Gameplay itself is as straightforward as it can be on the new software.  Magic is a game in which there are many steps to each turn and the possibility for numerous interactions within any of those steps.  When playing with "real" cards, many of these steps and their timing is essentially assumed - if a specific interaction nefeds to happen at a specific time it is up to the players to point out that timing to their opponents. 

When "computerizing" Magic for MTGO those steps all have to happen one by one, but the developers created a system that works well - the game only pauses for a response when there is a possibility for the player to make one, unless he or she sets up the "turn stops" differently, asking the game to stop during the step (or steps) that he or she chooses.  This has been carried over seamlessly to the new version and there should be no issues with players not knowing when to respond to any particular action by an opponent.

In fact, MTGO itself is a good teaching tool for players who are new to the game.  As players play their cards the effects of those cards use an imaginary system called "the stack" where one effect stacks atop the previous until no one plays any more effects and those on the stack start to resolve.  In real life play this stack is imaginary and can be a difficult concept for those new to the game to grasp.  On MTGO we can see the effects on the stack waiting to resolve.  It's a very effective way to learn not only the mechanics of the game but to understand the timing of effects in Magic; a game where proper timing can easily mean the difference between victory and defeat.

All things considered, MTGO 3.0 is shaping up rather nicely and once all the little kinks still present in the software are ironed out it should be a refreshing change to my fellow online cardfloppers and me.  Server stability is the one issue that the jury is still out on.  Although the team is clearly taking as many steps as possible to ensure there will be no repeat of past events, any IT guy will tell you that there's just no way to know for sure how things will hold up in a live environment with thousands of players until the game is actually running on a live environment with thousands of players.  For that reason I encourage anyone with even a passing interest in MTGO 3.0 to sign up for the beta and download the software (it is available at FilePlanet).
 
Of course a few weeks of post launch issues may not be such a bad thing either.  After the 2.0 launch problems were resolved WOTC made it up to the players by offering some freebies called "Virtual party Packs."  These were MTGO booster packs that included a fistful of basic land cards (those familiar with the game know what this means) and one rare card from a set previously unreleased online.  I know I was stoked to get mine.  The few weeks of hassle were well worth the chance to smash face online with Morphling and Sliver Queen.  And if you don't know what those are, you're just not geeky enough.

Magic: The Gathering Online is free to play, but cards are purchased via an online store.  Just as with the paper CCG, players maintain a card collection and may buy, sell, and trade cards in a secondary market.  Event tickets (issued by WOTC for the purpose of entering sanctioned tournaments) have been adopted as the in-game currency (1 ticket = $1.00 US), but cards are also routinely bought and sold via other means such as Ebay and various private websites dedicated to the game.  More information can be obtained via Wizards of the Coast's official website: www.magicthegathering.com