How to play Pokémon cards: the rules for beginners

The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a game for two players. Each player uses a deck of 60 cards and tries to Knock Out the other player's Pokémon. Here's how to play Pokémon cards, from setting up to your first win.

What you need to play

• A 60-card deck for each player. The easiest start is a ready-made deck, such as the Eevee ex starter set or the MEGA Start Deck 100.
• Damage counters, a coin or dice, and a playmat. Elite Trainer Boxes include counters and dice, and our playmats mark out where everything goes.
• Sleeves and a deck box to keep your deck together: deck protector sleeves and a deck box, or the Pikachu Alcove Tower deck box.

The three kinds of Pokémon cards

• Pokémon: Basic Pokémon go straight into play; Stage 1 and Stage 2 Pokémon evolve from them.
• Energy: attached to your Pokémon to pay for their attacks.
• Trainer cards: Items, Supporters, Stadiums and Pokémon Tools that help you (below).

How to set up the Pokémon card game

1. Shuffle your deck and draw 7 cards.
2. Put one Basic Pokémon face down as your Active Pokémon, and up to 5 more Basic Pokémon face down on your Bench. No Basic Pokémon in your hand? Show it, shuffle it back and draw 7 again; your opponent may draw an extra card.
3. Put the top 6 cards of your deck aside, face down, as your Prize cards.
4. Flip a coin. The winner chooses who goes first. Then both players turn their Pokémon face up.

Taking a turn

1. Draw a card.
2. As often as you like: put Basic Pokémon on your Bench, evolve your Pokémon, play Item cards and use Abilities. You can't evolve a Pokémon on the turn it was played, or on either player's first turn.
3. Once per turn: attach one Energy card, play one Supporter card, play one Stadium card, and retreat your Active Pokémon by discarding Energy equal to its Retreat Cost.
4. Attack to end your turn. The player who goes first can't attack, or play a Supporter, on their very first turn.

Attacking and Knock Outs

Each attack shows the Energy it needs and the damage it does. Put damage counters on the Defending Pokémon: double the damage if it's Weak to your Pokémon's type, and less if it has Resistance. When a Pokémon's damage reaches its HP, it's Knocked Out. Its owner discards it and moves a Benched Pokémon into the Active spot, and you take a Prize card: one for most Pokémon, two for a Pokémon ex and three for a Mega Evolution Pokémon ex.

Pokémon Trainer cards

Trainer cards are the tools of your deck:

• Item: play as many as you like in your turn, for example to search your deck or heal.
• Supporter: one per turn, usually with the strongest effects, like drawing several cards.
• Stadium: stays in play and affects both players until another Stadium replaces it.
• Pokémon Tool: attach one to a Pokémon for an ongoing effect.

How to win a Pokémon card game

You win when:

• you take all 6 of your Prize cards;
• your opponent has no Pokémon left in play; or
• your opponent has no cards left to draw at the start of their turn.

Special Conditions

Some attacks leave the Defending Pokémon Asleep, Burned, Confused, Paralyzed or Poisoned. Asleep and Paralyzed Pokémon can't attack or retreat; Burned and Poisoned Pokémon take damage between turns; a Confused Pokémon's attack may fail. Moving a Pokémon to the Bench removes them all.

Where to play

Play at home with a friend, join a league at a local card shop (Pokémon card shops near me), or practise with Pokémon TCG Live, the official app.

Questions

How many cards are in a Pokémon deck?

Exactly 60, with no more than 4 copies of any card with the same name, except basic Energy.

How do you win at Pokémon cards?

Take all 6 of your Prize cards, Knock Out your opponent's last Pokémon in play, or leave them with no cards to draw at the start of their turn.

Can I play with Japanese Pokémon cards?

At home, yes: Japanese and English cards follow the same rules and layout, and you can read a Japanese card by its numbers and symbols. Official tournaments have their own language rules.