mahoney-Schwartz made it to the elimination rounds of a Pro Tour for the third and final time. Going by the name Team Antarctica, O'Mahoney-Schwartz, his brother Dan, and Jon Finkel reached the top four of the first teams Pro Tour in Washington D.C.[13] Antarctica lost in the semifinals to Your Move Games, consisting of Darwin Kastle, Rob Dougherty, and Dave Humpherys who would go on to win the tournament.

Following the 1999–2000 season, his career gradually slowed to retirement, although he won Grand Prix Massachusetts in 2007.[14] On August 19, 2011 it was announced that O'Mahoney-Schwartz will be inducted to the Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame along with Shuhei Nakamura and Anton Jonsson.[15] The ceremony took place at the Magic: The Gathering World Championships in November.

Achievements

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 Season   Event type   Location  Format Date  Rank 
1997–98 Grand Prix Toronto Block Constructed 30–31 August 1997 6
1997–98 Pro Tour Mainz Rochester Draft 5–7 December 1997 2
1997–98 Grand Prix Madrid Extended 24–25 January 1998 1
1997–98 Grand Prix Rio de Janeiro Extended 29 January–1 February 1998 2
1997–98 Grand Prix Zurich Limited 30–31 May 1998 1
1998–99 Grand Prix Boston Standard 5–6 September 1998 3
1998–99 Pro Tour Los Angeles Limited 26–28 February 1999 1
1998–99 Grand Prix Oslo Sealed and Booster Draft 10–11 April 1999 6
1999–00 Pro Tour Washington D.C. Team Limited 3–5 September 1999 3
1999–00 Masters New York Team Limited 14–16 April 2000 2
1999–00 Grand Prix St. Louis Team Limited 12–14 May 2000 1
1999–00 Grand Prix Pittsburgh Team Limited 23–25 June 2000 3
2000–01 Grand Prix New Orleans Sealed and Booster Draft 6–7 January 2001 4
2001–02 Masters San Diego Standard 11–13 January 2002 6
2007 Grand Prix Massachusetts Two-Headed Giant 31 March–1 April 2007 1

Last updated: 18 August 2009
Source: Wizards.com

References

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  1. ^ a b "DCI & RPGA Rankings and Ratings". The DCI. 2011-12-19. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  2. ^ "Lifetime Winnings Leaders". Wizards of the Coast. 2006-04-04. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  3. ^ "Lifetime Pro Tour Top 8s". Archived from the original on March 14, 2006. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  4. ^ "Lifetime Grand Prix Top 8s". Archived from the original on January 17, 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-16.
  5. ^ "Pro Tour Columbus 1996 Results". Wizards of the Coast. 1996-07-06. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  6. ^ "Pro Tour Los Angeles, 1997". Wizards of the Coast. 1997-03-02. Archived from the original on August 8, 2002. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  7. ^ "Pro Tour Paris". Wizards of the Coast. 1997-04-13. Archived from the original on August 13, 2002. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  8. ^ "Grand Prix – Toronto Results". Wizards of the Coast. 1997-08-31. Archived from the original on August 8, 2002. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  9. ^ "Pro Tour Mainz, 1997". Wizards of the Coast. 1997-12-07. Archived from the original on August 8, 2002. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  10. ^ a b "Grand Prix Top 8 Lists". 2009-08-10. Archived from the original on September 19, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  11. ^ "1997–1998 Player of the Year Standings". Wizards of the Coast. 1998-08-16. Archived from the original on June 2, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  12. ^ "Pro Tour-Los Angeles 1999". Wizards of the Coast. 1999-02-28. Archived from the original on June 19, 2001. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  13. ^ "Pro Tour-Washington D.C. Coverage". Wizards of the Coast. 1999-09-03. Archived from the original on April 10, 2001. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  14. ^ "Giants Battle on Eastern Shores!". Wizards of the Coast. 2007-04-01. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  15. ^ "Introducing the 2011 Hall of Fame Class". Wizards of the Coast. 2011-08-19. Archived from the original on September 12, 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-19.