Hello Pojo readers, I'm starting a new sideline to go with my Card of the Day reviews. If you've started playing the Poke'mon TCG and would like to learn more about the game, these articles are here to help!
 
If you're completely new to Poke'mon or want to convince the people around you to give the game a try, please start with my other article "Why I play Poke'mon". Don't worry, I'll still be waiting for you here when you get back.
 
Okay, so you're sure that you want to get into the Poke'mon TCG and now you're looking for a place to start. A quick reference that can help you get into the fierce gameplay as quickly as possible so that you can begin the long journey towards Poke'mon mastery. In short, a Beginner's Guide, hence the reason for me writing this one for your joyful consumption!
 
This may sound a bit strange, but my first piece of advice will have absolutely nothing to do with actually playing the game. If you want to play a good game, the first thing you need is cards, and the easiest way I know to get cards is to attend a prerelease.
 
A prerelease is pretty much what it says on the tin: a chance to get the cards before the official release. In the Poke'mon world, this means you troop down to a League that is hosting an event and pay about $30 to register (that's in AUD$, those of you not in Australia probably have a slightly different amount). In return, you get 6 packs of random cards and a set promotional card (61 cards total) to open and keep, which along with some borrowed Basic Energy you then use to build a 40 card deck. Once you've put your cards together, you play against everyone else on the day for a bit of fun and the occasional chance at some extra prizes. All in all it's a great casual event for newer players and is also typically the cheapest way to get booster packs (which is the way most players expand their collection).
 
The next best thing to a prerelease is a preconstructed Theme deck, which is a preset list of 60 cards that immediately ready to be played. Including a coin to flip and counters to track damage as well as the all-important rule book, Theme decks are great for getting energy cards as well as giving new players a gentle introduction to the Constructed formats, which is a fancy way of saying players already have their decks built and ready to roll before the day. If you're feeling adventurous you can buy two of the same deck and double up on the cards you particularly like for a much better deck! To see an example of what I mean, head to http://pokegym.net/forums/showthread.php?t=146331  which is where I first saw the idea as well as several possible rebuilds using current decks. It even has an explanation of the shorthand players use when posting online so you can understand the deckbuilding advice you may find on forums. I must say, great work MegaVelocibot, major kudos to you!
 
For players who aren't yet ready to dive in to creating their own decks, the Black & White Trainer Kit is the best place to start. This set comes with a pair of 30 card decks set up as well as a play-by-play instruction manual to walk a pair of new players through their very first game. Once you've done that, you can shuffle the cards up and just keep them aside as a self contained game, or you mix them up with the cards from the bonus booster pack to form your own 60 card deck.
 
So, now you own a growing collection from which you can build your first deck. But how do you go about doing that?
 
There are some basic rules of deckbuilding contained in the rulebook if you're the adventurous sort and want to jump in immediately, and the Card of the Day articles have plenty of advice to offer on how to use different cards together. For advice on different strategies and builds there are many forums and articles both here on Pojo.com and around the Internet. But what I haven't seen yet is advice for a new collector.
 
Now we come to my second nugget of wisdom for all of you newbies, which is to sort and protect your collection. When it comes to deckbuilding you need to know exactly what cards you have to work with, and for trading you need to be able to show what cards you have available which is nigh on impossible if they are scattered about in a messy pile.
 
So I say to you, to make sure that all of your cards stay in good condition you need a filing system and a binder for your tradables, as well as some deck sleeves to protect the cards you play with (it keeps them pretty and valuable). Trust me, the money you spend on some plastic slips and a folder is nothing compared to what you lose when you scratch and bend your cards. Or worse yet, lose them without even noticing until you need to find them, the single most frustrating thing to happen to any collector. If you need further convincing, try to imagine a conversation where you try to explain how a Poke'mon card got caught in the vacuum cleaner and nearly blew out the engine. I've had to do it before and it is not pretty!
 
I've lost count of the times that a player at the local League has handed me a giant pile of cards and asked me to help make a deck. The first thing I get them to do is to sort them into Poke'mon, Trainers and Energy followed by sorting them all into types (either Energy types or Supporter/Item/Stadium). With this done, it's a lot easier to see what cards they have to work with so that I can make suggestions. Usually, the sorting takes a fair bit of time and the League finishes for the day before the new deck is built, but in most cases the player will come back next week having built their own workable deck without any further help. All it takes is a sorted collection and a willingness to learn!
 
I think I've bent your ear enough for this week so I'll finish up Part 1 now. Keep your browser's primed for Part 2 (I swear the next article will have actual gameplay hints) and until then, keep checking the Poke'mon Card of the Day!
 
A quick thankyou to Otaku, Bmoor, Baby Mario, virusyosh, Conical, MegaVelocibot and the great Pojo himself. You guys rock!
 
For feedback, questions, insinuations, allegations, appropriations and copyright infringements please email me at mattezhion2@y7mail.com, I'd love to hear from you!