Choosing a Pokémon format
Standard and Expanded use different card pools and the same deck rules.
6 min read
After this guide you can
- Choose between Standard and Expanded for a group.
- Find the regulation mark of a card and check it against the current Standard rules.
Standard changes over time
Advice, not a rule
Standard is the usual format for organized play. Each year, rotation changes which regulation marks are legal. Reprints, release dates and bans can also change the legality of a card.
Open the current official rules rather than a list from last year.
Expanded reaches further back
Advice, not a rule
Expanded starts with the Black & White series and has its own banned list. More cards mean more interactions to learn. Ask the organizer if Expanded events run near you.
The deck rules do not change
A Standard deck and an Expanded deck follow the same deck rules. Only the card pool is different.
A deck has exactly 60 cards and at least one Basic Pokémon.
Rulebook: Deck Building, p. 22
A deck holds at most 4 cards with the same name, except Basic Energy.
Rulebook: Deck Building, p. 22; What does and doesn’t count for a Pokémon’s name?, p. 21
Worked example: Ben checks his deck for a League
Advice, not a rule
- 1Ben asks the organizer which format the League plays. The answer is Standard.
- 2He reads the regulation mark, the small letter in the lower left corner, of each card in his deck.
- 3He checks those marks, and the banned list, on the current Play! Pokémon rules page.
- 4He chooses Standard for his deck in BinderLoot and reads the local report beside the event rules.
Your turn: check a card
CharmanderPokemon — Basic
Charmander, Obsidian Flames, illustrated by DOM. Card images from TCGdex. Pokémon is a trademark of Nintendo, Creatures and GAME FREAK. BinderLoot is unofficial and is not endorsed by them.
This Charmander from Obsidian Flames shows the regulation mark G in its lower left corner.