Lets cover two important, pretty huge, aspects of the Pokemon TCG. First huge important thing, the national tournament. It’s coming up this weekend. Expect to play against every card in format because as time as proven crazy curveballs tend to do well. I don’t have a top pick but I think player are realizing that instead of playing to a weakness just making a deck that locks someone down is a strong option. Expect to see Acelegor/Mew and Vanilluxe/Fliptini.

KABOOM! Perfect segue to the way more fun and way more important part of this article. Have you seen these playmats that are in the pkmncast store!? If you’re new to the game lets cover some of the swag you need to be thinking about to be taken seriously.

Sleeves, they protect your cards. They have a few major brands each at different prices. My top picks are KMC, Ultrapro, and Dragonshields, in that order. When I bought my first pack of sleeves it’s a tough decision but know they won’t last forever. They get grimy the color chips or they’ll tear and you will need to invest in more. They also typically come in 50 packs so you’ll have spares. I would suggest using them for you’re top trade cards, full arts or whatever else you find to be really valuable.

Trade stuff that is worth trading for should go in a binder. The super cool looking Pokemon binders they sell at Target or Walmart are alright and will last a while. If you want a binder that won’t get wrecked, can get spilled on and beat up Monster binders or Ultrapro Pro-Binders are durable. They’re a pretty penny, around $30 but worth it in my eyes.