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Hey, Watch Some Pro StarCraft This Weekend At MLG Dallas

Otherwise known as "Learn to Understand What the Hell Brad and Norm Talk About All Day Long."

If you've been hanging around this website or our sister site Tested lately, you've probably gotten sick of hearing Norm Chan and myself babbling on and on about competitive StarCraft II. Or you've realized that watching competitive StarCraft II is the best thing ever. If you're either of these people, you should head over to the Major League Gaming site this weekend and check out the tournament streams they're running from their Dallas event this weekend. You will either love what they've got going on or, damnit, you will learn to love it.
 

 HuK, winner of MLG Raleigh and veteran of Thursday Night Throwdown.
 HuK, winner of MLG Raleigh and veteran of Thursday Night Throwdown.

I have to stress that you don't need to be a Diamond-level player to appreciate pro-grade StarCraft II matches. That's what commentators are for, and MLG has some great ones onboard, starting with Sean "Day[9]" Plott, whose Day[9] Daily is essential viewing if you're actually serious about getting better at (or at least understanding) SC2 on a fundamental level. Other well known casters like Marcus "DJWheat" Graham and (friend of Giant Bomb) the MLG's own JP McDaniel will be throwing down their commentary to explain what's going on minuet to minute.

Anybody who's already keeping up with pro SC2 will only need to hear names like IdrA, HuK, and TheLittleOne to know that this tourney is serious business. If those names just sound ridiculous to you, just know these guys are among the best SC2 players outside Korea... although they'll all be heading back to Korea after this is over with to start practicing for the next season of the GomTV StarCraft League. You're guaranteed to see some very high-level play on the stream this weekend (a free version of which is available) so if you're wondering what the hell I've been babbling about on the podcast week after week, this is a good place to start.

MLG will be running tournaments around other games like Halo: Reach, Tekken 6, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, if those flavors are more agreeable to your palate. Me, I'll be spending the weekend keeping an eye on the MLG stream while catching up on GSL matches in preparation for next week's finals. And probably thinking hard about finding something else to do with my life besides StarCraft.
Brad Shoemaker on Google+

184 Comments

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leebmx

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Edited By leebmx
@nintendoeats: I agree...I find it interesting to watch but it is very hard to work out what is going on . I am interested becuase any game which can attract this standard of proffesionalism must have something reasonably deep to it. Would be nice to find a famous or great game sort of broken down play-by-play for those not familiar with SC2.
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nintendoeats

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Edited By nintendoeats
@leebmx said:
" @nintendoeats: I agree...I find it interesting to watch but it is very hard to work out what is going on . I am interested becuase any game which can attract this standard of proffesionalism must have something reasonably deep to it. Would be nice to find a famous or great game sort of broken down play-by-play for those not familiar with SC2. "
I would watch that. Actually, I would really like to see Brad do it, as it seems like the logical end point of his attempt to get us interested.
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Outrager

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Edited By Outrager

SSF4 So Cal Regionals is what I'll be watching.

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CharlieTuna

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Edited By CharlieTuna

Watching starcraft is 10 times more fun than playing the darn multiplayer, man did it get old with me fast. So much busywork.

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Zolfe

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Edited By Zolfe
@WobblyBob: 
natural is the expansion that people would "naturally" take when trying to expand. its the best expansion spot.
 
when people say 14 pool, 14 hatch, or 13 gate
those numbers refer to their current supply, people usually identify the timing of their builds and stuff by their supply in the early game
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leebmx

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Edited By leebmx
@nintendoeats: It might be worth suggesting - think i'll message him.
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Bouz

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Edited By Bouz

They just referenced the GB showmatch!

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nintendoeats

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Edited By nintendoeats
@leebmx said:
" @nintendoeats: It might be worth suggesting - think i'll message him. "
Agh! the man communes with the gods! tis witchcraft I say to thee. 
 
Seriously though, the fact that we can just talk to the editorial staff directly is awesome. I love GB.
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CParks11

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Edited By CParks11

The MLG SC2 tournament is awesome. I think this is the third one and its grown so much each time. This tourney is huge.

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gamefreak9

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Edited By gamefreak9

No video game is as intellectual  to watch  as sc2 :P, not even close. 

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ThaMilkMan

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Edited By ThaMilkMan

Machine is about to play WOOT! go EG!

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gamefreak9

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Edited By gamefreak9

Everyone should watch this, tekken and halo does not even compare to the intense strategy :P. Starcraft gives the gaming community to the chance to get some respect on actual television, as the main criticism is that gaming is not creative or smart but sc2 fixes that.

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Marino

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Edited By Marino  Staff  Online

I love that the picture is stoic except for a blazingly fast, blurry left hand.

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gamefreak9

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Edited By gamefreak9
@ThaMilkMan:  
Machine was a monster....
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herreno

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Edited By herreno

Gotta love TNT veteran Machine 2-0ing Select ;)

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ectoplasma

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Edited By ectoplasma

I actually thought "Maybe giantbomb should have a news about this... well probably most people wouldnt care". Nice going xD!

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ThaMilkMan

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Edited By ThaMilkMan
@gamefreak9: I know!! officially my favorite in the tournament!
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Mijati

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Edited By Mijati

Been watching this non-stop over the next few days :P.

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Jimbo7676

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Edited By Jimbo7676

Saw EGMachine wreck a terran player earlier.

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bluesun

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Edited By bluesun

Watching the SoCal regionals is proving to be a nice change-up in between SC2 tourneys. The commentators are making it fun to watch.

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zpfracer

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Edited By zpfracer
@UberExplodey: You paid more to watch in HD here lol
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linkster7

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Edited By linkster7

Brad I now demand a Starcraft exclusive Bombcast. 
You got me addicted to this shit, now you have to hook me up.

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pweidman

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Edited By pweidman

I'm brand new to Starcraft, and honestly got caught up in the hype this summer and bought the game.  It's well done but my interest waned relatively quickly.  Then the Starcraft TNT the other week, and I really found that watching good players play was a hoot.  Very entertaining imo.  So I've since managed to catch a few pro games covered by the MLG announcers, and this shit is really fun to watch and the announcers are damn good and entertaining in their own right.   I'll try to catch some of this in Dallas, as I just finished watching the DC final, and semifinal.
 
I bet tournaments in Korea are aired nationally, no?  It seems like the SC2 hub, and must garner the kind of attention we pay athletes in pro sports in the US....I wonder.
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crusader8463

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Edited By crusader8463

Meh, these gaming leagues never have games that interest me in the least bit. Besides, I got non stop work until the 24th so it's sleep, eat, work sleep, eat, work repeat.

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Pop

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Edited By Pop

Brad forgot to talk about Machine the guy that won that match on Thursday Night Throwdown, I was looking at his matches to see if he says GLHB  or <>.

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Jeffsekai

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Edited By Jeffsekai

What? Why does this MLG event that means nothing get a shoutout and SoCal regionals doesn't? 
 
oh right cuz Jeff is fucking lazy.

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Tordah

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Edited By Tordah

More Starcraft 2 is never a bad thing.

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benderunit22

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Edited By benderunit22

Go TLO!

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fez_soni

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Edited By fez_soni

anybody having trouble watching the stream? mine keeps skipping, and it's not my internet since i can watch other streams just fine

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Teoball

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Edited By Teoball

For some reason it's exciting to watch SC2. Dunno why! 
 
I used to watch DJWheats Epiletic Gaming a few years ago. He's always loved commentating these things so it's cool that he still does :) 
 

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CaptainScarLeg

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Edited By CaptainScarLeg
@Advertisement said:
" HuK Norris  "
That would be way better.
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benderunit22

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Edited By benderunit22

Bye, bye, Idra

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adoggz

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Edited By adoggz

WOOOOOO!!!! SELECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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csl316

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Edited By csl316

i used to judge people that watch pro Starcraft.  but since the new one, i know/care a surprising amount about it.

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ThaMilkMan

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Edited By ThaMilkMan

Idra got taken out pretty surprisingly in that third game by seleCT that was an interesting game...and Machine is still in so hoping he does well and keep EG in it

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KinjiroSSD

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Edited By KinjiroSSD

Man, Select just cheesed a win.

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gunharp

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Edited By gunharp
@Llama said: 

" I love how MLG didn't haven any Starcraft 2 before and now it's their most popular stream! Apparently it pulls about 3 to 4 times as many viewers as all the other combined :D "

Unlike FPS's watching a 1v1 RTS is entertaining. It is one camera view and a good observer/commentator add a lot to it. For spectators it is just plain better, which is also why fighting games have such a high viewer ship. 
 
 @Jeffsekai said: 

" What? Why does this MLG event that means nothing get a shoutout and SoCal regionals doesn't?

Yeah pretty crazy that both are going on at the same time. I have had the SoCal regionals streaming all day!  
 
I'm not a fan of the MLG though, and the Starcraft side of it doesn't really compare to the GSL or any other SC league. GSL is the one to spend your dollars on. ESports is great but the way MLG goes about it with website design and advertising/sponsors just sucks. 
 
But I love SC2 and this is the best line up the MLG has ever had. Not quite worth $25 bucks for HD stream in my opinion. 
 
Oh and since the website is stupid hard to navigate here is the bracket for SC2:  
 
 http://www.mlgpro.com/ci/brackets/procircuit/10/dallas/sc2/open/winners 
 
Got it via TeamLiquid.net comments on the MLG preview article.       
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Teoball

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Edited By Teoball

haha. that last Tyler vs Pain.User was awesome

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KinjiroSSD

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Edited By KinjiroSSD
@Teoball: Yeah, amazing terran play from pain.user
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Edited By darknaut

 I wasn't overly familiar with Machine before the StarCraft 2 TNT here, having only heard of him without seeing any of his games, but I've seriously been cheering for him for the entirety of this tournament. As a fellow Zerg, I'm seriously hoping he keeps up his streak and takes the title, or places top 3 at least.
 
 I wish they had streamed his game against SLush though, but I guess I'll have to wait on the replay to get my ZvZ learning on.

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wunder_

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Edited By wunder_

Mega upsets in Day 2. :(

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Scigrex14

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Edited By Scigrex14

Day 9 makes the games so interesting to watch and really does an amazing job as a commentator. There's a reason why Day 9 Dailly are a must watch for SC2 players.

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Devitti

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Edited By Devitti

Heres to hoping for a Huk vs Idra rematch :D

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McDunkin

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Edited By McDunkin

As someone who subscribes to gomtv I would just like to chime in and say that if you still play starcraft at all you will porbably enjoy MLG castings as well as gomtv castings.  Check it out!!!

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Ben_H

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Edited By Ben_H  Online

Day[J]'s daily show is awesome. You learn important things like smooth transitions often involve losing your whole fucking base and when being attacked by mutalisks, jut build banelings.
 
This episode is brought to you by the number J.

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CatsAkimbo

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Edited By CatsAkimbo

@Brad  Thank you for posting this.  I don't check teamliquid that often cus their site is messy, and thats the only other place to find out about sweet tournaments like this.

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temmink

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Edited By temmink

Those Day[9] vids are great, thanks for pointing them out.

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raiz265

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Edited By raiz265

don't give up brad! 
 
GOOOO STARCRAFT

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AngryRedPlumber

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Edited By AngryRedPlumber

Day9's videos seem quite helpful, even for a newbie like me.  Thanks Bradley!

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eezo

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Edited By eezo
@Noodles said:
" @Ishatawk said:
" MLG + Starcraft = I still don't care. "
Then why even post? Why even click the article? "