Elyria man places third in Pokemon World Tournament

ELYRIA — An Elyria man nearly caught 'em all, taking third place in the Pokemon World Tournament in Honolulu last month. Jesse Parker, 31, one of 1,147 competitors in the Master Division, went undefeated in 14 rounds, making it to the top eight. His third place win earned him $20,000, some valuable swag and an automatic invitation to the World Tournament in California next year. "It kinda didn't feel real," Parker said. "It felt surreal to be undefeated going into the second day." Parker, who collected Pokemon cards as a child, but didn't start playing the game until 2017, travels across the U.S. and Canada competing in regional and international tournaments. This was his fourth World Tournament, having traveled to Washington, D.C., in 2019, London in 2022, and Japan in 2023. "The World Tournament is the Super Bowl of Pokemon," Parker said. "It is the best of the best. Some players play their whole lives and never make the top eight. I was never close to the top eight before (in a World Tournament). To accomplish that goal and make it to Day 2, I just thought, 'Let's see how far I can go.'" Parker, a 2012 graduate of First Baptist School in Elyria, describes himself as "really competitive." Never really into sports, he enjoys video games and board games as a competitive outlet, particularly board games. "Pokemon is fun because it's like a tabletop game," he said. "It's a different vibe than your average video game." Parker, who works at First Federal Lakewood, competes in 15 to 20 major Pokemon gaming events a year, using most of his vacation time to travel and compete. "All of the friends I have now are friends I've met through tournaments," he said. "Even if I lose, I still get to hang out with friends and it's a fun little getaway." For bigger tournaments, Parker said he likes to arrive early to spend time relaxing in the city where the tournament is held. When he traveled to Honolulu, he spent seven days there with his sister Deanna before the tournament. His trip to Japan last year was shared with his brother, Luke. His family supports Parker's Pokemon gaming with his parents getting phone call updates or watching Parker's progress throughout the tournament. "We would watch the link, and it was very impressive," said his dad, Dan Parker. "If you've ever seen the poker championships, it was like that with all of the different cameras and angles. It was really cool. We were pretty thrilled." Along with his winnings, Parker, who is sponsored by FCBC Armor, won a third-place trophy card, several prize cards, a special messenger bag, special play mat and a trophy. Several of the prizes fetch more than the cash prize if sold. The third-place trophy card can bring in $50,000 to $75,000. While Parker does not plan to sell all of his swag, he did sell the trophy card for $70,000. The actual trophy will be displayed at RozayPoke Shop in Painesville after its custom trophy stand is completed. Parker is already gearing up for the new season. "My goal this season is to win a regional event," he said. In 2023, he placed second in the Pittsburgh regionals and made it to the top eight in the Peoria regionals, but has yet to win a first-place prize. He has plans to participate in the Baltimore regionals this month, Louisville in October and Toronto in December. "I compare it to chess," he said. "It's a game of strategy, but the pieces are always changing because they come out with new cards." Contact Christina Jolliffe at ctnews@chroniclet.com.