Strategy library

Deck building, taught from the math up.

Most deck-building advice is vibes. This series teaches the numbers underneath: what your list is likely to draw, when, and how to read your own results without fooling yourself. It is the same curriculum DeckSequence's Intelligence engine runs on your decks.

Start at the top — each article builds on the one before it.

  1. Deck building basics
    01

    How to build a consistent Pokémon TCG deck

    A math-first guide to competitive Pokémon TCG deck building: copy counts, Basic counts, mulligan rates, sequencing, and how to test changes against real games.
    8 min read
  2. Draw math
    02

    How draw odds actually work in the Pokémon TCG

    The exact math behind opening hands: why 4 copies means a 39.9% chance to open one, why each extra copy buys less than the last, and why prizes don't change the odds.
    6 min read
  3. Deck building basics
    03

    Mulligan math: how many Basic Pokémon should you run?

    Only Basics save you from a mulligan. See the exact mulligan rate for 8, 10, 12, and 14 Basic Pokémon in a 60-card deck, and how to choose your count on purpose.
    5 min read
  4. Draw math
    04

    The going-first tax: what turn order does to your odds

    Going first skips your first draw, so the second player has always seen one card more. Here's exactly what that costs, turn by turn, and why every deck stat has two values.
    5 min read
  5. Testing & data
    05

    Theory vs practice: testing a deck without fooling yourself

    Compare what the math says your deck should do against what your logged games actually show. Learn the theory floor, why beating it is normal, and how to read a gap.
    6 min read
  6. Playing better
    06

    Sequencing: play order is free percentage

    Search before you shuffle-draw: the exact math behind play order in the Pokémon TCG, why combined odds can't be multiplied, and a worked Rare Candy example.
    6 min read
  7. Playing better
    07

    The six disciplines: what your games say about your play

    Win rate hides how you play. Six named disciplines — sequencing, openings, prize mapping, resource management, board development, turn-order adaptation — and the signals behind each.
    7 min read
  8. Testing & data
    08

    Which cards earn their slot? Reading card utilization

    Four rates tell you what each card actually did across your games — drawn, played, discarded, dead in hand — and how to read them by role before cutting anything.
    6 min read
  9. Testing & data
    09

    Why your 5-game win rate is lying to you

    Small samples swing wildly for no reason. How many games a deck read, a per-card rate, and a matchup win rate actually need before the number means anything.
    5 min read