Table One: Jonathan Navarro vs. Emon Ghaneian

Jonathan is from San Bernardino, attending with friends, and Emon is from Redondo Beach, California. He came along with the other members of his team, Team Nerudo.

Jonathan led off in the first duel, rapidly taking control of the game. He pulled what he needed, and wiped his opponent out of cards. “I had 18 cards in my hand, and he plays Card Destruction, then Serial Spell!” Losing that many cards can be fatal, and Jonathan claimed the win.

Emon got the chance to start off in the second duel. His sidedecking choices really paid off for him. Knowing that Jonathan was playing Level Limit – Area B, Emon brought out Hand of Nephthys, tributed to bring out Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, and tributed to bring out Mobius to clear Jonathan’s field. “I had so much field control, and he couldn’t get his Cyber Jar back. Finally he drew his last card, and that was Cyber Jar. He didn’t want to deck, and there wasn’t anything he could do, so he scooped.”

Jonathan opened in the third duel, and a similar fate befell him. Unable to get the needed Cyber Jar until he had only 1 card left in his deck, Emon was able to pull off the win, greatly excited to have defeated the undefeatable.

Table Two: Keanson Ye vs. Sleepin Worm

Kenson went first in duel 1, using Graceful Charity and Delinquent Duo to pull ahead in hand advantage. The game went fairly quickly, with Kenson using his opponent’s monsters against him by Snatch Stealing Jinzo. “I got slaughtered!” Sleepin Worm lamented.

Sleepin Worm took the lead in duel 2. Despite his own Graceful Charity/Delinquent Duo combo, he wasn’t able to gain a consistent lead on Kenson, who managed to get out Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, and lost this duel as well.

Table Three: Elton Cho vs. Mario Begay

Elton is from Los Angeles, and came to the event with the 10-member unsponsored team “Toy Soldiers.”

Elton opened duel 1, and dominated the entire game. “He just countered every single thing I did,” Mario explained. “He ended the game with 8000 life points.”

Mario went first in duel 2, and the duel stalled somewhat as each player drew, and drew again, hoping to hit the cards he wanted. It came down to a piece-by-piece erosion of life points, until Elton won again, 5100-0.