If you are new to the game and would like to know how to play Pokémon for beginners, these steps will come in handy in helping you understand the game.
Make sure to check out our Tournaments & Leagues page to find all the local game shops that frequently hold casual events, league events and organized Learn To Play! events. These are also the League’s where our players frequent.
Our players also provide coaching sessions to help you improve your game-play. We will ensure that we get a good understanding as to your current knowledge-base before planning coaching sessions to ensure optimized coaching plans.
You’ve got your cards and built your deck, so now it’s time to play!
It’s important to know the steps you need to take to play. Watch our instructional video to learn how to take your first turn when playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game!
At the start of the game, you should always have one Basic Pokémon in your hand. If you don’t have one, take a mulligan and shuffle and redraw your hand to find a Basic Pokémon.
Watch the official instructional video and learn how to mulligan in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the steps to take after!
After setting the game up, it’s time to learn how turns work!
In the Pokémon TCG, each turn consists of three parts: drawing a card, taking actions, and attacking! Watch the official Pokémon instructional video and learn how to strategize when you take your first turn!
After setting the game up, it’s time to learn how turns work!
In the Pokémon TCG, each turn consists of three parts: drawing a card, taking actions, and attacking! Watch the official Pokémon instructional video and learn how to strategize when you take your first turn!
After setting the game up, it’s time to learn how turns work!
In the Pokémon TCG, each turn consists of three parts: drawing a card, taking actions, and attacking! Watch the official Pokémon instructional video and learn how to strategize when you take your first turn!
No deck is complete without a wide variety of Trainer cards!
A solid Pokémon Trading Card Game strategy uses a mixture of Trainer cards including Items, Supporters, and Stadiums. Learn more about the different Trainer cards and how to utilize them to improve your overall Pokémon TCG strategy!
Level up your Pokémon Trading Card Game strategy with a Pokémon Evolution!
Evolving your Pokémon is a strategic way to boost your Pokémon’s power, HP, attacks, and much more! Check out our instructional video to learn how to properly evolve your Pokémon and beef up your Pokémon TCG team!
So, what are Energy cards, and how do you use them?
Energy cards are used to power a Pokémon’s attacks and help you defeat an opposing Trainer’s Active Pokémon. Check out this instructional video to help learn how and when to attach Energy cards to your Pokémon!
Now that you’ve set up and learned the basics, it’s time to attack!
Attacking is a key part of any Pokémon Trading Card Game strategy. Take a look at this installment of our TCG instructional videos to learn how to effectively execute an attack!
Now that you’ve learned how to attack, let’s learn how to assess damage!
Damage is the primary goal of an attack! Learn more about assessing damage dealt by a Pokémon’s attack, how to use counters to track damage, Weakness/Resistances, and much more!
Now that you’ve learned how to attack, let’s learn how to assess damage!
Damage is the primary goal of an attack! Learn more about assessing damage dealt by a Pokémon’s attack, how to use counters to track damage, Weakness/Resistances, and much more!
Now that you’ve learned how to attack, let’s learn how to assess damage!
Damage is the primary goal of an attack! Learn more about assessing damage dealt by a Pokémon’s attack, how to use counters to track damage, Weakness/Resistances, and much more!
Now that you’ve learned how to attack, let’s learn how to assess damage!
Damage is the primary goal of an attack! Learn more about assessing damage dealt by a Pokémon’s attack, how to use counters to track damage, Weakness/Resistances, and much more!
Special Energy cards power your Pokémon’s attacks—and come with added effects. Check out this video that shows you how these cards are different from basic Energy cards!
Victory is all about knowing when to retreat! Swapping out your Active Pokémon for a Benched Pokémon has a lot of advantages that can help you win a match!
Some Pokémon have special Abilities that they can use during a match! However, Abilities function very differently from attacks—they can be used and triggered when different conditions are met, all depending on the Pokémon.
Each Pokémon has a type that affects strategy and the course of battle. Some Pokémon have a regional variant of a different type, such as Alolan and Galarian Pokémon.
Special Conditions can make all the difference in a Pokémon battle! There are five different Special Conditions that can affect an Active Pokémon: Asleep, Burned, Confused, Paralyzed, and Poisoned.
If your Pokémon is Asleep, it cannot attack or retreat. However, there are ways to recover. Learn how to use—and defend against—attacks and Abilities that cause this Special Condition!
If your Pokémon is Burned, it takes considerable damage during Pokémon Checkup between turns. However, there are ways to recover. Learn how to use—and defend against—attacks and Abilities that cause this Special Condition!
If your Pokémon is Confused, it can hurt itself when it tries to attack, instead of doing damage to your opponent’s Pokémon. However, there are ways to recover. Learn how to use—and defend against—attacks and Abilities that cause this Special Condition!
If your Pokémon is Paralyzed, it cannot attack or retreat during your next turn. However, there are ways to recover. Learn how to use—and defend against—attacks and Abilities that cause this Special Condition!
If your Pokémon is Poisoned, it takes damage during Pokémon Checkup between turns. However, there are ways to recover. Learn how to use—and defend against—attacks and Abilities that cause this Special Condition!
Understanding Weakness and Resistance helps you know which types are favorable and unfavorable matchups for your Pokémon. You can use this knowledge to build a strong, well-rounded deck!
Special Pokémon with unique rules and powerful attacks can be found in the Pokémon Trading Card Game! Make sure you read the conditions that apply to these Pokémon, as they can lead to high risks and high rewards during a match!