If a round goes 1-1-1 and there is still time on a clock, do the players play a 4th game to determine a winner of the round? Or is that round considered a draw for the 2 players involved?

Okay, so I found this. Tournaments aren't actually "Best-of-three" as is the normal understanding. Tournaments are, in fact, "First-to-Two." So, if you do end 1 match of the round in a tie and each player has won 1 match then the round will go to a 4th match, or a 5th if the 4th ends in a tie and so on and so forth, until one of the players wins 2 matches or time expires (and 5 turns thereafter).

That's interesting, good to know.

How do you draw a game without going to time? You can't cast effects that kill yourself even if they also kill your opponent. (Library shenanigans notwithstanding.)

Specifically, how, in this limited format, do you "draw" in-game without going to time?

You ever see the end of Rocky 3, rstnme? I imagine it is something like that.

On the bolded: wha? Sure you can. You may be thinking of not being able to (usefully) cast spells / activate abilities where the COST causes you to lose because you'd be gone before the spell/ability resolves. But there's nothing stopping you from, say, Earthquakeing or Hurricaneing or Crypt Ratsing for a draw.

On draw possibilities in this environment:
You could simultaneously reduce both players' life to 0 with Arc Lightning. I can't imagine the scenario where this would be a wiser choice than simply dealing all 3 points of damage your your opponent though.

Aha. An Ashcloud Phoenix turning faceup could cause both players to drop to or below 0 life at the same time. And I can imagine scenarios where that's a good idea (for instance if the game is 2-2, and you have just Ashcloud Phoenix facedown and the mana to morph it, while your opponent has a flying 2+ power attacker - your opponent will win if you don't block, so it's better for you to flip the Phoenix and take the draw than choose not to and take a loss).

I was thinking only about this limited environment. I thought there was nothing in the format that dealt damage to each player, and flipping a Phoenix seems very narrow, so I'd like to hear what actually happened.

I have 5 life, you have 5 life. You attack me with 2 5/5s into an empty board. I cast deflecting palm. Tie.

Nope, you die first, when Palm goes on stack.

oh yeah, state-based action.

Could Master the way targeting an opponent while there are no cards in your library and you have cards in your hand could also work?

I can't find anything else.

Hmm, that could do it. I don't think you can lose the game while a spell is resolving, and when this finished resolving, both players would lose. Also, this would make sense, game-wise, if it was your only option not to lose on your next draw step.

At least now I know why there are so few draws online. I can't remember seeing one in limited play.

you sure? Palm is worded as a replacement effect. it should redirect the damage as it's being dealt. it won't use the stack, all the damage will be dealt at the same time, then the next time SBAs happen you both have 0.

Nope, it's not redirection. It triggers on a specific source dealing damage, prevents it, and then deals damage to the opponent. It specifically says that it's the Palm that deals the damage. This can either happen before the other critter does damage, or after, but not at the same time. I think it's after, but I'm not completely sure.

The Rules Q&A Forum disagrees with you; http://community.wizards.com/forum/rule ... ds/4155741

If you're attacked by two 5/5's while you're both at 5 life, and you cast Deflecting Palm choosing one of the 5/5's, you'll both die at the same time. There's no "when" "whenever" or "at" in Deflecting Palm's wording, so the effect occurs simultaneously.

Do you get to say "I was right" if you have no idea why you (might have been) right in the first place?

Sure! If it's fun

Man I was wrong too.

Just to be sure, I asked my high-level judge buddies (2 level 3s and a level 5)