All battles in tournaments that are part of the 2016 Video Game Championships season are played using the same rules, but the format of each tournament varies. Most tournaments have two distinct stages. Initially, players are paired using Swiss pairings. Each round, all players are paired against a player with a similar record. Then, only the top players move on to a single-elimination bracket, usually referred to as the “top cut,” and the winner of this bracket is the champion.

With the exception of special events like the Pokémon Video Game World Championships, matches in the top cut have been the only games played using best-of-three matches, while competitors have played single-game matches during the Swiss rounds. An exciting change came in March: Tournament Organizers now choose whether the Swiss portions of their events will be played using single game or best-of-three matches.

Some strategies can be much more successful in single game rounds than in best-of-three sets, and vice versa. Take a look at some tips to approach single game sets and best-of-three series effectively, and remember to ask your Tournament Organizer if the events you plan to attend will feature best-of-three or single-game Swiss rounds. You can find contact information for an event’s organizer in our event locator.

A Single Play Can Change a Single-Game Match

Most Trainers are familiar with single-game matches. The matches you play in the Pokémon Global Link’s tournaments and Battle Spot ladders are single-game battles, and in the past the Premier Challenges and Regional Championships have begun with single-game Swiss matches, too. Matches can be decided very quickly when a single game determines the winner of a round, so each turn is crucial.

One key to winning single-game matches is a strong focus on consistency. One missed attack or knock out can change the outcome of a match, so it’s especially important to keep everything that could happen during a turn in mind. For single-game Swiss rounds, teaching your Pokémon accurate moves that won’t miss during a crucial turn can prevent some unexpected losses. Building your team around a strategy that doesn’t focus too heavily on reacting to your opponent’s moves can help too, because in a single-game match you might not learn most of your opponent’s moves and items until the match is over.

Another key to single-game matches can be surprise. Working in a few unexpected moves or adding unusual items to your team can win you matches. Quick, unanticipated knock outs are particularly effective this season because of the impact knocking out a restricted Legendary Pokémon or a Mega-Evolved Pokémon can have on battle.

For example, Hidden Power isn’t a move we see most Trainers teach to Salamence or Groudon. But Kamaal Harris and Ashton Cox both chose to show off their Pokémon’s unexpected Hidden Power at the recent Florida Regional Championships, and it probably earned them some knock outs during the single-game Swiss rounds.

Besting Best-of-Three Sets

Top cut matches in all tournaments and in every match of the World Championships use the best-of-three format. Many experienced Trainers prefer playing in best-of-three matches because it gives them more time to adjust to their opponents. With many Midseason Showdown and Premier Challenges adopting the best-of-three format during Swiss rounds, players will gain more experience in the match format used in the biggest stages of Pokémon video game competition.

To win best-of-three sets, keep one simple fact in mind: your goal is to win two of the three games. Obviously, you should start working toward that goal in the first game, but it isn’t critical. While it can make the match less stressful if you win the first game, it’s still only one of the three games you need to win.

The most important part of game one is figuring out as much information about your opponent’s team as you can. If one of your Pokémon has a key weakness—such as Ho-Oh’s weakness to Rock-type attacks—one of your goals in the first game should be determining which of your opponent’s Pokémon were taught Rock-type attacks. If you have an important status move on your team, such as Smeargle’s Dark Void, an important part of game one is finding out which of your opponent’s Pokémon can stop your strategy with moves like Taunt or Held Items such as Lum Berry. Once you know what challenges your opponent has on their team, you can figure out your best strategy for the remaining games in the series.

Naturally, your opponent will be trying to figure out your team as well. You can make your team more effective in best-of-three sets by incorporating multiple strategies to keep your opponent guessing. If it’s obvious which four Pokémon you’ll select every game, it’s much easier for your opponent to adapt and bring the four Pokémon that will be best against yours. In the 2016 season, most Trainers bring their two restricted Pokémon to most games, but you can still find flexibility with your remaining four Pokémon.

For instance, your opponent will likely bring different Pokémon if you use a strategy based around Thundurus’ Thunder Wave or Cresselia’s Trick Room—any time you have two Pokémon with different Speed-altering moves on your team, it can make things tricky for your foes. Similarly, battling against Mega Salamence is very different from battling against Mega Mawile. Swapping between two Mega-Evolved Pokémon mid-match can force your opponent to adjust their strategy. In contrast, in best-of-one matches you should just bring out what you consider to be your best lineup and hope skill—and luck—wins out.

Whether the Swiss rounds at the next tournament you participate in will be single-game matches or best-of-three sets, the format of the rounds will change the way your matches play out. Make sure to ask your Tournament Organizer which format your event will be using, and bring the team you think will fit the format best. And check out Pokemon.co.uk/strategy for more Pokémon video game and Pokémon TCG strategy and analysis.