How to draft: First, players sit around a table in a semi-circle. Each player then opens a booster pack and picks a single card without showing the other players. Each player then passes the remaining cards to the left, and continues drafting from the new cards they get from the player on their right.
You, along with everyone else at the table, open one pack each and select—"draft"—one card from that pack. Then you pass the rest of the cards to the player on your left. The packs get passed around the table until all the cards are gone. You repeat this process for the second pack, passing to the right.
For Three Players For each pack, the first player takes a row or column, then refill it with three new, random cards. The second player then picks a set of three without refilling. The third player picks, which may be only two cards, and the rest of the cards are discarded before laying out a new pack.
Grab two friends and battle against another team of three for 1v1 games! Seating arrangement for this format consists of two teams (Team A and Team B) each with three players, seating alternates between the teams as you go around the table.
To have a Booster Draft, you need three things: 3 Booster packs per player from the current draft format. 8 total players (It's possible to draft with fewer than 8, but 8 is the number needed for sanctioned Magic drafts) A healthy supply of basic lands.
Winston Draft is primarily a two-player format and is best with two players but can be played by up to four.
Booster Draft rules allow you to add as much basic land (only plains, island, swamp, mountain and forest) as you want to your deck and require that the deck be at least 40 cards. The standard number of lands in a draft deck is 17–18.
Getting 8 players together for a Booster Draft can be a challenge. Grid Draft is a great way to play with just two or three players.
A format for up to 8 players to open card packs, then play one-on-one games on the spot! Each deck should have at least 40 cards and should last an average length for a game (about 20 minutes).