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Pokémon Trading Card Game
A globally popular TCG where you build your own 60-card deck, evolve Pokémon, attach Energy cards to use attacks, and defeat your opponent's Pokémon. Skillful use of Trainer cards—Items, Supporters, Stadiums, and more—often decides the match.
Rules
In this two-player trading card game, you evolve Pokémon, attach Energy to power attacks, and Knock Out your opponent's Pokémon using a 60-card deck. This guide skips ex/V-style special cards and the card pool, covering only the field layout, turn structure, and win conditions needed to play a first full game.
Components — a 60-card deck and play aids
| Component | Count | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Deck | Exactly 60 cards | At most 4 copies of any one card name, except Basic Energy |
| Basic Pokémon | At least 1 in your deck | A Pokémon with no prior Evolution. Without one, you take a mulligan |
| Energy cards | About 12-15 recommended | Spent to use attacks and to retreat. Basic Energy has no copy limit |
| Trainer cards | About 20-25 recommended | Split into Items, Supporters, Stadiums, and Pokémon Tools |
| Pokémon coin | 1 | Flipped for attack effects or to resolve the Confused condition |
| Damage counters | About 40 | Placed on a Pokémon, one per 10 damage taken |
| Poison and Burn markers | 1-2 each | Mark Special Conditions only — keep them distinct from damage counters |
This is a two-player game; the official rulebook recommends ages 6 and up, and a game usually finishes in 20-30 minutes. Trainer cards split into Items (no limit per turn), Supporters (1 per turn), Stadiums (1 per turn), and Pokémon Tools (1 per Pokémon), each used differently.
Setup
- 1Shuffle your 60-card deck and draw the top 7 cards into your hand.
- 2If your hand has no Basic Pokémon, reveal your hand to your opponent, shuffle it back in, and draw 7 new cards. Repeat until you have a Basic Pokémon (a mulligan).
- 3Place 1 Basic Pokémon face down in the Active Spot. This is your Active Pokémon.
- 4Place as many of your remaining Basic Pokémon as you like (up to 5) face down on your Bench. You may place none.
- 5Without looking, set the top 6 cards of your deck face down aside as your Prize cards.
- 6Turn your Active and Benched Pokémon face up to begin. The player going first takes the first turn.
If only one player took a mulligan, the other draws extra cards
If only you had no Basic Pokémon and had to reshuffle, your opponent may draw one extra card from their deck for each mulligan you took. If both players had no Basic Pokémon, neither draws extra and both simply reset.
A turn — draw, act, attack
- 1Draw 1 card. If your deck is empty and you cannot draw, you lose immediately.
- 2Do any of the following in any order, as many times as you like: put a Basic Pokémon from your hand onto your Bench, evolve a Pokémon, attach 1 Energy card to a Pokémon (once per turn), play Trainer cards (Supporters and Stadiums once per turn), retreat your Active Pokémon (once per turn), use a Pokémon's Ability.
- 3Use 1 attack with your Active Pokémon (optional — you may end your turn without attacking). Attacking ends your turn immediately.
The first player's first turn has restrictions
The player going first still draws normally on their first turn, but cannot attack and cannot play a Supporter card that turn. From the second turn on, both players play without restriction.
Evolution — Basic, Stage 1, and Stage 2
Pokémon can only evolve in order: Basic → Stage 1 → Stage 2. The 'Evolves from' name printed on the Evolution card in your hand must match the Pokémon already in play before you may place it on top to evolve.
| Stage | Description | Restriction |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Pokémon | The earliest, unevolved stage. Your deck must include at least one | You cannot skip Stage 1 and play a Stage 2 directly |
| Stage 1 | Played on top of a Basic Pokémon already in play | A Pokémon put into play this turn cannot evolve the same turn |
| Stage 2 | Played on top of a Stage 1 Pokémon already in play | A Pokémon that already evolved this turn cannot evolve again the same turn |
Neither player may evolve any Pokémon on their own first turn. Both your Active and Benched Pokémon may evolve once conditions are met, and you may evolve several Pokémon in the same turn.
Attacking and damage — Weakness and Resistance
- 1Choose an attack and announce it. The Pokémon must have at least the Energy types and amounts shown in the attack's cost attached; a Colorless Energy symbol can be paid with any Energy type.
- 2The number to the right of the attack's name is its base damage. Apply any further effects in the order printed on the card.
- 3If the Defending Pokémon has a Weakness to this attack's type, the damage doubles; if it has Resistance, the damage is reduced by the amount shown.
- 4Place 1 damage counter on the Defending Pokémon for every 10 final damage.
- 5If a Pokémon's total damage counters equal or exceed its HP, it is Knocked Out. The attacking player takes 1 Prize card.
| Situation | Damage calculation |
|---|---|
| Attacked by a type it has Weakness to | Base damage × 2 |
| Attacked by a type it has Resistance to | Base damage − the amount printed for Resistance (often 30) |
| A Benched Pokémon takes damage | Neither Weakness nor Resistance applies |
A Knocked Out Active Pokémon must be replaced immediately
A Knocked Out Pokémon and everything attached to it go to the discard pile. Its owner must immediately choose a new Active Pokémon from the Bench — if the Bench is empty, that player loses on the spot.
Special Conditions — Poisoned, Burned, Asleep, Paralyzed, Confused
Some attack effects give the Defending Active Pokémon one of five Special Conditions. These apply only to the Active Pokémon, and all clear once it moves to the Bench (such as by retreating) or evolves.
| Special Condition | Effect | Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Poisoned | Gains 1 damage counter (10 damage) at the end of each turn (Pokémon Checkup). Attacks and retreating still work | Does not recover on its own — clears by moving to the Bench or evolving |
| Burned | Gains 2 damage counters (20 damage) at each Pokémon Checkup, then a coin is flipped | Heads recovers it; tails keeps it Burned |
| Asleep | Cannot attack or retreat during its owner's turn | A coin is flipped at each Pokémon Checkup; heads recovers it |
| Paralyzed | Cannot attack or retreat during the very next turn after becoming Paralyzed | Recovers automatically at the Pokémon Checkup after that turn passes |
| Confused | Before using an attack, flip a coin; tails means the attack fails and the Pokémon takes 30 damage itself. Retreating still works | Clears by moving to the Bench or evolving |
Special Conditions are resolved during the Pokémon Checkup at the end of each turn. When several apply at once, resolve them in the order Poisoned, then Burned, then Asleep, then Paralyzed.
Prize cards and winning
The 6 Prize cards are set face down and unseen at setup. Each time you Knock Out an opponent's Pokémon, take 1 of your own Prize cards into your hand. Knocking out several Pokémon at once takes that many Prize cards.
| Win condition | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Take all your Prize cards | The first player to collect all 6 Prize cards wins |
| 2. Your opponent has no Pokémon in play | If your opponent has no Benched Pokémon to replace a Knocked Out Active Pokémon (or otherwise has none in play), you win immediately regardless of Prize count |
| 3. Your opponent cannot draw at the start of their turn | If their deck is empty during the draw step, they lose immediately |
Both conditions can be met at the same instant
For example, taking your last Prize card the same moment your opponent's Bench is also empty satisfies condition 2 for both players. When this happens, play Sudden Death — a short rematch using just 1 Prize card each. This rarely comes up in early games, so detailed procedures are omitted here.
Strategy tips
- Keeping your Bench full means you always have a replacement when your Active Pokémon is Knocked Out, avoiding a sudden loss under win condition 2.
- Since only 1 Energy can be attached per turn, spending the first few turns building Energy and Bench strength rather than attacking tends to be more stable.
- With only 1 Supporter playable per turn, deciding in advance which Supporter to prioritize makes hand management easier.
- Checking your opponent's Active Pokémon's Weakness type before attacking can double the damage of the same attack.
Track damage and Special Conditions separately
Keeping damage counters and Poison/Burn markers visually distinct, and noting how many Prize cards you've taken, reduces confusion in a long match.
Starter products and Korean release
Beginners usually start with a pre-built 60-card Battle Deck (such as an ex Battle Deck) or an educational set like Battle Academy. Both let you play immediately without building a deck yourself.
When building your own deck, the official guide suggests starting around 12-15 Energy cards, 20-25 Trainer cards, and the rest Pokémon, centered on 1-2 Energy types you favor.
In Korea, Daiwon Media — the rights holder at the time — released an official Base Set in late 2000 built on English-language cards. New releases paused after the 2004 ADV series and resumed with the Diamond & Pearl series in 2010. Since June 2011, Pokémon Korea has handled distribution, releasing titles within 1-2 months of Japan's official release.
The Pokémon TCG Pocket mobile app is a different game
Pokémon TCG Pocket uses different rules entirely, including deck size and field layout. Don't confuse its numbers with this guide's 60-card deck, 5-slot Bench, and 6 Prize cards.
Frequently confused rules
Q. Does the first player still draw a card on their first turn?
Yes, drawing happens normally. That turn, they just cannot attack or play a Supporter card.
Q. Does a Benched Pokémon take Weakness or Resistance damage?
No. Weakness and Resistance apply only when the Active Pokémon is attacked. Even if a Benched Pokémon takes damage from some other effect, Weakness and Resistance are not calculated.
Q. Can I attach more than one Energy card in a turn?
Normally only 1 per turn. Attaching more requires a specific card effect that allows it.
Q. Can a Pokémon evolve again right after evolving?
No. A Pokémon put into play this turn, or one that already evolved this turn, cannot evolve again the same turn.
Q. Can a Pokémon retreat while Asleep or Paralyzed?
No. A Pokémon that is Asleep or Paralyzed cannot retreat at all. Retreating is still allowed while Poisoned, Burned, or Confused.
Q. How do you decide who goes first?
The official English rulebook says to flip a coin, while Pokémon Korea's official how-to-play guide says to use rock-paper-scissors. Both are used officially, so agree with your opponent beforehand.
History and scope
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is based on the Pokémon video games by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures Inc., with Tsunekazu Ishihara, Kouichi Ooyama, and Takumi Akabane involved in its early development. It was first released in Japan through Media Factory in October 1996. Wizards of the Coast released the English-language Base Set in the United States in January 1999, and The Pokémon Company has handled worldwide distribution directly since 2003.
The rules have been streamlined across generations. The passive abilities once split into 'Poké-Powers' and 'Poké-Bodies' were unified into a single 'Ability' starting in 2011, and special-rule Pokémon that award extra Prize cards when Knocked Out — such as ex, V, and VMAX — have continued to be added since. This guide does not cover those special-card rules, focusing only on the turn structure and win conditions of a base 60-card deck.
Scope of verification
BoardGameGeek lists this entry (2165) as a two-player game. Generation-by-generation expansion lists, the card pool, and tournament regulations fall outside this guide.
Sources
Official English Pokémon TCG rulebook PDF — Pokémon TCG Rules (Scarlet & Violet, Paradox Rift printing, pokemon.com)Pokémon Korea official site — How to Play (full Korean rules text)Pokémon Korea official — Advanced Player's Rule Guide ver1.0 PDF (supplementary damage-calculation steps)BoardGameGeek 2165 — Pokémon Trading Card GameWiki cross-check — English Wikipedia: Pokémon Trading Card GameWiki cross-check — Namuwiki: Pokémon Card Game (Korean)Rule summaries are reference content written by us, not quotations from the official rulebook. Always check the official rulebook for exact rules. Diagrams are original schematics, not rulebook illustrations.
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Last updated 2026-10-11
💡 Master tip
The key is keeping your Bench full and cycling your deck efficiently—using Supporter cards that quickly supply Energy cards from your deck.
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Pokémon Damage Counter & Status Condition Tracker
Tracks Paralyzed, Poisoned, Burned, and Asleep conditions along with HP management
Prize Card Scoreboard
Counts Prize cards taken
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