The statistics annex
Buy the single. Or don't. Here's the math.
The most financially responsible page on a website that also sells $3 curses. Enter your chase card's single price, a pack price, and the estimated pull rate.
Buy the single
$30.00
100% chance. Wild concept.
Packs for a 50% shot
$310.50
69 packs, coin-flip odds
Packs for a 90% shot
$1,035.00
230 packs, still not certain
The verdict from the statistics annex: buying the single is usually more predictable. A 50% chance via packs costs about $310.50 — versus $30.00 for the certainty of the single. Rip packs for fun, buy singles for cards.
Estimates based on your inputs. Market prices move. Not financial advice — the pack gods are not licensed for that either.
Live prices: Scryfall, synced 2026-07-25. Prices are Scryfall daily market estimates in USD, not offers. Scryfall is not affiliated with or endorsing TCG Prayer.
Live prices: TCGdex, synced 2026-07-25. Prices are TCGplayer market estimates in USD via TCGdex, updated daily, not offers. TCGdex and TCGplayer are not affiliated with or endorsing TCG Prayer.
Live prices: YGOPRODeck, synced 2026-07-25. Prices are TCGplayer market estimates in USD via YGOPRODeck, updated regularly, not offers. For cards reprinted across sets, this is the card's aggregate market price rather than a price specific to this set's printing/rarity. YGOPRODeck and TCGplayer are not affiliated with or endorsing TCG Prayer.
Live prices: Lorcast, synced 2026-07-25. Prices are market estimates in USD via Lorcast, updated regularly, not offers. Lorcast is not affiliated with or endorsing TCG Prayer.
Live prices: optcgapi, synced 2026-07-25. Prices are market estimates in USD via optcgapi, not offers. For cards reprinted across sets this reflects the card's aggregate market price. optcgapi is not affiliated with or endorsing TCG Prayer.
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Frequently asked
Is it better to buy singles or packs?
If you want one specific card, buying the single is usually more predictable and usually cheaper than opening packs until it appears. Packs are entertainment with variance; singles are shopping.
So why does anyone open packs?
Because ripping packs is fun, and fun has value. The mistake is only opening packs as a purchasing strategy for a specific card — that's paying casino rules for a store item.
Does this tool account for the other cards in packs?
The verdict focuses on your chase card. Packs do yield other cards (mostly bulk), which the EV calculator values separately — it rarely changes the conclusion for a specific chase.