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PLAYER PROFILE: ESTEBAN ALMEIDA
CONTINENTAL CHAMPION
Where are you from? What’s the name of the local store where you play?
I’m from Quito, Ecuador, in South America. I play at Games & Games and Action Planet, they were on the same avenue at different malls.
What Deck did you bring to the Continental Championship? How did you design it? Who do you test your Decks with?
Synchro Cat without “Gravekeeper’s Spy” but with “Plaguespreder Zombie.” I borrowed lots of cards from my friends and then I sat quietly at my room thinking of the pros and cons of each card. The ones with more pros were put in my Deck. When I test my Decks with my friends, I ask one of them to play each specific Deck. This time I tested it with my little brother too.
How did you prepare for the Continental Championship?
I didn’t have much time for preparations because I was ending high school and spent my time celebrating the last days and writing my final exams. So I only got 1 day to borrow cards and to test my Deck before my flight to Chile. In Chile, I played the Team Dueling tournament before the Continental Championship, to test my Deck more. But the best preparation I had, was to go to the previous Continental Championship (as participant) and to the 2008 World Championship (as a viewer, I was on an exchange in Germany, so I took a train to Berlin) where I learned a lot.
What were your memorable moments or key plays during the tournament?
“Spirit Reaper” versus an army of Lightsworn monsters in the first round. “G.B. Hunter” locking down a Gladiator Beast Deck in the second round. “Trap Dustshoot” at the beginning of the second Duel of round 3. “Bottomless Trap Hole” two times in a row in the fourth round. Chaining “Crush Card Virus” to “Allure of Darkness” on the first turn in the fifth round, winning because my opponent didn’t have a second Level 6 Synchro Monster in the sixth round, Crush Card in chain to Allure on the first turn for a second time with the same opponent/ two direct attacks of “X-Saber Airbellum” / “Trap Eater” Special Summon, a Crush Card that did not destroy anything, but let me know my opponent had a bad hand/ “Mirror Force” against “Goyo Guardian” for game!/”X-Saber Urbellum” battle damage (semi finals), “Red Dragon Archfiend” destroying “Colossal Fighter” and “Mystic Tomato” by effect (absolute powered force!)/ Synchro Summon of “Black Rose Dragon” instead of “Dark Strike Fighter” when my opponent had 625 Life Points!! Epic misplay/ Breaker destroying “Mirror Force” for game!!
When you sat down to play your final match, what were you thinking about?
I could not believe, that I already made to the finals, I was very happy because I had the support of many Duelists of different countries. I just knew I had to give all I could, focus my mind and luck and win! The next thoughts were only about my next moves.
How did you feel when you realized that you had just won the Continental Championship?
It was incredible, I was very confused, lots of people shaking my hand, asking for autographs and photos… it was a complete chaos!
When and how did you first become interested in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME?
I saw some dudes playing at school, I already have watched the series on the TV and I found them really cool, so I asked were could I buy the cards. There was only one place to get the cards at that time, Game Over, and they were really expensive almost two times what they cost now.
Do you have a strategy in mind for the World Championship? How will you prepare?
Of course I have, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise for the other participants. I will test all types of Decks and I will choose the one with the higher winning rate. I will make some research on the other participants too.
Is tthere anything you’re looking forward to seeing in Tokyo?
A legendary katana, massive cosplay, the temples and statues, the studios where great animes are made and more than see, to taste the Japanese food.
Do you have any advice for aspiring players?
To never surrender even if you lose all the times, eventually you will win and after that the winnings will be more frequent. Join other players to grow faster and to help them to grow too, you never know when are you going to need a friend!
