2014 PokéMon Winter Regionals Infographic

Think you've put enough [hundreds of] hours into Pokémon X & Y to take other trainers on in a sanctioned tournament? Many players in the United States will soon have the chance to find out as the Pokémon Winter Regional Championships become the first to introduce the new generation into their events.

The Pokémon Winter Regional Championships will be held in five different cities and over two days at each location. Only one day of each event will feature a tournament with the video games, while both days will host play with the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The cities hosting events this month are:

Doswell, VA: 11th-12th January, Meadow Event Park Exhibition Hall (video game on 12th January)
St. Charles, MO: 18th-19th January, St. Charles Convention Center (video game on 18th January)
Long Beach, CA: 18th-19th January, Long Beach Convention Center (video game on 19th January)
Salem, OR: 18th-19th January, Oregon State Fair and Expo Center (video game on 19th January)
Orlando, FL: 25th-26th January, International Palms Resort (video game on 26th January)

All events will be open to the public. To compete, you must bring your own copy of X or Y to use in your own 3DS or 2DS system, or a legal deck for the TCG. Tournaments are set up in a way that everyone will continue to play in all rounds until the finals are determined. Winners will receive booster packs, trophies, and possible travel allowances to continue pursuing the championship at later events; more information on each event can be found on the Pokémon website.

Is anyone out there thinking of heading to a championship event? Any tips from those who've played in the past? Let us know below!

[source pokemon.com, via gonintendo.com, pokemon.com]