Hi fellow pokefans,
I have submitted only once so far and I want to improve my pregrade abilities. Besides the obvious of sending in and keeping a list of pregrades, would you have some resources that could teach me? I’m thinking of videos that feature a good look at the cards and subsequent received psa grade. Or maybe Instagrams with raw pictures and resulting slabs exist. Thank you all for your help 
No exact science to it, its pretty simple and straightforward.
First check the centering, left to right and top to bottom. Flip the card upside down if you think one side is obviously bigger, it’ll help confirm.
Next check the surface in a bright light. Shine the card at all angles and look for any dents, creases, scratches, any damage at all. Take it slow, but its usually pretty easy to see. Front and back.
Finally check the edges, again with the light and your eyes. Look for any bends, dents or anything that causes the edge to look different. Any white spots on the back or silvering on the front.
Start the card at a 10.
Centering off some - knock off a point. Off quite a bit? Knock off 2 points.
White spots on the back, on 1 edge, most likely knock off 1 point unless its pretty small and only one one edge. Decent amount of more whitening, knock it down 2 and so forth.
Scratching - very light, very few? Probably drop 1 point. Light scratching, but a good amount total - most likely drop 2 points. Deep scratches or gouges? Drop about 4 there. Anything in between, why are you submitting unless its a higher end card.
Dent/Crease/Bend - Automatically start it at a 6.
Then you need to subtract the points.
Video doesn’t help, having a card in your hand is really the only way to know. No magic, no special formulas. Experience and looking at hundreds of cards will do it, but honestly a bright light and some common sense will have you spot on 80% of the time. The other is 2% for that random, “Why” grade and 18% for the bump up.
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Thank you very much, that was very comprehensive.
‘‘First check the centering, left to right and top to bottom.’’
I usually check centering also from bottom to left, and alll the other corners.Not just left-right/ top-bottom.
Or centering is a problem only for parallel sides?
If centering is off left to right and/or top to bottom, then the corners will look off as well 