Local champion Colton Searls is off to Calgary to compete in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Order of Chaos, regional event, on March 10.
Searls started playing the game 10 years ago, and when 100 Mile House game store, fascination street, started holding tournaments in December 2011 he joined in the fun.
I'm pretty excited, says Searls who will combine his time at the nationals with a small vacation visiting relatives in Alberta.
"This is the biggest event there is before the Nationals in the United States, and then the World Championship in Japan."
The local store is now an official tournament store for Yu-Gi-Oh! fascination street holds regular game weekends, with a Pegasus league starting March 3.
Searls says he beat all the local challengers and won both tournaments to reach the qualifying level to attend the regional event.
"At the very least, the top 4 participants [in the Calgary tournament] will get invites to attend the national tour. I hope I'm on that tour."
The Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game is one of strategy, where players create individual decks of collected cards. Two players engage in a duel while using cards that represent powerful monsters, magical spells and surprising traps.
"I've been playing the game for about 10 years. I find it very challenging. Win or lose, it's just a lot of fun."
The tournaments were tough, Searls says, adding that even though some of his opponents were younger, they're smart. Winning the game has a lot to do with the finder cards and "the luck of the draw," he adds.
fascination street co-owner Jason Maisonet says the tournament weekends are well attended with between 12 and 14 youth.
"Colton has done extremely well. We're pretty proud of him and wish him all the best."