Results from Birmingham and Rio Regionals + Educational Moment

Results from Birmingham and Rio Regionals + Educational Moment

What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction? Here, the focus shifts to the thrill and tension of top-level Pokémon play, with Corey and Jared breaking down huge regional tournaments while slipping in lessons that easily apply to real life and recovery. The chat kicks off with their trademark matey banter and a light game of "guess the Pokémon type", then moves quickly into serious tournament talk.

Birmingham’s massive 2,018-player regional becomes a case study in pressure, patience, and mindset. They unpack how Regidrago, Charizard/Pidgeot, and Palkia–Terapagos decks shaped both Birmingham and Rio, and why "the pathway" through a tournament matters just as much as raw power. One of the big reminders is that two top‑cut players started 1–1, showing that an early setback doesn’t have to ruin your run.

The standout section is the "educational moment", where Jared ties competitive play to New Year’s resolutions and mental resilience: you can’t control your opening hand, your matchups, or your opponent’s top-deck, but you can control your sequencing, decisions, and attitude. As he sums it up, "Pokemon is a game of controlling what you can control" – and that mindset is just as useful for someone trying to stay sober as it is for someone chasing day two.

They also chat through fresh cards from Prismatic Evolutions, like the hyper-annoying Bidou item lock and support cards such as Ortega and Tyranitar, using them to illustrate how players try to stack the odds in their favour without ever having full control.

If you like strategy, competition, and gentle reminders about keeping your head when things go sideways, this episode gives you plenty to think about – how might you start focusing more on what you can control, both at the table and in your own recovery journey?