Magic: the Gathering
I’ve been a gamer my whole life. I got into Magic when I was an undergrad (during the Ice Age Cycle), and have been playing on and off ever since because as anyone who plays Magic knows, CCGs are frigging crack (collectible card games). Once you start, you can never really give them up without professional assistance. You may not play for a while but all it takes is one more hit, and you’re hooked all over again. Right now, I’m on the wagon, but I know it won’t last. Over the years, I’ve spent literally thousands and thousands of dollars on this damn game.
At one point when I was in grad school, some friends of mine and I played competitively. When we finally got to play the pros, though, we were schooled like you wouldn’t believe. The best I ever placed was 12th and Pro Tour Qualifier, which is not bad. And as all Magic players do, I have tell you about my favorite card: a Beta “Ancestral Recall,” the second most beloved card in the game and arguably, the single most powerful one as well, which I got signed by the artist at Gen-Con last year. I used to keep it in plastic (since it's quite valuable), but I decided a few years ago that I’m going to play with it: damn the value. So it is currently in my Type-1 stall, then combo deck, which does pretty well.
And over the years, I have grown into a huge fan of the art as well. The card above is my favorite in terms of artwork, created by Jesper Myrfors, an early designer of the game. I find that I am drawn to the same five or six artists all the time, but Myrfors' work has always been my favorite.
There are tons of Magic sites, but this one is the most comprehensive: www.magicthegathering.com.