Who goes first in Magic: The Gathering?
Wizards English rules — two-player game
For the first game, agree on a method to select who chooses the starting player, such as a coin flip or dice roll. That person decides who takes the first turn.
If your rules call for a random choice, use the player picker.
Rule details
In later games of a match, the previous game's loser chooses the starter. After a draw, the same person who chose last time chooses again.
In a two-player game, the starting player skips their first draw step.
Special formats and card effects can override the ordinary opening procedure.
If there’s a tie
The rulebook doesn’t say. If you need a tie-break, pick a player at random.
Source & edition
- Magic: The Gathering — Comprehensive RulesWizards of the Coast · Rules 103.1 and 103.8a; PDF pages 8 and 10 · Checked 2026-09-26
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