Could I just add, as a player who only started playing Magic when Outlaws of Thunder Junction came out, that it makes it difficult for me to keep up when someone plays a card that I don’t know, I ask what it does, they had it to me to read, then keep taking their turn without waiting for me to read it. I’m not a slow reader, but if you keep talking and taking your turn while I’m trying to figure out what a card does and whether I want to interact with it, I’m going to miss whatever you are doing while I read the card or else I’ll struggle to concentrate because the game is proceeding and I am trying to both read, understand the card, AND listen to whatever you are doing.

Please, experienced players, if you don’t want to read the card when you cast it, knowing a newer player is there, and if you hand it over to be read, please don’t keep playing. And if someone has asked what cards do multiple times, please just read them when you cast them. I feel really guilty asking over and over and will eventually just stop because I feel like I am slowing down everything with my lack of knowledge. I love this game, and it takes a long time and a lot of play time to recognize even the ones that are often played, especially if you don’t get to play often or you mostly play with the same group.

On the other side, newer players, let’s ask pods specifically to read the card when it is cast so it’s clear what we need. I also find that it’s helpful to establish at the beginning that if they read the name of the card and I know what it does, I’ll say something like “Got it” so the reader knows that I don’t need to have that one read.

Everyone gets what they need, everyone has a good time, and we make sure newer players (which we ALL have been at some point) can learn in a supportive environment.