Magic the Gathering Poison Rules??

Question

When a player has poison counter on them do they lose a life every turn, if they have 2, two life every turn and so on?? Or do they not lose any life, except when they have ten they lose the game??

-Thanks

Answer 1

Poison counters is an alternate win condition.  It has nothing to do with life.  They won't lose life because of it.  When a player gets 10 or more poison counters, they lose the game.  It happens once they get those counters.  Most of the time, they will lose anyways because of the creature dealing damage to them but if they were playing a lifegain deck, they could be at 100 life and still lose the game due to the poison counters.

Answer 2

Poison counters will not cauce a life loss per se. When a creature with poisonous 1 deals damage to a player, that player gains a poison counter, when a player has 10 poison counters, he/she losses the game.

So you see, poison doesn't cauce life loss, its just another way to win/lose the game.