TERRE HAUTE —
The fiercest of battles raged next to pizza as gaming enthusiasts vied for bragging rights Sunday in Terre Haute’s Pokemon championship tourney.
More than 30 players filled tables inside Full Moon Games, a store which doubles as Footers Pizza at 1103 S. 25th St., next to Family Video. Tournament brackets hung on the wall next to menus advertising hot wings and subs, and fantasy fans broke out crates full of playing cards, dice and game mats.
Ray Bledsoe, owner of Full Moon Games and Footers Pizza, said the store hosts competitions each night of the week, featuring different games ranging from Pokemon to Magic the Gathering. “We just kicked on the ovens,” he said of pizza preparations Saturday morning before the 11 a.m. tournament began.
Competition in the world of fantasy gaming can get rowdy, several participants remarked, and organizers warned against outbursts and strong language. But Pokemon competitions span the globe and rankings are at stake, Bledsoe said.
“It’s the largest card game in the world,” he said. “The cards are printed in 18 different languages.”
Shaun Kauffman, a student at Indiana University in Bloomington, was among those traveling to Terre Haute for a chance to play.
“The highest I’ve ever been ranked was a tie for first in North America and third in the world,” he said, a box of playing cards by his side.
Pokemon, as a card game, has its origins in the Nintendo video game of the same name, which dates back to 1996, players explained. The term “Pokemon” refers to a Japanese word for “pocket monsters.”
Jeremy Harshbarger said he began playing the game when it first came out in the 1990s but has since moved on to other activities such as Magic the Gathering.
But in Pokemon, players start out with a character and try to “evolve” it through card play, knocking their opponents down “evolutions,” or levels, along the way. The cards used are brightly colored with reflective decals, and range from character cards to “trainer” cards, the latter of which can help one advance, he explained.
Bledsoe said the store hosts Pokemon “league” play each Monday night at 6 p.m. About 60 players are registered with upwards of 40 participating each week in the pizza shop. Meanwhile, glass cases full of dice are sold there, along with playing cards and other games.
Harshbarger said the store will host trial competition for the “Magic” Grand Prix in Indianapolis set for March 10-11. The trials will be conducted Feb. 19.
“The last time it was in Indy it broke the record for the number of people to come to a single event,” Harshbarger said of that event. This year’s Grand Prix is scheduled to be played inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
Nathan Cobel and Daniel Barley, both Indiana State University students, brought their cards to the table for a battle of monsters and magic.
“The colors are cool, and the creatures are playful and fun,” Cobel said, noting he’s been playing since 1998.
Tournament action lasted into Saturday evening, with Jayson Harry and Andrew Ramey, both of Evansville, finishing as the two finalists left to compete in the championship round.
Competitors in city tournaments such as the one hosted Saturday earn points which help them qualify for national and international events, Harshbarger said. The 2012 Pokemon U.S. National Championships will be hosted in Indianapolis the weekend of June 29 through July 1.
Brian Boyce can be reached at 812-231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.
Local & Bistate
Related Photos
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Let the games begin: Derek Stroot and Andrew Ramey faced off in the first round of the Pokemon tournament held at Footers Pizza Saturday morning.
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Ranked: Rebecca D'Auria and Shaun Kauffman set up their cards at the beginning of their first round match of Pokemon. Kauffman has been ranked both nationally and worldwide.
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Warming up: Johnny Goodman (top) and Snow Higginbothan kill time before the Pokemon tournament Saturday morning.
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis It's in the cards: Pokemon is played with cards and dice.
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Ray Bledsoe
Discussion
It’s in the cards: Pokemon enthusiasts vie for city championship
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