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How to Get More Free Cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket
Image via The Pokemon Company

How To Open More Packs for Free in Pokemon TCG Pocket

Get more cards for free with the Pokemon TCG Pocket tips

Players who love opening trading card packs can now enjoy virtual boosters in Pokemon TCG Pocket. The free-to-start app limits your free packs per day, but there are a few ways to get more free cards – here’s how.

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How Many Booster Packs Can You Open a Day?

When you first log in to Pokemon TCG Pocket, you’ll be able to open a few extra packs as part of the tutorial. After that, you’ll see an hourglass counting down the time until your next free booster pack is available.

The game lets players open two booster packs per day for free. If you subscribe to the Premium Pass, you’ll get a third booster pack every day.

However, this isn’t a strict limit, and there are ways to reduce your wait time and satisfy that pack-opening itch without spending real-life currency.

How To Get More Free Packs in Pokemon TCG Pocket

Pokemon TCG pocket includes a special Pack Hourglass item that lets you cut down the wait time before you can dive into your next free booster pack.

These Pack Hourglasses each reduce the wait time by one hour. You’ll get a few during the opening tutorial, but after that, you can earn them by completing in-game missions.

Missions to earn Pack Hourglasses Pokemon TCG Pocket
Screenshot by The Escapist

Pack Hourglasses can also be purchased in the in-game shop using Shop Tickets, an in-game currency you can earn through completing missions and participating in Wonder Trades.

How To Use Your Pack Hourglasses

Actually using the Pack Hourglass item can be a bit confusing, since just tapping it on the screen opens an explanation of what it is but doesn’t let you use it.

To use your Pack Hourglasses to open more packs for free, wait until you have enough Pack Hourglasses to bring the stamina bar to 0. In other words, if you have 4 Pack Hourglasses, you’ll want to have no more than 4 hours left in the Stamina Bar.

Time Until Next Free Booster Pack in Pokemon TCG Pocket
Screenshot by The Escapist

Then, head to the Booster Pack page by clicking on one of the three Booster Packs on your home screen. From there, click on the pack you want to open.

You will then see two options to use items to open a pack – Open 10 Packs or Open a Pack. It initially looks like you’ll need PokeGold for this, but don’t worry, your free Pack Hourglasses will get used first.

Image showing where to use the pack hourglass to reduce wait time for booster packs
Screenshot by The Escapist

Hit Open a Pack, and you’ll be able to use items to reduce the time. Here, you can double-check that you’ve got enough Pack Hourglasses to ensure you don’t need the paid PokeGold to open your next pack.

Screenshot showing how to use tems to open free packs Pokemon TCG Pocket
Screenshot by The Escapist

If all looks good, hit OK and you’re on your way to opening another free booster pack of virtual Pokemon cards.

Related: What To Do With Duplicate Cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket

Other Ways to Get Free Cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket

Packs aren’t the only way to get new cards in Pokemon TCG pocket. Here are a few more ways you can add to your collection without spending a real-life dime:

Wonder Picks

You can also get free cards by participating in Wonder Pick, which lets you get one random card from another player’s recently opened pack. These are also limited by separate Wonder Stamina but give you a few additional cards for free per day.

Pack Point Exchange

If you want a specific card, you can buy it using Pack Points. You earn Pack Points every time you open a new Booster Pack, and you can use the accumulated in-game currency to browse for specific virtual Pokemon TCG Pocket cards, right on the booster pack page.

Pack Point Exchange in Pokemon TCG Pocket App
Screenshot by The Escapist

The cost per card ranges from 35 Pack Points to 500 Pack Points, depending on the rarity of the card.

In-Game Shop Item & Supporter Cards

While you can use Pack Points to buy Pokemon cards, items and supporter cards are available in the in-game shop. These cards are useful in battles.

You can buy them using Shop Tickets, much like how you purchase Pack Hourglasses. Most are about 2 Shop Tickets per card, so as long as you’ve recently earned some tickets from missions and in-game activities, you can snag a few for free.

And that’s how to open more packs for free in Pokemon TCG Pocket.

Pokemon TCG Pocket is available now on mobile devices.


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Author
Image of Amanda Kay Oaks
Amanda Kay Oaks
Amanda Kay Oaks has been a freelancer writer with The Escapist since February 2024. She's a lifelong gamer with an affinity for Pokemon, RPGs, and cozy games, especially The Sims. Amanda has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction, with prior work on pop culture and entertainment at Book Riot, Fanfare, and Gamepur.