How to play Pokemon TCG

Learn the rules to the trading card game Pokémon quickly and concisely - This video has no distractions, just the rules.

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0:00 - Objective
0:16 - Deck Requirements
0:34 - Types of Cards
0:55 - Starting a game
1:10 - Table Layout
1:50 - Picking starting Pokémon
2:38 - Starting the game
3:03 - Play Pokémon
3:09 - Evolve Pokémon
3:59 - Attach Energy
4:13 - Play Trainer Cards
4:47 - Pokémon Tools
5:04 - Retreating
5:45 - Abilities
6:12 - Attacking
8:26 - Checkup Phase
8:47 - Asleep
9:00 - Burned
9:12 - Confused
9:31 - Paralyzed
9:45 - Poisoned
9:57 - Special Conditions
10:20 - Advanced Rules

RULES:
The object of the game is to be the first player to either take all your Prize cards, knock out all your opponent’s pokemon, or to not run out of cards in your deck before your opponent. Each player provides their own deck of exactly 60 cards. When you are building a deck, you can only have 4 copies of a card with the exact same name, even if the image is different, except for basic Energy cards; and you must have at least one Basic Pokémon in it. There are 3 types of cards: Pokemon, which come in basic, stage 1, and stage 2; Energy, of which there is basic and special; and trainer, which contain itens, supporters, and statiums. Each player shuffles their deck. No one can look at or change the order of the cards in either player’s deck unless a card says so. Flip a coin and the winner decides who goes first.

Each player draws 7 cards from their deck to form their hand. Players may not look at their opponent’s hand unless a card says so. In the center of the table is the “In-play zone” which is shared by the players. On your half, you have your active spot, bench, deck, discard pile, and prize cards. Each player starts with, and must always have, one Active Pokémon. If your active pokemon is knocked out, move one pokemon from your bench to your active spot. You may only have one Active Pokémon at a time. If you run out of active pokemon, then you lose the game. Each player has their own discard pile located below their deck. Cards taken out of play go to the discard pile, unless a card specifically says otherwise. Typically, when a Pokémon is Knocked Out, that pokemon and all cards attached to it, go to their owner’s discard pile.

After drawing your hands, in turn order, each player places one basic pokemon from their hand face down in their active spot. If you don’t have any basic pokemon, show your hand to your opponent then return it to your deck, shuffle, then draw 7 new cards. This is called a mulligan. Repeat this process until you have a playable pokemon. Your opponent may draw 1 card for mulligan you took.

Each player may have up to 5 Pokémon on their Bench at any one time. Pokemon in the active spot and on the bench are considered “in-play”. Any Pokémon in play, other than the Active Pokémon, must be on the Bench. After each player has a basic pokemon in play, you may now, in turn order, play up to 5 additional basic pokemon face down to your bench, if you want.
After that, both players set aside the top 6 cards from their deck, face down to their prize area. When you Knock Out an opponent’s Pokémon, you take one of your Prize cards, at random without looking at them first, and put it into your hand. If you’re the first player to take their last Prize card, you win.

Both players now flip their active and benched pokemon face up and the game begins. On your turn you must first draw 1 card. If your deck is empty and you are unable to draw, then you lose the game. After you draw, you can perform any of the following actions any number of times, unless otherwise stated, in any order:

-Play a pokemon. Put a basic Pokémon from your hand face up onto your Bench.

-Evolve your Pokémon. If you have a pokemon card in your hand that says “Evolves from…” then the name of a pokemon you already had in play since the beginning of your turn, then you may play that card from your hand on top of that Pokémon. This is called “evolving”. You may evolve a Basic Pokémon to a Stage 1 or a Stage 1 to a Stage 2. You may not evolve a pokemon the same turn you put it in play or a pokemon you just evolved. When a Pokémon evolves, it keeps all cards attached to it and any...

[antogame]

Let's face it. Almost all of us collected the cards instead of playing the game. I used to be like that... Then I got two decks that I use for train and learn how to play myself. And I played against my cousin.

[supersain]

Finally! Now more people will know how to play it! It's genuinely a super fun game and I wish more people played it.

[Lots_of_Loto]

The rules are not the same as regular chess, unless a specific card says so.

[PendoraBox]

With this i can finally play with those 6 years old pokemon card collection

[ItsPForPea]

You madman, you did it.
...now do one for Yu-Gi-Oh!
I expect a hour long video explaining PSCT, missing the timing, If/When differences, and proper extra deck summon.

[ZeneonOMEGA]

Finally! I can finally learn how to play this Pokémon card game!

Now where did I last my cards half a decade ago..?

[jardex]

A pretty good summary. While starter decks are easy to come by, I see a few comments that mention using their own collection. With that in mind, I think it'd be good to have a video about deck composition. How many energy cards should you have, the proportion of basic, stage 1, and stage 2 pokemon, etc. It's not a firm set of rules, but it would really help players move on from preassembled decks.

[kemcolian]

you know its a complex game when its 5 times longer than most other videos

[symmetry]

i remember playing pokemon cards with my classmates in elementary school, we lived in a poor country so no one had real cards, just those overpowered fake pokemon cards that were like 180HP - 340HP. The most popular kid had a card with 380 HP. the way we played it was the 2 players would pick a card each from their deck and put it face down on the table, count from 3 and then flip the cards over. The person who had the card with the most HP would get the other players card for himself.

[littlelexx]

This video is awesome! Thank you so much. My husband, little brother, and I all started playing Pokémon cards and battling a couple weeks ago and some of these rules we did not know about!! We are loving the game!

[agustinulricheuriel]

legitimately had no clue how to play. very happy for the 10 min. video.

[danielhontos]

"The rules are the same as 5D Chess with Multiverse Time Travel except for these changes..."

[Deathnotefan]

I have literally hundreds of Pokémon cards (would not be surprised if I have over a thousand of them) but never learned the game

So I’m looking forward to this video

[bobjoe]

I’m not gonna lie, I still have no clue how to play this game.

[thenoobinside]

thanks for finally showing the the pokemon TCG, i knew it existed, and it was always at the back of my head, thanks TSG

[maverickhunterzx]

THIS was the video I was looking for, very well explained and cleared all my questions, thanks !!

[johnathan]

This was actually really helpful unlike the others videos I watched on how to play properly.

[rafagames]

You made me start playing MTG, now I want a Yu-Gi-Oh vídeo

[doublemintmaple]

Very well organized video, easier to understand than the videos on the official Pokemon channel

[citronvannalemon]

He did it, the madlad actually did it.
If this isn't enough to subscribe, I don't know what is.