Now that the field is starting to narrow, it’s time to take a more in-depth look at some of the top matches of Day 2. And we’re starting off with a battle of the Dino Rabbit Decks!

Richard Lam and Bobby Brake are both 7-1, and now they’re facing off against one another! Bobby’s brother, Billy Brake, took some early losses while using a Synchro-heavy Deck, knocking him out of contention. Now, all hope of the Brake family winning 3 YCS tournaments in a row rests with Bobby.

Lam opened up with Starlight Road, Heavy Storm, Enemy Controller, Dark Hole, Pot of Avarice, and Neo-Spacian Grand Mole.

Brake Summoned Sabersaurus and attacked directly with it, dropping Lam down to 6100 Life Points. Brake Set 4 cards to his back row before ending his turn.

Lam drew Solemn Warning. He Set it and then Summoned Grand Mole.

[After the Match, Lam told me that he chose not to attack with Grand Mole because he couldn’t afford to lose his only monster to a card like Dimensional Prison.]

Brake attacked Grand Mole with Sabersaurus, and Lam used its effect to return both monsters to their owners’ hands. In Main Phase 2, Brake Summoned Sabersaurus again and Set a 5th card to his back row.

Lam drew Mystical Space Typhoon. He activated Heavy Storm, and Brake flipped Solemn Judgment, paying 4000 Life Points to negate it! Lam Set Mystical Space Typhoon to his back row and Summoned Grand Mole before passing.

Brake Summoned Jurrac Guaiba and attacked Grand Mole. Then Lam used his Grand Mole’s effect to return Guaiba and Grand Mole to their owners’ hands. Next, Sabersaurus attacked directly, dropping Lam down to 4200 Life Points.

Lam drew Trap Dustshoot next turn. He activated Dark Hole to destroy Sabersaurus and then Normal Summoned Grand Mole. Brake flipped Torrential Tribute to destroy the Grand Mole.

Brake Normal Summoned Jurrac Guaiba and Lam flipped Solemn Warning, dropping down to 2200 to negate its Summon. Brake Set another card to his back row and passed.

Lam drew Torrential Tribute next turn and Set it.

Brake Summoned another Guaiba and Lam flipped Torrential Tribute to destroy it. Brake Set a card to his back row before passing.

Lam drew Solemn Warning and Set it.

Brake drew a card and passed.

Lam drew Sabersaurus. He activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Brake’s Solemn Warning and then Normal Summoned Sabersaurus; but Brake flipped Bottomless Trap Hole to banish it. Lam Set Trap Dustshoot before ending his turn.

Brake activated Monster Reborn to try to revive Jurrac Guaiba; but Lam flipped Solemn Warning, dropping down to 200 Life Points to negate the Monster Reborn. Brake Set a card to his back row and passed.

Lam drew Maxx “C” and passed.

Brake Set a card to his back row and passed.

Lam drew Sabersaurus next turn. He tried to Summon it, but Brake flipped Solemn Warning to negate its Summon. Lam Set Pot of Avarice before ending his turn.

Brake activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Lam’s face-down Pot of Avarice, then activated another face-down Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Lam’s Enemy Controller. Brake Summoned Sabersaurus and attacked directly with it, wiping out Lam’s last 200 Life Points!

[After the Match, Lam explained that he didn’t Set the Maxx “C” while he was at 200 Life Points because he thought that if he lost the Maxx “C”, he’d lose the Duel. Arguably, Setting the Maxx “C” would be Lam’s only way of surviving an additional turn.]

Neo-Spacian Grand Mole prolongs the Duel for Richard Lam, but Bobby Brake outmatches Lam with his Dinosaurs in order to slowly take out Lam’s Life Points! Richard Lam will be going first in Duel 2!

Lam opened up with Forbidden Lance, Solemn Warning, Mystical Space Typhoon, Kabazauls, Tour Guide From the Underworld, and Rescue Rabbit. He Summoned Rescue Rabbit and banished it to Special Summon 2 copies of Kabazauls from his Deck. He used them in an Xyz Summon in order to bring out Evolzar Laggia and then Set Solemn Warning, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Forbidden Lance.

Brake attempted to Summon Neo-Spacian Grand Mole, and Lam negated its Summon by activating Solemn Warning and giving up 2000 Life Points. Brake activated Smashing Ground next, and Lam Chained Forbidden Lance to protect his Laggia. Brake Set 2 cards before ending his turn, and Lam destroyed Brake’s face-down Dimensional Prison with Mystical Space Typhoon in the End Phase.

Lam drew Book of Moon next turn. Then he Summoned Tour Guide From the Underworld and used its effect to Special Summon Sangan from his Deck. He combined Sangan and Tour Guide to make Leviair the Sea Dragon, and then detached Sangan from Leviair to Special Summon his banished Rescue Rabbit. Next, he banished Rescue Rabbit to Summon 2 copies of Sabersaurus from his Deck. Lam attacked directly with Leviair the Sea Dragon, and Brake flipped Forbidden Lance, targeting Leviair. Lam negated the Forbidden Lance with Evolzar Laggia’s effect. Direct attacks from Leviair, 2 Sabersauruses, and Evolzar Laggia dealt exactly 8000 points of damage to Brake!

Richard Lam Summons Rescue Rabbit on his first 2 turns to defeat Bobby Brake before Brake could enter his second Draw Phase! Bobby Brake will be going first in Duel 3!

Brake started off Duel 3 by Summoning Rescue Rabbit! He banished it to Special Summon 2 copies of Kabazauls from his Deck, and then combined them to Xyz Summon Evolzar Laggia. Brake Set 2 cards before ending his turn.

Lam opened up with Mystical Space Typhoon, Heavy Storm, Thunder King Rai-Oh, Forbidden Lance, Kabazauls, and Sabersaurus. He activated Heavy Storm, and Brake detached both Xyz Materials from Laggia to negate it.  Next, Lam activated Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying Brake’s face-down Book of Moon. Lam Summoned Thunder King Rai-Oh next. He attacked Laggia with Rai-Oh and then activated Forbidden Lance in the Damage Step to lower Laggia’s ATK by 800 and win the battle.

Brake Summoned Sabersaurus and then activated Smashing Ground to destroy Thunder King Rai-Oh. He didn’t attack with Sabersaurus.

Lam drew Mind Control next turn! He Summoned Kabazauls and then activated Mind Control to take control of Brake’s Sabersaurus. He combined the 2 Dinosaurs into Evolzar Laggia and then attacked directly, dropping Brake down to 5500 Life Points.

Brake attempted to Normal Summoned Rescue Rabbit next turn. Lam allowed it, and Brake banished his Rabbit to Special Summon 2 copies of Sabersaurus. He combined his Dinosaurs to make Number 39: Utopia, and when Lam tried to negate Utopia’s Summon with Laggia, Brake flipped Fiendish Chain to negate Laggia’s effect! Utopia attacked over Lam’s Laggia, destroying it and dropping Lam down to 7900 Life Points. Brake Set a card to his back row before passing.

[After the Match, Lam explained that he chose to wait for Utopia’s Summon instead of negating the Normal Summon of Rescue Rabbit because he didn’t want the Rescue Rabbit to hit the Graveyard. If Lam sent Brake’s Rabbit to the Graveyard and then Brake used Monster Reborn to revive it, Lam would be in a tough position.]

Lam drew Mystical Space Typhoon next turn. He Set it and then ended his turn. In his End Phase, Brake flipped Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Lam’s newly Set Mystical Space Typhoon.

Brake Summoned Kabazauls next turn. He attacked directly with Kabazauls and Utopia, then Set a card before passing.

Lam drew another Sabersaurus next turn. He Summoned it and attacked Kabazauls to destroy it.

[Brake forgot to negate Sabersaurus’s attack with Utopia. After the Match, he told me, “I wish I didn’t misplay with the Utopia!”]

Brake attacked over Kabazauls with Utopia and then Set a Mystical Space Typhoon to his back row.

Lam drew Torrential Tribute and Set it. Brake activated Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy the Torrential Tribute in the End Phase.

Brake Summoned Tour Guide From the Underworld next turn and Lam instantly conceded!

Bobby Brake uses 2 copies of Rescue Rabbit to win Duel 3! Bobby Brake is moving on with an 8-1 record!