What defines a "tournament match" in Magic?

A "tournament match" in Magic: The Gathering is defined as multiple games played between two players. This typically means that a match consists of a best-of-three or best-of-five format, where players compete in several games to determine a winner. This structure emphasizes not just individual game skill but also strategic adaptation across multiple encounters, as players can adjust their decks and strategies based on their opponents’ gameplay.

The understanding of a match as multiple games is aligned with the tournament rules, which highlight the importance of cumulative performance across games rather than evaluating success based on a single game outcome.