Pokemon Trading Card Game

The Pokémon Trading Card Game , abbreviated to PTCG or Pokémon TCG, is a collectible card game based on the Pokémon franchise by Nintendo. In the US, it was initially published by Wizards of the Coast; Nintendo eventually transferred the rights to The Pokémon Company which has published the game since June 2003. As of March 2021, the game has sold over 34.1 billion cards worldwide. Players assume the role of a Pokémon trainer and use their Pokémon to battle their opponent's Pokémon. Players play Pokémon to the field and attack their opponent's Pokémon. There are usually six Prize cards, and the primary win condition is to draw all of them. Other ways to win are by knocking out all the Pokémon the opponent has on the field so that the opponent has none left, or if at the beginning of their opponent's turn there are no cards left to draw in the opponent's deck. Players begin by having one player select heads or tails, and the other flips a coin; the winner of the coin flip will decide who goes first or second. This Pokémon is known as the Active Pokémon and is usually the one that attacks and receives damage. If a player does not have any Basic Pokémon, they must shuffle and draw a new hand, and the opponent may draw one additional card. Players then take the top six cards of their deck and place them to the side as Prize Cards. Play then begins with the player who won the coin flip. Play alternates between players who may take several actions during their turn, including playing new Basic Pokémon, evolving their Pokémon, playing Trainer cards and Energy cards, and using Pokémon Abilities.