Since the release of Pokemon TCG Pocket, players have been discussing “pack tricks” with the goal of finding ways to increase their chances of obtaining rare cards. Those tricks include opening packs that have bent edges, cracking boosters that appear backwards in the selection wheel, and beyond. While it is now known that none of those Pokemon TCG Pocket pack tricks have any real impact on the cards that are received when opening boosters, they can still add a bit of fun to the process.
Players who want a solid understanding of the rate at which they can expect to obtain rare cards, regardless of whether they use pack tricks or not, are advised to reference this guide to card rarity in Pokemon TCG Pocket.
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Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Pack Tricks Don’t Work
Two Features Call Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Pack Tricks Into Question
The ineffectual nature of pack tricks has been proven in several ways, and even the most ardent bent edge believers may now find it difficult to maintain their faith. Initially, skeptics pointed to the fact that there is a skip button available during the pack selection process, which seems to suggest that the cards that are earned have nothing to do with the specific booster that is picked. That said, perhaps the skip button simply randomizes the selection, and maybe the player would have gotten the rare card of their dreams if they had only opened a backwards pack in Pokemon TCG Pocket.
Similarly, doubters would mention that if the Pokemon TCG Pocket app is closed during pack selection, players will automatically receive the contents of a pack the next time that they start the game. While, once again, this phenomenon could mean that picking a booster is all for show, it is still possible that the automatic selection that was made upon closing the app was randomized. Indeed, maybe the cards that the player earned would have been different, and better, if they had found a pack with a bent edge in the carousel.
A Discovery Puts a Nail in the Coffin of Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Pack Tricks
Unfortunately for those players who were carrying the pack trick torch, this line of thinking was obliterated by a discovery that is connected to Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s Wonder Pick mechanic. Specifically, it was determined that the exact cards that a player will receive upon selecting a pack from the carousel can appear among a friend’s Wonder Picks before they have even made their selection. This means that the cards that will be awarded are determined as soon as the player confirms the type of pack that they will open, and that cannot be changed with any sort of pack trick at the wheel.
This fact was further confirmed by Rustywolf, a YouTuber who created a tool that makes it possible to see the information that is sent by the Pokemon TCG Pocket servers during pack selection. As the Wonder Pick phenomenon suggested, this information showed that the cards that will be awarded are determined when the pack type is picked, not when a booster is chosen from the selection wheel. While the staunchest supporters of pack tricks might try to argue about the efficacy of Rustywolf’s tool, the findings essentially put a definitive end to the debate over the validity of pack tricks.
Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Pack Tricks Are Still Worth Trying
Despite the fact that pack tricks are undeniably ineffective, and that the booster selection wheel is entirely an illusion, maybe there is still reason to give them a try. Indeed, perhaps there are psychological benefits associated with creating ritual, with finding ways to be engaged, with refusing to say “what’s the point” when there is no point, even if it might feel silly or childish to go after them. And maybe feeling childish is in itself a good reason to try pack tricks, as that sensation may keep the pack opener connected to a time when they first discovered the powerful magic of Pokemon cards.
So why not look for packs with bent edges, or focus on backwards boosters, or crack packs while standing on one’s head and reciting the original 151 Pokemon in alphabetical order? While it may not matter (and it definitely does not), the special thrill that comes from getting a great card after using a pack trick is worth pursuing.
- Released
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October 30, 2024
- Developer(s)
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DeNA
, Creatures Inc.