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Pack EV Calc

Surging Sparks

SCARLET & VIOLET · PACK EV CALCULATOR

Surging Sparks

Released November 8, 2024·252 cards·452 priced
GOOD VALUEEV $4.54 / PACKPACK $4.99BEST PULL $334.11
EV EFFICIENCY91%

91% of pack cost covered — great value

PACK COST

$

VERDICT

Good Value

EV PER PACK

$4.54

Expected return

VS PACK COST

$-0.45

Below cost

HIT RATE

7.2%

1 in ~14 packs

PRICE DATA

452/452

100% coverage

VALUE SPLIT

$4.54 total EV

Filler$0.10Rare$0.08EX$0.30Ultra Rare$1.78Secret Rare$2.29

PULL RATE BREAKDOWN

How often each rarity tier appears in a pack

Commons & Uncommons
$0.10/pack
255 cards·Filler slot
Best:Cyrano$0.77
Rare
$0.08/pack
28 cards·55.0% pull chance·avg $0.13
Best:Togekiss$0.25
EX / V / GX / ex
$0.30/pack
31 cards·14.0% pull chance·avg $1.39
Best:Latias ex - 076/191$5.51
Ultra Rare / Full Art
$1.78/pack
104 cards·7.0% pull chance·avg $5.59
Best:Latios$36.07
Secret Rare / Special Art
$2.29/pack
34 cards·4.0% pull chance·avg $57.14
Best:Pikachu ex$334.11

TOP PULLS

100 cards · ranked by EV contribution
1
Pikachu ex

Pikachu ex

Special Illustration Rare0.1% pull

$334.11

$0.39 EV

2
Pikachu ex - 238/191

Pikachu ex - 238/191

Special Illustration Rare0.1% pull

$334.11

$0.39 EV

3
Latias ex - 239/191

Latias ex - 239/191

Special Illustration Rare0.1% pull

$182.41

$0.21 EV

4
Latias ex

Latias ex

Special Illustration Rare0.1% pull

$182.26

$0.21 EV

5
Milotic ex

Milotic ex

Special Illustration Rare0.1% pull

$132.01

$0.16 EV

6
Milotic ex - 237/191

Milotic ex - 237/191

Special Illustration Rare0.1% pull

$132.01

$0.16 EV

7
Latios

Latios

Illustration Rare<0.1% pull

$36.07

$0.11 EV

8
Latios - 203/191

Latios - 203/191

Illustration Rare<0.1% pull

$35.67

$0.11 EV

9
Pikachu ex - 247/191

Pikachu ex - 247/191

Hyper Rare0.1% pull

$90.86

$0.11 EV

10
Pikachu ex

Pikachu ex

Hyper Rare0.1% pull

$90.84

$0.11 EV

11
Pikachu ex - 219/191

Pikachu ex - 219/191

Ultra Rare<0.1% pull

$30.66

$0.09 EV

12
Pikachu ex

Pikachu ex

Ultra Rare<0.1% pull

$29.78

$0.09 EV

13
Ceruledge - 197/191

Ceruledge - 197/191

Illustration Rare<0.1% pull

$23.91

$0.07 EV

14
Ceruledge

Ceruledge

Illustration Rare<0.1% pull

$23.76

$0.07 EV

15
Hydreigon ex - 240/191

Hydreigon ex - 240/191

Special Illustration Rare0.1% pull

$41.12

$0.05 EV

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is it worth opening Surging Sparks packs?

Based on current market prices, probably not if you're purely chasing value — the expected value is $4.54 per pack versus a $4.99 pack price, meaning you lose about $0.45 per pack on average. However, if you hit a chase card it can still return many times the pack cost.

What is the hit rate for Surging Sparks packs?

About 7% — roughly 1 in 14 packs. This is the probability that your guaranteed rare slot pull is worth more than the pack cost on its own. The reverse holo slot adds additional value on top of this.

What is the best pull in Surging Sparks?

The highest expected-value card in Surging Sparks is Pikachu ex, currently priced around $334.11. Chase cards like this drive most of a set's EV — a single pull can easily cover the cost of multiple packs.

How is pack expected value calculated?

Every booster pack contains a rare slot (one guaranteed rare or better) and a reverse holo slot (one random card from the set). We apply estimated pull rates to each rarity tier — Secret Rare ~4%, Ultra Rare ~7%, EX/V/ex ~14%, Holo Rare ~20%, Basic Rare ~55%. Within each tier, probability is split equally across all cards of that rarity. Each card's price is weighted by its pull probability and summed to produce the EV per pack. Pull rates are approximations based on community-verified data; actual rates vary by set print run and product type.

The Surging Sparks set was released on November 8, 2024 as part of the Scarlet & Violet series, containing 252 cards across multiple rarity tiers. At a pack price of $4.99, the estimated expected value is $4.54 per pack — a negative return of $-0.45 on average.

Use the calculator above to adjust pack cost (sealed product prices vary by retailer) and see an updated EV breakdown instantly. Prices update daily — bookmark this page to track whether Surging Sparks packs become better or worse value over time as the market shifts.

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