Pokémon TCG vs TCG Pocket: Every Rule Difference Explained
Moving from Pokémon TCG Pocket to the physical card game (or the other way)? Compare deck size, copy limits, Energy, Prize cards vs points, Bench size, Weakness, mulligans and first-turn rules.
Last updated · 4 min read
Pokémon TCG Pocket brought millions of new players to Pokémon cards on their phones. If you enjoyed it and want to try the physical Pokémon Trading Card Game (or Pokémon TCG Live, its official digital version), the good news is that the core idea is the same: put Pokémon in play, attach Energy, attack, and Knock Out your opponent’s Pokémon. The bad news is that almost every number is different.
This guide compares the two side by side so you can switch without picking up habits that are illegal in the other game.
Quick comparison
| Rule | Pokémon TCG (cards and TCG Live) | TCG Pocket |
|---|---|---|
| Deck size | Exactly 60 cards | Exactly 20 cards |
| Copies of one card | Up to 4 (Basic Energy unlimited) | Up to 2 |
| Energy | Energy cards in your deck, 1 attachment per turn | No Energy cards; the Energy Zone makes 1 Energy per turn |
| How you win | Take 6 Prize cards | Score 3 points |
| Pokémon ex | Gives up 2 Prize cards | Worth 2 points |
| Mega Evolution ex | Gives up 3 Prize cards | Worth 3 points |
| Bench | Up to 5 | Up to 3 |
| Opening hand | 7 cards, mulligan if no Basic | 5 cards, always at least 1 Basic |
| Hand limit | None | 10 cards |
| Weakness | Damage ×2 | +20 damage |
| Resistance | −30 on some cards | Not used |
TCG Pocket receives updates, so check the in-game help for the latest details. The physical game’s rules are in the official rulebook.
Deck building: 60 cards and 4 copies
The biggest adjustment is deck size. A Pocket deck of 20 cards with 2 copies of each key card is very consistent: you see most of your deck every game. In a 60-card deck you will see far less of it, so players use 4 copies of their most important cards and lots of search and draw cards to find them.
Our deck-building probability guide shows how often you open with a card at 1–4 copies, and the beginner deck-building guide has a starting template.
Energy: cards instead of a zone
In Pocket, the Energy Zone gives you one Energy of your deck’s type each turn for free. In the physical game, Energy is a card you have to draw. You attach one Energy card from your hand per turn, so a good deck runs enough Energy cards (often around 8–14) plus cards that find or accelerate Energy.
This also means Energy is a resource your opponent can attack: some cards discard Energy from your Pokémon, and retreating costs Energy you will have to replace. See retreating and switching.
Winning: Prize cards instead of points
Pocket counts points: 1 for a regular Pokémon, 2 for a Pokémon ex, 3 for a Mega Evolution ex, and the first to 3 wins. The physical game uses 6 Prize cards set aside face down at the start. Each Knock Out lets you take 1, 2 or 3 of them, and you win when you take your last one.
Because Prize cards are random cards from your own deck, a key card can be “prized” and unavailable until you take it. That is why deck-builders worry about copy counts. More in Prize cards and winning.
You can also win by leaving your opponent with no Pokémon in play, or when they cannot draw at the start of their turn.
A bigger Bench
You can have 5 Pokémon on the Bench instead of 3. That gives more room to set up evolutions, but also more targets for attacks that hit the Bench.
Setup and mulligans
In Pocket your 5-card opening hand always contains a Basic Pokémon. In the physical game you draw 7 cards, and if none is a Basic Pokémon you must mulligan: reveal your hand, shuffle it back and draw 7 again. Your opponent may draw an extra card each time. See going first and mulligans.
First turn
In both games the first player is held back on turn one, but the details differ:
- Physical TCG: the first player draws, may attach an Energy card, and may play Items, but cannot attack and cannot play a Supporter.
- Pocket: the first player does not get Energy from the Energy Zone on their first turn.
In both games, no one can evolve on their first turn or evolve a Pokémon the turn it was played.
Weakness and Resistance
Pocket adds a flat +20 damage for Weakness. The physical game doubles the damage, which makes Weakness much more important: a 120-damage attack becomes 240. Some physical cards also have Resistance (−30). Read Weakness and Resistance for details.
Trainers: more kinds, same idea
Both games have Items and Supporters, with one Supporter per turn. The physical game also has Stadiums, Pokémon Tools, Special Energy and ACE SPEC cards, each with their own limits. See Pokémon card types explained.
Tracking the board without an app doing it for you
In Pocket the game tracks damage, conditions and points automatically. With physical cards, you track them yourself. PTCG Companion does that job on a phone placed between the players: HP and damage for each Pokémon, Special Conditions with automatic Pokémon Checkup, Prize cards, coin flips and a match timer.
Ready to try it?
Start with how to play the Pokémon TCG, then skim the common rules mistakes list. Most mistakes Pocket players make in their first physical games are on it.
