Peoria Regionals Recap with LoganPeoria Regionals Recap with Logan
The Payoff with Pete
Cory and Jared talk with Logan about his Peoria Regionals run with colourless Lugia, breaking down meta calls, tough matchups and tech choices. The conversation also focuses on tournament mentality, staying focused in bad pairings and managing time in complex decks.
39:34•20 Oct 2023
Peoria Regionals Recap: Logan’s Colourless Lugia Run and Mindset Tips
Episode Overview
- Preparation matters: testing decks weeks ahead and locking in a list that feels comfortable can reduce stress on event day.
- Colourless Lugia offered strong overall matchups, but Logan highlights how a single bad pairing such as Miraidon can define a tournament run.
- Tech choices like Drapion, Radiant Charizard and Mew ex need to be weighed against expected meta share, not just theory.
- Staying mentally present in bad matchups helps spot lines to victory and opponent errors that can swing a game.
- Learning to play efficiently within time limits is critical for complex decks such as Gardevoir and Lost Box to avoid excessive ties.
““When you have that mentality, you are not usually… you’re just missing so many things about the game that make it winnable.””
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This chat has a slightly different flavour: instead of sharing recovery stories, it drops you into the high-pressure arena of competitive Pokémon TCG, with a neat nod to alcohol-free living thanks to the sponsor’s non-alcoholic beer. Cory and Jared sit down with their friend Logan to break down his run at the Peoria 2023 Regionals, where he piloted a colourless Lugia deck.
From the very start, you’ll hear how seriously he takes preparation: testing lists weeks in advance, tweaking tech choices like Drapion, Radiant Charizard and Mew ex, and timing his seven-and-a-half-hour solo drive so he arrived calm rather than frazzled. It’s very much one for players who love talking meta, matchups and card choices. Logan walks through why he abandoned mentally draining decks like Lost Box and Gardevoir, and why Lugia felt like the right call despite one dreaded matchup: Miraidon.
He explains how often he saw that deck across the room and at his own table, and why it made Lugia’s day so rough. There’s plenty of nerdy joy as they talk about tournament stats, meta shifts between Regionals, and whether Charizard really deserves its popularity. The conversation turns practical when Cory asks what part of his game Logan wants to improve.
Logan’s answer hits home for anyone who’s ever felt doomed by a bad matchup: “When you have that mentality, you are not usually… you’re just missing so many things about the game that make it winnable.” He stresses focus, staying present, watching for opponents’ mistakes and sticking to a clear game plan instead of mentally checking out.
If you’re alcohol-free, into card games, and love the buzz of competition without an actual buzz, this episode offers a fun, stats-filled break and a reminder that mindset matters just as much as the deck in your hand. What mental habits could you tighten up before your own next big event?
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