What Is a Booster Pack?
A booster pack is a sealed, randomized package of trading cards - typically containing 10-15 cards - sold as the primary method for expanding a collection. Each pack follows a fixed rarity distribution: mostly commons and uncommons, with a guaranteed rare slot and a small chance of pulling ultra-rare or secret rare cards.
Why It Matters
Booster packs are the economic engine of every trading card game. They're priced low enough ($4-6) to encourage impulse purchases but randomized enough to require volume to complete a set. This model has sustained Pokemon TCG for 28 years, Magic: The Gathering for 32, and Yu-Gi-Oh! for 26. The booster pack format isn't just a product - it's a business model that prints money.
By the Numbers
A standard Pokemon TCG booster pack contains 10 cards: 6 Common, 3 Uncommon, and 1 Rare (or higher). The chance of pulling a Holo Rare is roughly 1 in 3 packs. Full Art cards appear in about 1 in 18 packs. And the rarest chase cards - Alt Art or Special Art Rare - show up roughly 1 in 50-70 packs, depending on the set.
Going Deeper
There's more than one type of booster product. Standard booster packs are the baseline. Elite Trainer Boxes bundle 9 packs with sleeves and dice. Booster bundles offer 6 packs at a slight discount. And special sets like Crown Zenith or Pokemon 151 often have enhanced pull rates. MakeACard simulates the booster pack experience digitally - every card generation is its own pack pull with randomized rarity odds.
“The booster pack is one of the most effective product formats ever designed. It combines affordable price points with variable rewards to create a purchase loop that sustains entire industries.”
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