- Draw Phase
- Standby Phase
- Main Phase I
- Battle Phase
- Main Phase II
- End Phase

Draw Phase
This phase begins as soon as the turn player draws a card. If a player is unable to draw a card during the Draw Phase because there are none left in the player's deck, they are declared the loser.

Standby Phase
Any face-up cards on the field which state they must resolve or be paid for during this phase must be dealt with before the Standby Phase ends. A card's resolution cannot be 'forgotten' if it states that it must be dealt with during the Standby Phase; ie., if the turn player has an Imperial Order face up on the field and attempts to activate a Normal Spell card to enter their Main Phase I without paying for the cost of Imperial Order, the play was illegal and must be recalled to the Standby Phase. If more than one card must be resolved during the Standby Phase, the turn player decides in which order each will resolve.

Main Phase I
During this phase, the turn player may set or summon monsters, Spells, and Traps. They may also change the battle position of monsters already on the field. The limit of monster cards a play can have on the field at one time is five; the limit of Spell and Trap cards combined is also five. Any cards played above that limit is considered an illegal activation and is returned to the owner's hand.

Monster Summons
The turn player may only set or summon one monster during either their Main Phase I or II. To summon a monster, it must be played from the hand in face-up Attack position. To set a monster, it must be played from the hand in face-down defense position. Monsters of levels five or six can only be summoned by offering one monster already on the field as a Tribute; monsters of levels seven or eight require two such Tributes.

Monsters set in a previous turn can be Flip Summoned the following turn. This summon does not take up the turn player's one allowed summon, and is done by flipping a monster from face-down defense mode to face-up attack mode. At this time, any Flip Effects are activated.

Special Summons are another type of summon that does not take up the turn player's one allowed summon. Special Summons are summons due to the effect of a card, such as Monster Reborn or Polymerization. Special Summons can be performed as many times during a single turn as the player's cards allow.

Spell and Trap Cards
Spell cards can be played either face-up (activated) or face-down (set). Once a Spell Card activated, its effect immediately takes place and the card is destroyed, with the exception of Continuous Spells and Equipment Spells. Trap Cards can only be placed face-down and must remain face-down on the field until the beginning of the next player's turn. Once the next player's Draw Phase has begun, Trap Cards set the previous turn can be activated at any time. Like Spells, Trap Cards are activated and immediately destroyed, with the exception of Continuous Traps.

Quickplay Spells
Quickplay Spells are the exceptions to most of the restrictions of each phase. They can be activated at any time from the turn player's hand, and can be activated from the field during an opponent's turn. However, they cannot be Set on the field and activated during the same turn - once set, they must remain on the field until the beginning of the next player's turn before being activated.

Start Step
The turn player must declare whether they are entering their Battle Phase during this step. The opponent has the option of activating Quickplay Spells and/or Traps in response to this.

Battle Step
The turn player selects one of their own monsters to attack with and declares an attack against either one of his opponent's monsters or, if the opponent controls no monsters, their Life Points. Quickplay Spells and Traps can be activated at this time.

Damage Step
The Attack value of the attacking monster and either the Attack or Defense value of the defender (depending on what battle position that monster is in) are compared. If in Attack Position, the player whose monster has lower a Attack value takes damage to their Life Points equal to the difference in Attack value. If the attacked monster has a Flip Effect, it is activated immediately following Damage Calculation.

End Step
Once the turn player has attacked with all the monsters they wish to, they proceed to the End Step of the Battle Phase. Both players can activate Quickplay Spells or Traps at this time.

End Phase
The turn player now announces the end of their turn. If their hand contains more than six cards, they must discard until they have only six left. Quickplay Spells and Traps can be activated during this phase.