Track life points for Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon TCG, Yu-Gi-Oh, and custom games.
Magic: The Gathering (Standard): Each player starts with 20 life. You lose when your life reaches 0 or below, you attempt to draw from an empty library, you accumulate 10 poison counters, or a card says you lose.
MTG Commander/EDH: Each player starts with 40 life. If any single commander deals 21 or more combat damage to you over the course of the game, you also lose.
Yu-Gi-Oh: Each player starts with 8,000 life points. A player loses when their LP reaches 0, they cannot draw a card, or a card effect dictates a loss.
Pokemon TCG: Players track prize cards (typically 6) rather than life points. Take a prize card each time you knock out an opponent's Pokemon. First to take all prizes wins.
Paper and pen tracking gets messy during long games, especially in Commander pods with 4 players. Digital counters keep an accurate history log so you can verify totals after disputed plays. The undo button handles accidental taps, and the D20 roller and coin flip save you from carrying extra accessories.
In sanctioned tournaments, both players must agree on life total changes. Always announce damage and life changes clearly. Some tournaments require paper tracking as the official record even if you use a digital counter. At Regular REL events (like Friday Night Magic), digital counters are generally accepted as the primary tracking method.