PETALING JAYA: A Malaysian made it into the international finals of the Magic trading card game in Shanghai, China, earlier this week.

Dr Devsharan Singh lost to a Japanese opponent in the finals of the Grand Prix Shanghai 2015 that attracted 900 players on May 17.

“It’s a stratregy card game played at international level – China, Japan, Brazil, you name it,” Dr Devsharan told Asia Samachar, an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia.

“It’s like chess. Only thing, in chess, there is no luck. In Magic, there is an element of randomness, but generally the better palyer usualy wins,” he added.

The game like Magic: The Gathering combine collectable cards with a strategy game.

Players build a collection of cards by buying products such as Booster Packs or Intro Packs as well as by trading cards with friends, according to game website.

You cast powerful spells and summon monstrous creatures aiming to knock your opponent down from 20 life to zero.

The game is constantly changing as new cards are released throughout the year.

Dr Devsharan, 35, said some of the avid players in Malaysia are professionals like accountants, lawyers and fellow doctors.

“It’s an expensive game. The better the card, the more people would want to use it. When you want a specific card, you can buy or trade it,” he said.

In the past, Dr Devsharan considered himself a competitive player and not a professional as he does not earn a living playing the game.

“But the recent results [at Shanghai] have changed that as I will be part of Magic’s pro tour. They will fly me to Vancouver,” he said.

The by invitation only pro tour is the highest level of competitive playing in the game. The next challenge will be in Vancouver, Canada, in July 2015.

-The Star