You could check
www.swapmagicfix.com or
www.ps2ownz.com for lots of info on these things.
If you back up your own games, you won't have to patch many games, unless you want online capabilities. The toast method makes ideal images that work 99% of the time.
Some games that have a large TOC (a large amount of info on the disc) will require you to do a TOC swap:
You load Swap Magic, press eject, insert an original game with a larger TOC than Swap Magic (Devil May Cry, for instance), close the tray, let it load, and when the screen prompts you to load your own programme, slide card open, insert your backup, press X.
You will recognize games that need this method by Swap Magic telling you you havent inserted a valid PS2 disc.
There's a list of TOC-sizes at the Swap Magic forums at
www.ps2ownz.com, and you'll find lots of other tips as well.
Good luck!
P.S. I used to slide card, but I got a flip top lid instead. Cheaper than chips, easy to install, and practical.