William Bailey: Pokémon TCG Competitor and World Traveler

Homeschool student William Bailey, age 9, began competing in Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) tournaments about two years ago. But his success in the game has led him to compete around the world, including Brazil, Japan, Canada and – in spring 2024 – London. William is the second highest-ranked junior player in the U.S. and Canada, and in the top five junior players across the globe. We spoke with William to learn more about what it’s like to be a competitive Pokémon TCG player. William’s dad, Johnson Bailey, provided some additional insight.

TK: How did you get into playing Pokémon TCG?

William: I started when I was 5, with basic Pokémon and energies (types of cards). When I was 7, I started to play local tournaments at Dice Addiction Game Store in Tulsa. After that, my first regional was Dallas Regional [in December 2022.] Then I went to Knoxville, Milwaukee and NAIC – North American International Championships. After that, I went to Japan for World Championships in August.

Then I started up the new season – I went to the first four regionals: Pittsburg, Peoria, Sacramento, Toronto. After that, I just came back from LAIC, Latin American International Championships, in Brazil.

TK: What do you enjoy about competing in Pokémon tournaments?

William: I like going to the tournaments and traveling with my family. It’s just really fun. That’s probably one of my favorite things about Pokémon, just traveling and having fun.

TK: Where are some interesting places you’ve gotten to play?

William: Probably Japan was my favorite one to travel to. I was not expecting it to be as much Pokémon as it was. There was a game called Mezastar that was very, very cool. It’s only in Japan, sadly.

Mezastar is a Pokémon Go-style arcade game that is very popular in Japan.

TK: Can you tell us about some of the creative ways you’ve raised money for travel expenses?

William: We are doing a cookie fundraiser. We’ll sell cookie tins and then for every cookie tin we sell, we’ll build a Pokémon deck and donate it to the children’s hospital. They’re mostly going to be Pokémon, basic energies, more beginner decks.

Pokémon also offers travel stipends if you do well enough in larger tournaments. William explained that it’s important for him to do well in tournaments because that travel stipend often determines whether he’ll be able to go to the next tournament. Plus, there are cash prizes for placing high in a tournament, which he saves for travel expenses.  

TK: How do you deal with pressure, especially at some of these larger tournaments?

William: It’s not as hard for me. We’ve practiced on this. Every time I win or lose, I’ll stick out my hand and say, “Good game.” When I win, I won’t jump up and get really excited, I’ll just stand there and say, “Good game,” and have a smile. And then I’ll walk away.

When I lose, I don’t get really angry or anything like that. It took me a little while to get used to that. I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but just always take a deep breath every time you lose is what I do. I just remember everything’s going to be all right.

TK: What are your goals as a Pokémon TCG player?

William: I’m going to try to compete as long as I can. My goal is to be up on Stream because they’ll interview us on the big screen. I want to say, “Thank you, Lord, for giving me this ability to play these big tournaments.”

Johnson: And you also want that championship trophy, right?

William, laughing: Yeah, that, too.

TK: Is having a homeschool schedule helpful in terms of travel flexibility?

Johnson: There’s a block of 15-20 kids, and they travel. It’s a mix of private school, homeschool and public school. A lot of schools recognize Pokémon as a sport now, so there’s a lot more distance learning and flexibility that you can have with your school schedules.

Pokémon’s great. You’re competing basically using math, problem solving and reading. His homework and studying is amplified so much. There’s so much built-in motivation. His reading went off the charts as soon as he had a real reason – because reading books for fun is one thing, but learning to read those Pokémon cards you need to play [is another]. His multiplication, his division, everything has been so much easier for him to learn and understand because you can do so many math problems and questions just through a Pokémon attack. None of the kids use calculators there, either.

TK: What advice do you have for other kids interested in learning how to play Pokémon TCG?

William: TCG Live is a good place to learn. I recommend building a fun deck and then maybe go play a challenge or a cup or something, just a local tournament. Just play, meet other people and learn the ropes and the basics of how to play. And then build up for bigger tournaments if they’re ready to do it.

Find information about upcoming tournaments via the Event Locator at Pokémon.com.

TK: Do you have a favorite Pokémon?

William: Yes, my favorite Pokémon is Pikachu. He’s cute, and lightning is my favorite type.

TK: What is a fun fact about you?

William: I just really like traveling. I like traveling and seeing the sights. I like playing board games and other card games, nothing really competitive. But fun card games with my family, I always like those.

In January 2024, William will be playing in regional championship tournaments in Portland, Oregon, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Good luck!