Pokemon TCG Pocket: Card rarity guide

The Pokemon TCG Pocket mobile game introduces a new way for fans to enjoy the Trading Card Game through immersive visuals, interactive card designs and a simplified battling system. One of the most important aspects of collecting in this game is understanding the rarity system. Each card’s rarity is symbolized and directly affects its appearance, availability, and how you obtain it.

In this guide, we’ll break down every rarity tier in Pokemon TCGP, from the common diamond cards to the ultra-rare crown and shiny variants. We'll also explain how these rarities affect drop rates, purchasing options, and how many packs you’ll need to open to get them. Let’s take a closer look.

How card rarity works in Pokemon TCG Pocket

Gold Crown cards in the game (Image via The Pokemon Company)

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In Pokemon TCG Pocket, each card’s rarity is marked in the bottom-left corner, just beneath the illustrator’s name. These rarity levels are represented by symbols, and they also influence the card’s art style and effects. Here's a breakdown of the main rarity symbols:

Diamond: Common to rare cards with standard or slightly enhanced artwork.
Star: Full art or holographic versions of Pokemon.
Rainbow Star (Octagon): Shiny versions of existing cards, mirroring their shiny designs from the core Pokemon games.
Crown: Premium gold editions of ex Pokemon; the rarest variants in the game.

Some cards may also come with distinctive borders or animations, especially in higher rarity tiers.

Pokemon TCGP also includes promo cards, obtainable from in-game events, wonder picks, the Shop, and promo packs. These can feature unique artwork or symbols not tied to the main rarity hierarchy.

Also read: Pokemon TCGP Shining Revelry: All cards, types, and rarities

Full Pokemon TCG Pocket rarity hierarchy explained

An Immersive rarity Mewtwo card in Pokemon TCG Pocket (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Here’s how the game categorizes its card rarities, from most common to most exclusive:

Diamond Rarity (Most common cards)

One-diamond: Basic and Stage 1 Pokemon.
Two-diamond: Stronger Basic and Stage 1 Pokemon, along with Supporter cards.
Three-diamond: The best of the Basic, Stage 1, and Stage 2 Pokemon.
Four-diamond: Powerful ex Pokemon cards.

Star Rarity

One-star: Full art of a Basic, Stage 1, or Stage 2 Pokemon.
Two-star: Holographic full art of an ex Pokemon.
Three-star: Cinematic ex Pokemon that animate when tapped and held—exclusive to Pokemon TCG Pocket.

Rainbow Star Rarity (Shiny)

One rainbow star: Shiny version of a diamond-rarity card.
Two rainbow star: Full-art shiny version of ex cards.

Crown Rarity (Most rarest cards)

Crown: Golden edition of rare ex Pokemon with alternative visuals.

Also read: Best cards in Pokemon TCGP Shining Revelry expansion, ranked

Pokemon TCG Pocket Booster Pack types and drop rates

In Pokemon TCGP, booster packs come in two types:

Regular Booster Packs: These make up the vast majority of pack drops (99.950% chance). They contain five cards of any rarity, with a small chance to pull rare cards such as three-star, crown, or shiny variants.
Rare Booster Packs (God Packs): These are incredibly rare (0.050% chance) but are guaranteed to contain at least one-star or better cards.

Also read: Rarest cards in Pokemon TCGP Shining Revelry expansion

What are Pokemon TCG Pocket Pack Points?

Pack Points can let you aquire rare cards (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Players earn Pack Points by opening booster packs. These points can then be used to directly purchase cards from each rarity tier. This system favors players who open a lot of packs, as they accumulate enough points over time to buy high-tier cards without relying solely on chance.

Here’s a breakdown of how many Pack Points you need to aquire a single specific rarity (based on 5 points per pack):

Rarity	Pack Points	Packs to be opened
One-diamond	35	7 packs
Two-diamond	70	14 packs
Three-diamond	150	30 packs
Four-diamond (ex)	500	100 packs
One-star	400	80 packs
Two-star	1,250	250 packs
Three-star	1,500	300 packs
One rainbow star (shiny)	1,000	200 packs
Two rainbow star (shiny)	1,350	266 packs
Crown	2,500	500 packs

Also read: Pokemon TCGP Ranked Matches: Rules, rewards, and all you need to know

Understanding the rarity system in Pokemon TCG Pocket not only helps collectors aim for their favorite cards but also ensures players get the most value out of every booster they open.

With stunning visual effects, immersive animations, and a clear rarity system, Pokemon TCGP delivers an exciting collectible experience—one pack at a time.

Also read: How to get shiny Mewtwo ex promo card in Pokemon TCGP

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About the author

Spencer has been covering AAA titles at Sportskeeda for 3 years, and his articles collectively boast 30+ million reads. He is currently focusing on Pokemon and Minecraft content. A man who truly wears many hats, Spencer is a reader, writer, occasional metal vocalist, and semi-competitive fighting game player. His love for video games stemmed from engaging in franchises such as Street Fighter, Dragon Quest, and Resident Evil, and he is an ardent fan to this day.

Spencer holds a Bachelor's Degree in English from the University of South Florida with a minor in Journalism, and his work in the Tampa Bay area was influential in sending him down the path of becoming an esports writer. In the last 8 years, Spencer has written guides for iFixit, film and TV features for Collider, and tons of interesting articles for Sportskeeda. He is deeply familiar with the mechanics of the gaming industry and quite deft at collating information from official outlets, developers, community posts, and content creators.

In his free time, Spencer likes to read, play tabletop RPGs with friends, record metal music with his old bandmates, and build Gunpla model kits. He is primarily a PC gamer who can be found juggling multiple titles at any given time.

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh