Click here for the start of "The Parents’ (and Grandparents') Guide to Pokemon."

Pokemon Trading Card Game

What is this game and how does it work?
The Pokemon Trading Card Game is a CCG (Collectible Card Game), also known as a TCG (Trading Card Game). The Pokemon TCG is made by Wizards of the Coast, the makers of the very popular CCG Magic: The Gathering. The Pokemon TCG pits two players (and their card decks) against each other; each is a Pokemon trainer who is supposed to use his Pokemon to defeat the other trainer's Pokemon. The game comes in various forms: a 2-player Starter deck, Theme Decks, and Booster packs. Additionally, there are many different Pokemon sets (e.g., the Jungle set, the Neo: Genesis set), and each set has its own Theme Decks and Booster packs.

What's a CCG?
Pokemon is a 2-player CCG (Collectible Card Game), also called a TCG (Trading Card Game). A CCG is like merging the collecting aspect of baseball cards with the gaming aspect of gin rummy. Usually it works as such: you buy a "Starter" deck, which includes the rules and a basic set of cards you can play with. In order to collect the rest of the cards in the set, you need to buy "Booster" packs which randomly contain cards from the set. You can also trade cards with your friends (or enemies). You want to buy Boosters not only to finish your collection but also because the other cards in the collection will let you build a better (more powerful) deck with which to play. Either way, a TCG can be a very expensive and time-intensive hobby.

What's the Pokemon TCG for Gameboy?
The Pokemon TCG for Gameboy lets you play the Pokemon TCG on your Gameboy. (Simple enough, right?) There are lots of cool features with this simple-sounding game. The game has almost all of the cards from the first three Pokemon TCG sets (Base, Jungle, and Fossil), plus there are several "promo" cards in the Gameboy version. It's relatively fast to build a bunch of different decks, and you can then store those decks for later. You can play by yourself (against computer opponents) or link up with a Gameboy Game Link and play (or trade with) your friends. The game does a good job of teaching you not only the game rules but also how to play against different types of decks. Best of all, it's cheap! ($20-$30 for all the boosters you can shake a stick at!)

What's the difference between a Starter Deck, a Theme Deck, and a Booster Pack?
A Starter Deck is for two players and serves as an introduction to the game. A Theme Deck is a one-player deck which is more powerful but also requires more thinking. Booster packs are much smaller (11 cards instead of 60) but can provide the cards which will make your deck even more powerful. Each Pokemon Starter Deck is the same, whereas there are two or so different Theme Decks for each expansion set, and each Booster pack is pseudo-randomized and thus different. You'd be hard-pressed to collect all the cards in a set (e.g., 102 in the Base set, 64 in Jungle) without buying any Boosters.

Is each card in a Booster pack different? If I buy two Boosters will I get 22 different cards?
Yes and no. Pokemon cards have different rarities (see the rulebook): common, uncommon, rare, and holofoil. Each booster contains 7 commons, 3 uncommons, and 1 rare or 1 holofoil for a total of 11 cards. Everything else is supposedly random, so it's possible that you could get four of the same common card in one Booster; likewise, you could get the same rare in two consecutive boosters, although this is unlikely. However, if you buy two of the same type of Theme Deck, you will get exactly the same cards. Booster packs from different sets (e.g., the Fossil set versus the Gym: Heroes set) will generally contain different cards.

What's the Pokemon Starter Gift Box?

The Pokemon Starter Gift Box retails for $25 and includes the 2-player Starter Deck, one of the Jungle Theme Decks (I believe it's randomly either Water Blast or...), a special "collectible" coin with Eevee on it, some counters, a Jungle booster, and a special placemat for helping you play the game. It's basically a Starter Deck, a Theme Deck, and a booster plus some other stuff--it's not a great deal but it's good for someone who is just starting out and doesn't have any cards.

Where can I find the game and how much does it cost?

The Pokemon trading card game is available almost everywhere, but you should be wary for three reasons: 1) the game still sells out frequently, 2) certain stores carry Boosters but not Starter decks, and 3) some stores charge twice the retail price. Retail prices for Pokemon are as follows: $8.99 for a Starter Deck, $9.99 for a Theme Deck, and $3.29 (used to be $2.99) for a Booster pack. You should be able to buy Pokemon for these prices at Wizards of the Coast stores and at GameKeeper stores. Another good bet is the Wizards of the Coast Online Store. You can usually buy everything (that is still in production) for retail, and shipping is only $3.95. Nowadays many big stores carry Pokemon, including Target, Wal-Mart, and Toys R Us. Various card shops will probably carry Pokemon cards as well. Card/comic shops should be called/visited with caution, however, as they can be greedy or really cool. I've seen shops that sell $10 theme decks for $25 and a shop that sells everything for 10% off. Card shops often have single cards for sale, though. The auction sites like eBay are also great places to get some cards for less than retail or book value, especially if you buy a whole box of packs at a time.

How much does this game really cost?

There are 102 different cards in the first Pokemon set, and so if you wanted to collect the entire first set you might think you would only need to buy one $9 Starter Deck (60 cards) and four $3 Boosters (44 cards). To give you an idea of how expensive this game can be, consider the following numbers: each Booster pack for Pokemon contains 11 cards: 1 "rare"/"holofoil," 3 "uncommons," and 7 "commons." The odds of getting a holofoil card in a Booster pack are 1:3. (Buy 3 Boosters and you'll probably get 1 holofoil.) There are 16 different holofoils in the first Pokemon set (the "base set"), so if you wanted to buy enough Boosters to get a complete set of holofoils you would probably need to buy 16 x 3 = 48 Booster packs. At $3 a pack, that's $144.

What's the difference between the base set, the Jungle expansion set, and the Fossil expansion set? Can I combine them?

The base set came out in January 1999 and has a total of 102 cards. The Jungle expansion came out in June 1999 and has a total of 64 new cards. The Fossil set came out in October 1999 and has 62 new cards. The Jungle set and the Fossil set were designed to work seamlessly with the base set; you can make a deck containing cards from all sets, and the more powerful decks certainly will. There are no Jungle Starter decks, but there are 2 Jungle Theme Decks as well as Jungle Booster packs. There are 2 Fossil theme decks and also Fossil booster packs. The prices are the same: a theme deck from any set retails for $10, and a booster pack from any set retails for $3.29. All cards from the Jungle set have a little symbol to the bottom-right of the card image: it looks like a lily pad but I guess it's supposed to be the top of a palm tree. All cards from the Fossil set have a bony-foot symbol instead of the Jungle symbol.

What's Base Set 2?

Base Set 2 is basically a reprinting that contains most (130) of the cards from both the Base set AND the Jungle set. (Just think of it as consolidation.) Some cards are missing: click here for more info. There are new boosters, new theme decks, and a special CD-ROM and video that help teach you how to play the game.

What's Team Rocket?

Team Rocket is another expansion set. It consists of 82 new cards (plus one special card--"Dark Raichu"). There are boosters and two kinds of theme decks available. Team Rocket cards can be identified by a bold "R" symbol where the Jungle/Fossil symbols would be.

What are Gym Leaders: Heroes and Gym Leaders: Challenge?

Gym Leaders: Heroes and Gym Leaders: Challenge are the latest expansion sets and are bigger than any other sets so far. There are 132 different cards in each set, and for the most part the holographic cards are distinct from the non-holographic rares (unlike in Jungle, Fossil, and Team Rocket). The cards feature Pokemon belonging to each of the eight Gym Leaders: Misty, Lt. Surge, Erika, Brock, Giovanni, Koga, Sabrina, and Blaine. The former four are featured in Gym: Heroes and the latter four in Gym: Challenge.

What are the Neo sets?

Neo: Genesis is the first set of the new Neo cards. The Neo cards include Pokemon found in Pokemon Gold and Silver, including pre-evolutions and two new types of Pokemon: Dark and Steel. Neo: Genesis was released December 2000. Neo: Discovery was released in June 2001 and includes some of the Unown Pokemon from the third Pokemon movie. Neo: Revelations and Neo: Destiny have also been released and are the third and fourth Neo sets, respectively.

What is Southern Islands?

Southern Islands is a special 18-card set released in the U.S. in Fall 2001. There are no boosters; you can only buy the complete set. The set comes in a special binder and includes a couple boosters from other Pokemon sets. I think the retail price is ~$20 (US).

What’s the Legendary Set?

The Legendary Set is a reprinting of many cards from the original Base Set and the Jungle, Fossil, and Team Rocket expansion sets. A couple of cards that were previously very rare, such as Dark Raichu and a Level 30 Telekinesis Mewtwo, are easier to get in Legendary. Legendary came out May 2002.

What are the Pokemon-e sets?

The Pokemon-e cards are Pokemon cards with special data encrypted on two sides. The data can be read with a Game Boy Advance e-Reader. By scanning different cards into the reader, you can unlock various goodies on your GBA, such as short cartoons and mini-games. So far, the Expedition and Aquapolis sets have been released. Skyridge should be released May 2003. Cards based on Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire should be released (by Nintendo) in June 2003.

What should I buy to get my child started?

You probably want to buy him a Starter Deck first, or you can jump straight to a Theme Deck. (Ask if he has a preference.) Both contain the rulebook, which is a necessity. (I believe the Starter Deck has a less complex rulebook.) Once he understands the rules and wants more cards, you can buy him "booster" packs. Boosters are good for both collecting more cards in the set and for getting cards that can make your deck better. There are many types of boosters you can buy. Boosters before Pokemon-e: Expedition are cheaper nowadays, but if you want to play it safe you might want to buy the latest boosters. (As of 4/5/03, those would be Pokemon-e: Aquapolis boosters.)

I know he's already got some Pokemon cards; now what should I buy?

Don't buy him a Starter or Theme Deck! He probably already has them or doesn't want them! Buy him booster packs, which are different from pack to pack.

Where can I find individual cards? AKA My son wants a "Zapdos"; how do I get that?

Locally, call some card/comic shops. Some have extensive numbers of single Pokemon cards for sale, and some sell only the rarest cards. Expect to pay perhaps twenty-five cents for a common card, seventy-five cents for an uncommon, $3-$5 for a rare, and $10+ for a holofoil. Also, depending on how popular or powerful a particular card is, it may demand a higher value. (For example, many stores sell the holofoil "Charizard" for over $35.) Some online stores also sell single Pokemon cards. For example, ToyWiz.com. You can also find singles for auction on the various auction web sites: Yahoo, eBay, Amazon, etc. A good way of estimating how much a card will cost is to check a price guide, which can be found in CCG magazines and all over the web. For example, the Pojo's Pokemon price guides.

How can I tell how rare a card is?

There is a symbol in the bottom right-hand corner of most cards that tells you how rare that card is. A circle indicates a "common" card, a diamond is for an "uncommon" card, and a star dictates a "rare" card. Some rares are holograms; these also have a star symbol. In addition, there are also promotional ("promo") cards that tend to have their own special symbols. Please keep in mind that rarity is not an exact measure of a card's value. If you want to know how valuable a card might be, you should find a price guide.

Where can I find a Pokemon price guide? AKA How do I know how valuable a particular card is?

A price guide lists most if not all of the cards of a set and gives a price (or price range) for each card. Many price guides get their info by polling card shops across the country and calculating the average price. There are magazines like Scrye, and Inquest that have Pokemon price guides; these magazines are often found at your local comic/card shop. You can also find price guides online, e.g. the Pojo. Another way to determine a card's value is to see how much online shops like ToyWiz.com sell the card for, or how much the card goes for on auction sites like eBay.

Where can I learn to play the Pokemon Trading Card Game?

First off, one should really read the rulebook (basic rulebook comes with any Starter, advanced rulebook comes with any Theme deck). The rulebook is relatively clear and is laid out for people new to the game. The rulebook is also the main way that disputes over the rules are mediated. However, one may also get help by visiting a Pokemon League (see entry below). There are also a couple of online resources to help one understand how to play. The Wizards of the Coast website has an online rulebook, a trading card game demo, and a breakdown of the anatomy of a Pokemon card. Another option is to find a local card shop that has Pokemon tournaments and take one's child to watch. Or, one could download Apprentice (see entry below) and try asking online players for a friendly teaching game. Also, the Base Set 2 starter pack is supposed to include a video and CD-ROM to help one learn the game.

Do kids lose their cards if they lose a match?

Absolutely not! There may be several reasons for this misconception, however. One is that in the early days of the Magic card game, a common practice was to "ante" or "bet" a random card from your deck; the winner got the loser's ante. Another reason is that you take "prizes" in the Pokemon trading card game. However, the prizes are actually your own cards. You take a "prize" when you knock out your opponent's Pokemon, but the prize you take is from your own prize pile. You should never lose your cards (or take someone else's) when playing the game.

Where can I find the Japanese version of the Pokemon trading card game?

Many kids like collecting the Japanese Pokemon cards as much as the American ones. Whether this is because the Japanese ones are more exotic, or harder to find, or that they have more cards overall I'm not sure, but there are many stores that now sell both Japanese booster packs and Japanese singles. For Japanese booster packs, you can call the different comic/card shops in your area, or try ToyWiz.com. For Japanese singles, check out the different auction sites: Amazon, Yahoo, eBay, etc. Keep in mind that the value of these Japanese cards may decrease as the English versions become available.

Where can I find translations for the Japanese cards?

There are "spoiler lists" for the different Japanese Pokemon trading cards on the Pojo.

Dare I take my kid to a Pokemon tournament, and where can I find one?

Some people are happy just collecting the cards, some are content to play Pokemon with their friends, but many want to be "the best Pokemon trainer in the world." It's up to you and your child to decide if you want to step up the level of competition a bit. (I can tell you that many children ages 6-12 play in Pokemon tournaments, but also some older people play in some tournaments, too.) Wizards of the Coast, the manufacturers of the Pokemon Trading Card Game, sponsors Pokemon tournaments and the Pokemon League, although the two are not necessarily the same. Wizards of the Coast and Pojo keep track of most of the big tournaments, although many card shops have unofficial tournaments that are at least as much fun. Call around and ask. As a word of warning, there are many experienced Pokemon players out there, so a parent should attend a child's first few Pokemon tournaments in case he gets beaten on the first turn by a really vicious opponent.

What's the Pokemon League?

In the TV show, the Pokemon League is where the best Pokemon trainers compete against each other. In real life, the Pokemon League is a place for Pokemon players to get together, learn about, trade, and play Pokemon. By now there should be Pokemon Leagues in cities all across the U.S. Participating stores include Gamekeeper, Books-a-Million, Borders Books, KB Toyworks, Toys-R-Us, and Zany Brainy stores across the country. The costs should be low (around $5 to register for a six-week league, and $1 for each two-hour session you attend). You earn points for doing different things (trading, playing, teaching, etc.), and if you earn enough points you get special Trainer Badges and sometimes other neat stuff. A typical Gamekeeper might hold six sessions in a week, probably mostly on weekends but also on weekdays. You don't have to attend each session, and you only pay for the sessions you attend. Each session usually has limited space, and many sessions fill up in advance. Some stores have an age limit, and some don't. Not only do Pokemon Leagues serve as a place for kids to play and trade with other kids, but the staff at the Pokemon League should be able to teach you and your child how to play and how to trade fairly. The Pokemon League is also the only way (other than trading/eBay) you could get certain cards, like the "prerelease" Aerodactyl or the promotional Mew card. Call your local Gamekeeper et. al. or try this link for more information.

Annoying kids, annoying teens, and annoying parents. Theft. Cheating.

As a trading card game with a mostly younger audience, Pokemon can be a very volatile experience. Key things to remember: 1) Pokemon involves trading; some people like to make fair trades and others like to take advantage of the ignorant, 2) Pokemon involves cards, which are easy to steal and easy to damage (card sleeves help a little), 3) Pokemon is a game, so people want to win and can get very mad when they don't, and 4) Pokemon appeals to younger kids, who are both susceptible to being taken advantage of but also are willing to go to extreme measures to get their way.
Please save yourself and your child some pain:

How do I build a deck?

Your child's first deck will probably be the Starter Deck or one of the Theme Decks. You may be wondering how to proceed from there. Well, you can try to modify the Theme Deck to make it better or you can start building a whole new deck from scratch. Bob Bonham has written a great article entitled "Deck Designing for Our Younger Players." Check it out!

When will the next Pokemon expansion set come out?

The most recent set was Aquapolis in January 2003. The next set will be Skyridge in May 2003. Sets based on Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire should come out June 2003.

What's a "1st Edition" card?

Wizards of the Coast prints so many Pokemon cards that it has to print out more than one batch. The first batch that is ever printed out for a particular set is called "First Edition" and each card in that batch has a little "1" somewhere on it so you know it's 1st Edition. Subsequent batches of the same set don't have the "1" and thus aren't 1st Edition. Since there are thus less 1st Edition cards than non-1st-edition cards, the former are worth more to some collectors. In terms of playing the Pokemon trading card game, however, 1st-edition cards are exactly the same as other cards.

What are "promo" cards?

"Promo" or "promotional" cards are cards that can't be obtained through the usual means, i.e. through buying booster packs, theme decks, or starter decks. Promo cards may be obtained through the Pokemon League, by buying merchandise like the Pokemon Movie, and so forth. For a list of English Pokemon promo cards, check out www.pojo.com.

My child isn't content with the cards he has, and I don't want to spend more money! What do I do?

Pokemon is only going to get more expensive, as more and more expansion sets are released. Your child can trade with others to get other cards, but usually you need a substantial amount of cards to start out with, because you should only trade cards you have duplicates of. It's difficult, but you'll have to teach your child that you don't need to have everything to be happy. (Very cliche, I know.) You should teach your child to have fun playing the game with the cards he has; he'll be fine as long as he doesn't play against a deck made with more expensive (i.e. rarer) cards. Remember, YOU can always play Pokemon with your child. Perhaps someday someone will run Pokemon tournaments in which only the cheaper cards (e.g. non-holofoils) can be used.

How can I tell if a card is fake/counterfeit? Are the Japanese cards counterfeit?

There have been many reports of fake Pokemon cards entering the market. Just because a card is Japanese and you have never seen it before does not necessarily mean it is fake; remember, the Japanese game came first and so there are many more Japanese Pokemon cards. But there are fake American Pokemon cards, and probably fake Japanese ones as well. One quick way to tell if a card is fake is to hold it up to the light; if you can see through the card it is probably fake. Other fake cards don't look as sharp, or the picture is offset from the frame of the card. For detailed info on the real Japanese Pokemon cards, check Pojo's spoiler section. Also, note that the Action Flipz and the Topps Pokemon Trading Cards are official and not fake but are separate from the WotC Pokemon Trading Card Game.

Can I play the Pokemon trading card game online? What's Apprentice?

Amazingly enough, you can. I haven't tried this myself, but you might want to check out this Pojo link. The link tells you how to download Apprentice, a software program for playing Magic (and Pokemon) online. Note that there is also the Pokemon TCG for Gameboy!

What are the Pokemon trading cards from Topps?

Topps, the venerable baseball card company, has released its own Pokemon trading cards. The cards are just for trading; there is no gaming aspect included, and you can't mix the Topps cards with the Wizards of the Coast cards to play the Pokemon trading card game. (Many kids just like to collect Pokemon cards, though, so that may not be a problem.) There are three Topps Pokemon sets; they are TV Animation Edition: Series 1, TV Animation Edition: Series 2 (soon to be released or just released), and the Movie Animation Edition. Unlike the WotC cards, the Topps cards include images directly from the TV show/movie and also feature some of the human characters: Misty, Ash, Brock, Team Rocket, etc. Whereas the WotC cards only have space on half the card for a picture, the Topps cards have the Pokemon's picture fill the entire card. On the back is info on that Pokemon relating to its appearance in the TV show. The Topps cards look very nice and are great for those who like the TV show and just want to collect the Pokemon. I personally like playing the Pokemon trading card game, though. For more info on the set, check out www.topps.com.

What are the Action Flipz cards?

Besides the WotC Pokemon cards and the Topps Pokemon cards, there is at least one other kind of legitimate Pokemon "card": Action Flipz. Also known as lenticular cards, the Action Flipz are small, thick, square-shaped cards that have a binary image on the front: you see one of two different images depending on the angle you view the card at. Action Flipz cards are not technically holograms, nor are they compatible with the Pokemon Trading Card Game or the Topps Pokemon cards.

Did Hasbro really buy Wizards of the Coast?

Yes. Hasbro, that big toy maker which produces Furbies, Monopoly, SuperSoakers, et. al., in late 1999 bought Wizards of the Coast, makers of the Pokemon TCG and Magic: The Gathering, for about $325 million.

Why is Nintendo releasing the Pokemon Trading Card Game instead of Wizards of the Coast?

It seems that in early 2003, Wizards and Nintendo did not renew whatever Pokemon TCG license they used to have. From Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire on, all Pokemon trading cards will probably be marketed and distributed by Nintendo. Nintendo will also probably have separate leagues and tournaments.

Is the Pokemon Trading Card Game a form of gambling?

In September 1999 a lawsuit was filed against Nintendo et. al. alleging that the Pokemon TCG "qualifies as a gambling enterprise because of three elements: kids must 'pay to play' by buying packets of Pokemon cards; they can 'win' rare prize cards, which are intrinsically more valuable than other Pokemon cards; and there is an element of chance because the higher value cards are inserted randomly into Pokemon packets." I am not a judge so I don't know where the law stands, but it sounds like the lawsuit was hatched by some people just trying to cash in on the whole Pokemon craze. Last I heard, this lawsuit was thrown out of court.

What's the Super Trainer Showdown?

The Super Trainer Showdown (STS) was a huge, free national (or semi-national) tournament for the Pokemon TCG. Winners of the Pokemon Mall Tour qualified for the STS, which was held July 22, 2000, on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. (You could also qualify through the Pokemon League.) Some of the best trainers were there, but because the Mall Tour didn't cover the East Coast, not everyone was given a shot to qualify. Trainers of all ages competed in the STS, unlike the Mega Tropic Battles. There was also an East Cost STS later in 2000. In 2001, the East Coast STS was on June 23-24 in New Jersey. The 2001 West Coast STS was in San Diego, California, in December. The STS has been replaced by “Super Battlezones,” but now that Nintendo will be handling the Pokemon TCG, there will probably be another name change.

Where can I find out more about the Pokemon Trading Card Game?

If you want to buy Pokemon cards, you can try the Wizards of the Coast online store or ToyWiz.com. For deck reports, card strategies, pictures, spoiler lists, an online rulebook, price guides, tournament reports, etc. check out The Pojo.

Questions, criticism, and pats on the back may be sent to geoffhom@cal.berkeley.edu.

Pokemon travellers since May 26, 2003. (Counter courtesy of digits.com.)

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