Hugo Adame needs no introduction for some; the former SJC star and current member of Comic Odyssey has had a good deal of success at many tournaments. Kodi Justice isn't someone we're trying to feature; it's just happening because he keeps winning. Coming off a victory over his dad, can he triumph over the veteran Adame to move on as undefeated? We'll find out.

"This is my first Jump," the 12-year-old remarked. Doing this well, it might not be his last. Hugo opened up play after decks were shuffled and set a spell or trap. Kodi duplicated the play, and both players passed their next turns. Hugo set another spell or trap, and Kodi set a monster and a spell or trap. Hugo played a copy of Card Trooper on his turn, and sent three to the bin to boost Trooper to 1900. He attacked a copy of Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive. Kodi drew and played Soul Exchange; Hugo chained with Ring of Destruction targeting his own Trooper and Kodi bolstered his spell or trap zone with another card after Hugo drew for Trooper. Hugo drew for his turn and Kodi activated Trap Dustshoot. Hugo set a monster and passed; Kodi played a Cyber Dragon and tributed it for Raiza the Storm Monarch, targeting the spell or trap Hugo had set. It was a Scapegoat and was chained. Kodi played Nobleman of Crossout on the face down Old Vindictive Magician, and hit at a Sheep Token.

Hugo played Brain Control on the Raiza the Storm Monarch, attacked, and hit at a goat token as Kodi responded with his own copy of Scapegoat. After that, Hugo tributed the Raiza the Storm Monarch for Thestalos, and hit a Zaborg with the effect of the fiery Monarch. The next turn, Kodi passed, and Hugo brought back Frog, sent to the graveyard from Card Trooper. He attacked. Kodi played a Brain Control of his own and tributed for Raiza the Storm Monarch, sending the Frog to the top of the deck. Your monsters are never your own these days . . . Hugo played another Brain Control, and tributed the Raiza the Storm Monarch for a Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch to discard a Gravekeeper's Spy from Kodi's hand. He hit a Sheep token, and play passed to Kodi.

Kodi set a monster, and Hugo brought back Frog next turn, and spun Kodi's newly-set monster to the top of his deck with Raiza the Storm Monarch. He attacked at the last Sheep token with Raiza the Storm Monarch and passed after dealing 2400 to Kodi with Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch and setting a spell or trap. Kodi drew and set a monster, passing back to Hugo. Hugo summoned his Card Trooper and sent three more to the bin; then he played Pot of Avarice and filled his deck up with lost monsters. He attacked a face down Gravekeeper's Spy with a Monarch, hit the other one with another Monarch and hit Kodi for 1900 with Card Trooper. He set one spell or trap card and ended. Kodi drew and played his Pot of Avarice, drawing two cards to put his hand at four . . . well, three after Hugo activated Trap Dustshoot. Kodi knew his hand wouldn't let him win, especially since he could no longer bluff with it, so he gathered his cards up for game 2.

The two side decked and shuffled up after counting each other's side deck. After some shuffling, Kodi elected to lead the second game of the match. He played Confiscation, seeing a hand of Cyber Dragon, Jinzo, Snatch Steal, Smashing Ground, and a Gravekeeper's Spy. After some contemplation, he chose Snatch Steal and set a spell or trap, passing to Hugo. Hugo made the exciting play of setting nothing at all. Kodi duplicated the action (or inaction, as it may be), and Hugo set a spell or trap. Kodi still chose to play defense, setting another spell or trap.

Hugo made the first aggressive move of the game, summoning Cyber Phoenix and attacking at Kodi's empty field. Kodi used Mystical Space Typhoon at Hugo's end phase, ensuring that he couldn't activate the Scapegoat he had set. Kodi set a monster on his turn and passed. Hugo decided to risk it; he summoned a Spirit Reaper and attacked into what he hoped was a Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive with his Cyber Phoenix; Kodi flipped Gravekeeper's Spy and soon there were two of the monsters on the field. Hugo passed his turn with the two monsters in play, and Kodi passed after setting a card to his spell or trap zone. Hugo put the vulnerable Reaper to defense and set a monster. Kodi elected to wait again, setting a monster to match Hugo's field and passing. Hugo contemplated, and built up his field again by setting a monster. Cyber Phoenix attacked into another face down Spy; Kodi didn't summon anything from his deck, so now he had one monster on his field . . . in triplicate.

Kodi went for it. He summoned Snipe Hunter and called priority, targeting Cyber Phoenix. He chained Macro Cosmos to his Hunter's effect and the Phoenix was removed from play. He targeted each of the monsters Hugo had set, and Hugo lost his entire field after Kodi played Brain Control targeting Spirit Reaper and destroying it. Kodi turned his Spies sideways to attack position and attacked with his field, taking Hugo down 5100. On Hugo's draw, Kodi activated Ring of Destruction targeting his Snipe Hunter; the earlier damage Hugo had taken from attacking into Kodi's Spies brought him to 6400 before the massive attack. The third game was about to start.

"Kodi's the next Austin Kulman!" was one shout heard from the crowds; another person told him to trust in the heart of the cards. Both players elected to look at their side decks, and, after some shuffling from both players, Hugo went first. The two players wished each other good luck and Hugo opened the game by setting one card to each zone. Kodi set one monster and two spells or traps; one of them was a Trap Dustshoot, which sent back Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch over Cyber Dragon, seeing Pot of Avarice, Trap Dustshoot, and Smashing Ground. Hugo set his own Dustshoot and passed, and Kodi revealed two copies of Mobius the Frost Monarch, a Pot of Avarice and a Soul Exchange. Kodi flipped his face down Gravekeeper's Spy, and summoned another in defense position. He attacked at Hugo's face down Gravekeeper's Spy and took 800, Hugo matching his field. Kodi passed.

Hugo contemplated his hand briefly; both players had almost complete knowledge of each other's cards. He passed and Kodi drew, switched his Spy to defense, and passed. Hugo contemplated again; his hand didn’t justify any aggressive play, so he passed. Kodi passed his turn back, and Hugo passed again. Kodi drew and set one spell or trap. Hugo drew for his turn and made an attempt at aggression by summoning his Cyber Dragon by tributing one of his Spies. The Dragon attacked headlong into Sakuretsu Armor. Kodi set one to each zone and passed his turn, and Hugo set one spell or trap. Kodi flipped his Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive and summoned Mobius the Frost Monarch by tributing the Machine. Hugo chained with Torrential Tribute and Ring of Destruction targeting Mobius, in that order. Both players took 2400, and Kodi played his Premature Burial to get back Mobius, hitting at Hugo for 2400. Both players checked each other's graveyards and play passed to Hugo. Hugo summoned a Cyber Dragon and played Smashing Ground, attacking with Cyber into yet another Sakuretsu Armor. Hugo set one to each zone, and time was called on Kodi's turn. Kodi played Nobleman of Crossout and Hugo responded by tributing his Apprentice Magician for Crush Card Virus, looking at a hand of Ring of Destruction, Torrential Tribute, Pot of Avarice, and Soul Exchange. Kodi set one and passed, Hugo drew and checked Kodi's graveyard. With Ring and Torrential to defend him and a life point advantage from the attack with Mobius, Hugo would have to win an uphill battle. The score was 4000 for Kodi, 3200 for Hugo, and you could practically feel the numbers crunching in Hugo's head.

He made a play, summoning Mystic Tomato and playing Premature Burial on Cyber Dragon. Kodi had set the Ring, and he activated it on Cyber Dragon, bringing Kodi to 1900 and Hugo to a mere 300. Kodi played Book of Moon on the Mystic Tomato and Hugo went out of his battle phase to play Pot of Avarice, drawing two. He set a spell or trap. Kodi drew and revealed Treeborn Frog, setting Torrential Tribute and the Frog. Hugo summoned a Gravekeeper's Spy and Kodi had Torrential for game over. The crowd around the table roared, partly at the great upset and partly in joy for Kodi's victory . . . Kodi Justice comes back from a game 1 loss to narrowly beat Hugo Adame in a 2-1 nail biter!