189. New 2026 TCG Rule Changes + Black & White Set Hype!

<p>Welcome to Episode 189 of <em>Special Conditions</em>, the Pokémon TCG podcast where competing and collecting collide! 🎴</p><p>In this episode, Justin and Lane from Good Morning Johto break down the <strong>2026 Pokémon TCG rule changes</strong>, including the controversial shift from “+3 turns” to “+1 turn” and what that means for tournament timing and gameplay. We also dive deep into the upcoming <strong>Black &amp; White mega set</strong> — covering the incredible reprint cards, massive 800+ card set list, and the return of <em>horizontal line holos</em>!</p><p>🛍️ Lane gives a behind-the-scenes look at prepping for <strong>Collect-A-Con Cleveland</strong>, revealing what it takes to vend at a major convention, pricing strategies, and what they&#39;re bringing to sell — including $100k in sealed Pokémon product!</p><p>🎉 Plus:</p><ul><li><p>Sideboards in Pokémon TCG? A dream or the future?<br></p></li><li><p>TGA grading reveal with a surprise 10!<br></p></li><li><p>Is NAIC better in Columbus?<br></p></li><li><p>What Union Arena, One Piece, and Magic: The Gathering can teach us about tournament structure.<br></p></li></ul><p>🎧 Whether you&#39;re a collector, competitive player, or vendor, there’s something for everyone this week!</p><p><br></p><p><strong>📌 Chapters</strong> </p><p>00:00 – Intro &amp; Johto Heatwave </p><p>02:30 – Lane’s Store Life &amp; Event Planning </p><p>03:00 – 2026 TCG Rule Changes Overview </p><p>06:00 – Swiss Rounds &amp; Top Cut Changes </p><p>09:00 – Tournament Timing &amp; +1 Turn Reaction </p><p>13:00 – Comparing with Magic &amp; Other TCGs </p><p>17:00 – Slow Play, Judges, and Strategy </p><p>20:00 – Best of 3 vs. Best of 1 </p><p>24:00 – Sideboarding in Pokémon? </p><p>28:00 – TGA Grading Reveal &amp; Partnership 31:00 – Thank You to Patrons </p><p>32:00 – Black &amp; White Mega Set Breakdown </p><p>37:00 – Reverse Holos, Pull Rates &amp; Predictions </p><p>41:00 – Gen 5 Nostalgia &amp; Market Potential </p><p>45:00 – Collect-A-Con Cleveland Prep </p><p>52:00 – Pricing Challenges &amp; Market Strategy </p><p>56:00 – Con Rules, Setup Woes &amp; Rants </p><p>57:50 – Final Thoughts &amp; Shoutouts</p><p>Use code FULLHEAL at <a href="https://tgacards.com/"><u>https://tgacards.com/</u></a> for 10% off your order!</p><p><a href="mailto:SpecialConditions@PokemonProfessor.com"><u>SpecialConditions@PokemonProfessor.com</u></a> </p><p>Voicemail, Text, and Picture Line - 732-835-8639</p><p><a href="https://linktr.ee/PokemonProfessorNetwork"><u>https://linktr.ee/PokemonProfessorNetwork</u></a> </p><p>Music provided by GameChops and licensed through Creative Commons</p><p>▾ FOLLOW GAMECHOPS ▾</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?redir_token=UYy8W1pnKoaYU-P0gTM3miC3rNd8MTU3MTkzMDc5MEAxNTcxODQ0Mzkw&event=video_description&v=2DVpys50LVE&q=http%3A%2F%2Finstagram.com%2FGameChops">http://instagram.com/GameChops</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?redir_token=UYy8W1pnKoaYU-P0gTM3miC3rNd8MTU3MTkzMDc5MEAxNTcxODQ0Mzkw&event=video_description&v=2DVpys50LVE&q=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FGameChops">http://twitter.com/GameChops</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?redir_token=UYy8W1pnKoaYU-P0gTM3miC3rNd8MTU3MTkzMDc5MEAxNTcxODQ0Mzkw&event=video_description&v=2DVpys50LVE&q=http%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2FGameChops">http://soundcloud.com/GameChops</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?redir_token=UYy8W1pnKoaYU-P0gTM3miC3rNd8MTU3MTkzMDc5MEAxNTcxODQ0Mzkw&event=video_description&v=2DVpys50LVE&q=http%3A%2F%2Ffacebook.com%2FGameChops">http://facebook.com/GameChops</a></p><p><a href="http://youtube.com/GameChops">http://youtube.com/GameChops</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?redir_token=UYy8W1pnKoaYU-P0gTM3miC3rNd8MTU3MTkzMDc5MEAxNTcxODQ0Mzkw&event=video_description&v=2DVpys50LVE&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamechops.com">http://www.gamechops.com</a></p><p>Intro Music</p><p>Trapped In A Pokéball</p><p>Dj CUTMAN and Belthesar</p><p>GameChops - Ultraball</p><p><a href="http://gamechops.com/ultraball/">http://gamechops.com/ultraball/</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=http%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2FDjCUTMAN&v=USD8zGDeh2w&redir_token=1HeORnXWxg4rZ-E9BrEYJTKwFP98MTU3MzkxODI5MEAxNTczODMxODkw&event=video_description">http://soundcloud.com/DjCUTMAN</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=http%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fbelthesar&v=USD8zGDeh2w&redir_token=1HeORnXWxg4rZ-E9BrEYJTKwFP98MTU3MzkxODI5MEAxNTczODMxODkw&event=video_description">http://soundcloud.com/belthesar</a></p><p>Break Music</p><p>He Walk - Furret / Accumula Town Remix </p><p>Dj Cutman</p><p><a href="http://soundcloud.com/djcutman">http://soundcloud.com/djcutman</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?v=75CqMc5Lbic&redir_token=U09E1kS_fIr_scHSonnd7F9YI7l8MTU3OTM2NjE0NUAxNTc5Mjc5NzQ1&event=video_description&q=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fvideogamedj">http://twitter.com/videogamedj</a> </p><p><a href="http://youtube.com/djcutman">http://youtube.com/djcutman</a></p><p>Outro Music</p><p>Kanto Trainer Battle</p><p>Mykah</p><p>GameChops - Ultraball</p><p><a href="http://gamechops.com/ultraball/">http://gamechops.com/ultraball/</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fmykah&redir_token=AAzew78d237-HZM7ZGJt5dRIFuV8MTU3MzkxODU1N0AxNTczODMyMTU3&event=video_description&v=xqBHNLuoO1E">https://soundcloud.com/mykah</a></p><p>Hosts</p><p>Adam Tuttle</p><p>Justin Keller</p><p>Pokémon And All Respective Names are Trademark and © of Nintendo 1996-2024Pokémon Professor and Special Conditions are not affiliated with Niantic Inc., The Pokémon Company, Game Freak or Nintendo</p><p>#pokemon #pokemontcg #podcast</p><p><br></p>