Standard vs. Expanded: which Pokémon cards can you play?

Standard is based on regulation marks

The 2026 official rotation announcement removes G-mark cards from ordinary Standard eligibility and identifies H, I and J marks, plus future eligible marks. In-person rotation took effect April 10, 2026; Live changed earlier, on March 26.

An expansion’s age alone does not determine legality. Eligible reprints can allow older copies of a card under the current rules. New releases also have a waiting period before organized-play legality, so a newly purchased card is not automatically tournament-ready that day.

Expanded is not “every card ever”

The official 2026 announcement describes the Black & White series onward pool, subject to bans and release rules. Older cards outside that range do not become legal simply because the format is broader than Standard.

Check the banned list and the exact event’s format. A casual group can agree on another format, but that agreement is different from official tournament legality.

Live has implementation limits

Pokémon TCG Live does not necessarily implement every card in the in-person Expanded pool. Its official notices describe phased support. A physically legal Expanded deck may therefore need changes or may not be available for the app’s current mode.

Validate before practicing the wrong list

Read the event listing, inspect regulation marks and check the app’s legality messages. If a card is rejected, distinguish a rotation issue from an unsupported card or a mode-specific restriction.

This is a dated rules summary, not a permanent legality list. The current official rotation notice, tournament rules and banned-card list take priority when a later update changes the pool.