Pokemon trading cards are usually sold in booster packs. Each booster pack contains ten cards, including one Pokemon, an energy card, and a code card.
Look for a small symbol in the bottom right corner of each card to identify its rarity. A circle indicates a common card, while a diamond means an uncommon one.
Basic rules
Pokemon trading cards are a popular collectible that has real monetary value. It is common to see old holographic Pokemon cards, like the first generation Charizard, selling for hundreds of dollars on eBay. These cards can be very valuable and are a great way to make money on the side for kids.
Each player draws a hand of seven cards at the beginning of their turn. They then put the top six cards of their deck face-down on their Bench (where Pokemon wait when they are not the Active Pokemon).
Each Pokemon has its HP, attack cost, and special conditions listed on it. They also have abilities, and some have different energy costs for colorless or specific types of Energy cards.
Prize cards
Pokemon trading cards are a fun way for kids to socialize and connect with friends. These collectibles also have real value, and a rare card can cost you hundreds of dollars. Some even sell for tens of thousands.
Pokemon V cards are similar to EX cards and follow the same rules (knocking one out results in two prize cards). They have a different art style and are printed with holofoil.
Tournament Trophy Pokemon cards are awarded to top players in the tournaments. These cards have a shiny foiling on the front of the card, while the rest is matte. One such card, a PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator, left the Pokemon TCG community gobsmacked when it sold for more than $5 million at auction in 2021.
Mulligans
If a player has no Basic Pokemon in their opening hand, they must reveal their cards to their opponent, shuffle their deck, and draw seven new cards. This is known as a mulligan. The other player may choose to add one card to their hand for each mulligan they take.
Players also have the option of evolving a Pokemon by placing it on top of its former evolution. Each evolution card details the Pokemon it evolves from in its upper left corner.
Each Pokemon has a type, which is important for the game’s mechanics of weakness and resistance. It determines how much damage a Pokemon takes and how many times it can be hit with an attack.
Evolve
Evolving Pokemon is one of the most exciting mechanics in the game. Each Pokemon has a’stage’, which is denoted by an inscription on its card name: piplup is Basic, prinplup is Stage 1, and empoleon is Stage 2. Usually, a Pokémon can only evolve into higher-stage forms if it has the right cards.
Besides the standard evolutions, the new BREAKpoint mechanic introduced in 2016 adds a large, stylized “BREAK” graphic on the Pokemon’s name. This function like an evolution, and the ‘new’ Pokemon will keep all the attacks, Abilities, Retreat, Weakness, and Resistance of its previous form.
Some cards are rarer than others. For example, a black star stamp on a Japanese card is highly sought-after, as it was given out to participants at a tournament celebrating the franchise’s 20th anniversary.
Burned Pokemon
Burn is one of the special conditions that can be applied to a Pokemon in the Pokemon trading card game. It requires the player to flip a coin in between turns, and if it lands on tails, the Pokemon receives two damage counters. It is cured when the player flips a coin again.
This condition is similar to Poison, but it is much worse. It inflicts two damage counters each turn and also reduces the Pokemon’s attack stat by half.
This set marks the debut of many new Pokemon, including Regirock, Regice, and Registeel; Jirachi; and Dark Celebi. It also features the e-Reader, which can show minigames when scanned with a scanner.
Special conditions
Unlike the Pokemon video games, where damage is dealt by hitting the target, in the card game, damage is incurred by putting a special condition counter on the target. The most common of these conditions are Burn, Poisoned, Confused and Asleep. Fire-type Pokemon inflict the Burn Special Condition, while Grass-type cards inflict the Poison Special Condition. A special token with the depiction of a bandage is used to keep track of these conditions.
A Pokemon’s HP (hit points) and type, indicated by a circle or diamond in the upper left corner, are also shown on the card. These stats are important when making decisions about attacking and defending.
