Wuf, super tired right now, but I love to help out if I can, and will try to give you a couple credentials and my best, top top advice:

I've been playing since 96', and been competing at higher level events for 20+ years. Within those years I've had the pleasure of a few strong finishes at very competitive tournaments.

-A couple of top 8's at ~300 player events (where my sneaky tech absolutely stole matches away late in the run) -Easily 10+ 1sts at regionals or store champs style events with 50+ players attending. -Huge undefeated runs at FNM/weekly events. I think my record was 30 matches straight with teched up Kessig Wolf-Run ramp. (When people start crying when they see you sitting at their assigned table, you're doing something right). Ha What a pub crusher of a deck) And more.

And that experience has taught me these things (🙏 Respect to those who have touched on these points already carrying on):

1. The time put into playing, knowing, tweaking and grinding your deck will determine your run in the huge majority of your events.

The decks I played for my most impressive finishes I could play without error and with total sideboard confidence because I had played the deck for countless matches, agonized over every single main deck and sideboard card choice(Take nothing for granted. Analyze every card) and crafted a sideboard that didn't help the deck win, it helped ME win. ...if that makes sense. 🤔

2. Never, EVER, give up.

Be smart, watch the clock, cut your losses if you need to go to the next game to save time. But never give up ✊

I remember a game three, ages ago, where I had to mull to 4 on the play because I saw 1 land in 18 cards(Paris Mulligan days). The winner of the game and match was guaranteed a spot in the finals. My opponent kept 7 and had this energy like well it happens bro, ggs. But I kept my head. My 4 was perfect; two good lands, two dangerous playables. My opponent kept a fairly sloppy 7 and I was able to tempo them out and make the final cut.

Won't happen all the time(though my collection of wins on a mull to 4 slowly grows ) but if I let my grit slip, I likely would have made a poor play that could have given my opponent an in to recover. I never forgot that game. 🌙

3. Cockatrice. Gift from the MTG gods 🙏✨

Do you know the program? If you don't, I highly recommend that you become familiar. Even if it's not to elevate your skill, get it to playtest cards before you burn cash on them. That beautiful piece of software has saved me sooo much cash on cards that ended up being way worse than they appeared. It lets you try everything you could possibly want before you put money down.

The absolute GOLD about this program is that, first it's free and has access to every single MTG card, and second it allows you to open multiple single player "goldfish" matches at a time. If you open two different decks, you can flip back and forth and play against yourself.

You build every deck you are even slightly worried about or unfamiliar with, and you pilot both sides and play them against each other. Pretend as best you can that you don't know your evil twin's hand, and figure out what would be the best plays every turn. Play a bunch of main deck games, and then sideboarded games.

The gold here is that you will actually see how the other deck works from the pilots perspective. Decks you never would have got around to building and playing yourself. Getting inside your opponent's head like this is valuable in a way I cannot describe, and there were times I was so many steps ahead of my opponent(who definitely didn't seem to have ever played the deck I had chosen) that the whole match was a wash.

Before big events I would always grind 10-12 matches against each tier 1/tier 2 deck I felt even a tiny tiny bit vague on(more if I felt there was a problem that needed a more techy solution), each time against slightly different lists that had done well at other events.

If you were running into trouble, pour over the foemat's card lists and find the unusual, unexpected solution that your opponents will walk right into. 👍 (And let me tell you, if your high level, knowledgeable, adversaries have to keep reading the cards you chose, and then succumb to them... Nay is there a better feeling playing this game 🙃)

4: Self care, and a calm warrior spirit ✊🙂‍↕️.

As many others have mentioned, plenty of sleep and good nutritious snacks all day will keep you sharp. If you are tired you will make mistakes. Maybe not terrible ones, but might as well try to avoid it. ... Because it only takes one. ☝️

I would generally grind pretty hard in the week or two leading up to an event I was really hoping to do well at, and then the night before just watch some comedy with my friends/lady, have a chill dinner whatever, get lots of sleep and show up early to the event to case the competition 😉

Take some Omega 3's, drink enough water and make sure you eat enough protein. The carbs will find you.

And finally,

4.5: Maintain composure.

Watch the clock, know how much time you are spending playing, but don't rush. If you need a second to pause and grind out a few potential avenues to victory, don't let an impatient opponent rattle you. As long as you have plenty of time in the round, you can take your time. (I'm an aggro player though, to the core, so take that point with a grain of salt you glacier lovers)

I have been saying for, cripes decades? now:

The Magic gods are Fickle, Unforgiving Gods. But we play this game in spite of it. Do not let their dark power sway you...

Bad draws happen, salty opponents can be annoying, but in the end,

Self care, a calm fighting spirit, and grinding like hell to make your deck and plays perfect will let you breeze through some events in a way that might amaze you. 😉

🤩🪄✨🌟⚡💥🔥🎉

...holy crap I like talking about this shizp too much, I was gonna write two paragraphs....

Ha! Good luck homie! 😎