Pokémon Pack Trick for Every Set: Base Set to Mega Evolution
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The Pokémon pack trick is a quick way to make the best card in your pack the last one you flip. The move changes from set to set, so this guide lists the pack trick for every Pokémon set from Base Set through the Mega Evolution era, in English and Japanese. It's all showmanship, and it doesn't change what's inside the pack.
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What Is the Pokémon Pack Trick?
The Pokémon pack trick is a small card shuffle you do right after opening a booster pack. Cards come out of the factory in a set order, and the rare or holo usually sits in the middle of the stack instead of at the end. Moving a few cards from one end to the other makes the best card the final reveal. Collectors also call it the Pokémon card trick or the pack opening trick.
How to Do the Pokémon Pack Trick (Step by Step)
The steps are the same for every set. Only the number of cards and the direction change.
Open the pack and set the stack of cards face down, with the blue backs facing up.
Take out the code card first if your set has one.
Find your set in the lists below and check how many cards to move and which way.
Move that many cards from the back of the stack to the front (or from the front to the back, if the set says so).
Flip through the cards one at a time, starting with the front of the stack. The best card should land last.
"Front" is the end you reveal first, and it depends on which end of the wrapper you opened. Try the move on a low-value pack first to check your orientation.
Does the Pokémon Pack Trick Change What's in the Pack?
No. The trick only changes the order you flip the cards after the pack is already open. Nothing inside a sealed pack changes, so this is showmanship and not pack searching.
Factory errors and resealed packs can break the pattern, and some sets change the move between print runs. A strange order by itself doesn't prove a pack was resealed, so judge the wrapper, the seams, and the crimps before you decide.
Pokémon Pack Trick Quick Reference by Era
Here's the short version for English packs. The full set lists follow below.
Wizards of the Coast (Base Set to Skyridge): take 3 or 4 cards from the back, with a few exceptions
EX era: take 2 cards from the back, and the first four sets have no trick
Diamond & Pearl through Call of Legends: take 3 cards from the back
Black & White and XY: remove the code card and take 3 cards from the back
Sun & Moon through Cosmic Eclipse: remove the code card and take 4 cards from the back
Sword & Shield: remove the code card and take 4 cards from the back
Scarlet & Violet: remove the code card and take 1 card from the back
Mega Evolution: remove the code card and take 1 card from the back
Wizards of the Coast Pack Tricks (1999 to 2003)
Most Wizards of the Coast packs hold 11 cards, and the rare sits in the middle. The Expedition-era sets hold 9.
Take 3 cards from the back and put them in front
Base Set, Jungle, Fossil, Team Rocket, Neo Revelation, Neo Destiny. This covers the 1st Edition and Unlimited prints, Base Set Shadowless, and the Base Set, Jungle, and Fossil hanger packs. Base Set blister packs take 3 or 4, and Team Rocket and Gym Heroes hanger packs can change with the print run.
Take 4 cards from the back and put them in front
Gym Heroes, Gym Challenge in both 1st Edition and Unlimited, plus the Gym Challenge hanger. The Base Set 4th Print takes 4 as well, in both the US and the UK and Australia variants.
Take 2 cards from the front and put them at the back
Base Set 2, Neo Genesis. The Base Set 2 hanger takes 3 instead of 2.
Take 2 cards from the back and put them in front
Expedition Base Set, Aquapolis, Skyridge. These packs hold 9 cards, and holo packs run in the order holo rare, reverse, then non-holo rare.
No trick
Neo Discovery, Legendary Collection. Legendary Collection was the first international set with a reverse-holo slot, and the reverse lands second-to-last.
EX Era Pack Tricks (2003 to 2007)
EX era packs hold 9 cards. The first four sets have no trick, and the rest use the same move.
No trick
EX Ruby & Sapphire, EX Sandstorm, EX Dragon, EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua. What's inside varies depending on whether the pack holds a non-holo, a holo, or an ex.
Take 2 cards from the back and put them in front
EX Hidden Legends, EX FireRed & LeafGreen, EX Team Rocket Returns, EX Deoxys, EX Emerald, EX Unseen Forces, EX Delta Species, EX Legend Maker, EX Holon Phantoms, EX Crystal Guardians, EX Dragon Frontiers, EX Power Keepers.
POP Series
POP Series 1 through 9 have no move, since they're two-card league promo packs. See POP Series 1 and the rest of the set list on Rare Candy.
Diamond & Pearl, Platinum, and HeartGold SoulSilver Pack Tricks (2007 to 2011)
Every English set from Diamond & Pearl through Call of Legends uses the same move. These packs hold 10 cards.
Take 3 cards from the back and put them in front
Diamond & Pearl: Diamond & Pearl, Mysterious Treasures, Secret Wonders, Great Encounters, Majestic Dawn, Legends Awakened, Stormfront
Platinum: Platinum, Rising Rivals, Supreme Victors, Arceus
HeartGold SoulSilver: HeartGold & SoulSilver, HS-Unleashed, HS-Undaunted, HS-Triumphant
Call of Legends: Call of Legends
A few packs have extras to watch for. In Platinum, the shiny SH cards ride the reverse slot, so the best card can land second-to-last. HeartGold & SoulSilver packs include LEGEND halves and Primes, and the Shiny Legend in Call of Legends also rides the reverse slot.
Black & White and XY Pack Tricks (2011 to 2016)
Black & White and XY packs hold 10 cards plus a code card. Remove the code card first.
Remove the code card and take 3 cards from the back
Black & White era: Black & White, Emerging Powers, Noble Victories, Next Destinies, Dark Explorers, Dragons Exalted, Boundaries Crossed, Plasma Storm, Plasma Freeze, Plasma Blast, Legendary Treasures
XY era: XY, Flashfire, Furious Fists, Phantom Forces, Primal Clash, Roaring Skies, Ancient Origins, BREAKthrough, BREAKpoint, Generations, Fates Collide, Steam Siege, Evolutions
Legendary Treasures has two Radiant Collection cards sitting behind the rare slot.
The exceptions
Double Crisis holds 7 cards, so remove the code card and take 2 from the back. Dragon Vault is a 5-card mini-set pack with no trick.
Sun & Moon Pack Tricks (2017 to 2019)
Sun & Moon era packs hold 10 cards plus an Energy card and a code card. Remove the code card first.
Remove the code card and take 4 cards from the back
Sun & Moon, Guardians Rising, Burning Shadows, Shining Legends, Crimson Invasion, Ultra Prism, Forbidden Light, Celestial Storm, Dragon Majesty, Lost Thunder, Team Up, Unbroken Bonds, Unified Minds, Hidden Fates, Cosmic Eclipse.
Hidden Fates has a catch, because Shiny Vault cards can appear before the rare slot, so the flashiest card may not land last. Detective Pikachu packs hold only 4 cards and have no trick.
Sword & Shield Pack Tricks (2020 to 2022)
Sword & Shield packs hold a code card, so remove it first. Every main set in the era uses the same move.
Remove the code card and take 4 cards from the back
Sword & Shield, Rebel Clash, Darkness Ablaze, Champion's Path, Vivid Voltage, Shining Fates, Battle Styles, Chilling Reign, Evolving Skies, Celebrations, Fusion Strike, Brilliant Stars, Astral Radiance, Pokémon GO, Lost Origin, Silver Tempest, Crown Zenith.
Small special sets like Champion's Path, Shining Fates, Celebrations, Pokémon GO, and Crown Zenith can have their own pack layouts, so test the move on one pack first. Want to know what's worth chasing in these sets? See our Top 10 posts for Evolving Skies, Fusion Strike, Brilliant Stars, Astral Radiance, Lost Origin, and Silver Tempest.
Scarlet & Violet Pack Tricks (2023 to 2025)
Scarlet & Violet packs also hold a code card, but the move is much smaller than it was in the Sword & Shield era.
Remove the code card and take 1 card from the back
Scarlet & Violet, Paldea Evolved, Obsidian Flames, 151, Paradox Rift, Paldean Fates, Temporal Forces, Twilight Masquerade, Shrouded Fable, Stellar Crown, Surging Sparks, Prismatic Evolutions, Journey Together, Destined Rivals, Black Bolt, White Flare.
Special sets like Paldean Fates, Prismatic Evolutions, and Black Bolt and White Flare can have their own pack layouts, so test the move on one pack first. For the best cards in each set, see our Top 10 posts for Surging Sparks, Prismatic Evolutions, Journey Together, Destined Rivals, Pokémon 151, Paldea Evolved, Twilight Masquerade, and Stellar Crown.
Mega Evolution Pack Tricks (2025 to Today)
The Mega Evolution era uses the same move as Scarlet & Violet.
Remove the code card and take 1 card from the back
Mega Evolution, Phantasmal Flames, Ascended Heroes, Perfect Order, Chaos Rising, Pitch Black, 30th Celebration.
Check out the best pulls in our Top 10 posts for Mega Evolution, Phantasmal Flames, Ascended Heroes, Perfect Order, Chaos Rising, Pitch Black, and 30th Celebration.
Japanese Pokémon Pack Tricks
Japanese packs hold 10 cards, and the move depends on the era. The pattern is much simpler than English.
Japanese vintage through LEGEND (1996 to 2010): take 1 card from the front and put it at the back. This covers the original Expansion Pack, Jungle, Fossil, Rocket Gang, Neo, e-Card, ADV, PCG, DP, DPt, and LEGEND sets.
Japanese Black & White through XY BREAK (2010 to 2016): take 2 cards from the back and put them in front.
Japanese Sun & Moon (2016 to 2019): no trick, so open the pack straight through.
A few notes. Japanese e-Card packs are roughly 50/50 on whether the rare is a holo or a non-holo. Concept packs like Shiny Collection and Dragon Selection have no trick. High Class packs such as Shining Legends, GX Ultra Shiny, GX Battle Boost, and Tag All Stars hold 7, 10, or 11 cards, and every pack has a holo or better.
Which Pokémon Sets Have No Pack Trick?
These sets have no move, so you can open the pack straight through.
EX Ruby & Sapphire, EX Sandstorm, EX Dragon, EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua
POP Series 1 through 9
The Japanese Sun & Moon era and Japanese concept packs
Pack Trick vs. Pack Weight
The pack trick is about the reveal. Pack weight is about what's inside before you open anything, which is a separate (and more controversial) topic.
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Final Thoughts
The pack trick won't change a single card in your pack, but it does make every rip more fun to watch. The rule is easy once you know your era: 3 from the back for most older English sets, 4 for Sun & Moon and Sword & Shield, 1 for Scarlet & Violet and Mega Evolution, and 1 from the front for Japanese vintage. Pick up a few older packs, try the move, and see how it feels.
Ready to hunt for vintage packs? Browse every set on Rare Candy, read our guide to the top 5 vintage Pokémon packs, or learn all about booster boxes. Track what you pull with the free Rare Candy App.
FAQ
What is the Pokémon pack trick?
The Pokémon pack trick is a card shuffle you do after opening a booster pack. You move a few cards from one end of the stack to the other so the best card becomes the last one you flip. The number of cards and the direction change by set.
Does the Pokémon pack trick change what's in the pack?
No. The pack trick only changes the order you flip the cards after the pack is open. It doesn't reveal or change anything inside a sealed pack, so it's showmanship and not pack searching.
How do you do the Base Set pack trick?
Open the pack, set the stack face down with the blue backs up, and take 3 cards from the back and put them in front. Base Set 1st Edition, Shadowless, Unlimited, and Hanger packs use this move. Base Set blister packs take 3 or 4, and the 4th Print takes 4.
Which Pokémon sets have no pack trick?
Neo Discovery, Legendary Collection, EX Ruby & Sapphire, EX Sandstorm, EX Dragon, EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua, Dragon Vault, Detective Pikachu, the POP Series, and Japanese Sun & Moon era packs have no trick. You open those packs straight through.
What is the Scarlet & Violet pack trick?
For Scarlet & Violet era packs, remove the code card and take 1 card from the back and put it in front. This works for sets like Surging Sparks, Prismatic Evolutions, Journey Together, Destined Rivals, and Pokémon 151, and it's the same move the Mega Evolution era uses.
What is the Sword & Shield pack trick?
For Sword & Shield era packs, remove the code card and take 4 cards from the back and put them in front. That covers sets like Evolving Skies, Fusion Strike, Brilliant Stars, Lost Origin, Silver Tempest, and Crown Zenith.
What is the Mega Evolution pack trick?
For Mega Evolution era packs, remove the code card and take 1 card from the back and put it in front. That includes Mega Evolution, Phantasmal Flames, Ascended Heroes, Perfect Order, Chaos Rising, Pitch Black, and 30th Celebration.
What is the Japanese Pokémon pack trick?
For Japanese vintage packs through the LEGEND era, take 1 card from the front and put it at the back. For Japanese Black & White through XY BREAK packs, take 2 cards from the back and put them in front. Japanese Sun & Moon packs have no trick.
