Pokémon Trading Card Game FAQ

How do you win at this game?

The Pokémon TCG is a turn-based game where both players attempt to win by meeting one of three conditions - taking all six prize cards, knocking out all of your opponent's Pokémon, or making your opponent not be able to draw a card at the start of his/her turn. The most common method of winning is to take all six prize cards.

Okay, what are prize cards?

At the beginning of the game, both players draw seven cards and place a Basic Pokémon facedown in the Active position. Then, they take six cards from the top of the deck and place them to the side. Every time you knock out one of the opponent's Pokémon, you take one of your prize cards (or two if you KO a Pokémon EX).

How do you KO Pokémon?

Each Pokémon has an attack that is fueled by Energy Cards, and you can attach only one Energy Card per turn. If your attack does damage equal or greater to the Pokémon's Hit Points, that Pokémon is knocked out. Other effects such as Poison and Burn can KO Pokémon as well.

Poison and Burn? What are those?

In Pokémon there are five Special Conditions. Poison makes a Pokémon take a damage counter (10 HP) in-between turns. Burn is similar, but you have to flip a coin instead. If Heads, you take no damage. If Tails, you take two damage counters.

Paralysis prevents the Pokémon from attacking or retreating until the end of the turn. Asleep is the same effect, but you flip in-between turns to see if you wake up. Finally, Confusion is a permanent Status Condition that forces the Pokémon to flip every time it wants to attack. If Heads, the attack proceeds normally. If Tails, that Pokémon takes three damage counters.

Burn and Poison can be stacked on top of other Conditions, but the other three cannot be combined.

Why are there Pokémon behind the other ones?

Those are called Benched Pokémon. They can be prepared to attack, but the only Pokémon that can attack is the Active one. You can have up to 5 Benched Pokémon at a time.

What are those other cards they keep playing?

Besides Pokémon and Energy, Trainer cards can provide additional effects that help you set up or disrupt your opponent. Item cards can be played as frequently as you want. Only one Supporter card can be played each turn. Stadium cards can be played only once a turn as well, but they stay in play until someone else plays a new one down.

What are those things on the backs of the cards?

In order to protect their cards, players will use card sleeves. They can very in color and design. They also make the cards easier to shuffle.

Why are they shuffling so much?

Before the game, players will shuffle a lot to make sure the deck is randomized. Any time you search your deck, you have to shuffle it so you don't know the order of the deck. A lot of cards require searching, so a lot of shuffling occurs.

What else should I know?

For more complete information on how to play, check out this video by TheJWittz. It explains a lot!

Pokémon TCG Discussion - The Top Cut Episode #39 Featuring US National Champion John Roberts II!

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