This Top 4 features two of my all-time favorite players. Jerry Wang and Hugo Adame are both very exciting to watch, and have made it this far with two completely different decks. Jerry is playing his Perfect Circle build, while Adame's playing his innovative transition deck between Cosmos and Machines. A win here means a guaranteed prize card, and both players are sure to give it their all. I must be careful not to get too into the match, lest I forget to write it all down.

Jerry won the roll and opened with Reinforcement of the Army, selecting and summoning Elemental Hero Stratos who found Destiny Hero - Disk Commander. He played Foolish Burial as well, sending Destiny Hero - Malicious to the graveyard. He set a spell or trap card and passed his turn. Hugo started off his turn by special summoning Cyber Dragon to attack the Stratos. It was blocked by Mirror Force though, and Hugo set a monster and two spell or trap cards before passing.

Jerry drew another Malicious on his turn, and Stratos attacked a face down Morphing Jar, sending Jerry's five monsters to the graveyard. Jerry played Premature Burial during main phase two, targeting Destiny Hero - Disk Commander, and drew two for his effect. He set two spell or trap cards afterward and passed to Hugo. Hugo special summoned Cyber Dragon on his turn and attacked the Stratos. He followed up with a set monster and two set spell or trap cards.

During Jerry's standby phase, Hugo flipped Macro Cosmos. Jerry chained with Enemy Controller, taking Cyber Dragon and tributing the Disk Commander before he could be removed from play. Still in the standby phase, Jerry flipped Call of the Haunted, targeting the same Commander. Hugo allowed it to resolve, and Jerry drew two cards for his effect. He then played Pot of Avarice, shuffling every monster except one Malicious back to his deck, a wise play considering both Frog and Malicious would only get one use anyway, but Frog was less accessible. Jerry was still without a Monarch or Dragon after those draws, but played Heavy Storm anyway. Hugo was forced to play Solemn Judgment, dropping to 4000 life points. Jerry went looking for more cards, playing Destiny Draw discarding Destiny Hero - Fear Monger, but still not finding the proper tributes. He sent the Cyber into a face down D. D. Scout Plane, and attacked directly with Destiny Hero - Disk Commander. During his main phase two, Jerry tributed Hugo's Cyber for a Cyber Dragon of his own. He set a spell or trap card and passed his turn. The Scout Plane was revived at the end of the turn.

Hugo attacked the Disk Commander with his Scout Plane, and Jerry reinforced his bluffed spell by thinking for a short period before allowing it. Smashing Ground came next, and Hugo set a spell or trap card before passing. Jerry's Breaker the Magical Warrior was blocked by a Pulling the Rug, and he set a second spell or trap before passing. Hugo switched his Scout Plane to defense mode, set another spell or trap card, and passed.

Jerry was up again, and he set a spell or trap card and a monster before passing. Hugo had no plays on his turn, and Jerry had nothing as well. Hugo passed again, and Jerry followed suit. Both players reeked of Torrential Tribute, and both players seemed to be able to make the right reads. This game was going to take awhile. Both players passed their turns again, Hugo's only play on his turn was to activate a copy of Dimensional Fissure. Jerry had drawn once more into his second copy of Destiny Hero - Malicious and set a monster before passing. Hugo made no plays on his turn, and Jerry activated Destiny Draw to pitch the Malicious for two new cards. He set a spell or trap card and passed to Hugo.

Hugo summoned Exiled Force and passed priority. He attacked Jerry's newest monster, which was revealed to be D.D. Crow! He used the Exiled's effect main phase two to destroy a face down Marshmallon. Jerry set a monster and his fifth spell or trap card on his turn and Hugo had no plays on his. Jerry activated a face down Mystical Space Typhoon, targeting the center of Hugo's spell and traps. It was Scapegoat, and Hugo elected to activate it. Jerry flipped Soul Exchange targeting the Scout Plane, tributing it for Raiza the Storm Monarch targeting a face down spell or trap. That resolved, and Jerry then flipped Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, discarding Treeborn Frog which was removed from play to send Hugo's last face down spell or trap to the top of his deck.

During Hugo's draw phase Jerry flipped Crush Card Virus, robbing Hugo of a D.D. Survivor, Banisher of the Radiance, and Raiza the Storm Monarch. It was also shown that Hugo had another Cosmos and Fissure. Jerry played Destiny Draw on his turn, pitching another Fear Monger to draw two cards. He hit a Sheep with Raiza and passed. Hugo drew a Dark Bribe and got to keep it. Another Sheep was cleared from the field, and Hugo's final turn under Crush Card was not a good one. He drew Cyber Dragon and was forced to discard it. Jerry started off his turn by playing Spell Striker, removing a Foolish Burial for his cost. He then used Phoenix Wing Wind Blast to send a back row card to the top of Hugo's deck and attacked the final two Sheep. He then tributed that Spell Striker for Raiza the Storm Monarch, who resolved. Knowing the damage was coming to him next turn, Hugo scooped his cards. Jerry takes a great game 1 with a devastating Crush Card Virus, forcing Hugo to look at the same cards over and over again. "Glad I hit the Brain Control first," said Jerry, aware that he had trapped it far enough into his opponent's deck that Hugo couldn't use it as an out to both Raiza's.

Both players smoke screened for game 2. With things having gone so wrong for Hugo, Jerry had to be aware of the possibility that he would side into Machines. Of course, Hugo knows this, and might try to pull a fast one. Let's see what happens.

Hugo opened the second game with a set to each zone. Jerry opened with Reinforcement of the Army searching for Elemental Hero Stratos, who was summoned to fetch Destiny Hero - Disk Commander. He attacked Spirit Reaper, set a spell or trap card, and passed. Hugo summoned Exiled Force and attacked directly with Spirit Reaper. Jerry blocked it with Mirror Force and Hugo passed. Jerry set a monster on his turn and passed right back to Hugo, who played Premature Burial, targeting Exiled Force and signaling a change into Machines. He played Raiza the Storm Monarch next, bouncing Jerry's monster and attacking directly.

Jerry's well-known tendency to bluff was going against him now, as Hugo was able to sense weakness because of his bare back field. He summoned Cyber Phoenix and poked the face down with it. It was Disk Commander, and he got to attack directly with Raiza next. He set a second spell or trap card and passed. Jerry accidentally dropped a D.D. Survivor on the table, and decided to play him. It seems Jerry had gone anti-Cosmos, which was a bad sign. He attacked the Phoenix with it and Hugo accepted the attack. He set a spell or trap card and passed to Hugo, who summoned another Phoenix and played Brain Control. He revealed a Dark Bribe and that was the game.

Both players smoke screened again. This time the guessing game was even more complex, but both players took less time with their decisions. Jerry opened the final game of the match, and did so with a set to each zone. Hugo played Mystical Space Typhoon on his turn, but it was chained to by Jerry's Scapegoat. Next, he activated Golden Sarcophagus, targeting Cyber Phoenix. He was probably still playing Machines. He set a spell or trap and a monster as well and passed to Jerry.

Jerry tributed his Spirit Reaper for Raiza the Storm Monarch, who bounced the monster and attacked directly for 2400. Jerry's hand wasn't very good at the moment, but it did contain a Cyber Dragon and Snipe Hunter. Perhaps he was pushing damage in an attempt to draw out a win later. His Scapegoat tokens should be able to buy the time he needed. Hugo played Cyber Dragon and Raiza the Storm Monarch on his turn, bouncing Jerry's Raiza. He passed, and Jerry didn't use his turn for anything. Hugo beat up another Sheep before giving the turn back to Jerry. Jerry set a spell or trap and passed to Hugo, who bumped another Sheep off the field. Hugo passed, and Jerry summoned Elemental Hero Stratos. He searched for Destiny Hero - Malicious with his effect, and pitched the Malicious to Destiny Draw moments later. Jerry set another spell or trap card before finishing.

Hugo attacked the Stratos next turn and Jerry allowed it. Hugo set another spell or trap and another monster as well. During the end phase, Jerry flipped Dust Tornado to destroy Hugo's oldest spell or trap. It was Premature Burial. During the standby phase, Jerry played Mystical Space Typhoon on Hugo's other card, Mirror Force. Next, he played Raiza the Storm Monarch, bouncing the face down monster before sending Raiza back to top of Hugo's deck with Phoenix Wing Wind Blast. Surprisingly, he discarded Snipe Hunter over Disk Commander and a Light and Darkness Dragon, and attacked for 2400. He attacked a face down Morphing Jar next turn, and both players drew new hands. Jerry set a spell or trap card and passed to Hugo.

With only five minutes left in the match, Hugo went into the tank to figure out how to pull out a win. He started off by flipping Nobleman of Crossout to remove the Frog, then set four spell or trap cards and a monster. Jerry attacked the face down Card Trooper and Hugo drew for its effect. Jerry set another monster, and Hugo was up once more. He activated Brain Control to take the Raiza, and Jerry thought for a moment before allowing it. Raiza hit the final Sheep, and was tributed off for a Raiza for Hugo's. The target was a monster, but Jerry chained Torrential Tribute. His Sangan was destroyed as a result, and Jerry pulled Destiny Hero - Fear Monger with its effect.

Jerry was up now, and he set a monster before passing back to Hugo. Hugo had no plays, and neither did Jerry. Hugo played Swords of Revealing Light, flipping Marshmallon face up and destroying it with Smashing Ground after Cyber Dragon came down. Cyber hit directly, and next turn Jerry played Soul Exchange and Mobius the Frost Monarch, who was blocked by Pulling the Rug. Time was called on Jerry's turn, but Hugo had no plays on his! Jerry played Heavy Storm on his next turn, and Hugo dropped Dark Bribe, Jerry set a monster and Hugo was up. With no way to make up the life point differential, Hugo scooped up his cards.

Jerry takes an excellent match 2-1!