When I was a kid in elementary school, I played Magic cards and beat all my friends. I did very well until they lost interest and started playing football.

Anyway, now I am older and I found out that at nearby comic book and game shops, they have Magic card tournaments.

I went twice. The first time, I placed 2nd out of 11 people and felt pretty good. The second time, I didn't do too well.

I'm conflicted about these events.

I don't get much meaningful interaction and Magic cards provides a way to get interaction with other men in an easy way. The only problem is that these men are mostly nerds and not "alpha".

Actually, at these "tournaments", I find the largest gathering of guys on the opposite end of the spectrum from "alpha". One guy was shouting out proudly for all to hear about how he got a text from some girl. Not a lay, not a date but a text.

It's fun playing the card game but if I'm going to get good at it to the point where I am winning tournaments, I am going to have to dedicate a significant chunk of time. One guy told me he's been playing for 17 years. The tournaments themselves last 4 hours for me including playing time and driving to the game shop and back.

I have really been thinking about the best way to dedicate my time. So far, I read for 1 hour, go on a walk, clean for 30 minutes, study Chinese and read in Japanese for 20 minutes. The rest of the day is spent unstructured and I am thinking of the best way to fill that time.

Do I really want to put in 4 hours of my time 2-3 times per week on something like Magic cards where it could take me a few years to "catch up" with the better players?

I am concerned I am not interacting with the right guys and that I am not using my time efficiently. With those 4 hours, I could read for another 2 hours and study Chinese for 2 hours thus boosting my speed in gaining fluency, for example.

Getting an extra 2 hours of reading time and knowing Chinese would probably bring me better benefits than being a good Magic card player.

On the other hand, Magic cards are supposed to be a fun way to pass the time and you can collect the cards (although for me, they just end up in binders sitting in a closet somewhere).

What do you think? Is there something I am missing? Should I play or not play? How should I make my decision? How can I truly determine what will most benefit me and my life?