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PLAYER PROFILE: MICHAEL KOHANIM
UNITED STATES FINALIST
Where are you from? What’s the name of the local store where you play?
I’m from Wantagh, New York, on Long Island. I play at The Comic Book Depot every Friday and New York Sports Works on Sundays. Whenever possible, I also play at the Tri-County Flea Market, Brothers Grimm Games and Kings Games.
What Deck did you bring to the U.S. National Championship? How did you design it? Who do you test your Decks with?
I entered the U.S. National Championship with my Gladiator Beast deck. I’ve been using Gladiator Beasts as my primary Deck for over a year. I tested various builds, including ones that could OTK by using “Summoner Monk” and ones that used “Gladiator Beast Respite” to slowly gain control, but eventually decided that the deck I used in Pittsburgh was the most effective build for the current environment. I wanted to enter with a Deck that could consistently beat Blackwing and Lightsworn Decks. My Deck accomplished that.
I test my Decks at local and Regional tournaments. I also get a lot of practice against the people I went to Nationals with: Mark Lundin, Jared Schwartz, Matt Kozarsky, Tony Buscaino, and Greg Cohen.
How did you prepare for the U.S. National Championship?
I continued to enter local and Regional tournaments, even after earning my invite to Pittsburgh, in preparation for the U.S. Championship. My friends and I also played Yu-Gi-Oh! almost every day in the week leading up to the event, making last minute adjustments to improve the consistency of our Decks. Unfortunately, since no one in my test group or local scene ran Synchro Cat at the time, preparation for that matchup was limited.
What were your memorable moments or key plays during the tournament?
Quite a few of my games were memorable. In Top 64, I actually OTK’d a Blackwing Deck. Since I was running a control deck, doing 8000 damage in one turn is rare. My finals match was also memorable since I lost before my second turn in the final game. My Top 8 match was also one I’ll never forget. I managed to make a comeback from no field and only a “Test Tiger” in hand while my opponent had a “Stardust Dragon” and “Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior” in play.
When you sat down to play your final match, what were you thinking about?
I was thinking about how I had already won a trip to the World Championship in Tokyo and wondered how quickly I could get a passport.
How did you feel when you realized that you had just won the U.S. National Championship?
It was amazing. I don’t travel much and I’ve never left the country before. I probably would have never seen Japan if it weren’t for the World Championship being held there. I won a once in a lifetime experience.
What do you feel is your biggest strength as a player?
Stamina. It’s often overlooked because it’s not a part of the actual game, but it plays a huge role in long tournaments. It’s important to be able to remain focused throughout the tournament regardless of how little sleep or food someone is playing on. It’s also important for a player to stay calm when he loses or misplays. I see a lot of players become frustrated too easily as a result of one match in the tournament and then lose several matches afterwards because they can’t think straight. I also see players channel their frustration into aggressive plays that cost them games. I’m able to shake off a loss pretty quickly, which helps immensely in a sixteen round tournaments.
When and how did you first become interested in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME?
I started playing Yu-Gi-Oh! when the card game was first released in 2002. Like many people who picked up the game at that time, I started playing because I enjoyed the television show.
Do you have a strategy in mind for the World Championship? How will you prepare?
I’m testing my Deck against friends and practicing frequently. I’m expecting Synchro Cat to be the most popular Deck at the World Championship, so I’m going to prepare a strong Side Deck strategy against it. Other than that, I’m just hoping to get lucky in the tournament. I’m trying to maximize my chances with a strong Deck choice, but ultimately, winning is impossible without some luck.
Is there anything you’re looking forward to seeing in Tokyo?
I’m looking forward to competing in the World Championship more than anything else. I’m more excited about seeing Yu-Gi-Oh! players from around the world than seeing Tokyo.
Do you have any advice for aspiring players?
Learn from your mistakes. After every game, think back on the plays you made and ask yourself what you could have done differently to change the outcome. The best players are able to admit when they misplay and improve because of it.
