Why was Delinquent banned?

Question

I read in a magazine I recently got that Delinquent was banned from Pokémon Tournaments due to it being able to force game to end when combined with a Red Card. I do not fully understand this. The way I see it is on the first turn, you played a Red Card so your opponent has 4 cards, and a Delinquent is now giving them just one card to work with, and then you pass the play to the opponent, it would seem like a way to just limit the options for them. Not end the game as they would still draw a card at the beginning of turn and if they can, draw more cards using the cards they have left. And there are certain cards that can restore cards or allow more to be drawn. I don't understand why this makes much difference. Maybe I am forgetting something or maybe I'm not and just don't know the answer, but I don't think running out of cards in your hand alone dooms you. Can someone please explain to this dummy why Delinquent was banned and how these mechanics in the game work?

Comments

I’m pretty sure delinquent was banned with red card because being able to limit your opponents hand to one card severely limits them throughout the game. However I don’t have concrete evidence so I’m posting a comment.

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Just wanted to mention something. It's apparently a combination of Delinquent, Red Card, and Peeking Red Card, not just Delinquent and Red Card.

"A ruling effective February 15, 2019 banned this card from the Expanded format. A combination of this card, Red Card, and Peeking Red Card on the first turn would effectively make the opponent lose before their turn."
-Bulbapedia

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Ah, well then, I apparently have 2/3 of the cards needed for this to work. Interesting. Thanks Yuya! I'm going to try to figure out these mechanics real quick.

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OK, so I just figured some things out.
1. Using this strategy requires you to play the cards in a certain way for them to work. For example, if I played a Stadium card, then a Delinquent, this would leave the opponent with 4 cards left. Now I played the Red card. Still 4 cards. Peeking Red Card. STILL 4 cards. This would not work. For it to work, Red card would have to go first. Preferably, Delinquent next, then the final Peeking Red Card.
2. Even though this does severely limit an opponents' options, assuming they could get a Hau, Lillie, or some other draw card, then they would not be doomed. It would counter the effects of the deadly trios' combo. Therefore, banning this card doesn't make much sense.
Or am is my thinking flawed in some way?

Answer 1

The combination of Delinquent, Red Card, and Peeking Red Card was banned because it allowed one player to get another at a stifling disadvantage from turn 1, effectively stopping them from producing any kind of strategy and forcing them to either get lucky in order to get back into the game or just be left in the dust. :P

Heres a scenario:
First off, let’s say your opponent starts with a Stadium, a Delinquent, a Red Card, and a Peeking Red Card in their hand. They play the Stadium, then the Red Card, and then the Delinquent.
You now have 1 card In your hand, 3 discarded cards, 6 Prize cards, 1-6 basic Pokémon in play, and a draw deck of 49-44 cards. Even if you have 4 Hau, 4 Lillie, and 4 Professor Kukui, you are still in trouble.
If you had one of those cards in your hand, it doesn’t matter, because they just played Peeking Red Card to shuffle it out of your hand, and if you didn’t have a card to deal with this, PRC doesn’t force a shuffle. The odds of you getting 1 of 12 (or 9 if Delinquent made you discard 3, and 3 if Delinquent made you discard 3 and 6 are Prize cards) drawing cards is too low, and they might not even be enough to come back.
Your best chance at drawing a card that might help you is 27%, but most decks won’t run 4 copies of 3 different draw cards, nor have 6 benched Pokémon on turn 1. Your left with one card in your hand, and have to hope you top-deck energy, evolution cards, and or draw cards to use, but much more likely your Basic benched will be picked off one by one while being unable to act without energy.

Even though this loophole exists requiring 4 cards (which you can bring 4 copies of each, and execute later in the match, when the opponent has lost more drawing cards), it is a very toxic and anti-competitive play-style whose only counter-play is luck, and these are the typical kinds of loopholes that PTCG and other TCGs usually ban. The game should be fun and fair enough. This loophole could give most top decks a difficult time if it ever saw tournament use, and it’s not because it’s “skillful” or “better”; it’s too unfair compared to other cards and game mechanics. There isn’t any answer to this threat other than luck.

Source: Red Card, P Red Card, Delinquent, TCG Experience

Hope I Helped!