Black star promo symbol

How to read it

CGC, the card grading company, counts the promo star among the four everyday rarity symbols, with the circle, diamond and star. It says promo cards are often given away to mark special events such as film releases, or packed as extra cards in Pokémon TCG products. Wargamer describes them as cards made to be handed out at special events, given as rewards to competitive players, or bundled with pre-made decks and other products, and says they don’t come in booster packs.

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Where it sits in the rarity order

The two guides differ on whether the promo star is a rarity at all. CGC lists it beside common, uncommon and rare. Wargamer puts promos at the end of its chart and says they don’t fit the usual ranking, because how scarce a promo is depends on how it was given out and how many copies were made.

Tournament stamps

Some promos carry a second mark. CGC describes tournament promo cards, given to players at Pokémon TCG events as participation or winning prizes, with a stamp that names the tournament and the year.

Look-alikes

A plain black star with no word on it is a rare card from a booster set, not a promo.