Saturday, August 22, 2026 brings the long-format Pokémon League session to Decked Trading Cards in Rio Rancho, running 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM Mountain Time. Seven hours is the widest play window the store offers for Pokémon all week, and it is what makes Saturday the flagship league day: people drift in and out across the whole afternoon, kids play until they are done rather than until a clock says stop, and there is time for beginners to be taught properly instead of rushed.
Bring a legal sixty-card Pokémon Trading Card Game deck and you will find opponents. Standard format built on current Scarlet and Violet era cards is what most people are playing, though the room is relaxed enough that older or homebrewed lists do not raise eyebrows. This is Play! Pokémon league play, so the point is participation and reps rather than elimination — nobody gets knocked out and there are no standings hanging over the afternoon. If your deck is short a card or two, the store keeps a substantial Pokémon singles inventory behind the counter, and staff are used to helping someone finish a list twenty minutes before they want to play.
Saturday, August 22 is also the day Decked hosts its Pokémon Worlds Celebration at midday, so the store will be busier and more festive than a typical league Saturday. If you have been curious about the local Pokémon scene, this is arguably the single best afternoon in August to walk in cold and get a feel for it. Beyond Pokémon, the shop stocks Magic: The Gathering, Flesh and Blood, Riftbound, and Warhammer, with singles and sealed product across all lines plus Elite Trainer Boxes, booster boxes, sleeves, deck boxes, and playmats.
The store is at 3301 Southern Boulevard SE, Suite 403, Rio Rancho, NM 87124, with free parking directly outside on the Southern Boulevard retail corridor. Saturday store hours are 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM — the longest of the week — so there is an hour of browsing before league starts and plenty of time afterward. Call 505-796-5478 with questions, or join the store's Discord, which is where regulars post what they are bringing and roughly when they will show up.
This session is built for families above all. Parents can drop in with a kid for an hour, or stay the whole afternoon; there is no minimum commitment either way. It also suits adult casual players, collectors who want to learn to actually play the game, and competitive players getting reps on a new build in a no-pressure room. Practical tips: come closer to noon if you want the fullest room and the widest range of opponents, bring a sleeved deck plus dice or damage counters, bring a spare deck to lend if you are coming with a friend who has never played, and bring cash for singles. Entry cost and prize support are not published on the store's calendar — confirm at 505-796-5478 before you drive over. Full monthly schedule at deckedtradingcards.com/local-events.
