Fans believe that whatever you pick inCG Pocket's pack opening carousel, you'll get the same cards regardless.

Pokémon TCG Pocket seems redundant next to 2023's Pokémon TCG Live. Both games offer collecting and battling mechanics. I spent a month with this new Pokémon game and can confirm it captures that classic feeling of collecting and playing games with Pokémon cards with your friends.

It’s clear that TCG Pocket isn’t intended to be a one-to-one re-creation of the tabletop version. In the analog version of the game, the choice would matter, since separately packaged booster packs contain different combinations of cards. But with TCG Pocket, the developers won’t say if your choice impacts the cards you get.

It’s midnight. The room is pitch black. I gingerly creep into bed so as not to disturb the amorphous blob of children that may be residing somewhere near its center. I’m sleep-deprived but unable to turn my brain off.

There are seven difficult secret missions to complete in Pokémon TCG Pocket with their own rewards, so here's what cards you'll need to complete them.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox

Low commitment, shiny holographic rewards

Opening up a booster pack in the newly released mobile hit game Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket involves a few steps, including having to choose which pack to open. Does the pack you pick matter and influence what cards you get?

Pokémon TCG Pocket is about to get even more content, with The Pokémon Company confirming plans for new packs, updates, and the slow rollout of trading.

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket was released on Oct. 30, and already the game’s second in-game event is live. The event — which appeared on the author’s app around 1 a.m. EST Tuesday and which runs through Nov. 17 — allows collectors to add a powerful Lapras ex and a handful of other new cards to their digital binders.

Pack pulls come thick and fast early on, but once they dry up, some players may find themselves wondering what to do next in Pokemon TCG Pocket.