Corbin Thivierge sifted through his hand of cards in search for one to attack his opponent’s move. Thousands of pairs of eyes in the crowd watched him intently, awaiting his next move. It is the semi-finals of the 12-hour tournament. 10,000 dollars and a one of a kind card worth hundreds of thousands of dollars is on the line. While his opponent gnawed at his nails impatiently, Thivierge placed his rare card on the table in front of him. The crowd gasped.

Thivierge is a champion. 

On September 27, Corbin Thivierge (11) placed second in the finals of a national level Yu-Gi-Oh! tournament, Duel of Arcs, hosted in Seattle, Washington. According to their website, Yu-Gi-Oh! is a two-player card game with complex strategies aimed towards the demographic of young children. Some people, like Thivierge, play professionally.

“This is like a second job that I enjoy,” Thivierge said. “I play at least twice a week to keep my skills sharp.” 

Over his years of playing professionally, Thivierge has spent over 1,000 dollars on his deck of 60 cards (30 of which are rare). 

“It is worth it to me,” Thivierge said. “It’s not like I dropped it [all at once]. I built [my collection] up over the years.” 

Thivierge refers to Yu-Gi-Oh! as “Pokemon-Poker,” saying it combines the skill of Pokemon and the luck of poker.  

“It’s like a gamble,” Thivierge said. “You buy the best cards, and hope you get more cash that you either spend on cards or get more out of it.” 

While he has won some major tournaments like Duel of Arcs, Thivierge said he sticks to local tournaments where he most recently earned one hundred dollars. While he is drawn to the money, he loves the game. 

“I got bored with Pokemon when I was a little kid; it’s the same premise over and over again,” Thivierge said. “With Yu-Gi-Oh!, there are new monsters, skills and equipment.” 

Thivierge finds the game more challenging than its contemporaries, claiming the hardest part of the game is knowing when and what card to play.

“It’s how you play the cards,” Thivierge said.