How Many Pokemon Cards Are There in One Pack?
As an avid Pokemon TCG collector and player, one of the most common questions I get is: just how many total cards come in one of those flashy foil booster packs? Well my fellow trainers, I‘m here to give you the full breakdown!
The Basics
At its core, a standard Pokemon TCG booster pack contains 10 cards encompassing cards of every rarity, from common all the way up to secret rare Ultra Premium Collection cards. Here is the typical distribution:
- 4 Common cards
- 3 Uncommon cards
- 3 Foil cards (at least 1 Rare or higher guaranteed)
But wait – most packs actually have 11 cards total, because there is also:
- 1 Basic Energy card
I‘ll explain more about how energys work in the TCG in a bit!
Interesting Facts and Figures
Over the 25+ year history of the Pokemon TCG, there have been literally thousands of expansions released containing millions of unique Pokemon cards printed. While standard booster pack configurations have stayed relatively stable over the years, some special sets change things up:
- Celebrations packs only contained 4 standard cards plus 1 basic energy
- Double Crisis packs featured 6 standard cards plus 1 basic energy
- Trainer‘s Toolkits contain 30 card half-decks and accessories rather than packs
- Elite Trainer Boxes come with 10 booster packs plus accessories like card sleeves
As for chase card rarity distribution – a little known fact is that highly coveted ultra rare "Eeveelution" cards statistically appear only once in every 18 booster packs on average based on printing statistics!
Now you know why finding that one shining Charizard or Umbreon card continues to seem elusive even after buying numerous packs – it truly comes down to the numbers.
Card Rarities Explained
Let‘s delve deeper into the different card rarity tiers found in Pokemon TCG booster packs:
Common Cards
These cards make up the core of every deck and feature Pokémon without special abilities or particularly high damage/HP. Easy to find and not very valuable.
Uncommon Cards
Slightly more powerful cards featuring Pokémon with abilities or better attacks compared to common cards. Fairly easy to obtain.
Rares / Holos / Reverse Holos
Rare cards have a special rarity icon and appear once per booster pack on average. Holos/reverse holos feature holofoil backgrounds making them shine. Much more desirable!
Ultra Rares
These feature unique foil treatments like full arts and alternate arts. Appear approximately once per 18 packs. Highly coveted and valuable!
Secret Rares
The most exclusive class of card featuring special textures and artwork. Less than 1 per 144 packs! Extremely rare and valuable for collectors and players.
As you can see, with secret rares and powerful EX cards hiding among the common Pokémon, the thrill is never knowing what lies in those booster packs!
Final Thoughts
I hope this guide gave you some insight into exactly what comes inside a Pokémon TCG booster pack! Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions – I‘m always happy to share knowledge and experiences from my years as an avid fan. Just remember, always have fun opening those packs and never get discouraged – your chase card could be waiting in the next one!
