Pokémon TCG Glossary

1st Edition 1st Edition cards come from the very first print run of a set, identified by a black "Edition 1" stamp, and are the scarcest version of each card. Alt Art An alt art (alternate art) is a special version of a card featuring a completely different illustration from the regular print, usually a full-scene artwork. Base Set Base Set is the original 1999 English Pokémon TCG expansion of 102 cards, home to the iconic Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur holos. BGS BGS (Beckett Grading Services) is a grading company known for its four subgrades and the coveted "Black Label" 10 awarded for perfect scores across all categories. Blister Pack A blister pack is a retail package of one to three booster packs mounted on a hanging card, often including a promo card or coin. Booster Box A booster box is a factory-sealed display of 36 booster packs — the standard bulk way to open a set and usually the cheapest price per pack. Booster Bundle A booster bundle is a slim retail box of six booster packs with no extras — often the cheapest per-pack way to buy a set at retail. CGC CGC (Certified Guaranty Company) is a grading company with roots in comic books, known for strict standards, clear cases, and competitive pricing. Chase Card A chase card is the most sought-after card in a set — the pull collectors are hoping for when they open packs, and usually the most expensive. Double Rare A Double Rare (RR) is the Scarlet & Violet rarity for regular ex Pokémon, marked with two black stars in the bottom corner. Elite Trainer Box An Elite Trainer Box (ETB) is a premium set bundle containing booster packs plus accessories — sleeves, dice, energy cards, and a themed storage box. Error Card An error card is a card printed with a genuine production mistake — wrong text, missing symbols, or incorrect artwork elements — that was later corrected or acknowledged. Full Art A full art card extends the illustration across the entire card face, removing the normal frame and usually adding a textured foil surface. Gem Mint Gem Mint is the top grade on PSA's scale — a 10 — describing a virtually flawless card with sharp corners, clean surfaces, and strong centering. God Pack A god pack is an ultra-rare booster pack in which every card slot is a special rarity — a phenomenon from Japanese sets, later adopted by TCG Pocket. Grading Grading is the process of having a card professionally authenticated, scored for condition on a 1–10 scale, and sealed in a protective case. Holo A holo card has holographic foil applied to the artwork itself, giving the illustration a shiny, rainbow-reflective finish when tilted under light. Hyper Rare A Hyper Rare is a gold-colored secret rare card marked with three gold stars in the Scarlet & Violet era, the highest standard rarity tier. Illustration Rare An Illustration Rare (IR) is a Scarlet & Violet era rarity marked with one gold star, featuring full-card scenic artwork of a regular Pokémon. Master Ball Holo A Master Ball holo is a rare reverse-holo pattern of tiny Master Balls, introduced in the Japanese 151 set and reused in later Japanese sets. Misprint A misprint is a one-off production flaw on an individual card — miscuts, ink blots, holo bleed, crimps, or off-center printing — rather than a set-wide error. Playset A playset is four copies of the same card — the maximum number allowed in a deck — bought together by players building competitive decks. Poké Ball Holo A Poké Ball holo is a reverse-holo pattern of repeating Poké Balls, used instead of the standard reverse foil in the Japanese 151 set and later Japanese sets. Pop Report A pop report (population report) is a grading company's public database showing how many copies of each card it has graded at every grade level. Promo Card A promo card is a promotional print distributed outside normal booster packs — through events, products, magazines, or giveaways — usually bearing a promo stamp or numbering. PSA PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) is the most popular card grading company, scoring cards from 1 to 10, with PSA 10 "Gem Mint" as its top grade. Pull Rate A pull rate is the estimated probability of opening a specific card or rarity tier from a booster pack, usually expressed as odds like "1 in 200 packs." Raw Card A raw card is any card that has not been graded and encapsulated by a grading company — loose, ungraded, and condition-unverified. Regulation Mark A regulation mark is the letter printed in a card's bottom-left corner (D, E, F, G, H...) that determines whether it is legal in the Standard tournament format. Reverse Holo A reverse holo is a card where the body of the card is holographic foil while the artwork itself stays non-foil — the opposite of a standard holo. Sealed Product Sealed product is any factory-sealed, unopened Pokémon TCG item — booster boxes, ETBs, packs, or tins — kept intact rather than opened. Secret Rare A secret rare is any card whose collector number exceeds the printed set size — for example 205/198 — placing it beyond the official checklist. Shadowless Shadowless refers to early 1999 Base Set cards printed without the drop shadow on the right side of the artwork frame, making them scarcer than later prints. Single A single is an individual card bought or sold on its own, rather than pulled from packs — the direct way to get exactly the card you want. Slab A slab is the sealed, tamper-evident plastic case a grading company encapsulates a card in, complete with a label showing the grade and certification number. Special Illustration Rare A Special Illustration Rare (SIR) is a Scarlet & Violet rarity marked with two gold stars — alternate-art versions of ex Pokémon and Supporter cards. Subgrades Subgrades are the four individual scores — centering, corners, edges, and surface — that BGS prints on its label alongside the overall grade. TCG Pocket Pokémon TCG Pocket is the official mobile app launched in October 2024 for collecting digital cards, opening daily packs, and playing a streamlined card game. Ultra Rare An Ultra Rare is the rarity tier for full-art ex Pokémon and Supporters in the Scarlet & Violet era, marked with two silver stars. Unlimited Unlimited refers to the later, larger print runs of vintage sets, printed without the 1st Edition stamp and therefore far more common.