CGC Trading Cards Announces Invitational Pokémon TCG Tournament!

CGC Trading Cards® is thrilled to announce the first-ever CGC Trading Cards Invitational Pokémon Tournament! Sixteen pro Pokémon Trading Card Game players will compete for prizes and glory at CGC headquarters in Sarasota, Florida, on February 23, 2023.

The Swiss-system tournament will consist of three total rounds, with matches, live coverage and exclusive interviews being streamed all day long on CGC Trading Cards' Twitch and Instagram channels. Be sure to tune in for updates, trivia and the chance to win swag, slabs with event pedigrees, membership vouchers and more!

Sixteen players consisting of CGC Trading Cards' Pro Team players, influencers and CGC Trading Cards' graders will compete for the chance to win one of these three first-, second- and third-place Trophy Pikachu cards, exclusively pedigreed for the February 2023 CGC Trading Cards Tournament.

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Let's meet the 16 players who will be competing in the tournament!

The CGC Trading Cards Pro Team

A CGC Trading Cards tournament wouldn’t be complete without Team CGC Trading Cards’ participation! The CGC Trading Cards Pro Team is made up of Azul Garcia Griego — the latest Oceania International Champion — Daniel Altavilla, Caleb Gedemer and Kidd Starck. To learn more about Team CGC Trading Cards, click here.

Celebrities, Influencers and Special Guests

CGC Trading Cards will welcome several celebrities and Pokémon TCG influencers to the tournament, including Chumlee, SuperDuperDani, IslandGrown, Shivam, Tanner McBride and Jesus Herrera!

Chumlee

Austin Lee “Chumlee” Russell is best known for his appearances on the History Channel’s Pawn Stars, but he’s also an avid Pokémon TCG player and card collector. Chumlee does box breaks, pack openings and Pokémon card reviews on his Instagram account, which you can check out here.

SuperDuperDani

SuperDuperDani is a content creator who focuses on the Pokémon TCG and video games. Their YouTube channel, where they focus on hosting livestreams, box breaks and Pokémon card pack openings, has over 200,000 subscribers. You can check out their videos here.

IslandGrown

IslandGrown is a familiar face at CGC Trading Cards — he was one of the first submitters to CGC Trading Cards with a Shibuya’s Pikachu, and he purchased two First Edition Base Set Pokémon Charizard cards graded CGC 9 from mega-influencer Logan Paul in an online Whatnot auction back in July 2022. IslandGrown has over 370,000 followers between his Twitch, YouTube, Whatnot, Instagram and Twitter accounts, making him one of the largest Pokémon TCG influencers currently active.

Shivam

Shivam is an all-rounder when it comes to collectibles — from sports cards to video games, he does it all! In addition to collecting and creating content on trading cards, sports cards, video games and toys, Shivam also runs a podcast on YouTube and Spotify highlighting his best pack openings and card pulls. Learn more about Shivam by checking out his Linktree.

Tanner McBride

Tanner McBride is a seasoned Pokémon TCG player. He has been playing and collecting trading cards since he discovered Pokémon in 1999, and he has since gone on to found his own trading card game: the Kryptik TCG. When he’s not playing trading card games, McBride serves Las Vegas as a firefighter. You can learn more about Kryptik and McBride’s other works here.

Jesus Herrera

Jesus Herrera, like Chumlee, works at the famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop as a comic and trading card appraiser and expert. His knowledge of the Pokémon TCG helps make him a formidable opponent in the competitive scene!

CGC Trading Cards’ Graders

The CGC Trading Cards graders want to have fun, too! Six graders who also enjoy playing the Pokémon TCG will participate in the tournament, including Jacob Franklin, Sophia Spach, Kevin Murphy, James Venable, Drew Strauser and Colin Yates. Additionally, Brandon Berlin will serve as the official judge for the event.

Don’t miss out! Make sure to tune in to CGCGrading on Twitch to view the competition, and CGCcards on Instagram for all-day coverage, exclusive interviews, giveaways and more. We hope to see you there!