Pokemon TCG Pocket: Card rarity guide

Pokemon TCG Pocket is slated for global release on October 30, 2024, and fans are gathering all the necessary information they can find before they dive in (if they aren't part of the soft launch in New Zealand). One of the aspects plenty of fans are curious about is card rarity. The game grades card rarity a bit differently from the traditional TCG, though there are similarities between the two.

Pokemon TCG Pocket contains cards exclusive to the game itself (though the original TCG's cards inspire some cards) and therefore requires a different rarity grading system. With that in mind, it doesn't hurt to take a look at card rarity and how it works, as well as the frequency of card drops based on the pull rates during the game's soft launch (though these may change after release).

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How card rarity works in Pokemon TCG Pocket

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

There are eight card rarities in Pokemon TCG Pocket. Each time fans receive a card from booster packs, Wonder Picks, etc., its rarity will display itself to give players an idea of just how rare it is compared to its counterparts.

Below, players can find each rarity and its comparable rarity in the original Pokemon TCG:

• Silver Diamond - Common
• Two Silver Diamonds - Uncommon
• Three Silver Diamonds - Rare
• Four Silver Diamonds - Double Rare/Ultra Rare
• Gold Star - Illustration Rare
• Two Gold Stars - Special Illustration Rare
• Three Gold Stars (AKA Immersive Cards) - There is no comparable card rarity in the Pokemon TCG
• Golden Crown (AKA Crown Rare) - Hyper Rare

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Current booster pack drop rates in Pokemon TCG Pocket

Booster pack rates vary in Pokemon TCG Pocket based on their own pack rarity (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Each time a booster pack is opened in Pokemon TCG Pocket, it can be classified as a standard pack or a rare pack. Based on initial data, there is a 99.95% chance that the pack will be a standard one, but a .05% chance that it will be rare instead. If the pack happens to be rare, it won't provide any cards with a rarity below one gold star.

Although The Pokemon Company may change these rates once the game is launched globally and when new packs/sets beyond Genetic Apex are released, the drop rates for standard and rare packs can be found below.

Keep in mind that the drop rarity changes depending on the order of the card in the standard booster pack, and cards four-five are typically rarer than the first three in a pack:

Standard booster pack drop rates

Card Rarity	Drop Rate (Cards 1-3)	Drop Rate (Card 4)	Drop Rate (Card 5)
Silver Diamond	100%	0%	0%
Two Silver Diamonds	0%	90%	0%
Three Silver Diamonds	0%	5%	20%
Four Silver Diamonds	0%	1.666%	6.664%
Gold Star	0%	2.572%	10.288%
Two Gold Stars	0%	0.5%	2%
Three Gold Stars (Immersive)	0%	0.222%	0.888%
Golden Crown (Crown Rare)	0%	0.4%	0.16%

Drop rates for rare booster packs

Card Rarity	Drop Rate (Cards 1-5)
Gold Star	40%
Two Gold Stars	50%
Three Gold Stars (Immersive)	5%
Golden Crown (Crown Rare)	5%

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Can you get rare cards elsewhere in Pokemon TCG Pocket?

Wonder Picks can provide rare cards but require more Wonder Stamina (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Since the drop rates for rare cards can be quite low in booster packs in Pokemon TCG Pocket, players should supplement their collections through a few additional methods.

First and foremost is Wonder Picks, which allow trainers to select cards from packs that other players have opened. Granted, packs with rare cards require more Wonder Pick stamina, but it's something to consider.

If players are looking for a specific card, they should continue to open booster packs and collect Pack Points. By collecting enough, it's possible to hand-pick a specific card and add it to one's collection by exchanging these points. Getting high-rarity cards will take time and plenty of Pack Points, but some may be worth saving for.

Lastly, once TCG Pocket introduces its upcoming trading feature in the Social Hub, players should be able to swap rare cards together. However, this may require quite a wait, as the trading function isn't available during the soft launch and may not be immediately available upon the game's global release.