I've never played in the pro-tour games or any really serious tournaments, but I think there's a much more serious and calculating mindset at work for most players who play in them, just based on the "serious" players I know.
Their primary focus is taking as much of the element of chance/luck out of their deck and sideboard. Most of them probably can tell if they have a good chance of winning and what turn they should win, just based on the cards in their opening hand.
The tournament players I know, constantly test each other and scour message boards and internet sites (like this one) for what the "hot" card/combo is and why and how to beat it. They're very surgical about it.
You seem to really know your stuff, but based on your article, it seemed like most of your problems were mana-based and not helped with all the land destruction. I'm wondering if maybe just playing around with your mana mix or including lands or additional mana sources in your sideboard might've helped ? I'm not so sure luck was the main factor here.
5 Island
2 Swamp
1 Plains
4 Terramorphic Expanse
3 River of Tears
3 Calciform Pools
3 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2 Tolaria West
2 Urza's Factory
1 Academy Ruins
Creatures
2 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
2 Draining Whelk
1 TriskelavusSpells
4 Prismatic Lens
3 Phyrexian Totem
4 Mystical Teachings
3 Careful Consideration
4 Damnation
3 Teferi's Moat
2 Take Possession
2 Tendrils of Corruption
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Pact of Negation
1 Extirpate
1 Temporal IsolationSideboard
3 Aven Riftwatcher
2 Slaughter Pact
2 Pull from Eternity
2 Temporal Isolation
2 Cancel
1 Pact of Negation
1 Disenchant
1 Haunting Hymn
1 Teferi's Moat
I don't like the mana set up he's got here; I think he only needed 1 Urza's Factory and 2 Urborgs and I would have taken the Calciform Pools out and replaced them with Plains.
Honestly, I think he's got too much going on here and might've been better off going two colors (Black & Blue) instead of 3.
Their primary focus is taking as much of the element of chance/luck out of their deck and sideboard. Most of them probably can tell if they have a good chance of winning and what turn they should win, just based on the cards in their opening hand.
The tournament players I know, constantly test each other and scour message boards and internet sites (like this one) for what the "hot" card/combo is and why and how to beat it. They're very surgical about it.
You seem to really know your stuff, but based on your article, it seemed like most of your problems were mana-based and not helped with all the land destruction. I'm wondering if maybe just playing around with your mana mix or including lands or additional mana sources in your sideboard might've helped ? I'm not so sure luck was the main factor here.