Michael Loconto

Michael "Mike" Loconto is a former Magic: The Gathering player. As a social worker from Grafton, Massachussets, he won the first ever Pro Tour (New York 1996).

The first Pro Tour, very briefly called the Black Lotus Pro Tour, was held on 16–18 February 1996 in New York. Known as "Pro Tour Speed Dial" and "The Showdown in New York", Loconto ended up the winner, taking down 1994 Worlds finalist Bertrand Lestrée in the final. Loconto pocketed $12,000 for the win, much more than the winners of the earlier major tournaments got, yet a lot less than future Pro Tour winners would earn. The event was not streamed live, but a video was later published by Wizards of the Coast.

Loconto played a blue-white Millstone deck that generally defeated his opponents by running them out of cards. One innovative concept was his addition of Hallowed Ground, which he used to protect himself against Armageddon, to activate his Land Tax, and to save his from destruction.