How to Get Rare Cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket: Complete Guide

Pokemon TCG Pocket gives you multiple routes to rare cards: opening packs, Wonder Pick, trading, events, and the elusive god pack. Each has different odds, costs, and strategies. The best collectors use all five in combination rather than relying on any single method.

Packs are the primary way cards enter the game. But opening randomly is a waste of resources.

Each set has multiple pack types, and each type has different card pools. Before opening, check which pack contains the specific card you want. Our card database shows which pack each card appears in.

Focus your pack openings on one set at a time until you have the cards you need, then move on. Spreading opens across multiple sets is the slowest way to complete any of them.

TCG Pocket gives you two free pack openings per day. Over a month, that is 60 packs — enough to pull several rares and a decent shot at an EX card. Never skip your daily opens.

The hourly bonus pack timer also adds up. Set a reminder to claim these, especially during events that boost rates.

Save pack tickets for sets where you need specific crown rares or where you are close to set completion. The expected packs to pull a crown rare is around 1,500, so pack tickets alone will not get you there — but they supplement your daily opens and improve your odds. See Pull Rates Explained for the math.

Wonder Pick lets you grab a card from another player's recent pack opening. It is a lottery with visible options — you see the cards face-down and pick one.

Always check what cards are available before spending Wonder Pick stamina. If the pool does not contain anything you need, skip it.

Wonder Pick stamina regenerates over time. Use it strategically on pools that show high-rarity cards, not on common pools.

Friend Wonder Picks offer better pools. Add active friends and check their picks daily.

Trading is the most reliable way to get specific rare cards, and it is the backbone of the TCG Pocket economy. See our best cards to trade guide for what is hot right now.

Open packs for mid-rarity cards (standard EX and high-value rares), then trade multiples of these for single high-value cards. This is far more efficient than trying to pull specific crown rares from packs.

Use our Trade Finder to find favourable trade ratios and our Value Checker to make sure you are not overpaying.

New set releases create price volatility. Old chase cards dip as players focus on new ones. This is the best window to trade for older crown rares.

Conversely, if you pull a new chase card early, its trade value is highest in the first few days. Trade it quickly if you do not need it.

TCG Pocket regularly runs events that offer rare card rewards, boosted pull rates, or special packs. These are some of the best opportunities to add rares to your collection.

Solo missions often reward specific promo cards that cannot be obtained any other way. Complete every event mission — the promos may not seem valuable now, but limited supply means their trade value can spike later.

Event-exclusive packs sometimes feature boosted pull rates for certain rarities. When these appear, prioritise them over standard pack openings.

The ultimate jackpot. A god pack replaces all five cards in a pack opening with rare or higher cards. The odds are extremely low — roughly 1 in 2,500 packs. See our complete God Pack Odds Guide for the full breakdown.

You cannot chase god packs strategically — they are pure luck. But if you hit one, it can fill multiple collection gaps instantly. Every card in a god pack is at least rare-tier, and crown rares are possible.

The most efficient collectors in TCG Pocket combine all five methods. Here is the daily routine that maximises your rare card intake: