Two players, each with a 60-card deck (max 4 of any card). You race to take all 6 Prize cards — claim one each time you knock out an opponent's Pokémon. First to six wins.
THE 3 CARD TYPES
Pokémon — your fighters. They have HP, attacks, weaknesses, resistances.
Energy — the fuel. Only ONE attaches per turn, so managing it is the heart of strategy.
Trainers — support cards. Famously powerful — good players win with these too.
A TURN, SIMPLY
Draw → attach 1 energy → play Trainers / evolve / retreat → attack to end. Weakness doubles damage; resistance reduces it.
★ BEGINNER MISTAKERushing to attack before building your board. Set up your bench and energy first — patience wins more than rare cards.
★ FREE WAY TO LEARNDownload the official Pokémon TCG Live app — free decks, tutorials, AI battles. Three games teaches more than any article.
▸ READ A CARD
HOW TO READ A CARD
Every number and symbol on a card means something. Here's a labeled breakdown — match the numbers on the diagram to the list below.
1 · NAME & STAGEThe card's name, and whether it's a Basic, Stage 1, or Stage 2 (what it evolves from).
2 · HPHit points. When damage equals or passes this, the Pokémon is knocked out.
3 · ILLUSTRATIONThe artwork. Special "alt art" and "Illustration Rare" versions are the prized chase cards.
4 · ATTACK + ENERGY COSTThe energy symbols on the left are what you must attach to use the attack; the number on the right is damage dealt.
5 · DAMAGEHow much damage the attack does to the opponent's Active Pokémon.
6 · WEAKNESS / RESISTANCE / RETREATWeakness multiplies damage from that type (usually x2); resistance reduces it; retreat cost is the energy to swap this Pokémon out.
7 · SET SYMBOL + NUMBER + RARITYThe most important part for pricing — identifies exactly which card and printing you have (e.g. 4/102 = card 4 of a 102-card set). The rarity symbol (⚫ common, ◆ uncommon, ★ rare) tells you how scarce it is.
▸ PRICE A CARD
HOW TO LOOK UP WHAT IT'S WORTH
Once you can read a card, pricing it is straightforward. The set number is your key.
1Find the set + number (bottom of the card, e.g. 4/102) and the set symbol. This pins down the exact card and printing.
2Search the full name + number on a marketplace — e.g. "Charizard 4/102 Base Set." The number matters: the same Pokémon exists in dozens of sets at wildly different values.
3Check real sold prices, not asking prices. Look at what cards actually sold for, and match your card's condition — a near-mint card and a played one can differ 5× or more.
4Note raw vs graded. Graded (slabbed) prices are much higher than raw — don't compare your raw card to a PSA 10 price.
▸ LOOK IT UP
Search any card by name and number on TCGPlayer for live market pricing — or scan it on CardGauge to skip the typing.
CHASE CARDThe valuable one everyone hunts in a set.
ALT ARTAlternate-artwork version — rarer, pricier.
PULL RATEYour odds of getting a rare from a pack.
SLABA graded card in its protective case.
RAWAn ungraded card — not slabbed.
ex / VMAXStrong Pokémon — give the opponent 2 prizes.
▸ WHERE TO BUY
Most collectors buy through TCGPlayer — the standard marketplace with real prices & seller ratings. Starting out? A current Elite Trainer Box is the easiest, lowest-risk first buy.
Heads up: affiliate link — if you buy through it we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We point you to TCGPlayer because it's where the hobby actually shops.
▸ THE HONEST PART
RISKS NOBODY MENTIONS
It's speculative. Prices are hype-driven, can drop 20–30% when hype cools.
Modern = heavily printed. Most modern "rares" aren't actually scarce.
It's illiquid. A card's only worth what someone pays today — selling takes time & fees.
Grading's a gamble. Fees + time can eat gains if the grade comes back low.
★ BOTTOM LINEBuy because you enjoy it. Treat gains as a bonus, never a plan. The people who get burned bought the hype expecting guaranteed profit.
GOT CARDS? SEE WHAT THEY'RE WORTH
Once you've got cards in hand, CardGauge scans them and shows real market pricing — our companion tool for knowing what you're holding.