[aperiodic]

This is just one of the reasons why Limited (building a 40 card deck from only packs that you and your group open) is clearly the best way to play Magic. Another: even though it seems more variance-prone, it's arguable the most skill-testing format in the game.

[mcv]

Though one of the cool elements of the game is that you can also play a game with a random stranger you just met. That happened a lot back when I was playing a lot in the 1990s. But that game is less likely to be balanced, and it got increasingly less balanced as more cards came out and balance and ideas started shifting around.