Cruel Entertainment — ruling 1

The controlling player only controls the player. The controlling player doesn’t control any of that player’s permanents, spells, or abilities.

Cruel Entertainment — ruling 2

Cruel Entertainment’s controller may be one of its targets, even if it’s less entertaining this way.

Cruel Entertainment — ruling 3

If one player loses the game before controlling the other player, the other player takes their turn normally.

Cruel Entertainment — ruling 4

The controlling player can’t make the player being controlled concede. A player may choose to concede at any time, even while under another player’s control.

Cruel Entertainment — ruling 5

The player being controlled is still the active player during their turn.

Cruel Entertainment — ruling 6

While controlling another player, the controlling player also continues to make their own choices and decisions.

Cruel Entertainment — ruling 7

While controlling another player, the controlling player can see all cards in the game that the player being controlled can see. This includes cards in that player’s hand, face-down cards that player controls, and any cards in that player’s library that they may look at.

Cruel Entertainment — ruling 8

While controlling another player, the controlling player makes all choices and decisions that the player being controlled is allowed to make or is told to make during that turn. This includes choices about what spells to cast or what abilities to activate, as well as any decisions called for by a triggered ability or anything else.

Cruel Entertainment : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Cruel Entertainment is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.

Official card text

Choose target player and another target player. The first player controls the second player during the second player's next turn, and the second player controls the first player during the first player's next turn.

How it works : Cruel Entertainment

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1November 8, 2016· Wizards of the Coast
The controlling player only controls the player. The controlling player doesn’t control any of that player’s permanents, spells, or abilities.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2November 8, 2016· Wizards of the Coast
Cruel Entertainment’s controller may be one of its targets, even if it’s less entertaining this way.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3November 8, 2016· Wizards of the Coast
If one player loses the game before controlling the other player, the other player takes their turn normally.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4November 8, 2016· Wizards of the Coast
The controlling player can’t make the player being controlled concede. A player may choose to concede at any time, even while under another player’s control.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5November 8, 2016· Wizards of the Coast
The player being controlled is still the active player during their turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6November 8, 2016· Wizards of the Coast
While controlling another player, the controlling player also continues to make their own choices and decisions.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#7November 8, 2016· Wizards of the Coast
While controlling another player, the controlling player can see all cards in the game that the player being controlled can see. This includes cards in that player’s hand, face-down cards that player controls, and any cards in that player’s library that they may look at.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#8November 8, 2016· Wizards of the Coast
While controlling another player, the controlling player makes all choices and decisions that the player being controlled is allowed to make or is told to make during that turn. This includes choices about what spells to cast or what abilities to activate, as well as any decisions called for by a triggered ability or anything else.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#9November 8, 2016· Wizards of the Coast
The controlling player can’t make any illegal decisions or illegal choices—that player can’t do anything that the player being controlled couldn’t do. The controlling player can’t make choices or decisions for that player that aren’t called for by the game rules or by any cards, permanents, spells, abilities, and so on. If an effect causes another player to make decisions that the player being controlled would normally make (as Master Warcraft does), that effect takes precedence. In other words, if the player being controlled wouldn’t make a decision, the controlling player can’t make that decision on their behalf.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#10November 8, 2016· Wizards of the Coast
The controlling player also can’t make any choices or decisions for the player being controlled that would be called for by the tournament rules (such as whether to take an intentional draw or whether to call a judge).
No other card is named in this ruling.
#11November 8, 2016· Wizards of the Coast
The controlling player can use only the resources of the player being controlled (cards, mana, and so on) to pay costs for that player; the controlling player can’t use their own resources to pay costs for the player being controlled. Similarly, the controlling player can’t spend the resources of the player being controlled on any of the controlling player’s own costs.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#12November 8, 2016· Wizards of the Coast
If a player who would be controlled skips their next turn, the other player will control the next turn the affected player actually takes.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#13November 8, 2016· Wizards of the Coast
Multiple player-controlling effects that affect the same player overwrite each other. The last one to be created is the one that works.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#14November 8, 2016· Wizards of the Coast
Controlling a player doesn’t allow the controlling player to look at the controlled player’s sideboard. If an effect instructs that player to choose a card from outside the game, the controlling player can’t have that player choose a card.
No other card is named in this ruling.