There are many intricacies within the Pokemon Trading Card Game. It is difficult, especially for a new player, to know the best strategies to win when their view of the game is overloaded with all that there is to know about Pokemon cards (and there is A LOT to know).

Here are some of my top tips to help you get on the path towards becoming a successful Pokemon TCG player:

1. Learn from Experienced Players
This is incredibly important for anyone that plays the Pokemon Trading Card Game. You really need talk to those who have been playing the game longer than you have. Whether it be at a local Pokemon league or online through a message board, seek out the best Pokemon card players and ask them to teach you their ways.

It is a much more arduous and less enjoyable route to approach the game as an individual sport. Conversing with those who know more than you and learning from each other is by far the best way to improve your Pokemon TCG skill. Don't be shy, most veteran players will be more than happy to help you.

2. Play the Best Decks
Find out what Pokemon cards everyone else is using, and use those same cards! There is a reason why certain Pokemon card are more popular than others...because they are good!

As the saying goes, "If you can't beat them, join them." As a novice player, do not try to come up with a brand new deck to beat this well established deck. You should follow the crowd and use the popular deck, learn the strategies it uses.

Only after you master using the most popular Pokemon deck can you begin to delve into your original Pokemon deck concepts.

3. Practice, Practice, Practice!
Once you have learned the best Pokemon TCG strategies and have put together a top tier deck, you need to practice with it!

Make sure you practice with friends who are willing to try different Pokemon out against your decks (and you should do the same for them).

The goal when practicing should not be to win or lose, but to find out which Pokemon cards work best together. Although it is nice to win, this is not your main objective. You want to practice to learn what performs best, so that when you play in an actual tournament, you will be ready for whatever is thrown at you.

Hold true to these three tips and I guarantee you will become a better Pokemon card player in no time. Becoming proficient in the game of Pokemon cards can take some time, but never get discouraged and keep at it! The Pokemon TCG is a fun game and hosts an awesome community of players.