As Zendikar spoilers keep coming in, I want to take a look at the limited environment and talk about how to win PTQs.
As the majority of cards spoiled so far are rares, and we don't have a real grasp on that format yet, I'm going to start off with better ways to test limited.
The MODO 8-4s get close to this, but it's still not quite the same. You are still looking to make the finals with your deck, and possibly split. You can have a moral victory of making the finals of a PTQ, but in the end, it doesn't matter if you went 0-1 or 2-1, all that matters is this loss. You need to be prepared to play for 3-0.
Part of that means playing at your highest level, but it's also your strategy in how you draft your deck. You need to be aware of the popular decks in the format, especially whatever deck is regarded as the best. In m10, if you think mono black is the best deck, you should either be drafting it, or actively looking for sideboard cards against it. Those cards are most obvious with the color hosers in m10, but in a block like Alara, it may mean taking the Fracture Filagrees higher than normal because Esper is the best deck, and you need to be able to beat it. You should be sideboarding a lot more in a top8 draft than you are used to.
In formats with linear deck strategies (say a tribal block), you want to be focused on one of those strategies. That may mean making a commitment to a strategy far earlier than you are used to, but you aren't playing it safe. You are playing to win.
You also need to work very hard on reading signals and being very aware of the cards you pass. A train wreck in a team draft isn't usually that bad because you end up hurting the two people next to you as well. If it is a total disaster, and both you and the two people next to you 1-2, your team is up +1 matches. That can be a good thing. A train wreck won't prevent you from 2-1ing, but going 3-0 is going to be hard, if not impossible.
As I learn more about the Zendikar format, I will be able to talk better about the individual pitfalls of that format, but for now I just want to go over how to do a swiss draft.
Swiss drafting
The set up is pretty simple. Get eight people together (seven works too, which is nice, since this is the only legitimate draft format I know of that can handle seven people without too much of a problem. Seat people randomly and draft. At the end, play the person across from you.
The most common way to do it would be to pair randomly with people with the same record as you. You will play three rounds, then divide the rares up like this:
1st place - 2 picks
2nd place - 1 pick (lost in finals)
3rd & 4th - 1 pick (roll to determine who goes first). Then repeat the rare picking with the 1st place only getting one.
In this situation, you are heavily rewarded for winning, and somewhat rewarded for making 2nd. The advantage of this system, especially early on during a set's release, is that you get to play a lot more magic and learn the cards. The down side if you are still being rewarded for going 2-1. This would be perfect for testing for PTs and GPs, but not PTQs.
Once you are familiar with the format, if you want to get really ready for the top8 draft, play a swiss draft out as single elimination with the winner getting everything. No take-backs, no mercy. The winner walks away with 24 rares. The losers have to wait for everyone else to finish. It seems pretty draconian, but it helps you get used to the pressure of the situation. If you are in the top8, you are there to win, not to put up a respectable performance. You need to get used to paying for your mistakes and really reaping the rewards for your successes. You need to get used to fighting for every win and making the tough decisions in both drafting and playing that are required to get there.
I wouldn't play hardcore drafts all the time - 3v3s are just more fun - but doing a few to practice for the PTQ season will get you in the mindset you need to win once you make the top8.
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