Pat’s Games

Our 8 yr old recently fell DEEPLY for Magic, which I hadn’t played since ’99. So, teaching about building decks & strategies with cards I didn’t understand (commanders?!? Wtf?!) was just nerve racking. We went to a few of the bigger game shops around austin but found very limited individual card selection (most have none at all, just packs & boosters) & almost no employees with Magic experience (not their fault, they sell a LOT of other products) but every store told us the same thing– Go to Pats Games for Magic.
They were spot on. I’m sure we asked the noobiest questions but the entire staff was incredibly helpful & quickly got us up to speed. Their card library is MASSIVE (they even got a Black Lotus but wouldn’t let me hold it), but Pats card database now let’s us pick out what we want on Pat’s website & our cards are rdy for us before we even get there. I even called needing an emergency replacement deck before a tournament started at another store & with only a quick description of what we needed & what I wanted to spend they threw together an exceptional deck in record time & I was back at tournament thinking I needed to Unilocal this.
So, for Magic the Gathering go to Pat’s Games. Trust me.
Speculation is foolish when the tools of certainty are available.” –Cinna, vedalken consul

Seriously the best place in Austin for your MTG needs. I love coming to Pat’s. Sure you can find most cards a little cheaper on Ebay, but come on, support your local stores. I love their online ordering system, which makes everything extremely easy, and the loyalty program is great! Also, I don’t think it smells bad at all.

The place has really grown on me over the years. I used to find the player base to be a bit of a turn off… But after playing here enough times, I’m starting to finally get a feel for the regulars. The thing I love most about this place is the fact that they support less commonly played formats like Legacy, two headed giant, and pauper. The staff is really friendly and will go out of their way to remember your name! It’s the little things that count for me and this store has won me over.

Watch nerds quake with orgasm as people pretending to be wizards die horribly! Pat’s games is a very unusual kind of game store. Firstly it only really deals in one game and one game only (Magic the Gathering). The store is situated in a residential area and is comprised of a repurposed house gutted and decorated as such that of a medieval something or other. The first thing you notice upon arriving to the store (aside from lack of parking) is that a lot of effort went into making this place as TCG (trading card game) player friendly as possible… And in true magic form everything seems to imply high fantasy themes. Once you enter the store you will notice it’s pretty much a nerd dungeon. I didn’t notice any horrible smell aside from that of old house musk with a dab of flop sweat… Not uncommon in any comic-​book game store. If there ever was a smell issue the staff have been working to take care of it. Speaking of the staff, they are incredibly nice, and very very helpful. They really believe and love the product they are selling thus making the whole transaction experience quite enjoyable. The staff represents the three stars of this review. The store’s selection is wonderful and you will more than likely find what you are looking for but… There is a but… The price is probably going to be a 20% mark up from standard retail/​market price, or maybe more. This is not the store of «good deals». The other issue I find here (that prevents me from becoming a regular visitor) is the clientele. Most of the people who shop, play, and hang out there are great! They are a noble nerdly folk whom I could spend hours hanging out, trading, and playing with… However because the store only deals in magic and has the selection it does, it tends to attract what I like to call ‘nerd extremists’. These are people who are not here to have fun… This is serious business and every game must be played with the level of a top tear DCI sanctioned decorum… If you do not abide then prepare to hear the shrill wining of a thousand rule references and cries for a judge to come and remand you for your heinous acts… And that’s just for a casual game. If you want to become a professional magic player then THIS IS THE PLACE TO BE… If you are a more advanced casual player… Maybe not so much… And if you are starting out still new… AVOID AT ALL COSTS!

Pat’s is a great place to play magic. They are friendly, well organized and have better than average prices on sealed protect. You can find draft, sealed, standard, modern and legacy tournaments here multiple times per week and they are well attended and have good prize support. Plus it looks like a castle! With a moat and koi fish even. How can you beat that?
P. S. The food truck right next to Pat’s is great. Try the pastrami sandwich.

Seriously overcrowded, very dirty, very noisy, poor lighting inside. Prices aren’t as good as you can get on line and the tournaments jam 8 people around a 6 person table and have lousy prize support.

Went to my first draft last week and I had a great time. There were a wide range of skilled players there. Everyone was really helpful from explaining the format to sharing advice. The place was packed and that was a good thing. The weather was perfect and we were playing outside on the covered patio. I even walked next door and grabbed me a tallboy.
I am a bit put off by the negative reviews found here. They seem to speak more about the people making them than Pat’s.
For my first experience playing Magic in public I have to say that for me Pat’s was a hit. My only criticism would have to be their hour’s are not long enough and the place could use a good cleaning.

I’ve been ordering cards online through Pat’s site and I couldn’t be happier. Good prices, easy pickup and I enjoy the environment. Not sure why folks are giving low ratings — don’t listen to ‘em. :)

I’m a little surprised by the tenor of the reviews below mine. Nine times out of ten when I venture into a card shop for the first time, I find that the place reeks, has unfriendly staff, and quiet, strange people like myself hiding in the shadows. Pat’s is the proverbial tenth place that allows a glimmer of hope.
Imagine my surprise when I first walked into Pat’s almost three years ago (pre-​Moat and Patio) and found that the staff was competent and conversational, the owner downright friendly, and the players significantly cooler than myself (not sure if that means anything at all). Sure, every once and again you get some nerd rage, but come on, look around! People get angry when they lose in competition of all kinds, nerds just make rage awesome.
People talk about the ordering system as though it’s a bad thing. It exists for a reason, and Pat’s is the only place I’ve seen where you can even «order» cards in advance for pick-​up instead of having to flip through countless binders which are rarely if ever maintained. Have you seen their stock? There’s no feasible way to maintain something like this without a system. If purveyors of a collectible card game get a bit touchy about a system which enables their jobs, I’ll give them some leeway.
Folks can say that Pat’s dominates the area because Austin is a small market (or a major university town), but that doesn’t fly. It’s because Pat and her staff run the best tournaments in the entire region (I’ve tried others, no comparison) and put the most professional focus of any of the competitors on finding out what their customers want and doing what they can to satisfy it. Think there’s something you’d like to see changed or updated? Talk to Pat or Jim about it and I guarantee you’ll have their attention. In my mind, that’s just HUGE!
At the end of the day I suspect that the negativity which is so prevalent is due to Pat’s not being a place geared toward the layperson, it’s geared entirely toward the Magic player community. In that regard, it’s easily the best place for what it is in the state of Texas, and almost certainly further afield.

Ok lets start with the parking, which is next to nothing. The store looks like a castle which is kinda cool but does nothing for whats inside… trash next to the front door, unorganized boxes of cards on shelves and tables, very bad and rude customer service. I once stood at the check out counter for 15 – 20 before anybody helped me. They charge full price for damaged cards but give you less when they buy from you if its damaged. Players there act as if they are thy god. If you plan on playing there, be prepared to play against every net deck that’s in right now. oh, i almost forgot. the play area… crappy broken tables, huge rolling chairs that make getting around difficult. I would not recommend this store to anyone

PRICES:
Some referred to Pat’s prices as fair. I disagree with this. To many times I sought out online orders with Strikezone or 3^rd Coast Cards to get better deals. I once purchased a Foil Tezzeret for FULL price from Pat’s, the card was worn on the edges and it’s face severely scratched, had I not been desperate to play in the upcoming tournament I would have passed. Many stores I visited have given me a price based on the condition of the card, as it is only fair when they as well are not willing to buy that card for full price if it’s not mint. Like any store Pat’s has some card prices low and some prices higher, but what I do not appreciate is the lack of appropriate pricing for cards below mint condition. They do not look at the conditions of cards when they plan on selling, however, many a time when I tried to trade my cards its condition would be checked before offering a price. The truth is Pat’s has the monopoly for buying single Magic cards in Austin. Card Traders of Austin is outdated and charges high prices, and Juniors is both far and below par. So where else can you go if not Pat’s when you want a card in the moment.
LOCATION:
While the face of Pat’s Games has a beautiful Castle like scene. The inside is nothing to look at. It is cramped, and she does not use uniform tables or chairs. Some tables have Rolling Chairs that BLOCK off the rest of the aisle if you’re trying to sit somewhere other than the edge. Asking a player to politely move up only seems to bother them as though you’re suppose to see your opponent from across the room. Though her list and tables are numbered which should make it easier to find your opponent she does not follow it. I can respect a sit where you want style, but when that style is interfering with the time I have to find a place to sit and play before my round is out of time it’s upsetting. The numbers are there, why not use it. There is a trash can but it easily fills up and soon you will see a pile of trash accumulate near the entrance. Thousands of dollars were spent adding a patio, when that money could easily have been spent buying better tables and chairs, or at least a descent door that closes so that I don’t have to hear a customer being yelled at when he/​she leaves it open. Most of your time is spent inside, so why not improve that first.
CUSTOMER SERVICE:
I once placed an order online that I completely forgot about due to being in school at the time, with a part time job as well. When I had time to play Magic again I placed another order and went to pick it up. Oh boy, did I get it. When I arrived and gave my name, the employee at the time, gave me a piercing look (I’m not making it up) he grabbed my previous order and asked if I had put it in. I apologetically said Yes and was quickly embarrassed as I realized I had put in the same order. He then proceeded to tell me that I was not to place any orders for the store unless I was at the store when I placed it and randomly told me I was not his friend. This made me very uncomfortable I realize I made a mistake I really do, but it was my first offense. I may have messed with their ordering system but I have never mistreated them whenever I put in an order and was then told they no longer had the cards available when I went to pick it up, also what’s the point of your system if it can’t tell me you don’t have a certain card when I place the order. Since I had to put in my orders at the store I spent a lot of wasted time just waiting for them to get my order together. Often, only two people would be at the store and I would stand waiting at the counter for someone to ask if I needed help. I made so many orders at this store, and no matter how many times I played FNM, Game Day, Pre-​Release, or just picked up the hundreds of cards I bought she never remembered who I was.
If you ever want to play a game during the week this is that place which is why I kept coming back, if you ever need a card immediately you’ll most likely find it here, and if you enjoy Magic whether it’s drafting, legacy, extended (now modern), or standard you’ll find players to compete with here. But I will never be happy with the way I was treated by the staff, I’m sorry I love this game but it is a game and there is never a reason to mistreat a customer unless they are stealing or cheating (which btw when I played Pre-​Release I never liked how she sold merch before the tournament had started I knew many people who bought intros and cheated). I never disliked Pat’s for the player base because owners are not accountable for a players behavior but I do hold the owner and her staff to higher standard because if you really appreciate your customers you should always treat them well.

Man, Im really not liking the reviews about this place at all. I would have given it a 3, but Id really like to boost the overall rating of this place. Pats games is Only for Magic the Gathering. nothing else. They are always packed and have tournaments every week. My boyfriend loves this place! I like to just sit outside because it looks like a miniature castle. Very serene. I like it!
The only thing I would suggest is more parking and for the inside to look a little nicer (more like the outside). You cant even COMPARE the outside to the inside!

I think Pat’s Games has a lot of potential, but it’s seriously «untapped». *rimshot*
The location is a bit awkward. It feels like you’re going to someones house that had their windows bricked over. Although the pond/​bridge are a nice touch. But the whole layout feels cramped and awkward.
Additionally, once you get in, there is hardly any organization. Boxes of cards were stacked all over the glass product displays. I had no idea what was for sale or what was being counted by the store. Most of the product was behind the checkout desk, I’m not a fan when stores are set up this way… I always feel like I’m trespassing while I’m shopping.
Lots of trash was stacked in a pile just next to the entrance.
So yeah, not a lot of good to say about the place, but I do think it has potential.

According to an inside source, Pat’s dominates the Austin area in terms of Magic The Gathering tournaments and daily play. Maybe this is because she is super fair, sometimes competitive, with tournament fees and other miscellaneous costs involved in maintaining your Magic mojo. Or maybe it’s because the environment is welcoming to weary D&D veterans in the process of converting, sometimes with the invitation of walking to a new pizza place down the street with other players.
Or maybe it’s ‘cos she runs this joint in a castle. With a pond. And a bridge. LOWER THEM INTO THE SWAMP.

Its cool that pats is all MTG but in all honesty its a boring place. All the jokes here tend to be PG-​13. I’ve seen people get scolded for cursing. Its good for if you need some important single but I wouldn’t hang out with the people here too much for fear of losing cool points.
I could care less about football and stuff like that and its always playing on the TV at this place some people consider that a plus but its a card store and the last thing I need is more sports in that mix.
If i can order a single for star city for the same price I wont go to pats.

This is the best place to buy MTG.
Pat runs a friendly local business.
She is knows the game and has all the cards at good prices.
Prices on packs and boxes are some of the lowest in town.
Pat looks up the prices for all single on
and uses the average price.
I mostly buy singles and have been very happy with the selection and prices.
If your are going here for singles please do your self and Pat a favor.
Type up and print out a list of all the cards you want before you go to the shop (your hand writing is not as legible as you think it is).
List the cards in alphabetical order and in groups based on which set they come from (this is how Pat has them boxed so it will make it a lot easier and faster to get what you want).
This may sound anal but trust me it will save you a lot of time and give you some credibility as a good customer.
Pat’s is a local place where being a preferred customer has its benefits.
I have not played there but there are always folks in the store ready to get on a game.
Fun shop, friendly owner, great selection and prices.

If you are looking for a place where you can get your game on, like your serious game on… this is your place. When I was serious in MTG I was test playing a deck I was building and I was visiting Austin but needed to try it out on a different crowd I came here. When I drove up I was suprised it literally was a castle… Well the front looks like one anyways. When you come inside it’s huge with lots of tables and chairs. The people were nice but cutt throat. Make sure you know the value of your cards before trading. I came in 4^th? I quickly found what I needed to tweak before the big tournaments.