The Hand in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG , OCG , and FCG is unplayed cards in your possession that you have drawn from your Deck or otherwise. As implied, you would generally be holding these cards in your hand. You are generally, but not limited to the following, able to Normal Summon or Set the Monsters in your Hand, set the Trap cards in your hand, and Activate or Set the Spell cards in your Hand.
During your Draw Phase after you draw a card it is added to your hand. The hand size limit is six, so during your End Phase if you have more than six cards in your hand, you must discard cards until you have six cards left. Hieroglyph Lithograph extends the hand limit to seven cards, while Infinite Cards removes this limit for both players.
Certain cards can interact with cards in either yours, your opponents, or both sets of hands. Spirit Reaper can discard 1 card from your hand as part of it's effect, and Exchange allows you to swap one card from your hand with one card in your opponent's hand.
Gameplay and terminology Card layout Rarities Card types
Monster
Spell Trap Skill
Normal • Continuous • Field
Other†
Equip •
Ritual •
Speed Spell (
Normal •
Quick-Play •
Ritual )
Non-game •
Character •
Checklist •
FAQ •
Strategy •
Tip Related
Game mechanics
Card effects
Types
Condition (Archetype • Archetype-exclusion • Level • Name • Rank • Summoning • Common • Normal • Special • Fusion • Ritual • Victory ) • Cost (Maintenance cost ) • Monster • Continuous • like • Ignition • Like • Quick • Like • Trigger • Like • Flip • Unclassified • Control only one • Field-Unique • Match winner • Summon monster • Unconfirmed
Mandatory •
Optional •
Lingering •
Once per turn Speeds
Summoning
Types Mechanics
Summoning Rules •
Double Tributer •
Material • (
Fusion •
Fusion Substitute •
Synchro •
Synchro Substitute •
Xyz •
Link ) •
Alloy † •
Alloy Substitute † •
Broadcast † •
Broadcast Substitute † •
Burst † •
Burst Substitute † •
Chain-force † •
Chain-force Substitute † •
Chainlink † •
Chainlink Substitute † •
Chaos † •
Chaos Substitute † •
Code † •
Code Substitute † •
Composition † •
Composition Substitute † •
Constellation † •
Constellation Substitute † •
Construct † •
Construct Substitute † •
Cosmic † •
Cosmic Substitute † •
Cross † •
Cross Substitute † •
Crossover † •
Crossover Substitute † •
Dark Bind † •
Dark Bind Substitute † •
Delta † •
Delta Substitute † •
Dreamer † •
Dreamer Substitute † •
Driver † •
Driver Substitute † •
Emblem † •
Emblem Substitute † •
Enchant † •
Enchant Substitute † •
Enhance † •
Enhance Substitute † •
Esper † •
Esper Substitute † •
Evolute † •
Evolute Substitute † •
Evolution † •
Evolution Substitute † •
Extract † •
Extract Substitute † •
Extreme † •
Extreme Substitute † •
Galaxy † •
Galaxy Substitute † •
HYPERFORCE † •
HYPERFORCE Substitute † •
Hybrid † •
Hybrid Substitute † •
Imaginary † •
Imaginary Substitute † •
Legend † •
Legend Substitute † •
Legion † •
Legion Substitute † •
Maestro † •
Maestro Substitute † •
Mana † •
Mana Substitute † •
Marshal † •
Marshal Substitute † •
Master † •
Master Substitute † •
Mega † •
Mega Substitute † •
Mirage † •
Mirage Substitute † •
Mixmatch † •
Mixmatch Substitute † •
Neon Positive † •
Neon Positive Substitute † •
Nova † •
Nova Substitute † •
Overdrive Material † •
Overdrive Substitute Monster Substitute † •
Parallel † •
Parallel Substitute † •
Persona † •
Persona Substitute † •
Plasma † •
Plasma Substitute † •
Positive † •
Positive Substitute † •
Pressure † •
Pressure Substitute † •
Quasar † •
Quasar Substitute † •
Reactor Material † •
Reactor Substitute Monster Substitute † •
Resolve † •
Resolve Substitute † •
Reverse † •
Reverse Substitute † •
Royal † •
Royal Substitute † •
Spectrum † •
Spectrum Substitute † •
Spiritual † •
Spiritual Substitute † •
Terrain † •
Terrain Substitute † •
Timewarp † •
Timewarp Substitute † •
Transmute † •
Transmute Substitute † •
Triad † •
Triad Substitute † •
Unification † •
Unification Substitute † •
Unity † •
Unity Substitute † •
Upgrade † •
Upgrade Substitute † •
Voodoo † •
Voodoo Substitute † •
Wild Card † •
Wild Card Substitute † •
Xynchro † •
Xynchro Substitute † •
Normal Summon Monster •
Special Summon-only •
Nomi •
Ignoring the Summoning conditions
Other
Activation & Targeting Eligibility •
Activation requirement •
Difference between Costs and Effects •
Chains, Activation, and Resolution •
Engine (
Draw ) • Advantage •
Card •
Field •
Hand •
One Turn Kill (
First •
Zero ) •
Lockdown • Loop (
Controlled loop •
Infinite loop )
† Does not exist in the OCG or TCG