Steven Crow was representing Team Unseen, from Tracy, California. Adair was fighting for Team Hustle, a group that hails from Los Angeles. Two local boys fighting for the number-one spot in the event? How fitting.

Crow won the die roll and opened with a set spell or trap card immediately, slapping it to the table with authority! He set another in the fashion, passed, and Adair set a monster. Adair played Time Seal, chaining it, but his second card was another Time Seal, and the card’s effect cannot stack. Adair passed his turn, Crow set another spell or trap, Adair passed right back, Crow set a monster, and Adair tributed his set Treeborn Frog for Zaborg. Zaborg destroyed Crow’s set Mask of Darkness, attacked directly fro 2400, and hit directly! He set a spell or trap and ended.

Crow flipped his set Heavy Storm, destroying Bottomless Trap Hole. He set a card to each zone and passed. Adair brought back his Frog, summoned Tsukuyomi, turned Zaborg face down and then face up again, and attacked with Zaborg. It destroyed Sangan, and Crow grabbed Tsukuyomi from his deck with its effect. Tsukuyomi then attacked directly, and the life point totals were 4500 to 8000 in Adair’s favor. Adair set a spell or trap and ended his turn.

Dark Hole came down on Crow’s side of the field, wiping it clean. He set a monster, passed his turn, and Adair special summoned Cyber Dragon. He played Nobleman of Crossout to remove Crow’s Tsukuyomi from play and attacked directly for more damage!

Crow flipped Call of the Haunted, brought back Sangan, tributed it for Zaborg, and destroyed Cyber Dragon with its effect. Sangan’s effect got Crow a Magical Merchant, and Zaborg attacked directly. It was 2400 to 5600, with Adair still leading.

Adair played Premature Burial to bring back his own Zaborg. He then played Tsukuyomi, turning Crow’s Zaborg face down and attacking it to destroy it. Adair’s Zaborg attacked directly against Crow’s open field, and the first duel was over!

Steven Adair of Team Hustle claims game 1 of the match!

Both players side decked in near-silence. Neither of them had ever been in a feature match before, and the spotlight was clearly emphasizing the importance of the match. Whoever won this would practically be an auto-in for Day 2. The loser would still be in a good position, but would need at least one win to even be in contention for the Top 8.

Crow opted to go first, but drew no useable monsters. He set one spell or trap card, Adair attacked with Spirit Reaper, and he blocked the attack with Sakuretsu Armor. Adair set one spell or trap, Crow played Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy it, Chain Disappearance, and set another spell or trap. Adair set a monster, passed, Crow passed back, and Adair flip summoned Dekoichi to draw a card. Adair then attacked directly for 1400 damage, set a spell or trap card, and ended his turn. Crow was on the defensive and set a monster.

Adair kept the pressure up, summoning Sangan. Crow fingered his set Torrential Tribute, but didn’t flip it. Nobleman of Crossout removed his set monster, Treeborn Frog, from play, and Adair attacked with both Sangan and Dekoichi directly. Crow was down to 3200 life points.

He drew for his turn, used Snatch Steal to take the Dekoichi, and tributed it for Mobius, wiping out Adair’s set Widespread Ruin. He then attacked with Mobius smashing an icy fist clean through Sangan. Adair pulled Mystic Swordsman LV2 with Sangan’s effect, perhaps telegraphing Book of Moon or Tsukuyomi next turn, and Crow moved into his end phase.

Adair played Premature Burial, lowering himself to 6600 life points. He brought back Sangan, tributed it for Zaborg, and targeted Crow’s Mobius with Zaborg’s effect. Crow flipped Torrential Tribute this time, though, and everything was destroyed. Both fields were emptied, and Adair pulled Tsukuyomi with his Sangan, setting up his Mystic Swordsman LV2. Adair passed, leaving his field open.

Crow summoned Spirit Reaper, hit Adair with it, and made him discard Heavy Storm. Crow set a spell or trap and passed. Adair played Smashing Ground to destroy Reaper, set a monster, Crow set a monster, and Adair flip summoned Magician of Faith. He took back Nobleman of Crossout, summoned Tsukuyomi to turn his Magician of Faith face down, then used Nobleman of Crossout to remove Mask of Darkness from Crow’s field. Crow had to remove one more from his deck, and both duelists took the opportunity to peruse each other’s decks. Tsukuyomi attacked for 1100, Adair set a spell or trap, and Tsuku bounced back to his hand.

Heavy Storm was activated by Crow, but Adair chained his set Jar of Greed! Crow set a spell or trap, a monster, and passed, but Adair hit the monster with Mystic Swordsman LV2 next turn. It was Treeborn Frog. Crow used Soul Exchange on the Mystic Swordsman LV2, tributing for a face down Zaborg, but Dark Hole destroyed it a turn later. Adair set a monster, Crow took back his Frog, used Premature Burial to bring back his Mobius, and attacked Adair’s set Mask of Darkness! He took back Chain Disappearance!

Mask of Darkness in both decks at Table 1? Who’d have seen that coming?

Adair set a card to each zone, then set another spell or trap. Crow attacked the set monster with Mobius, revealing it to be Magical Merchant—it got Pot of Avarice for Adair. Crow set a back row card, Adair drew, flipped another Jar of Greed, and then played Pot of Avarice. He cycled Magician of Faith, Zaborg, Chaos Sorcerer, Spirit Reaper, and Cyber Dragon back into his deck and then drew two for Avarice. He played Snatch Steal to take Mobius from Crow, played Tsukuyomi to turn Mobius face down, flip summoned it, and then attacked with Tsukuyomi to destroy the Treeborn Frog. Mobius then attacked directly, and Crow’s set spell or trap didn’t do him any good.

Mobius deals the coup de grace, clinching the match for Steven Adair of Team Hustle! Moving on with an undefeated record, Adair is practically a shoo-in for the Top 8!