Magic: Gathering is a trading card game first put onto stores shelves in 1993. It's foundational mechanics went on to inspire many other games, Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh currently being the most famous. It also invented the prospect of tournaments for trading card games, which did not exist at the time.

Magic is a worldwide phenomenon, and has developed it's own list of dozens of slang words. Magic itself is typically known as Magic: The Gathering, MTG, or just Magic for players who play it more exclusively than other games for which the word “magic” could easily be confused.

More players play magic today than ever before, showing a clear upward trend in popularity over the last 10 years. Reports by Hasbro, the parent company of MTG, put the figure at “around 6 million” in 75 countries in 2003, while current(2016) unprofessional estimates are at anywhere from 8-15 million globally.

The game was invented by Richard Garfield with the financial support of WotC, the latter now owning the game in it's entirety and the former currently receiving royalties. Despite his lack of direct control over the game since the late 90s, Richard Garfield still contributes to the game sporadically, and is considered by many to be a pillar of the community and is known by Magic players internationally.

The game is known best for it's simplest mechanics by those who've never played it, these principle mechanics being 5 colors and resource building involving “lands” and “non-lands”.
Magic: The Gathering is a game like any other. The company prints things on cardboard and it turns into money. Might as well cut out the middle man and print money.

Person A: Magic The Gathering Players are fat vrigins.
Person B: Did you know that the player base of Magic: The Gathering in the United States has a 10% lower rate on obesity than the national average? How about we talk about issues that matter instead?
by IQuarent October 24, 2016
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crack in the form of cards

it will consume you....
"I just got a sweet new pack of mtg"
by Nubcakes March 31, 2005
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Dangerous to those that can't add or subtract.
examples:

1/1 + +1/+1 = 2/2

also: 20 - 23 = -3 = you lose, you fucking trog

^-spooky math
by trappy April 20, 2005
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A collectable card game in which two or more players battle each other using creatures, spells, artifacts, and enchantments. You can win in several ways:
1. Each player starts with 20 life. If one player's life total drops to 0 or less, they lose.
2. You can "deck" your opponent, meaning his library of cards is depleted and he can no longer draw.
3. If a player has 10 poison counters on them, they lose. This was a half-formed concept in earlier sets and is now extinct.
4. Your opponent can concede, or give up. This is often done when a player realizes that his situation is hopeless and decides to spare both players the wait of playing the whole thing out.

Magic is easily the most prolific and well known CCG ever. While other games have came along that might sell more than magic, such as Pokemon or Yu Gi Oh, these eventually (will) disappear as the players mature and move on to Magic, which has endured for 10 years.
by Grubba November 3, 2003
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The original collectable card game (CCG), where players purchase packs of randomized cards and assemble decks used to compete against others. Created by the Washington-based company Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering achieved great popularity in the early-to-mid 1990s, and paved the way for other CCGs such as Legend of the Five Rings and Pokemon. Magic: The Gathering still remains popular to this day, although not to the same level as it used to.
The player's Magic: The Gathering collection contained over a thousand cards.
by Deej July 29, 2004
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