Ral Zarek, Guest Lecturer — ruling 1

If a card in a graveyard has {X} in its mana cost, X is 0 for the purpose of determining its mana value.

Ral Zarek, Guest Lecturer — ruling 2

When Ral Zarek's second ability resolves, the next target player in turn order (or, if it's a target player's turn, that player) chooses a card in hand without revealing it, then each other target player in turn order (if any) does the same. All chosen cards are then discarded at the same time.

Ral Zarek, Guest Lecturer : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Ral Zarek, Guest Lecturer 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

+1: Surveil 2. −1: Any number of target players each discard a card. −2: Return target creature card with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. −7: Flip five coins. Target opponent skips their next X turns, where X is the number of coins that came up heads.

How it works : Ral Zarek, Guest Lecturer

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1March 20, 2026· Wizards of the Coast
If a card in a graveyard has in its mana cost, X is 0 for the purpose of determining its mana value.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2March 20, 2026· Wizards of the Coast
When Ral Zarek's second ability resolves, the next target player in turn order (or, if it's a target player's turn, that player) chooses a card in hand without revealing it, then each other target player in turn order (if any) does the same. All chosen cards are then discarded at the same time.
No other card is named in this ruling.