Learn To Play! - Pokémon Trading Card Game

Hey everyone! 

Tank the Dragon here to teach all of you how to play one of the most popular and fastest growing games at Dice Addiction, the Pokémon Trading Card Game! Below this, you will find a complete guide for learning how to play including setting up the game, how turns work, how to win, and all the various status conditions your Pokémon can end up being affected by throughout a game! We have also included the deck requirements for having an official tournament legal deck which you can use for our Sunday or Tuesday Pokémon tournaments! Check it out and come enjoy one of the most fun trading card games in the world!

If you have any questions, give us a call at 918-932-8226 or message us on any of our social media! Enjoy learning how to play an amazing game!

#diceaddiction #tankthedragon #shopsmall #shoplocal #pokemon #learntoplay #howtoplay #tutorial #pkmn #gottacatchemall #demo #tcg #tradingcardgame 

Table of Contents

PLAYING THE GAME

START OF GAME PROCEDURE

1. Flip a coin. The winner of the coin flip decides which player goes first.  
2. Shuffle your deck and draw the top 7 cards. 
3. Check to see if you have any Basic Pokémon in your hand. 
4. Put one of your Basic Pokémon face down as your Active Pokémon.
5. Put Basic Pokémon onto your Bench (as many as you want, up to 5)
6. Place 6 cards face down from the top of your deck into your Prize Zone. These are your Prize Cards.

PLAYER’S TURN PROCEDURE

1. Draw a Card (you must do this at the beginning of each of YOUR turns)
2. Put Basic Pokémon onto your Bench (as many as you want, up to 5)
3. Attach 1 Energy card to 1 of your Pokémon (only once per turn)
4. Retreat your active Pokémon (only once per turn)
5. Evolve Pokémon (Once per turn per Pokémon. Cannot evolve Pokémon the turn they are played.)
6. Play Trainer cards (as many as you want, but only 1 Supporter card per turn)
7. Attack with your Active Pokémon (if you can not attack, tell your opponent your turn is over)

HOW TO WIN

• Take all of your Prize Cards
• Knock out all of your opponent’s Pokémon in play
• Your opponent has no cards in their deck at the beginning of their turn when they attempt to draw a card.

Status Conditions

Asleep - Turn the Pokémon counterclockwise to show that it is Asleep. If a Pokémon is Asleep, it cannot attack or retreat. During Pokémon Checkup, flip a coin. If you flip heads, the Pokémon recovers (turn the card right-side up), but, if you flip tails, it stays Asleep.

Burned - When a Pokémon is Burned, put a Burn marker on it. During Pokémon Checkup, put 2 damage counters on your Burned Pokémon, then flip a coin. If heads, the Pokémon recovers (remove the Burn marker). A Pokémon cannot have two Burn markers; if an attack would give it another Burn marker, the new Burned Condition simply replaces the old one. Make sure your Burn markers look different from your damage counters.

Confused - Turn a Confused Pokémon with its head pointed toward you to show that it is Confused. If your Pokémon is Confused, you must flip a coin before attacking with it. If heads, the attack works normally. If tails, the attack fails and you put 3 damage counters on your Confused Pokémon.

Paralyzed - Turn a Paralyzed Pokémon clockwise to show that it is Paralyzed. If a Pokémon is Paralyzed, it cannot attack or retreat. After its owner’s next turn, it recovers during Pokémon Checkup (turn the card right-side up).

Poisoned - When a Pokémon is Poisoned, put a Poison marker on it. During Pokémon Checkup, put a damage counter on your Poisoned Pokémon. A Pokémon cannot have two Poison markers; if an attack would give it another Poison marker, the new Poisoned Condition simply replaces the old one. Make sure your Poison markers look different from your damage counters.

Removing Special Conditions - When a Pokémon evolves or moves to the Bench, it recovers from all Special Conditions. The only Special Conditions that prevent Pokémon from retreating are Asleep and Paralyzed. 

Since Asleep, Confused, and Paralyzed all rotate the Pokémon card, whichever one most recently affected the Pokémon is the only one that is still in effect. Since Poisoned and Burned use markers, those don’t affect other Special Conditions. An unfortunate Pokémon could be Burned, Paralyzed, and Poisoned all at the same time!

Official Pokémon Tournament Deck Requirements

• 60 card deck
• Can have as many Basic energy as you’d like
• Cannot have more than 4 of any other type of cards
• Can only have one ‘Radiant’ Pokémon in your deck