Pokemon TCG packs explained: Amount, what’s inside & more

How to tell apart different Pokemon packs, how big each one is, how many cards come inside different packs, and more.

Buying Pokemon card booster packs online can be a bit like shopping in the Wild West. Now that Pokemon has been around for nearly three decades and the Pokemon TCG is just as old, there’s a lot of junk out there, and just as much treasure.

The cards are iconic and still selling huge numbers, so if you want to dip into the Pokemon Trading Card game and get buying those cards, we’re here to explain the humble Pokemon card pack.

Pokemon cards come in a variety of forms, from gold cards to energy cards, and every buyer’s nightmare, the much dreaded fake Pokemon card. Given that the cards come in all shapes and sizes — even McDonald’s occasionally releases promotional cards in their Happy Meals, like their 2023 Scarlet & Violet promo release — it makes sense to be well-informed before throwing down your hard-earned bucks.

Usually, however, people prefer to buy Pokemon Booster Packs over buying singles. Booster Packs usually include around ten cards and are random.

There’s something very satisfying about opening these fresh shiny packets, and you will find numerous channels on TikTok, Twitch, Instagram, and, YouTube, where people pull cards from new and existing sets.

So, get ready to learn all about different packs of Pokemon cards with our guide:

Contents

• How many Pokemon cards are in a pack?
• How big are Pokemon cards from packs?
• What are TCG Live Code Cards and how do you redeem the codes?
• What’s inside a God pack?

How many Pokemon cards are in a pack?

One should expect 11 playable cards plus one code card in total.

The contents of a packet of Pokemon cards vary depending on the set. But for packets in the Pokemon: Scarlet & Violet series of Pokemon cards, and the expansions to the set, i.e. Obsidian Flames, Paldean Fates, each contain 10 cards plus a Basic Energy card and a TCG Live Code card.

This gives a pull ratio of 4 common cards, 3 uncommon cards, and 3 foil cards; of these one or more will be rare, ultra, secret, or, hyper rare.

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Prior to the S/V base set, fans only had a guaranteed chance to pull one reverse holofoil. To clarify, holo cards have shiny artwork, and reverse holo cards are shiny except for the artwork.

Curiously, the lowest amount of cards that ever come inside a pack will be 9. This began with the E-reader series of Pokemon cards, whereby cards could be scanned via the Nintendo e-reader accessory for the Game Boy Advance.

This number of cards remained constant until the Diamond and Pearl when 10-card boosters were introduced. It was then that an energy card was introduced in Sun & Moon. That change took the number of cards per pack to 11, the same number of cards that featured in the original base set.

When Scarlet & Violet was released, packs started to come with 11 cards plus one additional TCG Live code card.

How big are Pokemon cards from packs?

Pokemon cards are usually of the same size, except for promotional ‘Jumbo’ size Pokemon cards which sometimes come in premium collections and V boxes. So how big are they?

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Pokemon cards are a standard trading card size, 6.3 cm x 8.8 cm, which is 2.5 x 3.5 inches.

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Pokemon card packs are 11.7 cm x 6.7 cm, or 4.6 inches x 2.6 inches.

Jumbo-sized cards are a fair bit bigger, and, can vary from 10.2 cm x 15.2 inches which is 4 x 6 inches, all the way to 20.3 cm x 28 cm or 8 x 11 inches.

Miniature cards, such as those included in the Trick or Trade booster bundle are smaller, and usually 5 cm x 3.8 cm or 2 x 1.5 inches.

What are TCG Live Code Cards and how do you redeem the codes?

TCG code cards are the final card in packs which feature a scannable QR code and regular code that can be exchanged for an online Pokemon card packet from the equivalent series. They feature text about the TCG Live app on the back instead of the usual Pokeball on playable cards.

Pokemon TCG live codes are redeemable via the Pokemon TCG Live App or online. Simply go to the “Shop” tab and then click “Redeem” to begin scanning the QR codes. You can input up to 10 code cards at a time. Once you’re done, hit “Claim Now” and you can begin ripping your virtual packs!

Read our guide for a more in-depth look at how to redeem Pokemon TCG Live Code cards.

What’s inside a God pack?

God packs are packs that are incredibly rare, approximately one packet per case of booster boxes contains them, although pull rates vary between sets. They’re incredibly desirable as they contain 10 Super-Rare cards plus an Energy Card, and sometimes certain cards can only be obtained in a God pack.

For example in the Shiny Star V expansion, pull rates were reportedly 1/600, however, in Tag All Stars pull rates were 1/250. Most recently, God Packs were confirmed in both Shiny Treasures ex and its upcoming Western counterpart, Paldean Fates.

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