Billy Brake has been a fan of Yu-Gi-Oh! since the original series first aired. He has taken 1st place in 2 YCS tournaments and consistently makes it into the Top 32 at large-scale events.

I sat down with veteran Duelist Billy Brake to see what advice he could give to young Duelists just starting out in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME. Brake had lots of helpful advice to share!

Learning the terms used in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME can sometimes be difficult. How would you recommend new players learn the language of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG?

“The more you’re around it, the more you get used to it. It’s gonna take time to get used to the terms and the lingo. It’s like learning a real language. Once you get it down, it’s hard to forget.”

How would you recommend new players find opponents to Duel against?

“Go to a local hobby shop. Attend weekly and you’re bound to make friends. If you enjoy playing the game and other people there enjoy playing the game, you become. That’s usually what happens. People just start showing up at locals and get along.”

How do you recommend that new players stay current and keep up with the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG?

“Lots of research. Lots of reading. Be aware of what’s coming out, and try to figure out how everything interacts. Be open-minded to everything. When people say to me, ‘Wow, that’s a great idea – how did you come up with that?’, the answer is always ‘I went through 100 bad ideas to get here.’”

How do you recommend turning a Duel around?

“Don’t think you’re ever out of it. Don’t defeat yourself before you’re actually defeated. People lose because they just give up. Even if you lose a game, keep going and keep trying to win.”

How would you recommend new players learn the value of their cards?

“Check online stores and see what’s the current rate cards are going for. Have knowledge of how cards work together, too. Chances are that if the cards work well, they’re worth money.”

What can you tell us about the way you build a Deck that may help new players build their Decks?

“I test everything that remotely has a chance of being good. And I test against every Deck out there. It’s a lot of time and practice with each Deck. I usually go with whichever Deck I feel most comfortable with, and whichever Deck I like the most. I have to like a Deck to play with it.”

Billy Brake is a huge fan of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG and has been very successful in recent tournaments. But even the best Duelists start somewhere, and Billy Brake was once a beginner too. Brake’s advice can help new Duelists get a head start on the competition.