When Darlene Sabelhaus bought her two sons their first deck of Pokémon trading cards 17 years ago, she had no idea the dividends her $3 investment would reap.
Ryan and Kyle Sabelhaus of Simpsonville regularly play and win Pokémon tournaments and together have earned close to $10,000 in scholarship money.
Ryan, 21, is the No. 1 player in the world in the Master division and is one of a select few who have earned the right to pit their skill, strategy and card decks against players at the World Championships tournament in Washington D.C., later this year.
The Pokémon Co. Int., reported that its hosts or sanctions a multitude of tournaments and Play! Pokémon events that are attended by tens of thousands of Pokémon TCG and video game players, supporters and fans.
The company also reported that the Pokémon Trading Card Game is one of the best-selling trading card games in the world with more than 20 billion cards having been shipped to 74 countries.
“Every child in the neighborhood had Pokémon cards. That was the big trend at the time,” Darlene recalled. “At that point, the boys played the game, but it was more about collecting the cards. They would earn them for good behavior, doing well in school, things like that.”
Kyle and Ryan entered their first tournament when they were just 6 and 4 years old.
“We went to our first tournament in Maryland at a mall,” Ryan said. “We actually got first and second at that tournament.”
Their $40 prize was enough to encourage both boys to keep playing and to continue their quest for new and more powerful cards.
“We were ecstatic. We didn’t even stay to finish the tournament. We just went home and split the money,” Ryan said.
Pokémon trading cards, first published in 1996, are based on the Nintendo Pokémon video game. Each card showcases either a trainer, energy source or a Pokémon (pocket monster) from the video game and has specific abilities and value. Two players face each other as Pokémon trainers and use their creatures to battle.
“The point of the game is to knock out your opponent’s Pokémon by using attacks and drawing prize cards for each knocked out Pokémon,” Ryan explained. “Once six prize cards have been taken, that player would be the winner.”
The Pokémon franchise introduces new characters each year, so a player has the opportunity to enhance his 60-card deck and become a more formidable opponent.
Ryan said building the deck is what helped him become so successful at tournaments. “I understand how to build decks and make them the best they can be,” he said.
Of course building decks comes at a price. When Kyle and Ryan were younger, Darlene said, she and her husband invested several hundred dollars in purchasing new cards.
“I remember (the Pokémon character) Charizard. I thought, ‘Are you kidding me? Thirty-five dollars for one Pokémon card?’
“They’re always changing which cards you can use, so you are always having to upgrade and buy the new set.”
Darlene said she was the “Pokemom.” Supporting her sons’ desire to play Pokémon was much like any other mom supporting a child in a sport. She said it was worth the investment because the game has “so much strategy that goes into it. They’re always thinking.”
As Ryan and Kyle progressed from the junior division (10 years and under) to the senior (11-14), and finally to the masters (15 and older), their passion began to pay for itself. The more successful a player is at winning tournaments, the more tournament points and prizes he earns, including scholarship money, all-expense paid trips to other tournaments, and new Pokémon cards and memorabilia.
Last year both Kyle and Ryan earned enough tournament points to play at the World Championships in Vancouver, British Columbia. They enjoyed free airfare, $300 spending money, three nights in a five-star hotel and a reunion with their Pokémon family from all over the world.
“I like Pokémon because of all the friends. I have friends in every country,” Ryan said. “The entire Pokémon community is like a big family. We all like to have fun. It’s really great.”
Kyle and Ryan have since turned their passion and perseverance into a professional opportunity as well.
Both are writers for Pokémon, offering reviews and other articles at sixprizes.com. Ryan said for those who want to try out the game, a good place to start is visiting Pokémon.com or thetopcut.net to learn how to play.
“It’s a great game if you have kids who want to do fun things, get good at math and thinking and meet tons of friends,” Ryan said.
He is pursuing an undergraduate degree at the University of South Carolina Upstate but said even after graduation he has no intention of changing his commitment to playing and winning.
“I hope I get buried with Pokémon cards.”
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