Thorough Explanation of the Basic Rules of Pokémon Cards | Victory Conditions and Game Flow for Beginners

The rules of the Pokémon Trading Card Game are structured simply enough for beginners to understand in about 30 minutes. In this article, we will explain the basic rules of Pokémon cards step by step, from victory conditions to the flow of turns, so that even those who are completely unfamiliar with Pokémon cards can engage in actual battles.

The official rulebook is accurate, but it contains many expressions that may be a bit difficult for first-timers, so this article will explain in simpler terms. By understanding the types of cards, game setup, and what can be done each turn in order, you will soon be able to enjoy battles with friends and family.

First, let's learn about the "victory conditions," which are the objective of the game. Understanding what you need to do to win will help the subsequent rules come to mind smoothly.

Three Victory Conditions in Pokémon Trading Card Game

• Victory Condition 1: Take all 6 of the opponent's Prize cards
• Victory Condition 2: Knock out all of the opponent's Pokémon
• Victory Condition 3: The opponent cannot draw a card at the start of their turn

There are three ways to win in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The most common method is to "take all 6 of the opponent's Prize cards," but depending on the situation, other victory conditions may also come into play. By understanding each victory condition, you will be able to engage in strategic battles.

Victory Condition 1: Take all 6 of the opponent's Prize cards

The most common way to win is to take all 6 of the opponent's Prize cards. Prize cards are special cards placed face down from the deck at the start of the game, totaling 6 cards.

When your Pokémon knocks out the opponent's Pokémon, you can take one Prize card and add it to your hand. By repeating this process, you win when you have taken all 6 cards. For example, if you defeat the opponent's Pokémon with Pikachu ex, you can take one Prize card at that moment.

Most battles are decided by this method. Therefore, it is important to always be aware of how many Prize cards you have taken and how many more you need to win. Note that if you knock out special powerful Pokémon like "Pokémon ex" or "Pokémon V," you may take more Prize cards than usual (2 or more).

[Related Article]: Thorough Explanation of the Flow of Pokémon Card Battles | Illustrated Explanation from Preparation to Determining Victory

Victory Condition 2: Knock out all of the opponent's Pokémon

If all of the opponent's Battle and Benched Pokémon are knocked out, you win at that moment. This is a rare case, but it is an important rule to know.

When the opponent's Battle Pokémon is knocked out, if there are no Pokémon on their Bench, they cannot bring out a new Battle Pokémon. As a result, the opponent loses. This victory is confirmed immediately, regardless of the number of remaining Prize cards.

Victory Condition 3: The opponent cannot draw a card at the start of their turn

At the start of the opponent's turn, they need to draw one card from their deck, but if there are 0 cards in the deck at that time, they cannot draw a card, resulting in their loss.

This is a victory condition called deck out, which occurs in long battles or when using strategies that force the opponent to draw a large number of cards. It doesn't happen often in regular matches, but it's important to keep in mind the management of the number of cards in your deck when building it.

Understanding the 3 Types of Pokémon Cards

In the Pokémon Trading Card Game, there are three main types of cards. Each has a different role, and by combining them, battles can take place. Understanding the characteristics of each card will broaden your deck-building and strategy options. For more details, please refer to "Complete Explanation of Pokémon Card Types | Differences Between Pokémon, Energy, and Trainers".

• Pokémon Cards (Battle Cards)
• Energy Cards (Source of Power)
• Trainer Cards (Support Cards)

Pokémon Cards (Battle Cards)

Pokémon cards are the main cards used in battles. They fight against opponents on the battlefield or wait on the bench. Pokémon cards are categorized into Basic Pokémon, Evolution Pokémon, and Special Pokémon.

Basic Pokémon are fundamental Pokémon that can be played from the start. Examples include Pikachu, Eevee, and Charmander. Evolution Pokémon can be played on top of Basic Pokémon to gain more powerful abilities. Think of it as evolving from Charmander to Charmeleon, and then to Charizard.

Each Pokémon card contains information such as HP, Attack, Ability, Weakness, Resistance, and Retreat Cost.** HP is the Pokémon's health, and when the total damage taken reaches the HP, it is considered "knocked out". Attack refers to the moves or effects that are activated using energy, and this is listed at the bottom of the card.

Abilities are special powers that Pokémon possess. They can have effects separate from attacks, such as "drawing one card from the deck when played" or "healing your Pokémon's HP every turn". Pokémon with abilities are important for expanding strategic options.

Additionally, there are special powerful Pokémon such as "Pokémon ex" and "Pokémon V". These have higher HP and more powerful attacks than regular Pokémon, but they also have the drawback of allowing the opponent to take two or more prize cards when they are knocked out. For important terms related to Pokémon cards, please refer to "Pokémon Card Glossary | Complete Explanation of Basic and Specialized Terms Beginners Should Remember".

Energy Cards (Source of Power)

Energy cards are the source of power needed for Pokémon to use their attacks. By attaching energy cards to Pokémon, they can finally use their attacks.

Energy cards come in two types: Basic Energy and Special Energy. Basic Energy includes nine types: Grass, Fire, Water, Lightning, Psychic, Fighting, Darkness, Steel, and Fairy, which are necessary to use the moves of Pokémon corresponding to each type. For example, to use Pikachu's move, Lightning Energy is required.

Special Energy cards have unique effects that differ from Basic Energy. They can have various effects such as "working as two types" or "increasing damage." By strategically incorporating them during deck building, more powerful tactics become possible.

You can only attach one Energy card per turn, so it is essential to use them thoughtfully. Deciding which Pokémon to attach Energy to and when to use moves is key to victory. Optimizing Energy distribution during deck building is an important point for creating a strong deck. For more details, please refer to "A Beginner's Guide to Pokémon Card Deck Building | How to Build a 60-Card Deck and Balance."

Trainer Cards (Support Cards)

Trainer cards are cards that exhibit various effects other than Pokémon and Energy. They have diverse effects such as drawing cards from the deck, healing Pokémon, and disrupting opponents.

Trainer cards are classified into three types: Support, Items, and Stadiums. You can only use one Support card per turn, but they have powerful effects. Many of them can significantly change the flow of the game, such as "drawing seven cards from the deck" or "recovering Pokémon from the discard pile."

Items can be used any number of times per turn. Their effects are more modest than Support cards, but their ease of use is appealing. They are helpful for fine-tuning, such as "searching for necessary cards from the deck" or "evolving Pokémon."

Stadiums can only be played one at a time on the field and continuously exert effects that influence both players. They can change the game environment, such as "increasing the HP of all Pokémon" or "strengthening specific types of Pokémon." When a new Stadium is played, the old one is discarded. By effectively combining these cards, you can create a user-friendly deck suitable for beginners. For more details, please refer to "5 Recommended Decks for Pokémon Card Beginners | Selected Strong and Easy-to-Use Decks."

Game Preparation and Initial Setup

Before starting a match, several preparations are necessary. By correctly following these steps, a fair game start can be achieved. Once you get used to it, the preparation can be completed in about a minute, so remember the order.

• Shuffle the deck and place the side cards
• Place the Basic Pokémon
• Decide who goes first and draw seven cards

Shuffle the Deck and Place the Side Cards

First, shuffle your deck (60 cards) well. Once shuffling is complete, place the deck face down in front of you as your draw pile.

Next, take 6 cards from the top of the draw pile and place them face down in a row. These are called side cards. Side cards are the cards you can take when your opponent's Pokémon is knocked out, and taking all 6 results in victory. Since side cards should not be viewed during the match, they must remain face down.

At this point, you have 54 cards in the draw pile and 6 cards in the side.

Placing Basic Pokémon

Draw 7 cards from the draw pile to form your initial hand. From this hand, choose 1 card that is a basic Pokémon and place it face down in the battle area. The battle area is directly in front of you, in front of the draw pile.

If you have 2 or more basic Pokémon in your hand, you can also place the remaining basic Pokémon face down on the bench. The bench is behind the battle area, and you can place up to 5 Pokémon there. It is up to you whether to place them on the bench, but it is common to have at least 1 or 2 as insurance in case your battling Pokémon is knocked out.

Once both players have finished placing their Pokémon, they reveal them simultaneously. This completes the preparation for the match. Once ready, understanding the flow of the actual match will help you progress smoothly through the game. For details, please refer to "A Comprehensive Explanation of the Flow of Pokémon Card Battles | Illustrated Guide from Preparation to Victory Determination".

What is a Mulligan?

If there are no basic Pokémon in your initial hand of 7 cards, you will perform a mulligan. A mulligan is a reshuffling rule.

Show your hand to your opponent to confirm that there are no basic Pokémon. After that, return all the cards in your hand to the draw pile, shuffle it, and draw 7 cards again. Repeat this process until you draw a basic Pokémon.

If a mulligan occurs, your opponent can draw 1 card from the draw pile for each mulligan you perform. This acts as a penalty for the player who mulligans, but it is not a significant disadvantage.

Deciding First or Second and Drawing 7 Cards

Once the Pokémon placement is complete, decide who goes first and who goes second. It is common to decide this by coin toss or rock-paper-scissors.

Once the first and second players are determined, the match begins. However, since you have already drawn 7 cards during the preparation phase, there is no need to draw again. The first player starts their turn.

Understanding the Flow of Turns

Understanding the flow of turns is the most important point of the basic rules of the Pokémon card game. By knowing what you can do on your turn, you can play smoothly in actual matches. A turn consists of three main steps.

• Step 1: Draw 1 card from the draw pile
• Step 2: Do what you can freely
• Step 3: Use a move to attack your opponent

Step 1: Draw 1 card from the draw pile

When your turn begins, first draw a card from the top of your deck and add it to your hand. This is an action that must be performed.

However, the first turn of the player going first (the very first turn right after the game starts) is an exception, and they cannot draw a card. This rule is in place to prevent the player going first from having too much of an advantage. The player going second can draw a card on their first turn, and the player going first can draw cards normally from their second turn onward.

If you cannot draw a card from the deck (when there are 0 cards in the deck), you lose at that point.

Step 2: Do what you can freely

After drawing a card, you can perform various actions freely. Actions can be divided into two types: "actions that can be done any number of times" and "actions that can be done only once." These can be executed in any order, but you must adhere to the limits on the number of times you can perform them.

Actions that can be done any number of times

The following actions can be performed any number of times during your turn. However, there may be restrictions based on the situation of your hand or bench.

Put a Basic Pokémon on the Bench: You can put a Basic Pokémon from your hand onto the bench. You can have a maximum of 5 Pokémon on the bench, so if there are already 5, you cannot put another one. You cannot put them in the battle area; they must be placed on the bench.

Evolve a Pokémon: You can place an Evolution Pokémon on top of a Pokémon that is already in play. However, Pokémon that were just put into play or that were just evolved during that turn cannot evolve. Also, you can only evolve one Pokémon per turn.

Use Items: You can use as many Trainer cards (Items) from your hand as you like. Items are single-use and are placed in the discard pile after their effects are applied.

Use Abilities: You can use the abilities that Pokémon have. Some abilities may have restrictions such as "once per turn," so be sure to read the card descriptions carefully.

Retreat a Pokémon: You can return a Pokémon from the battle area to the bench and bring one Pokémon from the bench to the battle area. However, you must discard energy equal to the Pokémon's retreat cost. If the retreat cost is 0, you can switch without discarding energy.

Actions that can be done only once

The following actions can only be performed once during your turn. It is important to use them at strategic timings.

Attach 1 Energy Card: You can choose 1 Energy card from your hand and attach it to one of your Pokémon (either in the battle area or on the bench). You can choose which Pokémon to attach it to. You can only attach 1 Energy per turn, so you need to use it strategically.

Use 1 Support Card: You can use 1 Trainer card (Support) from your hand. Support cards have powerful effects, but there is a limit of 1 per turn. After using it, place it in the discard pile.

Use 1 Attack: You can use one attack from a Pokémon in the battle area. Using an attack ends your turn. Therefore, it is basic to use attacks at the end of your turn. Attacks will be explained in detail in the next step.

Step 3: Use an Attack to Attack Your Opponent

At the end of your turn, you can use your Pokémon's moves to attack your opponent. To use a move, the necessary energy for that move must be attached to the Pokémon.

For example, if Pikachu's move "Thunder Shock" requires 2 Lightning Energy, you cannot use it unless Pikachu has at least 2 Lightning Energy attached. If you do not have enough energy, you can end your turn without using a move.

Using a move can deal damage to your opponent's battling Pokémon or trigger special effects. Damage accumulates on the opponent's Pokémon, and when the total damage reaches its HP, that Pokémon becomes "knocked out".

The damage of a move is affected by the opponent's Pokémon's weakness and resistance. If a move of a type that the opponent is weak to is used, the damage is doubled, and if a move of a type that the opponent is resistant to is used, the damage is reduced. Considering these factors in your strategy is key to victory.

Once you use a move, your turn ends. Pass the turn to your opponent and wait for their action.

What happens when a Pokémon is knocked out?

When the total damage a Pokémon has taken reaches its HP, that Pokémon is "knocked out". When a knockout occurs, several processes need to be carried out in order. Understanding these processes correctly can help avoid confusion during the match.

• All cards attached to the knocked-out Pokémon are discarded
• The opponent takes 1 prize card
• A new battling Pokémon is brought out

All cards attached to the knocked-out Pokémon are discarded

A knocked-out Pokémon is placed in the discard pile along with all cards attached to that Pokémon (energy cards, Pokémon tools, etc.). The discard pile is where used cards and knocked-out Pokémon are placed, essentially a "discard area".

If an evolved Pokémon is knocked out, all cards including its pre-evolution cards are also placed in the discard pile. For example, if Charizard is knocked out, both Charmander and Charmeleon are discarded together.

Cards placed in the discard pile cannot be used again during that game unless retrieved by the effect of specific Trainer cards.

The opponent takes 1 prize card

When your Pokémon is knocked out, the opponent can take 1 prize card and add it to their hand. This is a reward for knocking out your Pokémon.

If a regular Pokémon is knocked out, the opponent takes 1 prize card, but if a special Pokémon like "Pokémon ex" or "Pokémon V" is knocked out, they may take 2 or more prize cards. Check the upper right corner of the card for the text "Take ○ prize cards".

If the opponent takes all 6 prize cards, they win the game. Therefore, it is essential to always be aware of the remaining number of prize cards.

A new battling Pokémon is brought out

If a battling Pokémon is knocked out, its owner must immediately choose a new Pokémon from the bench and bring it to the battling area. This process is mandatory and cannot be skipped.

If there are no Pokémon on the bench, you cannot send out a new battle Pokémon, resulting in a loss at that point. This falls under one of the victory conditions: "defeating all of the opponent's Pokémon."

Once you send out a new battle Pokémon, continue the match as usual. If a knockout occurs during your turn, you can continue your turn. If it occurs during your opponent's turn, they will continue their turn.

Common Questions and Easily Confused Rules

We have compiled rules that beginners often find confusing and frequently asked questions. Understanding these in advance can help prevent troubles during matches.

• What happens during the first turn of the first player?
• How many times can you evolve in one turn?
• Can you attach energy to any Pokémon?
• When can you use Trainer cards?
• How do you retreat?

What happens during the first turn of the first player?

The first turn of the first player (the first turn right after the game starts) has special rules applied. Normally, you draw one card from your deck at the beginning of your turn, but you cannot draw a card during the first turn of the first player.

Additionally, you cannot use attacks during the first turn of the first player. Therefore, the actions you can take during the first turn of the first player are limited to putting basic Pokémon on the bench, attaching energy, and using Trainer cards. This rule is a balance adjustment to prevent the first player from having too much of an advantage.

How many times can you evolve in one turn?

There are several restrictions on Pokémon evolution. First, Pokémon that have just been put into play cannot evolve during that turn. They can evolve starting from the next turn.

Also, you can only evolve one Pokémon once per turn. For example, if you evolve Charmander into Charmeleon, you cannot evolve Charmeleon into Charizard during that same turn. You can evolve into Charizard in the next turn.

However, by using certain Trainer cards (like "Mystery Candy"), you may be able to ignore these restrictions and evolve.

Can you attach energy to any Pokémon?

Energy cards can be attached to any Pokémon on the battlefield or on the bench, so you can attach them to any Pokémon. Since you can only attach one card per turn, deciding which Pokémon to attach it to requires strategic judgment.

It is basic to attach energy to the Pokémon you want to use an attack with in the next turn, but you may also attach energy in advance to a bench Pokémon that you plan to bring into battle in the future.

When can you use Trainer cards?

Trainer cards can be used basically anytime during your turn. However, there are usage limits depending on the type.

You can use as many Item cards as you want in one turn. You can use one Supporter card per turn. You can only have one Stadium card in play, and if you play a new Stadium, the old one is discarded.

Note that you cannot use your Trainer cards during your opponent's turn.

How do you retreat?

To return a Pokémon from the battle field to the bench, use the action "run away". To run away, you need to trash energy equal to the Pokémon's "run away cost".

For example, if the run away cost is 2, you can return that Pokémon to the bench by trashing 2 energy cards attached to it. After running away, choose another Pokémon from the bench to bring into the battle field.

Pokémon with a run away cost of 0 can return to the bench freely without trashing energy. You can execute run away as many times as you want in a turn, but since it consumes a lot of energy, use it strategically.

Summary: Once you remember the basic rules, try battling for real

In this article, we explained the basic rules of the Pokémon card game for beginners. You learned about the three victory conditions, types of cards, game setup, turn flow, and how to handle knockouts, covering the necessary knowledge for battles.

The best way to learn the rules of Pokémon cards is to play the game. You may feel confused at first, but after a few battles, it will come naturally. The official starter set also includes simplified rules for beginners, so it's recommended to practice with that first.

If you have questions about the finer details of the rules, refer to the Q&A on the official site or the rule explanations on the back of the cards. Additionally, battling with experienced players can provide practical advice to help you improve smoothly.

Once you understand the basic rules, the next step is to learn about deck building and strategies. The Pokémon card game has a deep world with endless combinations of cards and tactics. For beginner-friendly decks, you can refer to "5 Recommended Decks for Pokémon Card Beginners | Selected Strong and Easy-to-Use Decks" and "Comparison of Recommended Starter Products for Pokémon Card Beginners | 2025 Edition". Start your fun Pokémon card life with friends and family.