Diamond & Pearl Prereleases
What are Pokémon TCG: Diamond & Pearl Prerelease tournaments?
Pokémon TCG: Diamond & Pearl Prerelease tournaments allow players to receive and play with cards from the upcoming Diamond & Pearl expansion up to two weeks prior to the official release date of the set!
Participation prizes are awarded to all finishers in each of three age divisions (Junior, Senior, and Masters).
Prerelease events are operated by independent Tournament Organizers across North America.
When are the Pokémon TCG: Diamond & Pearl Prerelease tournaments?
Pokémon TCG: Diamond & Pearl Prerelease tournaments are held during the weekends of May 12 th and 13 th and May 19 th and 20 th. To find times and locations of Diamond & Pearl Prerelease events in your area, click here.
Remember, while we update our events schedule often, we suggest that you contact the local Tournament Organizer to confirm event schedule information.
How much does the event cost?
Tournament Organizers charge a varied entry fee for these events.
The admission charge includes 6 booster packs of Pokémon TCG: Diamond & Pearl, from which each player will build his or her deck. These cards are yours to keep after you complete the event.
What do I need to know?
- 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.
- See the Pokémon Tournament Rules for more information about what to bring to an event.
- Make sure you arrive on time. If you are late for registration, you may not be able to play in the event.
- To participate in the event, you must be a player in good standing and abide by the Tournament Rules.
- See the Legal Notice 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 Limited Format and Age-Modified Swiss pairings. If attendance is appropriate, some Organizers may choose to run straight Swiss pairings. See the Pokémon Tournament Rules for information about the Limited Format and Swiss. The number of Swiss rounds to be run will depend on total attendance at the event.
In addition to the standard Prerelease tournament structure, some Diamond & Pearl Prerelease events offer the more casual Theme Deck Challenge.
For the Theme Deck Challenge, registration costs are the same as for the standard event, but players receive a theme deck from Diamond & Pearl to play in the event. At the end of the event, all participants receive 4 booster packs.
The Theme Deck Challenge uses standard Swiss pairings, not Age-Modified Swiss.
What are the prizes?
All participants will receive a Pokémon TCG: Diamond & Pearl Prerelease promo card and a Diamond & Pearl promotional item, while supplies last.
In addition, all players who complete the event will receive 2 additional booster packs of Diamond & Pearl.
All Prereleases count toward your Pokémon Player Rewards credits. Click here for information regarding the Player Rewards Program.
The results of Prereleases do not count toward a player’s Premier Rating.
What happens after the tournament?
After the tournament ends, the Tournament Organizer will submit the tournament results to Pokémon USA, Inc.
