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Special Conditions - A Pokémon TCG Podcast

Special Conditions - A Pokémon TCG Podcast

By: Pickaxe
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Summary

 Special Conditions is a Podcast dedicated to the Pokémon Trading Card Game that brings over 30 years of combined TCG experience to the game table! Hosts Adam Tuttle and Justin Keller bring unique perspectives on collecting, competing, and the current card market in a family friendly environment.Pickaxe Science Fiction
Episodes
  • 203. The Pokémon Card Hunt Is Getting Weird

    203. The Pokémon Card Hunt Is Getting Weird
    May 11 2026
    A Magikarp promo in Korea drew a massive crowd, led to the Pokémon Mega Festa distribution being shut down, and quickly became another example of how strange Pokémon promo hunting has become. We start this week’s episode talking about that situation, the frustration around limited promos, and why trying to get special cards from places like GameStop or major events can feel more stressful than fun. From there, Adam catches us up on his recent card show run. We talk about what it was like vending and buying, the cards he was hunting for, the deals he found, and the moments where walking away made more sense. There are vintage pickups, VS Series cards, Shining Steelix, dollar-bin goals, pricing frustrations, and a lot of talk about what the card show floor feels like right now. We also get into a few collecting rabbit holes, including hidden cameo cards, Growlithe showing up where Justin did not expect, artist collections, GigaDex-style collecting, and different ways to enjoy Pokémon cards in 2026. To close things out, we touch on Chaos Rising prerelease weekend, the LA Regional meta, Dragapult’s huge share of the field, Adam’s case for Cynthia’s Garchomp, and a few ACE SPEC cards that have quietly become much more expensive. Competing and collecting collide every week on Special Conditions. 0:00 Adam Returns and Promo Frustration 4:41 Magikarp Promo Chaos in Korea 10:34 Justin Sends Adam a Surprise 12:45 Ascended Heroes Pack Battle 18:37 Adam’s Card Show Adventures 36:38 Hidden Cameos and Weird Collection Goals 51:42 Chaos Rising and LA Regional Meta 1:07:00 ACE SPEC Prices Are Spiking LINKS https://youtu.be/CcjC9i13kM8?si=TO1SoahuvFa89UAU https://www.pokebeach.com/2026/05/pokemon-mega-festa-shut-down-in-korea-after-40000-crowd-turns-chaotic-over-magikarp-promo 🔗 Connect with us 🌐 Website: pokemonprofessor.com 🎧 Podcast Network: Pokémon Professor Network 🎧 Podcast Host: Pickaxe 💬 Discord: Exclusive access via Patreon 👕 Merch: Available on our site 📞 Call/Text/Voicemail: 732-835-8639 ✉️ Email: specialconditions@pokemonprofessor.com https://linktr.ee/PokemonProfessorNetwork Music provided by GameChops and licensed through Creative Commons ▾ FOLLOW GAMECHOPS ▾ http://instagram.com/GameChops http://twitter.com/GameChops http://soundcloud.com/GameChops http://facebook.com/GameChops http://youtube.com/GameChops http://www.gamechops.com Intro Music Trapped In A Pokéball Dj CUTMAN and Belthesar GameChops - Ultraball http://gamechops.com/ultraball/ http://soundcloud.com/DjCUTMAN http://soundcloud.com/belthesar Break Music He Walk - Furret / Accumula Town Remix Dj Cutman http://soundcloud.com/djcutman http://twitter.com/videogamedj http://youtube.com/djcutman Outro Music Kanto Trainer Battle Mykah GameChops - Ultraball http://gamechops.com/ultraball/ https://soundcloud.com/mykah Hosts Adam Tuttle Justin Keller Executive Producer Tish Smith 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 #pokemon #pokemontcg #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • 202. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

    202. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
    Apr 27 2026
    Justin is joined by guest host Lane for a wide-ranging episode of Special Conditions covering the collector side, the player side, and the “wait, what just happened?” side of Pokémon TCG. Lane shares what it’s like working at a card store during modern product drops, while Justin talks Collect-A-Con pickups, Arcanine binder goals, and the continued explosion of Pokémon 151 prices. Then it’s time to look at the post-rotation format. The crew talks Okidogi single-prize decks, Festival Lead, Dragapult’s early dominance, upcoming Regional Championships, and the rise of “Slop Box” — or as Lane puts it, Good Stuff: The Deck. They also dig into Chaos Rising preorders, Pokémon Center queue survival, and why getting product online still feels like its own competitive format. Finally, Justin and Lane discuss the Orlando Regional controversy, the difference between the Pokémon TCG and Pokémon GO incidents, and why competitive Pokémon rulings keep spilling into the wider gaming conversation. 00:49 Lane Joins Special Conditions 04:47 Pokémon Market Shifts Beyond 151 09:52 Justin’s Arcanine Binder Quest 14:00 Chinese 151 and International Exclusives 21:00 Post-Rotation Deck Testing 28:18 Dragapult and the Early Meta 41:38 Slop Box vs. Good Stuff Decks 50:15 Orlando Ruling Controversy 🔗 Connect with us 🌐 Website: pokemonprofessor.com 🎧 Podcast Network: Pokémon Professor Network 🎧 Podcast Host: Pickaxe 💬 Discord: Exclusive access via Patreon 👕 Merch: Available on our site 📞 Call/Text/Voicemail: 732-835-8639 ✉️ Email: specialconditions@pokemonprofessor.com https://linktr.ee/PokemonProfessorNetwork Music provided by GameChops and licensed through Creative Commons ▾ FOLLOW GAMECHOPS ▾ http://instagram.com/GameChops http://twitter.com/GameChops http://soundcloud.com/GameChops http://facebook.com/GameChops http://youtube.com/GameChops http://www.gamechops.com Intro Music Trapped In A Pokéball Dj CUTMAN and Belthesar GameChops - Ultraball http://gamechops.com/ultraball/ http://soundcloud.com/DjCUTMAN http://soundcloud.com/belthesar Break Music He Walk - Furret / Accumula Town Remix Dj Cutman http://soundcloud.com/djcutman http://twitter.com/videogamedj http://youtube.com/djcutman Outro Music Kanto Trainer Battle Mykah GameChops - Ultraball http://gamechops.com/ultraball/ https://soundcloud.com/mykah Hosts Adam Tuttle Justin Keller Executive Producer Tish Smith 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 #pokemon #pokemontcg #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • 201. Houston, The Braviary Has Landed | Houston Regionals Recap

    201. Houston, The Braviary Has Landed | Houston Regionals Recap
    Mar 30 2026
    Episode 201 of Special Conditions is all about Justin’s trip to Houston Regionals, and he’s joined by fellow Texas Pokémon player and Star Wars nerd Mitchell Le to break it all down. From tournament prep, deck choices, and brutal matchups to the reality of best-of-three pacing, this one is a full weekend recap from the player perspective. Mitchell talks through his Zoroark run and finishing just one card away from Day 2, while Justin reflects on a day full of ties, time management lessons, and why some matchups felt way tougher than expected. But this episode isn’t just about the matches. The guys also get into the fun side of the event: retro side events, exclusive championship merch, carnival-style games, Pokémon pinball, raid battles, vendor finds, and the food stops that helped keep the weekend alive. The back half turns into a relaxed pack-opening session with Destined Rivals, making this one feel like the full Regionals experience from start to finish. 00:00 Intro 01:23 Houston Regionals begins 06:12 Mitchell’s run 13:59 Justin’s run 22:03 Side events and merch 28:45 Raid battles explained 39:08 Pack talk 42:10 Pack opening 51:45 Houston visuals and venue 59:19 Food stops 01:06:45 Event highs and lows 01:11:38 Final thoughts 🔗 Connect with us 🌐 Website: pokemonprofessor.com 🎧 Podcast Network: Pokémon Professor Network 🎧 Podcast Host: Pickaxe 💬 Discord: Exclusive access via Patreon 👕 Merch: Available on our site 📞 Call/Text/Voicemail: 732-835-8639 ✉️ Email: specialconditions@pokemonprofessor.com https://linktr.ee/PokemonProfessorNetwork Music provided by GameChops and licensed through Creative Commons ▾ FOLLOW GAMECHOPS ▾ http://instagram.com/GameChops http://twitter.com/GameChops http://soundcloud.com/GameChops http://facebook.com/GameChops http://youtube.com/GameChops http://www.gamechops.com Intro Music Trapped In A Pokéball Dj CUTMAN and Belthesar GameChops - Ultraball http://gamechops.com/ultraball/ http://soundcloud.com/DjCUTMAN http://soundcloud.com/belthesar Break Music He Walk - Furret / Accumula Town Remix Dj Cutman http://soundcloud.com/djcutman http://twitter.com/videogamedj http://youtube.com/djcutman Outro Music Kanto Trainer Battle Mykah GameChops - Ultraball http://gamechops.com/ultraball/ https://soundcloud.com/mykah Hosts Adam Tuttle Justin Keller Executive Producer Tish Smith 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 #pokemon #pokemontcg #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 16 mins
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