Look, opening packs in Pokemon TCG Pocket is addictive. We all know that satisfying digital "snip" sound when the booster opens. But if you're just swiping through cards and hoping for the best, you’re basically bleeding resources. To actually compete or finish that Pokedex without spending a fortune, you need a Pokemon TCG Pocket spreadsheet. Honestly, it's the difference between being a casual collector and actually mastering the game's economy.
The game is deceptively simple. You get your free packs, you do your Wonder Picks, and you build a deck. But behind the flashy animations of Mewtwo ex or Pikachu ex, there’s a math problem.
The Math Behind the Pulls
Most players don't realize that the "pity" system and the Pack Points economy are incredibly rigid. You earn 10 Pack Points per pack opened. A standard ex card might cost 500 points, while those elusive immersive rare cards can climb to 1,500 or 2,500 points. If you aren't tracking your pulls in a Pokemon TCG Pocket spreadsheet, you’re going to find yourself short on points exactly when a new expansion drops.
It’s about efficiency.
Think about it. Every time you open a pack from the Genetic Apex set, you're rolling against specific odds for Charizard, Mewtwo, or Pikachu tracks. If you’ve already pulled three copies of Articuno ex but you’re still missing a single Starmie ex for your water deck, continuing to pull from that specific pack without tracking your "dust" (Pack Points) is a losing game.
Tracking Your Collection Like a Pro
I’ve seen people use everything from the Notes app to literal napkins. Don't do that. A proper Pokemon TCG Pocket spreadsheet allows you to categorize by rarity—Diamond 1 through 4, and those coveted Stars.
Why does this matter? Because of the "Flare" system.
If you want to deck out your cards with visual effects, you need duplicates and specialized items like Shinedust. A spreadsheet helps you visualize exactly how many "spare" cards you have to burn for these upgrades. It’s not just about what you have; it’s about what you can afford to lose.
Why Google Sheets is Better Than In-Game Filters
The in-game UI is pretty. It’s also clunky as hell for high-level management. You can filter by "Type" or "Rarity," sure. But can you filter by "Cards I need for a Meta Mewtwo Deck vs. Pack Points Required"? No.
A spreadsheet lets you:
- Calculate the total "Cost to Complete" for a specific deck.
- Track Wonder Pick cooldowns alongside your pack timers.
- Compare your collection against the current meta lists from sites like Limitless TCG.
Some players use community-made templates found on Reddit or Discord. These are great, but honestly, making your own is better because you can tailor it to your specific goal—whether that's "Master Set" completion or just building a competitive Weezing/Arbok deck.
Stop Wasting Your Shop Tickets
Every day, you get missions. These give you Shop Tickets. Most people spend them on hourglasses immediately. While that's tempting for the instant gratification of a new pack, a Pokemon TCG Pocket spreadsheet reveals a different strategy.
By tracking your progression, you might realize that saving tickets for specific promo cards or emblems is actually the better long-term play. The rarity scaling in this game is steep. If you’re F2P (Free to Play), your margin for error is razor-thin. One bad spending spree on Wonder Pick rewinds can set your deck-building back by weeks.
The Secret Value of Wonder Picks
Wonder Picks are a gamble. You see five cards, one is hidden, and you pray. But if you're tracking the "hits" of your friends list in a Pokemon TCG Pocket spreadsheet, you start to see patterns in what's available.
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Did your friend just pull a Full Art Misty? If you track when that appeared, you can manage your Wonder Stamina more effectively. You shouldn't just pick randomly. You should pick when the odds of a "High Value" card—one you’ve explicitly marked as "Missing" in your sheet—are at their peak.
Managing the Meta Shift
The meta in TCG Pocket moves fast for a mobile game. One day everyone is terrified of Pikachu ex's speed, and the next, they're complaining about Dragonite's massive (but inconsistent) damage output.
When you maintain a Pokemon TCG Pocket spreadsheet, you can list the core components of top-tier decks.
- Mewtwo ex (2x)
- Gardevoir line (2-2-2)
- Giovanni (2x)
- Professor's Research (2x)
By checking these off in your sheet, you see exactly how many "Generic Apex" packs you need to keep opening before it makes sense to switch to a different set. Most people switch too early. They get one copy of a card and move on, leaving their deck inconsistent. Inconsistency is how you lose matches and miss out on event rewards.
Is It Too Much Work?
Some people say, "It’s just a card game, why are you using Excel?"
Those people are usually the ones complaining that they can't win a single match in the Emblem Events. The reality is that TCG Pocket is a resource management game disguised as a card game. The actual matches are only 20% of the strategy; the other 80% happens in the collection screen and the shop.
If you spend five minutes a day updating your Pokemon TCG Pocket spreadsheet, you save hours of grinding for resources you wasted on the wrong packs. It’s about playing smarter.
Actionable Steps for Your Tracking Journey
Don't overcomplicate it at the start.
Start by listing every "ex" card and every "Full Art" card in a simple column. In the next column, put the number of copies you own. In a third column, note the "Pack Source." This immediately tells you which pack you should be spending your daily gold or hourglasses on.
Once you have that, create a "Wishlist" section. Rank them. If you need a second Moltres ex to make your Charizard deck viable, that should be your number one priority for Pack Points. Don't spend those points on a cool-looking Pidgeot just because you’re bored.
Finally, track your "Daily Spend." The game gives you a specific amount of free currency through missions and the battle pass. If your Pokemon TCG Pocket spreadsheet shows you’re consistently running out of gold before the end of the week, you need to stop using gold to finish pack timers and save it for the rare "Special Shop" rotations.
Building this habit takes a few days, but the payoff is a much more powerful deck and a collection that actually looks like something an expert would own. Stop guessing and start tracking.