The conclusion of the 2026 Pokémon Pittsburgh Regional Championships took an unexpected turn when Abaan Ahmed chose to forfeit his final match against Liam Halliburton, leading to a highly unusual ending.

These regional tournaments are intense two-day events, beginning early in the morning and featuring multiple rounds of best-of-three matches. The first day typically involves eight rounds, after which only the top competitors advance to the second day. The schedule is demanding, especially for adult divisions, often leaving players exhausted and with little opportunity for rest.

Ahmed, who had recently secured a spot at the Pokémon World Championships by winning a regional tournament the previous week, was making his second consecutive appearance in the finals. However, fatigue seemed to affect him during the decisive match. When the match was about to start, tournament officials discovered that Ahmed’s deck contained only 59 cards instead of the required 60.

According to official rules, playing with an incomplete deck results in an automatic loss. Despite this, Ahmed opted to forfeit the match entirely, granting the championship to Halliburton. Video footage from the official Pokémon TCG stream later shed light on how his missing card went unnoticed until the deck check. It appeared that during an earlier match, Ahmed had accidentally knocked a card onto his opponent's play area in a moment of celebration. Calvin Connor, who was using the same deck as Ahmed, inadvertently picked up the stray card along with his own, unknowingly creating the short deck situation that led to the forfeiture.

Reddit users analyzed the footage and explained that Ahmed, drained after two consecutive weekends of intense competition, decided not to challenge the ruling. They pointed out that his mental and physical fatigue likely hampered his ability to catch the missing card, a task usually manageable by top players with sharp memory and focus. The incident underscores how exhaustion can impact even the most experienced competitors.

Ultimately, Liam Halliburton was crowned the Pittsburgh Regional champion. Meanwhile, Ahmed left the event with his invite to the World Championships secured, adding another notable chapter to his competitive journey.

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