Pokemon Cards - Strategies for Beginners

2009-08-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

Learning how to play Pokemon cards is a fun and rewarding hobby. It can take a lifetime to master the game, but even just becoming a somewhat competent player can make for a very enjoyable experience. I have been playing Pokemon cards for over 10 years now and here are some of my top tips for anyone who is just getting started:

1. Organize Your Hand
While playing the Pokemon TCG, I highly advise you to keep your hand in order. When I say this, I mean that you should keep different types of cards separated (not mixed together) in your hand.

The way I like to do it is to keep all my Energy cards in the back, Trainers in the middle, and Pokemon in the front. This way I can quickly find any card I need to play, and I never accidently "lose" a card in my hand; I know exactly where everything is.

2. Announce All Your Moves
Whenever you play an Energy card from your hand, verbally announce that you just played it. The same holds true for Trainer cards and Pokemon cards. It is beneficial to get into this habit for a couple reasons.

When you iterate what you are doing, your opponent will never be baffled by any plays you are making. It is only when players do not say what they are doing that disputes occur. Your opponent may have no idea what you are doing, and it can be a hassle to redo all your moves to explain the preceding sequence of events.

I also find that by announcing your attacks, you will be more confident of your play. You will never second guess yourself. For example, you may be unsure if you already played your Energy attachment for your turn. If you were to verbally dictate each time you attached an Energy, you would be much more likely to remember that you did.

3. Focus on Your Opponents Moves
During your opponent's turn, do not sit and stare at your hand or your side of the field; watch what your opponent is doing! This is when you should be calculating your opponent's initiatives and planning what you will do during your turn.

All too often I see players have to think extra hard during their turn about what to do, when they could have just followed along with their opponent's turn and plan ahead. You will make better plays when you do this, too.

4. Keep Your Cards in Play Organized
Make sure all your cards on your side of the field are neatly arranged. You will find it much easier to manage your plan of attack when your cards are all in order. When things are disheveled, you may not notice cards you have in play, such as Energy cards. This can be extremely detrimental if you make a mistake like this.

Also, make sure your opponent's prizes are in order. Some players are dishonest and will arrange their prizes so that you cannot tell how many they have left. They may even only put 5 prizes out instead of the standard 6. You should always be able to clearly tell how many prizes your opponent has left in play.

I hope this article has given you some new ideas to try out when you are playing the Pokemon TCG. If you want to learn even more tips and strategies, check out my site here: Pokemon Cards