Owensboro native John Andrew Morris is making waves in the competitive gaming world after winning a major Star Wars Unlimited sector qualifier, outlasting nearly 400 players from across the country in one of the game’s largest tournaments to date.
The two-day event tested players’ endurance and strategy through 12 rounds of play before narrowing the field to a single-elimination, top-eight bracket. When the final match ended, Morris stood alone at the top, a milestone moment in a journey that began years ago at a kitchen table.
“I’ve always been a gamer,” Morris said. “I started gaming when I was a kid, and I also grew up playing competitive sports, so competitive card games feel like a combination of both.”
Born and raised in Owensboro, Morris began playing card games competitively around age 12. While gaming remained a constant, life eventually brought new responsibilities. Morris is married and has an 8-year-old son, which initially made traveling to weekend-long tournaments less appealing.
“When this game came out about 2 years ago, I knew there were going to be bigger events,” he said. “But traveling and competing weren’t really on my radar.”
That changed after attending a nearby tournament.
“They had a couple of events close by, then I went to one of them, and I was hooked from there,” Morris said.
Competitive Star Wars Unlimited tournaments follow a Swiss-style format, pairing players with similar records each round. Larger events can stretch across multiple days. Morris’ recent sector qualifier featured more than 370 participants, requiring eight rounds on the first day and four more on the second before advancing to the final bracket.
“It’s like March Madness,” Morris said. “The ones play the eight seed and so on. And then whoever is left standing after that top eight is the winner.”
Matches are played best-of-three within a one-hour time limit. Players build decks of at least 50 cards, with a 10-card sideboard that allows strategic changes between games.
“My main strategy when I’m competing, first and foremost, is I play what I know,” Morris said. “It may not be the quote-unquote best deck in the format, but it’s something that I’m going to perform best with.”
Morris described the game as a mental grind, requiring focus and preparation over long stretches of play.
“You’re making thousands and thousands of decisions,” he said. “I always tell people to get good sleep, eat well, and stay hydrated.”
He compares the gameplay to chess, emphasizing skill over chance.
“I would say it’s 95% skill and 5% luck,” Morris said. “You’re taking an action, your opponent’s taking an action, and you go back and forth trying to get an advantage.”
The recent victory marked Morris’s most significant achievement yet, surpassing the moderate success he experienced in competitive gaming as a kid.
“It sort of feels like I have a little bit of imposter syndrome,” he said. “It’s strange that people want to know what I do because I’m just a guy who started playing because I enjoyed it.”
Since the win, Morris has been invited to appear on podcasts and YouTube channels dedicated to the game and has received daily messages from players seeking advice on deck-building and strategy.
“I don’t feel overly qualified,” he said. “But I’m happy to help.”
Morris currently ranks fifth in the world standings and is on track to earn an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas for the game’s galactic championship — its version of a world tournament. Players earn points throughout the season, with 100 required to qualify.
“If you’re in the top third of the leaderboard, they pay for your vacation to Vegas,” Morris said. “A free flight, a free room, free entry — all of it.”
Looking ahead, Morris hopes to continue earning points and ultimately capture the world championship title.
“I would love to win the world tournament,” he said. “It’s just a matter of putting in the work.”
Beyond competition, Morris encourages others to explore gaming, whether competitively or casually.
“There’s a place for gaming for everybody,” he said. “Whether it’s competitive card games or casual family games you can play with your wife and kids, I think it’s great to see it grow in the community.”