Are the Pokemon TCG Pocket bent packs actually better?

Pokemon TCG Pocket Packs — (Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

The Pokemon TCG Pocket bent packs with folded or curved corners at the top have started various rumours since the game released, with many believing that these are markers for special packs that give better, rarer cards. Well, we've been testing that theory heavily since it emerged, looking for those bent tops and twisted corners to see if the resultant cards are any better than when we were actively avoiding them. The eventual answer wasn't one you'll likely be happy about, sorry to say.

What do the Pokemon TCG Pocket bent packs do?

Bent packs in Pokemon TCG Pocket - i.e., those rare card packs that have a slight crease or curve in the corner of the foil at the top of the pack - do not appear to give better rewards or have a higher likelihood of dropping Pokemon TCG Pocket rare cards than normal packs, despite some people reading them as a being "heavier".

Now this is based off experience and research rather than behind the scenes info, not having actually gone into the game's code or spoken personally with the developers, but having tested it substantially in the game, it seems as though the cards you draw are set in stone the moment you select "Open a Pack", no matter which of the packs available you pick, bent top or not.

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There's several reasons to think this is the case:

Players have reported seeing card results appear in the Wonder Pick before the carousel choice is made, implying that the rewards are fixed from the moment you choose (thanks to @PokeNinaa)
Choosing to mass-open 10 card packs at once doesn't let you pick the packs from the carousel, implying the choice is irrelevant and a bent corner doesn't matter.
Having opened dozens of packs and specifically targeting those with bent corners, the actual odds of obtaining a rare card were not any different from when we choose not to do so and specifically targeted non-bent cards.

Effectively, this appears to be the illusion of choice, rather than an actual meaningful variation. We're still testing this theory and will update this guide if there's any evidence to suggest differently, but right now all the data suggests that a bent corner on the pack is only that - a minor visual variation meant to be reminiscent of the packs themselves. In a way this is the modern day version of hammering A+B on the Gameboy in the hope that it increases the chance of catching a wild Pokemon. And like back then, even after being told repeatedly it doesn't do anything, you'll probably do it anyway.

Want some actual guaranteed rare cards? Our guide to the Pokemon TCG Pocket Lapras ex Event will lay out how to beat the limited time challenges and get those special promo cards. Or, if you want to know how to put rare cards to good use, find out all the Pokemon TCG Pocket best decks here!

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Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.