Frequently Asked Questions

2008 Pokémon TCG U.S. National Championships: June 28th & 29th, 2008

Information is subject to change: Last updated [1/21/2008]

What is the Pokémon TCG U.S. National Championships?

The Pokémon TCG U.S. National Championships is a sanctioned title event open to all U.S. resident players in good standing and is run using the Age Separated Swiss format. The National Championships will be held at Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, June 28th and Sunday, June 29th, with registration beginning at 9:00 A.M. Players not in line for registration by 9:30 A.M. will be registered for the event with a first-round loss.

Results of this event will count toward players’ Premier Rating.

Prizes are awarded to the top 16 players in each age division.

When is the Pokémon TCG U.S. National Championships?

The U.S. National Championships will be held at the Origins Game Fair at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Registration begins Saturday, June 28th, 2008, at 9:00 A.M., and the event will conclude on Sunday, June 29th, 2008.

The address of the Convention Center is:
Greater Columbus Convention Center
400 North High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215 U.S.A.

What does it cost?

Entry to play in the Pokémon TCG National Championships is free. However, you will be required to purchase a badge that gives you access into Origins.

Visit www.originsgamefair.com for more information concerning badge fees and pre-registration.

Who is eligible to play at the U.S. National Championships?

Registration will be limited to the first 256 Junior Division players, 256 Senior Division players, and 512 Masters Division players. You MUST register for an event ticket in your division through the Origins Game Fair website or on site at Origins to be eligible to play. Players without an event ticket will not be admitted into the event. Origins online event registration will open in late April or early May. POP will post a notice at www.go-pokemon.com/op when we are notified that Origins online registration has opened.
To participate in the event, you must be a player in good standing and abide by the Pokémon Tournament Rules and all other applicable event rules.
The Pokémon TCG U.S. National Championships is open to legal residents of the U.S. only. Residency in this case is defined as a person who legally resides in the United States or one of its territories, not necessarily a U.S. citizen.
Players who are found in violation of the rules of eligibility are subject to suspension from Pokémon Organized Play and loss of prizes, including, but not limited to, invitations and Travel Awards.

Review the Rules of Eligibility in our Tournament Rules document here.

What are the prizes?

Prizes are awarded to the top 16 players in each age division.

Our divisions are:

Junior Division: Born in 1997 or later

Senior Division: Born in 1993, 1994, 1995, or 1996

Masters Division: Born in 1992 or earlier

Participants will receive a Pokémon TCG National Championships promo card and a National Championships commemorative pin and T-shirt, while supplies last, all just for playing!

1st Place

A Pokémon TCG National Championships First-Place Trophy
An invitation to the 2008 Pokémon TCG World Championships
A Travel Award for the winner (and parent or legal guardian for players under 18) to the 2008 World Championships
A scholarship award worth $5000. Click here for scholarship details and restrictions
A Nintendo Wii Game Console
A combination of 72 booster packs from the current Pokémon TCG expansions
Other great Pokémon-themed merchandise!

2nd Place

A Pokémon TCG National Championships Second-Place Trophy
An invitation to the 2008 Pokémon TCG World Championships
A Travel Award for the winner (and parent or legal guardian for players under 18) to the 2008 World Championships
A scholarship award worth $3000. Click here for scholarship details and restrictions
A Nintendo Wii Game Console
A combination of 72 booster packs from current Pokémon TCG expansions
Other great Pokémon-themed merchandise!

3rd Place

A Pokémon TCG National Championships Third-Place Trophy
An invitation to the 2008 Pokémon TCG World Championships
A Travel Award for the winner (and parent or legal guardian for players under 18) to the 2008 World Championships
A scholarship award worth $1500. Click here for scholarship details and restrictions.
A Nintendo Wii Game Console
A combination of 36 booster packs from current Pokémon TCG expansions
Other great Pokémon-themed merchandise!

4th Place

An invitation to the 2008 Pokémon TCG World Championships
A Travel Award for the winner (and parent or legal guardian for players under 18) to the 2008 World Championships
A scholarship award worth $1500. Click here for scholarship details and restrictions.
A Nintendo Wii Game Console
A combination of 36 booster packs from current Pokémon TCG expansions
Other great Pokémon-themed merchandise!

5th through 8th Place

An invitation to the 2008 Pokémon TCG World Championships
A scholarship award worth $750. Click here for scholarship details and restrictions
A combination of 36 booster packs from current Pokémon TCG expansions

9th through 16th Place

A combination of 18 booster packs from current Pokémon TCG expansions

Other Information:

Your deck must comply with the Modified Format as outlined in the Pokémon Organized Play Tournament Formats document.
Bring a list of all cards in your deck (otherwise known as a decklist). This will be reviewed at registration.
Bring your POP ID card, if you have one. If you don't have a POP ID, one will be given to you at the event.
Every qualified player must have an updated "My Pokémon" account in order to be eligible for the Travel Award.
See the Pokémon Tournament Rules here for more information about what to bring to an event.
Make sure you arrive on time. If you are late for registration, you will be entered with a first-round loss. You must bring your Origins event ticket. Players without a ticket will not be registered.
To participate in the event, you must be a player in good standing and abide by the Pokémon Tournament Rules and all other applicable event rules.
See the Legal Notices for certain eligibility requirements and other information, including information concerning limitations on Pokémon USA, Inc.'s liability.

What is the tournament structure?

The tournament is run using the Modified (HP-on) Format and Swiss plus Single Elimination.

The National Championships will be broken into groups by age divisions and will be run using Swiss Pairings. Because Swiss rounds are dependent upon total attendance of each age division, Swiss rounds will be announced on site. Swiss rounds will feature one-game matches.

After the final round of Swiss, the top players from each age division (depending on attendance levels) will move into a single-elimination round. Single-elimination rounds will be a best-of-three game format and will have a 60-minute time limit per match.

National Championships events have a K-Value of 44. For more information on K-Value and Ratings and Rankings, click here.

Legal Notices