How to play Pokémon cards for beginners

Looking for a beginner-friendly guide that'll teach you how to play Pokémon cards? The Pokémon TCG rules are super approachable, and there are plenty of pre-made decks that can make your first battles even easier. We can walk you through the basic rules, from finding a deck to declaring victory.

If you'd like to learn more about collecting and trading cards, we can show you all Pokémon sets in order, as well as the most expensive Pokémon cards to chase after. Or, if you'd like some more advanced deck-building tips, here's our guide to the strongest Pokémon cards.

How to play Pokémon cards:

How many cards are in a Pokémon deck?

A Pokémon deck includes 60 cards. If you want to play a game, you'll need 120 cards - enough to make one deck for each player.

Within your 60 card deck, you'll have a mix of Pokémon cards (Basic Pokémon, evolved forms, and other forms); Trainer cards representing things like useful items or supporting characters on your side; and Energy cards, which you'll attach to your Pokémon to power their attacks.

There's only one other rule for your deck, which is that you can't have more than four copies of any one card. If you're totally new to the Pokémon TCG, we recommend you read our full breakdown of what all these cards do and how to read them, below. But if you'd rather get straight into a battle and learn as you go, skip straight past to 'How to set up a game'!

Pokémon card types

You can learn everything you need to know about a Pokémon card from all the symbols and information printed on it. Click on the handy 'card map' above to zoom in and find out what all those stats and markings mean. It's straight from The Pokémon Company's official manual, so you know it's good!

Just like in the Pokémon videogames, each 'mon has an elemental 'type' that affects its strengths and weaknesses (Decidueye above is Grass-type, as per the little leaf symbol). If you want to learn more about those, we have a whole guide to Pokémon card types you should read after this one.

To begin with, though, we just need to learn about the four overall types of Pokémon cards in the game:

• Basic Pokémon
• Evolution Pokémon
• Trainer cards
• Energy cards

During the game, you'll start by playing Basic Pokémon, using Energy cards to power them up, and then using their attacks to try and knock out your opponent's Pokémon.

You'll then evolve them into Evolution Pokémon to make them stronger, using their more powerful attacks, defeating more enemy Pokémon, and eventually winning the game.

Trainer cards are used to support these efforts by giving you extra benefits or disadvantaging your opponent in some way. These cards represent the items, supporters, and stadiums a Trainer can use in battle.

They allow you to heal Pokémon, draw more cards. and do special actions (such as switch your active Pokémon with a benched Pokémon). Some are simple, one-time boosts, while others tweak the game in complex and subtle ways that will work really well for some strategies, but harm others.

Energy cards are attached to Pokémon to power up their attacks (or retreat if they're starting to look hurt).

There are lots more sub-categories of cards you'll encounter on your Pokémon TCG journey, from Supporter Trainers to special ex, V, VMAX, and VSTAR Pokémon cards - but you don't need to worry about that stuff yet.

The ratio of card types in a Pokémon deck varies greatly depending on what cards you want to play with. As a baseline, we'd recommend including 10 to 20 Pokémon, 8 to 15 Energy cards, and as many Trainers as you can with the cards left over.

How to set up a game

To set up a Pokémon card game, players shuffle their 60-card deck and draw a hand of seven cards. Each player then places a Basic Pokémon (identified in the top left-hand corner of a card), face down. This is their active Pokémon, which can battle and take damage.

If a player does not have a Basic-level Pokémon available, they must reveal their hand to their opponent, shuffle their cards back into their deck, and draw seven new cards. This is called a 'mulligan'. Each time a mulligan is performed, the opposite player may elect to draw an extra card.

Players can then place up to five Basic-level Pokémon, face down, onto their bench area. Next, players draw another six cards from the top of their deck and place them face down to the side of the play area, without looking at them. These are your Prize Cards.

Finally, players flip a coin to determine who will go first, and then flip their active and benched Pokémon face up. It's finally time to battle! The first player cannot attack on their first turn, and neither player can evolve a Pokémon on their first turn.

How do Pokémon TCG turns work?

There are three turn phases in the Pokémon TCG:

1. Phase 1 - draw a card.
2. Phase 2 - Add Basic Pokémon to your Bench; attach one Energy to a Pokémon; play Trainers; Retreat your active Pokémon; use Pokémon abilities.
3. Phase 3 - Attack with your active Pokémon.

Here's a fuller breakdown of how each of those parts work in games:

Phase one

Draw a card from the top of your deck.

Phase two

Perform any of the following, in any order:

• Place a Basic Pokémon card from your hand on your Bench face-up. Your bench can hold a maximum of five Pokémon.
• Evolve a Pokémon.
• Attach up to one Energy card from your hand to any one Pokémon.
• Play Trainer cards from your hand (you may only play one Supporter card and one Stadium card per turn).
• Retreat your active Pokémon by discarding energy from it equal to its Retreat Cost, and replace it with a benched Pokémon.
• Use any number of your Pokémon's Abilities (listed in red on the card).

Phase three

Attack, using one of your active Pokémon's attacks. To use a Pokémon's attack, you need to have enough Energy attached to meet the energy cost. You don't have to discard this Energy to make the attack, unless it says so.

Once your active Pokémon has made its attack, your turn ends. It's now the other player's go!

How to attack in the Pokémon TCG

Each turn, you may make up to one attack using your active Pokémon. After the attack is fully resolved, your turn ends, and it's now your opponent's turn (unless you just won the game, of course!)

Each Pokémon has one or more attacks, which are listed underneath its picture. These have four pieces of information:

• The attack name.
• The Energy required to use the attack.
• The amount of damage the attack deals.
• The effects of the attack, if any.

To use an attack, the Pokémon must have Energy attached to it equal to or greater than the attack's Energy requirement. Normal (white) Energy requirements can be met with any type of Energy - otherwise you need Energy of the correct type.

Almost all attacks deal damage to your opponent's active Pokémon. For every 10 points of damage, place one damage marker on the opponent's Pokémon as a reminder. If a Pokémon ever has as much or more damage than its total HP, it's knocked out!

Many attacks have additional effects. These are written under the name of the attack. They could do almost anything: they might deal damage to Pokémon on the enemy bench, deal extra damage if you win a coin flip, force you to discard Energy from the Pokémon that made the attack… anything!

Pokémon resistance and weakness

 

The bottom of a Pokémon card list its elemental weakness and its elemental resistance. These will indicate an energy type, and a sum. For example, a Pokémon might have Darkness weakness x2, and Fire Resistance -30.

These modifiers apply to the damage the Pokémon receives from attacks made by a Pokémon with the relevant elemental type. You can find A Pokémon's elemental type in the top right corner of its card.

The Talonflame in the video above has Lightning weakness x2: it takes double damage from attacks made by Lightning type Pokémon. It has Fighting resistance -30: it takes 30 less damage from attacks made by Fighting type Pokémon.

Remember: it's the type of the attacking Pokémon that matters for resistance and weakness. It doesn't matter what type of energy was used to power up the attack.

How to knock out Pokémon in the TCG

When a Pokémon has received at least as much damage as its total HP, it is knocked out. The Pokémon card, plus any Energy cards or item cards attached to it, and any Pokémon cards that it evolved from and which are underneath it, are sent to the Discard pile.

It doesn't matter where this damage comes from. Pokémon usually take damage from being attacked by your opponent's Pokémon, but they might also suffer damage from the Poisoned status, or even from their own attack! These can all knock out a Pokémon.

When a Pokémon in the active spot is knocked out, its controller moves a Pokémon from their bench into the active spot to replace it - if they can!

How to evolve Pokémon

To evolve a Pokémon in the Pokémon TCG, you simply place the card showing the evolved form of that Pokémon on top of it. You can do this whether the Pokémon you want to evolve is in the active zone or on your bench.

You can evolve any number of Pokémon during your turn, before you attack. There are limits:

• You can only evolve each Pokémon once per turn (so no going from a basic to a stage 3 in one turn).
• You can't evolve a Pokémon the same turn it is played to your bench.
• You can't evolve a Pokémon on your first turn.

Evolving a Pokémon doesn't heal it from any damage, but it does remove any debilitating status conditions causing it problems, which can come in handy. Pokémon Tools or Energy cards attached to your Pokémon will stay attached when you evolve.

You'll usually want to evolve Pokémon in every single game you play. That's because evolved Pokémon cards are typically much stronger, with more HP and more powerful, damaging moves.

How to use Energy cards

Pokémon energy cards are vital to powering up your Pokémon's attacks. Each turn, you may attach one energy card to one of your Pokémon.

Basic energy cards are the most common. Unlike other cards, you may have any number of Basic energy cards in your deck. They represent one of the different elements used in the game:

• Fire
• Water
• Grass
• Lightning
• Fighting
• Psychic
• Metal
• Darkness
• Fairy

Each basic energy card provides exactly one energy of the relevant element.

Additionally, there are special energy cards. These have additional, unusual effects. They are limited to a maximum of four copies per deck, like other cards.

Can I attach more than one energy card to a Pokémon during a turn?

Normally, you are restricted to attaching one energy card to a Pokémon each turn. However, some Pokémon attacks, or abilities, and some trainer cards, allow you or instruct you to attach additional energy cards to one or more of your Pokémon.

In that case, the additional energy don't count against the one per turn limit. You can use that ability, and still attach one energy card to a Pokémon.

How to use Pokémon TCG Abilities

Pokémon TCG abilities are special, activated effects that some Pokémon have. These are indicated on the card with a title written in red. Usually, these are listed under the card art, and above any attacks.

Every ability is unique. It tells you what it is, and when you can use it. You can only use an ability once per turn, but the right ability at the right time can change the course of a whole battle!

How to win Pokémon cards

There are three ways to win a game in the Pokémon TCG. The first involves the Prize cards you placed to one side during setup.

• Each time you knock out an opposing player's Pokémon, you draw one of your six Prize cards. Some Pokémon are so powerful - like Pokémon ex, or Pokémon VSTAR, that they grant additional Prize Cards when they're knocked out. The first player to take all of their Prize cards wins.
• You win if your opponent has no active or benched Pokémon left in play.
• You win if your opponent has no cards in their deck when they go to draw at the beginning of their turn.

How to play Pokémon cards online

Currently, there are two digital versions of Pokémon worth playing:

Pokémon TCG Live

Pokémon TCG Live is a digital recreation of the paper card game, with cards that work exactly the same as their cardboard counterparts. Everything you learned above still applies.

Sadly, your physical Pokémon card collection can't be transferred directly into the digital game, card by card; they're two separate things. However, all kinds of physical Pokémon TCG products, including booster packs, pre-built decks, and more, all come with a Pokémon TCG Live code card inside.

Use the Pokémon TCG Live app to scan the QR code on these cards, and you'll unlock a parallel, digital version of the same product to open and add to your personal, online collection - be it a booster pack of random new cards, or an entire deck of listed cards.

If you've got some older physical Pokémon card packs that have Pokémon TCG Online codes instead of Pokémon TCG Live ones, don't worry - they'll still redeem fine on the new platform.

Pokémon TCG Pocket

Pokémon TCG Pocket is a streamlined version of the Pokémon TCG created specifically for mobile phones. A lot of the focus of the game is on opening virtual card packs, and the deck-building and battles are far simpler than the original. The upside of this is that it's a great way for newbies to ease themselves into the rules - however, you should be prepared for a slight increase in complexity if you want to try the full game afterward.

If you want to get a headstart in Pokémon TCG Pocket, make sure you check out the Pokémon Pocket tier list that our sister site Pocket Tactics updates every time the meta changes.

Choosing your first Pokémon deck

You can build a Pokémon deck yourself (and the linked guide can help you do so), but we recommend using a pre-built deck for your very first game. The top products to pick up are either a Battle Deck or the Battle Academy starter set.

Battle Decks

Battle Decks include not only a well-composed deck ready for you to play, but also a folded paper playmat to play on, some helpful game tokens, a deck box to store your cards, and a nifty plastic coin (some Pokémon cards require you to flip a coin, and it's always better when you use a shiny Pokémon TCG coin instead of a regular penny).

They also come in handy double packs like the Lycanroc vs. Corviknight bundle below - giving you two full decks, ready to play!

These decks will not win you a tournament, and they will struggle against another player who has constructed their own deck. However, they are good for casual play, especially against other people who also bring a Battle Deck to the table. If you have a group of friends, buy a few different decks, shuffle up and start playing.

Battle Academy starter set

The Battle Academy starter set makes things even simpler: it's a single $20 box that contains three very basic 60-card starter decks, all the supporting bits and bobs from the battle decks, and a proper folding cardstock playing board with space for both players' cards.

The included decks won't take you very far once you've learned the ropes - but it's an excellent, cheap way to get started with no muss and no fuss.

Looking to expand your collection? Here are the best Pokémon packs to buy. We can also help you find all your favorite legendary Pokémon. Plus, our sister site Pocket Tactics are true Pokénuts, with a complete guide to all the Pokémon in the Pokédex.