{
  "slug": "trading-card-pack-ev",
  "title": "Trading Card Pack EV Calculator",
  "heading": "Trading Card Pack EV Calculator",
  "category": "math",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/trading-card-pack-ev",
  "summary": "Expected value of ripping a pack or box.",
  "description": "Hit rates times hit values, spread across the pack cost. Tells you whether ripping or buying singles is smarter.",
  "formula": null,
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=trading-card-pack-ev",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "packCost",
      "label": "Pack cost",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 5.5,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "cardsPerPack",
      "label": "Cards per pack",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 10,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "hitRate",
      "label": "Chase card hit rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 24,
      "unit": "1 in N packs",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "hitValue",
      "label": "Chase card value",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 90,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "baseValue",
      "label": "Avg value of non-hits",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 0.18,
      "unit": "$/card",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "packs",
      "label": "Packs opened",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 36,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "ev",
      "label": "EV per pack",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "boxEv",
      "label": "EV for the box",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "boxCost",
      "label": "Box cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "roi",
      "label": "Expected ROI",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Pack cost: 5.5 $",
      "Cards per pack: 10",
      "Chase card hit rate: 24 1 in N packs",
      "Chase card value: 90 $",
      "Avg value of non-hits: 0.18 $/card",
      "Packs opened: 36"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "EV per pack: $5.55",
      "EV for the box: $199.80",
      "Box cost: $198.00",
      "Expected ROI: 0.9%"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter pack cost ($).",
      "Enter cards per pack.",
      "Enter chase card hit rate (1 in N packs).",
      "Enter chase card value ($).",
      "Enter avg value of non-hits ($/card).",
      "Enter packs opened.",
      "Read your ev per pack on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "packCost": 3.3,
        "cardsPerPack": 6,
        "hitRate": 14,
        "hitValue": 55,
        "baseValue": 0.108,
        "packs": 22
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "packCost": 5.5,
        "cardsPerPack": 10,
        "hitRate": 24,
        "hitValue": 90,
        "baseValue": 0.18,
        "packs": 36
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "packCost": 8.8,
        "cardsPerPack": 16,
        "hitRate": 38,
        "hitValue": 145,
        "baseValue": 0.288,
        "packs": 58
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are rounded for display; the underlying calculation keeps full precision.",
    "Very large or very small inputs may hit floating-point limits in the browser.",
    "Inputs outside the accepted range are clamped rather than rejected."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How does the trading card pack ev calculator work?",
      "a": "Hit rates times hit values, spread across the pack cost. Tells you whether ripping or buying singles is smarter."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "6 values: pack cost, cards per pack, chase card hit rate, chase card value, avg value of non-hits, and packs opened. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move."
    },
    {
      "q": "What does the ev per pack result mean?",
      "a": "It is returned as a money amount in US dollars and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?",
      "a": "Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser."
    },
    {
      "q": "How accurate is the result?",
      "a": "It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Results are rounded for display; the underlying calculation keeps full precision."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who is this tool for?",
      "a": "It's built for students, developers, and anyone who needs the answer right now without setting up a spreadsheet."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/card-grading-roi"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Trading Card Pack EV Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/trading-card-pack-ev)"
}