Welcome to YCS Ft. Worth, Texas! There are lots of experienced Duelists competing this weekend, but not everyone here is a Dueling veteran. Check out some of this weekend’s competitors that are playing in their first-ever Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series event!

Mike Hernandez from Dallas, Texas is competing in his first YCS event this weekend! He’s using a Fire Fist Deck featuring his favorite Fire Fist monster, Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Dragon! Hernandez expected a big crowd like this, because he has watched videos on YouTube from attendees that show the enormity of YCS events. Take a look at Mike Hernandez holding up his favorite Fire Fist monster!

Lane Mathis from Arlington, Texas started Dueling in 2011 and took a short break after the release of Pendulum Monsters – but now he’s back, here at YCS Ft. Worth, using a Pendulum-based strategy focused around Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic! Mathis has entered three Regional Qualifiers in the past, and got what he was expecting here this weekend – a WAY bigger Regional Qualifier. Take a look at Mathis holding up the boss monster of his Deck!

Dorian Shasteen from Frisco, Texas started Dueling in 2016 with his True Draco Deck, and now he’s competing in his first YCS event. He came here with a friend who is also new to the Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series. Shasteen said he’s impressed with how organized the event appears to be, and said the tournament is fairly large to him. “It’s bigger than any Regional I’ve been to,” he said. Shasteen is still using the True Draco Deck that he started with in 2016 (with some modifications to keep up with the times, of course), and he’s ready to start the tournament! Take a look at Shasteen holding up his favorite True Draco monster, Dinomight Knight, the True Dracofighter!

Jordano Galloway is from Rimini, Italy but currently studies at Oklahoma State University, which is about a 5-hour drive from the tournament hall. Ironically, even though there have been 3 YCS events in Rimini, Italy, Galloway’s schedule never allowed him to compete in one of them. Now, he’s here in Ft. Worth, Texas taking his first shot at a YCS championship title! Galloway has been Dueling for the past 7 years, and has competed in several Regional Qualifiers as well as Italian Nationals, but never had the chance to play in a YCS. Now he’s using an Orcust Deck with the Dragon Link Monsters in this weekend’s event. Galloway is here with a group of experienced players from Oklahoma City who have competed in several YCS events before. Take a look at Galloway holding up his favorite card in his Extra Deck, Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess.

There are experienced and inexperienced Duelists alike competing in this weekend’s Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series event. Follow the coverage to see which Duelists fare best in the competition!