Professor Cup

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Pokémon Professor Cup?

The Pokémon Professor Cup is a non-sanctioned event that is held annually to thank Professors for their hard work and dedication to the growth of Pokémon Organized Play. This is a casual and fun event where those who usually work as judges and Organizers have a chance to play instead.

When is the Pokémon Professor Cup?

The North American Professor Cup will be held at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Registration begins Sunday, June 27th, 2010, at 8:00 a.m., and the event will conclude that evening.

Players not in line for registration by 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 27th, will be registered for the event with a first-round loss.

The address of the Indiana Convention Center is:

100 South Capitol Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46225-1071

Get Directions

The European Professor Cup will be held at the Radisson BLU Hotel, Zurich Airport in Zurich, Switzerland. Registration begins Saturday, July 10th, 2010, at 8:00 a.m., and the event will conclude that evening.

Players not in line for registration by 8:45 a.m. on Saturday, July 10th, will be registered for the event with a first-round loss.

The address of the Radisson BLU Hotel, Zurich Airport is:

P.O. Box 295
8058 Zurich-Airport, Switzerland

Get Directions

What does it cost?

Entry to play in both the North American and European Professor Cups is free.

Who is eligible to play in the Professor Cup?

• To participate in the European or North American event, you must be a Professor who has earned at least 75 Professor credits between September 1st, 2009, and June 15th, 2010.
  • Credits earned and redeemed during this time still count toward the 75-credit entry requirement.
• Professors may compete in more than one Professor Cup.
• Players who are found in violation of the rules of eligibility are subject to suspension from Pokémon Organized Play and loss of prizes.

Review the Rules of Eligibility in our Tournament Rules document here.

What are the prizes?

Participants receive a commemorative item just for entering, while supplies last!

1st Place

• A Pokémon Professor Cup First-Place Trophy
• Kindle 2
• OGIO Metro backpack

2nd Place

• A Pokémon Professor Cup Second-Place Trophy
• Kindle 2
• OGIO Metro backpack

3rd Place

• A Pokémon Professor Cup Third-Place Trophy
• Kindle 2
• OGIO Metro backpack

4th Place

• A Pokémon Professor Cup Fourth-Place Trophy
• Kindle 2
• OGIO Metro backpack

5th through 16th Place

• OGIO Metro backpack

What is the tournament structure?

The Professor Cup will be run using Swiss Pairings. The number of Swiss rounds is dependent upon total attendance; higher attendance increases the number of rounds. Swiss rounds will feature one-game matches and a 25-minute-per-match time limit.

The Swiss rounds of the tournament will be run as Modified (PL - on) Constructed.

After the final round of Swiss, there will be a Single Elimination finals with a maximum top cut of 16 players. Single Elimination rounds will be a best-of-three game format and will have a 45-minute time limit per match.

At the beginning of each round, the judges will leave 3 Pokémon TCG booster packs at each table. The winner of the match receives 2 boosters, and the loser receives the remaining booster.

Rules for Deck Construction

1. Only cards from the Platinum set on may be used. No black star or POP series cards will be allowed.
2. Decks must consist of 30 cards.
3. In place of the 4-card limit used in 60-card constructed formats, a 2-card limit will be used.
4. When setting aside Prize cards for the game, players will only set aside 3 Prize cards.

Is there anything else I need to know?

• 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 will be entered with a first-round loss. Seating is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis.
• To participate in the event, you must be a player in good standing and abide by the Pokémon Tournament Rules and all other applicable event rules.
• See the Legal Notices for certain eligibility requirements and other information, including information concerning limitations on The Pokémon Company International's liability.