If you've ever walked into a Tavern event night and spent the first fifteen minutes typing a password on your phone while the round clock started, this guide is for you. Each game we run events for uses its publisher's own account or app to track players, and most of them take a few minutes to set up. Doing it at home, before you drive over to La Paz Road, is the easiest way to make sure you get seated in round one.
Below is what each publisher asks players to use and how to set it up, with links to the official pages, plus what our own listings say.
Why set it up before you arrive
Official organized play generally runs through each publisher's system, which is how results, standings and any official rewards get recorded to your name. An account made at the table can be slowed down by email verification, password resets or, for younger players, a parent's approval. None of that is hard, but it's much easier from your couch than from a crowded table.
How a specific Tavern event takes sign-ups (online in advance, or at the counter) can differ from night to night, and some listings on our Events calendar Opens in a new tab. say "Online signup link not posted. Ask us how to join." That's normal. Having your account ready covers you either way, and if you're unsure about a particular night, ask us.
Pokémon TCG: Pokémon Trainer Central account + Play! Pokémon Player ID
What Pokémon asks for: a Pokémon Trainer Central account with Play! Pokémon turned on, which gives you a Player ID. Pokémon's support guide (updated June 10, 2026) walks through it: log in to your Pokémon Trainer Central account and open the Play! Pokémon page Opens in a new tab., select Get Started, enter your name, screen name and address, accept the Play! Pokémon Terms of Use, choose a leaderboard display name, and either enter an existing Player ID or check "I do not have a Player ID."
For kids: a parent or guardian adds a child from their own account at trainer.pokemon.com using "Add a Child," and Pokémon says the parent only has to verify their identity the first time they add a child Opens in a new tab..
At the Tavern: our Pokémon listings note that "Play! Pokémon registration and reporting apply when scheduled." Screenshot your Player ID and bring it. Pokémon's Play! Pokémon Access app Opens in a new tab. can help you find tournaments, but its listing doesn't describe check-in or registration.
Magic: The Gathering: Wizards Account + Companion app
What Wizards asks for: Wizards of the Coast's Companion app page Opens in a new tab. states that "a Wizards Account is required for in-store events," and the free Companion app lets you find and join events at participating stores.
How joining works: stores run Magic events in Wizards EventLink, which Wizards describes as "a webapp used by Wizards Play Network store staff to schedule, run, and report events." According to Wizards' EventLink guide (March 25, 2024) Opens in a new tab., players can join from the Companion app by tapping Join and entering the event code staff display, or staff can register you with your Wizards Account email.
At the Tavern: our Thursday Standard Night listing says "Wizards EventLink registration and reporting apply." Make the Wizards Account, install Companion and log in once at home.
One Piece Card Game (and Gundam Card Game): BANDAI TCG+
What Bandai asks for: the BANDAI TCG+ app Opens in a new tab., which lists ONE PIECE CARD GAME and GUNDAM CARD GAME among its supported titles. Bandai's event guide Opens in a new tab. says to tap "Event Search," pick a date, find the event, then tap "Apply" and "Confirm details and apply." If it appears under "My Events," you're in.
Worth knowing: Bandai explains that some events are first-come, first-served (you'll see "Selected" or "Waiting List" right away) and others use a lottery drawn by the day before. Check-in, matchups and results are also handled in the app on event day, so it matters that you're logged in before you arrive.
At the Tavern: our One Piece store tournament listing says "Bandai TCG+ registration and reporting apply to official events."
Riftbound: Riot account on PlayRiftbound.com
What Riot asks for: a Riot account. In its September 4, 2026 announcement Opens in a new tab., Riot said PlayRiftbound.com would become the home of Riftbound organized play on September 14, and that, starting with Radiance Pre-Rift registration, players and stores use it instead of carde.io "to find, register for, play at, and run events." Players sign in with their Riot ID, and no account linking is required.
Our advice: if you had a carde.io profile, don't assume it carries over. Sign in to PlayRiftbound.com once with your Riot account before your next Nexus Night.
Disney Lorcana: Ravensburger Play Hub
What Ravensburger asks for: a free account on the Ravensburger Play Hub Opens in a new tab. (tcg.ravensburgerplay.com), which Ravensburger describes as its "one-stop resource for finding Disney Lorcana TCG events near you." Its organized play page Opens in a new tab. says the hub lets you "create your own account, search for local events, and so much more."
Our advice: create the account and search for events near Mission Viejo so you know where our listings live. How registration works for a given Lorcana night at the Tavern is something to confirm with staff.
Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG: KONAMI ID / CARD GAME ID + Yu-Gi-Oh! NEURON
What Konami asks for: a CARD GAME ID. Konami's KONAMI Card Game Network page Opens in a new tab. gives two ways to get one: log in on the KONAMI Card Game Network and complete KONAMI ID registration, or install the Yu-Gi-Oh! NEURON app and use "KONAMI ID/Card Game ID" registration from the menu. NEURON also lets you "pre-register and submit your Deck List for events" and "confirm your opponent and seating on the day of the event." Konami links a separate guide for children's IDs on the same page.
At the Tavern: our listing for Yu-Gi-Oh! events says, "All Duelists must have a KONAMI CARD GAME ID and check in before play begins."
Not sure? Ask us
Our calendar also includes games and formats beyond the six above, and platforms change. If you can't tell which account an event needs, or a sign-up method above doesn't match what you see on a listing, message us before you come in: (949) 688-0820 or support@tcg-tavern.com, or use our contact page Opens in a new tab.. Staff can tell you exactly how that night's event takes registrations.
A two-minute checklist before event night
- Account created and logged in on your phone for the game you're playing
- Your player number (Pokémon Player ID or Konami CARD GAME ID) saved somewhere you can find it
- Phone charged
- Deck, sleeves and anything else on the list in our first game night guide Opens in a new tab.
New to the shop entirely? Start here Opens in a new tab. for the basics, then pick a night on the Events calendar Opens in a new tab.. We're at 27001 La Paz Rd, Suite 412, in Mission Viejo.
FAQ
Do any of these accounts cost money?
Ravensburger describes its Play Hub account as free, and the Magic Companion app is a free download. We didn't find a fee for the others. Event entry fees are separate and set per event, so check the listing or ask us.
My child wants to play Pokémon. Who makes the account?
A parent or guardian adds the child from their own Pokémon Trainer Central account using "Add a Child."
I had a Riftbound account on carde.io. Do I need a new one?
Riot says registration now runs on PlayRiftbound.com with your Riot ID, so sign in there with a Riot account.
Join the table
Find your next reason to visit.
See the current event calendar, or contact the Tavern team when you need help choosing where to begin.