Poliwhirl

Most fake Pokémon cards give themselves away on the back, the texture, and a light test. Compare against a card you know is genuine from the same era whenever you can.

• ✓Light (rosette) testHold the card up to a bright light. A genuine card is opaque — you should not see light pass through. Many fakes are printed on thinner stock and glow through.
• ✓Back colour & blue layerReal cards have a specific blue swirl back and a thin black core layer visible on the edge. Fakes often have an off-blue, too-dark, or washed-out back, and no dark core line on the edge.
• ✓Texture & holoOn holo/ultra-rare cards, feel for the textured foil and look at how the shine moves. Flat, mirror-like or grainy holo that doesn't match official patterns is a red flag.
• ✓Font, spacing & colourCheck the energy symbols, HP font and set symbol against a reference image. Fakes frequently have slightly wrong fonts, fuzzy text, oversaturated colours, or a misplaced set symbol.
• ✓Set symbol & copyrightConfirm the set symbol, card number and the copyright/date line match the real set the card is from. Mismatches (e.g. a modern card claiming a vintage set) are a giveaway.

These tips help spot common fakes but aren’t a guarantee. For expensive cards, buy from reputable sellers and consider professional grading/authentication.