Eric Michael

Walking through a casino in Vegas and it hit me. Ripping packs of sports cards is a worse gamble than anything on this floor.

Let me explain.

Everyone in the hobby loves to rip packs. The rush, the chase, the dream of pulling something huge. I get it. It feels amazing. But if you actually look at the math, opening packs might be one of the worst bets you can make with your money.

Think about it. When you buy a pack, the house edge is brutal. The manufacturers already know that the vast majority of cards that come out of those packs are worth pennies on the dollar. You are paying retail for a shot at something that almost never hits. Most of what you pull cannot even be sold for close to what you paid to open it. The odds of pulling a card that actually returns your money, let alone profits, are stacked heavily against you.

Now compare that to a blackjack table. Played correctly, blackjack has one of the lowest house edges in the entire casino, somewhere around half a percent. Even roulette and slots, as bad as they are, are arguably giving you a more honest shot at your money back than a pack of cards is.

So here is my honest theory. If you are opening packs purely hoping to make money, you are basically gambling with worse odds than the casino floor is offering you. At least in Vegas they tell you the odds up front.

The smart move in this hobby was never ripping packs and praying. It is buying the right singles, the cards with real proven value, the ones where you control the buy and you know exactly what you are getting. That is not gambling. That is investing with a strategy.

Rip packs for fun if you love it. Just do not confuse it with a smart way to grow your money.

Would you rather rip a pack or hit the blackjack table? Tell me below.

Not financial advice, just my take on the hobby. Follow for more.