Pick-Two Draft is an exciting and innovative spin on Draft that's fast, fun, and perfect for engaging new and established players in store events. The release of Magic: The Gathering | Marvel's Spider-Man has the potential bring many new players to your store and presents an excellent opportunity to use this format to grow your community.

Here's how your store can tap into the excitement with Pick-Two Draft events.

What Is Pick-Two Draft?

It’s Draft but with a twist. Instead of picking one card per pack, players pick two cards at a time. That simple change opens up intriguing new strategies and shortens the drafting process. Plus, the recommended draft pod size is just four players instead of the usual eight with Draft, so it's easier to form a pod and start.

With Magic Presents: Friendly Neighborhood Draft events, your players can experience the thrill of drafting with fewer participants and the potential to win the Ultimate Green Goblin promo card—making it easier to jump in, have fun, and maybe even walk away with a prize.

Check out this video for a quick overview of what Pick-Two Draft has to offer:

Why Players Will Love It

Pick-Two Draft is growing in popularity thanks to these features:

• Double the picks, double the fun: Choosing two cards each pick opens interesting new strategies—plus, if you've got two great cards to choose from, here you can take them both!
• Quick and dynamic: Shorter drafts and faster matches mean more play in less time.
• Relaxed and welcoming: The casual focus and smaller draft pod size make it easy for players to get into games quicker and just enjoy the game, no matter their experience level.

Why Stores Can Love It, Too

Pick-Two Draft events are great for both new and veteran players, and its features place it in a sweet spot among the array of play options for stores:

• Faster events make happy players—and more of them: Shorter play sessions mean less fatigue for newcomers, more convenience for veterans, and more reasons for everyone to come back.
• Turnover that works for you: With events moving at a quicker pace, your play space can host more activity in the same night—especially valuable for stores that also serve food and drinks.
• Drafts for slow days: Only have four players for your regular draft night? No problem! Just run it as a Pick-Two Draft instead.
• A next step in onboarding: Have players graduating from Magic Academy? Pick-Two Draft is a great next step. It's an easy, low-pressure way to learn drafting while staying engaged at your store and excited about Magic.
• Commander crossover appeal: Four-player pods can fit well into regular Commander playgroups, offering a fresh way to explore a set, test new cards, uncover hidden gems, and spark ideas for future decks.

Running Pick-Two Draft Events

One of the great things about Pick-Two Draft events is the ease of setting up a game. They work very much like a regular Draft, and you'll want to have the following available for play:

• Basic lands
• Dice and counters
• Spindown dice or other ways to track life
• 3 Play Boosters (purchased as part of event entry)

Setup players in groups of four if possible. Four should be the minimum number for a draft pod, then go up from there to seven. If you have eight players, create two four-player pods.

We recommend pairing players from within the same pod—this keeps the experience consistent, letting them play against the friends or fellow players they drafted with. You can set this pairing method in EventLink by selecting In-Pod at the top of the event screen.

Keep it simple with two rounds. Combined with Pick-Two Draft’s quick drafting, this creates a smooth event, delivers an undefeated winner, and wraps up in about two hours.

Prizing

Given the casual nature of Pick-Two Draft, we recommend using a flat prizing method. For example, participants could each receive a booster pack, while the winner receives an additional booster pack. Promo Packs are another option you could use as rewards.

The Magic Presents: Friendly Neighborhood Draft has its own reward for the undefeated winner of the event: the Ultimate Green Goblin promo card.

Favor Flexibility for Multiplayer Fun

Pick-Two Draft is designed for head-to-head play, but you can also embrace flexibility. If your players want to try multiplayer games with their decks, allow them to try it! For this, set up the multiplayer pod's event separately in Wizards EventLink and as Player List Only.

Embrace At-Home Pick-Two Drafts

Pick-Two Draft isn’t just for in-store events—it’s also a natural fit for at-home play. Gathering four friends for a night of drafting is simple, making it easier than ever for players to enjoy the excitement of drafting without needing a full seven- or eight-person pod.

Encourage customers picking up Play Booster displays to try Pick-Two Draft as a fun, structured way to open packs and play together. Commander players especially may find it appealing, since many already have a regular playgroup of four. This format gives them a fresh way to mix up their gatherings while exploring new cards.

As more players discover Pick-Two Draft, it creates an easy, enjoyable pathway for growing your Magic community, with your store as the hub where they get products and support. By helping players try it now, you’ll build momentum for a format that’s only going to become more exciting over time.

Try Out Pick-Two Drafts with Your Players

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