Booster pack (TCG)
Booster packs are typically packs of 10 cards from an expansion in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
Terminology
In official media, this is consistently written as "booster pack" in lowercase. For instance, in the TCG manual released in 2023:
- "Once you’re ready, you can start building your collection of cards with Pokémon TCG booster packs." (page 3)
As an exception from early official media, this was written in title case as "Booster Pack" in the manual of Pokémon Trading Card Game for Game Boy Color:
- "When you win a duel, you will receive a Booster Pack. Each Booster Pack contains 10 cards, and the cards available in the different Booster Packs will vary." (page 25)
Overview
Boosters offer the chance to acquire cards to strengthen Theme Decks, create new decks, or customize old ones. Boosters contain cards that vary by Rarity level, representing how likely or unlikely the card may be found in a booster. These Rarity levels include Common (
), Uncommon (
), and Rare (
) cards, as well as occasionally "ultra rare" cards such as Pokémon 
and Pokémon 
.
- For a full description of Common (), Uncommon (), and Rare () cards see the Rarity article.
Booster packs have contained varying amounts of cards over the years. From the first Base Set through to Neo Destiny expansion, boosters contained 11 cards. Beginning with the e-Card Series and continuing through the entirety of the EX Series, boosters had only 9 cards. Since the release of the first Diamond & Pearl expansion, booster size was increased to 10. Starting in Sun & Moon, boosters additionally contain one Basic Energy card. Between Brilliant Stars and Crown Zenith, a booster pack has a chance of having a VSTAR marker instead of a Basic Energy card.
Pull ratio
Every booster pack is guaranteed to contain at least 1 Rare () card, generally 3 Uncommon () cards, and the remainder are Common (). However, the Rare card(s) may have a rarity of Rare (★), Holofoil rare, or be a "super rare" card mentioned above, such as a Pokémon-ex. Since the release of the Legendary Collection expansion, one Reverse-Holo (also known as Reverse foil) print of a Common, Uncommon, or Rare card has also been included in every booster. A Reverse-Holo card is identical to its normal counterpart, aside from a Holofoil effect in the picture or card background. Reverse-Holo cards in the EX Series also contain a stamp of the expansion logo in the bottom right corner of the picture. The inclusion of Reverse-Holo rare and Holofoil rare cards created the potential that one booster may contain two rare cards.
Starting in Scarlet & Violet, a booster pack contains the cards as specified in the table below. Starting in this expansion, if a Rare card is in a booster pack, it will always be a Holofoil card.
| Quantity | Rarity |
|---|---|
| 4 | Common
|
| 3 | Uncommon
|
| 1 | Reverse Holo |
 Shiny Rare (Paldean Fates only)
| |
 Shiny Ultra Rare (Paldean Fates only)
| |
 ACE SPEC Rare (Temporal Forces onward)
| |
| 1 | Reverse Holo |
 Illustration Rare
| |
 Special Illustration Rare
| |
 Hyper Rare
| |
| 1 | Rare
|
 Double Rare
| |
 Ultra Rare
| |
| 1 | Basic Energy card |
| 1 | Pokémon Trading Card Game Live code card |
Code cards
Certain specially-marked physical Pokémon Trading Card Game products will come with a code card that can be used to redeem virtual cards or other virtual products for the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online (TCGO) and Pokémon Trading Card Game Live (TCGL). Code cards are available in booster packs and other products that state that they contain a code card or contain the TCGO or TCGL symbol on the packaging.
Each code card has a unique 11-digit alphanumeric code and an equivalent QR Code that can be redeemed on the official Pokémon website Pokémon.com or in-game. Each card can only be redeemed once. The codes found in booster packs will generate a set of virtual cards that is different from the physical cards that were inside the pack.
|
This article is part of Project TCG, a Bulbapedia project that aims to report on every aspect of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. |