Every game of the Pokémon Trading Card Game starts with a deck. Your deck must contain exactly 60 cards. No more, no less. It's a mix of three different types of cards: Pokémon, Energy, and Trainer cards.

Energy cards are the fuel for your Pokémon's attacks. Most attacks require a certain number and type of Energy to be attached to the Pokémon before it can be used. You can only attach one Energy card per turn.

Once you have your deck, it's time to set up the game. Both players follow these steps simultaneously:

1. Shuffle and Draw: Shuffle your 60-card deck and draw the top 7 cards. This is your starting hand.
2. Choose Your Active Pokémon: Look for a Basic Pokémon in your hand. Place one facedown in the center of your play area. This is your Active Pokémon, the one that does the fighting.
3. Set Up Your Bench: If you have other Basic Pokémon in your hand, you can place up to five of them facedown on your Bench, a row behind your Active Pokémon.
4. Place Prize Cards: Take the top 6 cards from your deck and place them facedown to the side. These are your Prize cards. You'll take one every time you Knock Out an opponent's Pokémon.
5. Let's Go! Flip a coin. The winner decides who goes first. Then, both players flip their Active and Benched Pokémon faceup.

If you don't have a Basic Pokémon in your starting hand, you must show your hand to your opponent, shuffle it back into your deck, and draw 7 new cards. You repeat this until you get a Basic Pokémon. Each time you do this (after the first), your opponent gets to draw an extra card.

Turns have a clear structure. The very first turn of the game is a bit different: the player who goes first cannot attack.

Every turn begins the same way: you draw a card from your deck. After you draw, you can do any of the following actions in any order you like:

• Bench a Basic Pokémon from your hand.
• Evolve a Pokémon that has been in play for at least one turn.
• Attach one Energy card from your hand to one of your Pokémon.
• Play Trainer cards from your hand (but only one Supporter card per turn).
• Use Abilities on your Pokémon.
• Retreat your Active Pokémon by paying its Retreat Cost. You swap it with one from your Bench.

Once you're done with all your actions, you can end your turn by attacking with your Active Pokémon. To attack, you must have the required Energy attached. Announce the attack, calculate the damage (applying Weakness and Resistance), and place damage counters on the opponent's Pokémon. If a Pokémon's damage equals or exceeds its HP, it's Knocked Out. The owner discards it, and the other player takes one Prize card.

Unlike some games, there's more than one way to claim victory in the Pokémon TCG. You win the game if any of these three conditions are met:

Understanding these core rules is the first step. Knowing what you can do each turn and how to win will guide every decision you make, from building your deck to playing your final card.