Q&A
How many packs does it take to complete a Pokémon set?
Updated October 23, 2026 · By the PullMeter team
Far more than most people expect. Collecting every card is a "coupon collector" problem: the last few cards take the longest. With TCGplayer's cited Scarlet & Violet rates, and assuming each card in a rarity is equally likely, the expected number of packs to pull every card of each hit rarity is:
- All 12 Double Rares: about 271 packs
- All 20 Ultra Rares: about 1,095 packs
- All 24 Illustration Rares: about 1,182 packs
- All 10 Special Illustration Rares: about 930 packs
- All 6 Hyper Rares: about 795 packs
That's why buying the last singles is usually cheaper. Our set completion assistant runs this simulation for any set and compares it with buying singles. The results are estimates, not guarantees.