Play alternates between players who may take several actions during their turn, including playing additional Basic Pokémon, evolving their Pokémon, playing Trainer cards, which includes Item cards (Trainer cards that you can play any amount of during a turn), Supporter cards (Trainer cards that you can play 1 of during a turn), Stadium cards (powerful Trainer cards that stay in play when you play them), Pokémon Tool cards (Trainer cards that can be attached to a Pokémon), attaching 1 Energy card, and using Pokémon Abilities and attacking. Once both players have at least one Basic Pokémon, they can play up to five more Basic Pokémon onto their Bench, and then take the top six cards of their deck and place them to the side as Prize cards. If a player does not have any Basic Pokémon, they must call mulligan, shuffle, and then draw another hand until they draw a Basic Pokémon the opponent may draw one additional card per mulligan. This Pokémon is the one that is actively attacking and receiving damage. Players shuffle their decks and draw seven cards, and then each puts one Basic Pokémon in play as their Active Pokémon. The player going first cannot attack or play a Supporter card on their first turn, unless they have a card that specifies otherwise. (Dice may be used in place of coins, with even numbers representing heads and odd numbers representing tails dice are also primarily used in official tournaments organized by The Pokémon Company). 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. the row behind the Active Spot, fighting Pokémon that houses five additional Pokémon to supplant the Active Pokémon if it retreats or is 'Knocked Out') so the opponent has no Pokémon left, or if at the opponent's turn there are no cards left to draw into their deck. Other ways to win are by 'Knocking Out' all the Pokémon the opponent has on their Bench (i.e.

Prize cards are primary win conditions, with the possession of six Prize cards being an instantaneous win. For each of the opponent's 'Knocked Out' Pokémon the victor scores 1 Prize card, although some special card mechanics grant up to 2 or 3 Prize cards in accordance with their higher hierarchy. A Pokémon that has sustained enough damage from attacks–that reaches or exceeds its HP–is referred to as being 'Knocked Out'.

Each player puts one Pokémon into play as their Active Pokémon and attacks their opponent's Active Pokémon.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a strategy-based card game that is usually played on a designated playmat where two players (assuming the role of Pokémon Trainer) use their Pokémon to battle each other. Active Pokémon, Bench Pokémon, Deck and Discard Pile An official Pokémon TCG playmat with labels of different gameplay aspects, e.g.

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