As one of the most iconic brands in pop culture, Pokemon has built a massive multimedia empire between the games, the TV show, and the physical products. Among the plethora of Pokemon properties, the Pokemon Trading Card Game has become one of the most popular facets of the franchise. Classic Pokemon cards from the game's early days often fetch hundreds or even thousands of dollars from the game's legions of collectors. Alongside the value of classic cards, the card game's popularity has also bolstered a thriving competitive scene.
This weekend's North American International Championship has seen some of the region's best Pokemon Trading Card Game players come out to fight for valuable Championship Points. The weekend-long tournament not only features the TCG tournament but also competitive events for several Pokemon games with Pokemon Sword & Shield, Pokemon GO, and Pokken Tournament also included. While many players come to these tournaments with competitive meta-defining decks, one player chose to enter with a deck filled with jumbo-sized Pokemon cards.
In a comedic showing for the Pokemon tournament, player Matthew Verive fielded a deck filled with Pokemon's promotional jumbo cards included as a bonus with new sets. Verive shared the humorous oversized deck on his Twitter, showing off the full decklist and revealing he only played one round before dropping out of the tournament. After a lengthy "deck check" with the event's judges, Verive was informed he could have faced a disqualification due to the uneven cuts in the jumbo-sized cards.
While many fans were amused with the oversized collection of cards, those familiar with the game were quick to point out the deck would have been difficult to play in a competitive fashion. The deck noticeably lacked any Energy cards, meaning Verive would have been unable to use his Pokemon's attacks. Judges also claimed the lack of consistency between the cards' cuts could be considered "marked" with many fans speculating a newly instated card size rule may be soon to follow.
Pokemon's most recent trading card championship comes as the game has been looking to expand its scope in recent months. Last year saw the reveal of Pokemon Trading Card Game Live as a new online app for the game. The Pokemon Trading Card Game also recently featured a crossover with Pokemon GO bringing GO-themed cards into the physical game. While Matthew Verive's jumbo deck may not have won a round at the North American championship, he surely left a memorable mark on the tournament.