These two Pokemon TCG Pocket cards are meta – but you could be using them wrong

Pokemon TCG Pocket has two meta cards that every deck uses, but a lot of players are using them wrong – leading to unnecessary losses.

Pokemon TCG Pocket’s meta is filled with powerful decks. There’s the incredibly powerful Mewtwo ex acceleration, the low-cost Pikachu ex, and the one-turn Articuno ex deck. Even if you haven’t been lucky enough to pull the game’s rarest cards, there are always two Trainer cards every deck needs.

Professor’s Research and Poke Ball are a staple of every single deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket. That’s because they enable you to fill your bench with the cards you need to set up your deck’s main win conditions. 

However, the way you utilize them could be costing you more matches than you realized. 

While both cards will help fill your hand with cards, it’s important to know the difference between them. Professor’s Research is a Supporter that enables you to draw two cards, while Poke Ball is an Item card that puts one random Basic Pokemon from your deck into your hand. 

The order in which you play these will depend on your deck, but for the most part, you’ll want to use Poke Ball first to remove the basic Pokemon from your deck. By doing this, you’ll thin out your deck and increase your chances of drawing into your evolution, ex, and Trainer cards with Professor’s Research. 

This error is so widespread in Pokemon TCG Pokect, that multiple threads on the official Pokemon TCG Pocket Reddit page have cropped up. Of course, not every deck will want to follow the above tip. 

For example, players using the meta Pikachu ex deck need to do the opposite. In this scenario, you’ll want to thin out the other Pokemon in your deck with Professor’s Research, then use Poke Ball to increase your chances of getting that game-winning Pikachu ex card. 

Of course, while the order may differ depending on your deck and situation, it’s important to understand how to best utilize these two cards. After all, getting the order right will lead to more victories in online matches.

Now that you know how to use both cards properly, be sure to check out everything we know about the game’s eagerly-anticipated trading feature.