50 Fun Facts About Pokemon Cards

Which company developed the card game itself?

Creatures founder Tsunekazu Ishihara designed the card game and later became president of The Pokémon Company.

In what year was the TCG first published in Japan?

It arrived in October 1996, the same year as the original Red and Green Game Boy games.

Which Japanese company first published the card game in 1996?

Worldwide publishing is now handled by The Pokémon Company.

Which US company originally held the license to publish the game in English?

Wizards was already the producer of Magic: The Gathering when it picked up Pokémon in 1998.

How many cards are in a standard Pokémon TCG deck?

Players draw seven cards to start and set six aside as prizes before play begins.

How many prize cards does each player set aside at the start of a game?

Taking all of them is the most common way to win.

What is the maximum number of Pokémon a player can have on the Bench?

With one Active Pokémon, that makes six in play at most.

How many cards does each player draw for their opening hand?

A hand with no Basic Pokémon forces a mulligan, and the opponent may draw an extra card.

Which of these is one of the five Special Conditions in the TCG?

The full list is Asleep, Burned, Confused, Paralyzed and Poisoned.

Before 2011, what were Pokémon Abilities called?

Poké-Powers were typically activated once per turn, while Poké-Bodies were passive.

From which series were Trainer cards split into Item, Stadium and Supporter?

Scarlet & Violet later split Pokémon Tools out of Items as their own category.

How many Supporter cards may a player use in a single turn?

Supporters carry the strongest Trainer effects, which is why they are rationed.

How many different Basic Energy types exist in the TCG?

They are Grass, Fire, Water, Lightning, Psychic, Fighting, Darkness, Metal and Fairy.

Which TCG type has no Basic Energy card of its own?

Dragon attacks are powered by combinations of other Energy types instead.

Since Sword & Shield, Poison-type Pokémon are classed under which TCG type?

Poison types were previously Psychic, and before that Grass.

Which expansion first gave Dragonite and its kin their own type listing?

Before that, Dragon Pokémon were treated as Colorless.

The Fairy type was introduced to the card game in which set?

Fairy Pokémon were later folded into Psychic starting with Sword & Shield.

In what year did the first English expansion launch in the United States?

It was released on January 9, 1999, a little over two years after Japan.

Which was the only expansion released without a set logo or symbol?

The only other symbol-less cards are the error "no-symbol" Jungle prints.

Which was the final English set published before the 2003 license transfer?

Skyridge closed out the e-Card era in 2003, and its holos remain among the priciest modern-era chase cards.

Hasbro paid roughly how much for the TCG's original US publisher in 1999?

The purchase was made largely on the strength of the Pokémon license.

Who illustrated the Pikachu Illustrator card?

Nishida is also the original designer of Pikachu itself.

How many copies of the Pikachu Illustrator card were printed?

They were prizes in 1997-1998 design contests, which is why so few exist.

Which celebrity bought a Pikachu Illustrator for $5,275,000 in July 2021?

He later wore a Charizard card around his neck for his fight with Floyd Mayweather.

The Pikachu Illustrator was a prize in contests organized by which Japanese magazine?

Its Japanese text certifies the winner as an officially authorized card illustrator.

For how much did a Pikachu Illustrator sell in February 2026?

A PSA 9 copy sold at Heritage Auctions a month later for about $1.4 million.

Which shape marks a Rare card in the bottom corner?

Commons use a circle and Uncommons a diamond.

How many cards does a standard booster pack contain?

A typical pull is five Commons, three Uncommons, a reverse holo and sometimes a Rare.

How many booster packs are in a booster box?

Booster bundles, by contrast, hold six packs.

What does PSA stand for in card grading?

A PSA 10 (Gem Mint) value is the usual benchmark for a card's maximum worth.

The fan-named "Moonbreon" is an alternate-art Umbreon VMAX from which set?

It became one of the most sought-after cards of the Sword & Shield era.

Where was the first Pokémon TCG tournament held in June 1997?

Entry was by lottery, so many winning decks were oddly built by modern standards.

Which city hosted the first Pokémon TCG World Championships in 2004?

More than 100 invited players competed at the Florida event.

From what age do tournament players compete in the Masters division?

Juniors are 11 and under; Seniors are 12 to 15.

Which Japanese body designs new cards and is the final authority on rulings?

It can issue errata and even change card text after publishing.

Uri Geller sued Nintendo over which spoon-bending Pokémon?

Geller dropped the case in 2020, clearing the way for Kadabra to return to the card game.

Which two real cards were left out of the Game Boy Color TCG game?

Their tabletop effects were too hard to translate, so game-exclusive versions stood in.

How many cards feature in the Game Boy Color adaptation of the TCG?

They cover the first three sets plus exclusives not available anywhere else.

A promo card featuring which Pokémon was packed with the Game Boy Color TCG game?

It was a Wizards of the Coast exclusive issued with the 2000 North American release.

Which country banned the Game Boy Color card game over alleged Zionist symbols?

A sheikh claimed the cards bore the star of David.

Under what name did Pokémon TCG Online launch in March 2011?

Within weeks, code cards bundled in physical boosters could be redeemed for digital packs.

Which set was the last supported on Pokémon TCG Online before it closed?

Players could carry their accounts over to the replacement, Pokémon TCG Live.

Which mobile company co-developed Pokémon TCG Pocket?

DeNA reported an 8,126.8% jump in profit thanks to the game.

What was the launch set of Pokémon TCG Pocket?

It was split across three booster packs, with Mythical Island following in December 2024.

How many cards are in a Pokémon TCG Pocket booster pack?

One free pack opens every 12 hours, and hourglasses can shave off the wait.

How many points win a battle in Pokémon TCG Pocket?

The physical game uses six prize cards instead.

What did a first edition 1999 Charizard No. 4 fetch at Heritage Auctions in 2022?

Logan Paul is widely credited with driving up demand for Charizard cards.

Which set first introduced dual-type Pokémon cards?

XY Steam Siege revived the mechanic in 2016 on regular Pokémon and Pokémon-EX.

Which villain group debuted in the Japan-only sequel Pokémon Card GB2?

Released in 2001, it was the first Pokémon game published by The Pokémon Company.

A YouTuber wore a Charizard card round his neck for a bout with which boxer?

Logan Paul's 2021 exhibition helped send Charizard prices soaring.