You Just Bought Your First Magic Booster Pack
The colorful cardboard rectangle feels substantial in your hand. The iconic Magic logo promises adventure, power, and maybe a card worth more than the pack itself. But a simple question stops you: is there a right way to do this?
For over 30 years, players have experienced the unique thrill of cracking open a Magic: The Gathering pack. It’s a ritual. While you can certainly just tear into it, knowing the professional techniques can protect your potential treasures, enhance the experience, and even save you from a messy mishap. Whether you’re a new Planeswalker or a seasoned veteran, this guide covers everything from the basic tear to advanced collector methods.
Understanding What You’re Opening
Before you apply any force, know your product. Magic packs, officially called booster packs, come in several types, and some require more care than others.
The Standard Booster Pack
This is the classic 15-card pack. It’s wrapped in a thin, printed plastic foil. The pack has a folded seam on the back and is heat-sealed on both ends. The cards inside are arranged in a specific, non-random order: a basic land, a common, another common, and so on, with the rare or mythic rare card typically positioned in the back third of the pack. The wrapper is designed to be opened by hand.
Set and Collector Boosters
These premium products have much sturdier packaging. Set Boosters are designed for a fun opening experience with potential bonus slots, while Collector Boosters contain exclusively rare, foil, and alternate-art cards. Their wrappers are thicker and often have a tear strip—a small, notched piece of plastic running along the top or side. Always look for this strip first.
Repacks and Third-Party Products
Be cautious with products not sold in official Magic retail packaging. “Repacks” are packs assembled by individuals, often containing bulk cards. They lack the official Wizards of the Coast seal. The opening method will depend entirely on the seller’s packaging, which is often less reliable.
The Basic Hand-Tear Method
This is the most common and visceral way to open a standard booster. It works 95% of the time.
Hold the pack horizontally in both hands, with the front facing you. Your thumbs should be on the front face, and your fingers wrapped around the back where the long seam is located.
Apply gentle, opposing pressure. Push your thumbs forward while pulling your fingers back. The goal is to stress the heat-sealed seam on the back, not the entire wrapper.
Focus the pressure along the center of the pack, right on the seam. You should hear a faint crinkling and see the seam start to separate. Once a small tear forms, you can slowly pull the pack apart from that point.
Avoid a “rip and shred” approach. An aggressive, full-force rip can send cards flying, bend the cards at the edges, or cause the foil wrapper to tear unevenly and leave sharp, jagged plastic that can scratch the cards as you pull them out.
The Precision Scissor or Knife Cut
For collectors, investors, or anyone opening high-value Collector Boosters, this is the gold standard. It eliminates all risk of damaging cards with an errant tear.
You need a sharp, clean tool. A pair of fine-tipped scissors or a hobby knife like an X-Acto is perfect. Never use dull kitchen scissors or a serrated blade, as they can slip or crush the pack.
Lay the pack flat on a clean, hard surface. The best place to cut is along the top edge, opposite the folded seam. Aim to remove just the top 3-4 millimeters of the plastic wrapper.
Insert the scissor tip or knife point gently into the top heat seal. Make a small puncture, then carefully cut across the entire width of the pack. Keep the blade parallel to the table to ensure a straight, even cut.
With the top neatly removed, you can gently shake or slide the card stack out into your hand. The cards will be pristine, with no bent corners or foil wrapper scratches. This method is essential for cards you plan to immediately sleeve and grade.
Using the Built-In Tear Strip
If your pack has a tear strip, your job is easy. Look for a raised, notched line of plastic, usually with tiny perforations, running along the top or side of the pack.
Grip the small notch or the very end of the strip between your fingernails. Some strips have a tiny, lifted tab to make this easier.
Pull the strip slowly and steadily across the length of the pack. It should unzip the outer wrapper cleanly. If it feels stuck, don’t yank it. Check to see if the strip is caught on the inner edge of the packaging and adjust your pull.
The tear strip is designed for a clean open, but it can sometimes fail or detach. If the strip breaks off, simply revert to the precision cut method on the opposite side.
How to Handle the Cards Inside
Opening the pack is only half the process. How you remove and view the cards matters just as much.
Once the pack is open, don’t grab the cards and fan them like a poker hand. This can put pressure on the edges and corners. Instead, gently tilt the open pack over a soft, clean surface like a playmat or a mousepad and let the stack slide out.
Hold the stack of cards gently by the long edges. Avoid squeezing the faces or backs, as the oils and moisture from your fingers can degrade the card over time, especially on foil surfaces.
The traditional way to view your cards is the “rare last” reveal. Magic packs are collated so the basic land is first, commons and uncommons are in the middle, and the rare or mythic rare is near the end. Many players enjoy slowly sliding the cards one by one from the back of the stack, saving the potential best card for last.
Have a clean, dry surface ready to place each card as you look at it. Immediately sleeve any valuable rare, foil, or special treatment card. A simple penny sleeve is sufficient for initial protection until you can organize your collection.
Troubleshooting Common Pack Problems
Sometimes, the pack fights back. Here’s how to handle common issues.
If the wrapper is incredibly tough and the seam won’t budge, you might be dealing with an older pack or one from a humid environment where the seal has strengthened. Don’t use your teeth. Apply steady, increased pressure with your thumbs directly on the center seam. If it still won’t tear, use the precision cut method—it’s better than risking a violent tear that damages cards.
A pack that feels unusually thick or lumpy might be a “God pack” or contain a token or advertisement card that shifted during packaging. Proceed with extra caution using the scissor cut method to avoid damaging what could be a special card.
If you accidentally tear the wrapper and it leaves a sharp, jagged edge of plastic at the opening, do not pull the cards out through it. Use your scissors to carefully trim away the jagged plastic, creating a smooth new opening before sliding the cards out.
For packs that are slightly damp or damaged on the outside, the inner cards are usually still protected by the sealed wrapper. Open it over a dry surface using a method that minimizes contact between the damp wrapper and the cards, like a clean top cut.
Beyond the Open: Sorting and Storing Your New Cards
The ritual doesn’t end when you see your rare. Proper handling post-open preserves value and helps your collection.
Designate a sorting area before you start opening multiple packs. Have stacks ready for Commons, Uncommons, Rares/Mythics, and Foils. Use a soft cloth or playmat.
As mentioned, immediately sleeve any card of potential value. This includes all rares and mythics, all foil cards (even common ones, as they can curl), and any card with special alternate art or extended borders.
For bulk common and uncommon cards you don’t need for a deck, consider long-term storage in cardboard storage boxes designed for trading cards. Sort them by set and then by color to make finding cards later much easier.
Resist the urge to aggressively bend or flex cards to test their authenticity or foil quality. Real Magic cards have a specific feel and a blue core visible on the edge when bent slightly, but excessive bending will permanently damage them.
Making the Most of the Booster Pack Experience
Opening packs is about more than just the cards. It’s a cornerstone of Magic’s social and collectible appeal.
Consider doing a “pack war” with a friend. Each of you opens a pack, shuffles it with three basic lands of each color, and plays a quick, chaotic game with just those 30 cards. It’s a fantastic way to experience a new set.
If you’re opening a box of packs, space them out. Opening 36 packs in rapid succession leads to burnout and makes the cards feel less special. Open a few each day to prolong the enjoyment and appreciation of each individual card.
Use a pack-opening app or website to log your pulls if you’re tracking collection value or trying to complete a set. This creates a digital record of your haul.
Finally, remember that the primary purpose of a booster pack is for Limited play formats like Draft and Sealed. While opening them for fun is great, the most gameplay value is often found by using unopened packs for their intended purpose: building a deck on the spot and battling.
Your Next Steps as a Planeswalker
Now that you know the techniques, you can approach any Magic pack with confidence. Start with the standard hand-tear for your next draft booster. Save the precision scissor cut for that special Collector Booster you’ve been saving. Always handle the revealed cards with care, sleeve your hits immediately, and take a moment to appreciate the art and mechanics of each new addition to your collection.
The act of opening a pack is a gateway to countless games, decks, and stories. By doing it right, you ensure those stories aren’t marred by a bent corner or an avoidable scratch. Grab a pack, use the right method for the product, and discover what awaits inside.
