I spent €100 on Pokémon booster packs — here's what I actually pulled

Shopify Integration: Dashboard → Blog → Create a post → </> Source code → paste this content.
Meta title: I spent €100 on Pokémon booster packs — here's what I actually got | The Lucky Hand
Meta description: Honest test: €100 in classic Pokémon booster packs vs. €100 in Only Hit The Lucky Hand booster packs. Card-by-card results, actual value recovered, and lessons learned.
URL handle: test-100-euros-pokemon-booster-results-honest
Test & Experience March 2026 · 12 min read

I spent €100
on Pokémon boosters —
here's what I got

€100. That's the amount many collectors spend in one opening session. But how much in card value do they actually recover? We did the test twice: first with classic official booster packs, then with Only Hit The Lucky Hand booster packs. The results are unfiltered — card by card, euro by euro.

In this article
  1. The rules of the test
  2. Test 1: €100 in classic booster packs
  3. Test 2: €100 in Only Hit booster packs
  4. The comparative summary
  5. The 5 lessons this test taught me
  6. FAQ

The rules of the test

To make this test useful, we set simple and transparent rules:

  • Exact same budget: €100 in each case. Not a single euro more
  • Same reference expansion: Scarlet & Violet standard for classic boosters, equivalent The Lucky Hand range for Only Hit boosters
  • Card prices verified on Cardmarket within 48 hours of opening — median price of the last 10 sales
  • Everything counts: commons, uncommons, rares — each card is valued at its real market price, even if it's €0.10
  • We measure two things: the total value of cards recovered, AND the opening experience (the feeling, the highlights)
Important: these results represent one opening session, not a statistical average. The variance of classic booster packs is very high — another session could yield different results. The results of Only Hit booster packs, however, are more predictable by design.
Test 1
Classic Official Boosters
Scarlet & Violet standard expansion · €6/booster · 16 boosters
Boosters opened16
Total cards160
Hits obtained12
Total value~€62
Net loss- €38
Test 2
Only Hit The Lucky Hand Boosters
Mix of THE ORIGINAL + JUST-RARE + GOLDY ranges
Boosters opened10
Total cards10
Hits obtained10/10
Total value~€88
Net loss- €12

Test 1: €100 in classic Pokémon booster packs

16 Scarlet & Violet standard expansion booster packs bought in a specialized store for €6.25 each, totaling exactly €100. The opening lasted approximately 45 minutes. Here is the full log, booster by booster — only notable cards are listed; commons are not individually itemized.

B. 1-3
3 Common holographic Rares
Rare ★
Cumulative value: ~€1.80 · 27 commons alongside
Starting slow. Still hoping.
B. 4
Froakie AR — Alternative Rare
AR
Value: ~€4 · Not a very popular Pokémon
First real hit. Nice, but not the most sought after.
B. 5-8
4 Holographic Rares including 1 illustrated uncommon
Rare ★HIT
Cumulative value: ~€3.40 · 36 additional commons
Frustration is setting in. 4 boosters, 0 surprises.
B. 9
Mewtwo AR — Alternative Rare
AR
Value: ~€18 · Popular Pokémon, beautiful illustration
Now we're back on track. The thrill returns.
B. 10-13
4 Standard holographic Rares
Rare ★
Cumulative value: ~€2.80 · 36 more commons
The plateau. The mechanical opening. Just waiting for it to end.
B. 14
Charizard Ultra Rare — SAR
Ultra Rare
Value: ~€55 · The hit of the day. Charizard, of course.
Pure adrenaline. This moment justifies the previous 13.
B. 15-16
2 Final holographic Rares
Rare ★
Cumulative value: ~€1.40
Disappointing end after the adrenaline rush of the Charizard.
Test 1 Summary — Classic Boosters
Budget spent€100
Commons + uncommons (148 cards)~€3.70
Holographic Rares (10 cards)~€9.40
AR — Froakie + Mewtwo (2 cards)~€22
Ultra Rare — Charizard SAR (1 card)~€55
Total value recovered~€62
Net loss- €38

The brutal summary: €38 lost out of €100 spent. And that's with luck on our side with the Charizard SAR. Without it, the total value would drop to ~€7 for €100 invested, a loss of 93%. This is the statistical reality of classic booster packs: a one-in-dozens chance to get "the hit" that makes the session positive.

The true emotional cost: over 45 minutes of opening, 12 out of 16 boosters provided a neutral or disappointing experience. The ratio of "exciting moments" to "flat openings" was approximately 1 to 5. This isn't a matter of luck — it's the very structure of the product.
The Lucky Hand
€100. 10 hits.
Zero disappointment.
Discover what €100 in Only Hit booster packs actually yields — every euro spent guarantees a hit.
See our boosters →

Test 2: €100 in Only Hit The Lucky Hand booster packs

For the second test, we chose a mix of formulas to cover different rarity levels with the same budget of €100:

  • 3 × THE ORIGINAL (€6.99) = €20.97 — guaranteed HIT level, French version
  • 3 × THE JUST-RARE (€9.99) = €29.97 — guaranteed Rare level
  • 2 × THE GOLDY (€19.99) = €39.98 — guaranteed Gold level
  • Total: €90.92 — slightly under budget, we added 1 × THE JUST-HIT (€3.99) to reach €94.91

10 openings in total. Here is the log:

B. 1
THE ORIGINAL — Illustrated Uncommon Pikachu
HIT
Value: ~€1.20 · Modest start but consistent with the promise
Less spectacular than the Charizard — but expected and honest.
B. 2
THE ORIGINAL — Holographic Rare Lucario
Rare ★
Value: ~€3 · Above the guaranteed minimum
Good surprise in the most accessible formula.
B. 3
THE ORIGINAL — Eevee AR — Alternative Rare
AR
Value: ~€22 · Well above the guaranteed minimum
This is where we understand the promise. We weren't expecting an AR for €6.99.
B. 4
THE JUST-HIT — Illustrated Uncommon Jigglypuff
HIT
Value: ~€0.80 · Minimum promise kept
Simple. Honest. No disappointment possible.
B. 5
THE JUST-RARE — Holographic Rare Toxtricity
Rare ★
Value: ~€2.50 · Consistent with the promise
You get exactly what you ordered.
B. 6
THE JUST-RARE — Dragonite AR — Alternative Rare
AR
Value: ~€8 · Well above the guaranteed minimum
Second AR of the test. The selection does its job.
B. 7
THE JUST-RARE — Holographic Rare Moltres
Rare ★
Value: ~€3.50 · Popular 1st generation Pokémon
Nostalgic. The kind of card you keep.
B. 8
THE GOLDY — Gold Rare Gardevoir
Ultra Rare
Value: ~€28 · Gold Gardevoir, highly sought after
The highlight of the test. A Gold in hand is physical.
B. 9
THE GOLDY — Gold Rare Articuno
Ultra Rare
Value: ~€14 · Kanto Legendary, always appreciated
Two Golds in the same test. It's not luck — it's the promise.
B. 10
THE ORIGINAL — Illustrated Uncommon Umbreon
HIT
Value: ~€1.80 · Umbreon, a collector favorite
Quiet finish. No rollercoaster. Just 10 nice openings.
Test 2 Summary — Only Hit The Lucky Hand Boosters
Budget spent~€95
Base hits — 3 cards (THE ORIGINAL + JUST-HIT)~€3.80
Holographic Rares — 3 cards (JUST-RARE)~€9
AR — 2 cards (THE ORIGINAL + JUST-RARE)~€30
Gold Rare — 2 cards (THE GOLDY)~€42
Total value recovered~€88
Net loss- €7
THE LUCKY HAND  ·  ONLY HIT BOOSTER  ·  THE JOY OF OPENING HITS  ·  PARIS  ·  THE LUCKY HAND  ·  ONLY HIT BOOSTER  ·  THE JOY OF OPENING HITS  ·  PARIS  ·  THE LUCKY HAND  ·  ONLY HIT BOOSTER  ·  THE JOY OF OPENING HITS  ·  PARIS  · 

The comparative summary

Classic Boosters
€100 · 16 boosters · 160 cards
Value recovered~€62
Net loss- €38
True hits obtained12 / 160
Highlight moment1 (Charizard)
Overall experienceUneven
VS
Only Hit Boosters
~€95 · 10 boosters · 10 cards
Value recovered~€88
Net loss- €7
True hits obtained10 / 10
Highlight moments7 out of 10
Overall experienceConsistent

The numbers speak for themselves. But beyond the euros, what this test reveals above all is a fundamentally different experience. In classic booster packs, you open to reach a peak — the moment you finally pull something good. In Only Hit booster packs, every opening is at least satisfying. It's not the same emotional proposition.

Classic booster packs have an irreplaceable advantage: the volume of cards. 160 cards to complete a set, get variants, build a deck. If that's your goal, official booster packs are still the only option. But if what you're looking for is the opening experience — the moment the card is revealed — the numbers clearly show where your money is better spent.

The 5 lessons this test taught me

01
One big hit can change everything — or not come at all
The Charizard SAR saved Test 1. Without it, the loss would have been 93%. This is the reality of classic booster packs: the entire session can depend on 1 card out of 160. It's not an investment — it's an expensive lottery ticket.
02
The value of commons is almost zero — and they put a lot of them in
Out of 160 cards pulled from classic booster packs, 148 (or 92.5%) had a value of less than €0.10 each. This mass of valueless cards represents the bulk of what you receive, and almost none of what you want.
03
Guarantee changes the relationship to risk
In Only Hit booster packs, you never open with the fear of "getting nothing." This lack of anxiety fundamentally changes the experience. You can appreciate each opening for what it is — not for what you hoped it would be.
04
Mixing ranges is the best Only Hit strategy
Combining THE ORIGINAL + JUST-RARE + GOLDY within the same budget offers more variety than opening 10 boosters of a single formula. You get both light openings and premium openings in the same session — and the Gold Rares arrive as highlights instead of making up the entire experience.
05
Neither option is an investment — and that's normal
Both tests end in the red. Opening booster packs, whether classic or Only Hit, is not a financial strategy. It's a leisure activity. The real question isn't "will I make a profit?" — it's "am I getting my money's worth in terms of enjoyment?" On that criterion, the results are unequivocal.
Ready to take the test?
Discover the range
The Lucky Hand
From €3.99 to €125 · 100% guaranteed hits · Free delivery from €39 · +150 Trustpilot reviews
Choose my boosters →

FAQ

Is this test really representative of a typical opening session?
It represents a real session with its natural variability. Results can vary considerably from one session to another — this is precisely the problem with classic booster packs. Another €100 session could yield 0 Ultra Rares and a €90 loss, or conversely 2 Ultra Rares and a slight profit. The variance is very high. The results of Only Hit booster packs are, by design, more stable.
Can you really recover €88 in value with €95 of Only Hit boosters?
Yes, in this specific test — thanks in particular to the two Gold Rares (Gardevoir and Articuno) at €28 and €14 respectively, and the Eevee AR at €22. Hand-picking aims to guarantee the minimum rarity, but cards significantly above the minimum appear regularly. That said, this result is not identically replicated in every session — but the guarantee of the minimum hit is systematic.
Which mix of The Lucky Hand boosters do you recommend for €100?
The mix in this test is a good starting point: 3 × THE ORIGINAL for accessible openings and potential surprises, 3 × JUST-RARE for guaranteed Rares, 2 × THE GOLDY for Gold highlights, and 1 × JUST-HIT for getting started. You cover the entire rarity range in one session, and each opening has its own personality.
Are classic boosters still worth it compared to Only Hit?
It entirely depends on your objective. If you want to complete a set, get all cards including commons and uncommons, or build a competitive deck — yes, classic boosters are the only option. If you only want the opening experience and the satisfaction of always pulling something beautiful — Only Hit boosters offer a much better pleasure/euro spent ratio.
How are The Lucky Hand Only Hit boosters selected?
Each card is hand-selected by The Lucky Hand team before being packaged in its booster. We source from specialized stores, professional suppliers, and individuals, then manually sort to keep only the cards that meet the minimum rarity level promised for each formula. There is no algorithm — it's human curation work for every order.
H
Hugo — Founder of The Lucky Hand
A collector since childhood, I created The Lucky Hand after too often opening overpriced boosters only to pull commons. Our mission: to make the thrill of opening certain and accessible. Paris · 2024
Back to blog

Leave a comment