Ekans Pull Rate vs Rarity in Pokémon TCG: A Statistical Correlation

In TCG ·

Ekans card art from Hidden Fates (SM115)

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

In the sprawling world of Pokémon TCG collecting and play, rarity and pull rate are forever entwined conversations. Fans chase the thrill of opening a coveted holo or secret Rare, while players weigh the practical power of a card on the table. Today we zoom in on a charming, unassuming piece from the Hidden Fates era: Ekans, SM115-25. This Basic Psychic Pokémon, weighing in at a modest 60 HP, is a textbook example of how a card’s official rarity — Common — can sit alongside a surprisingly nuanced pull-rate reality, especially when holo variants exist within the same print run. ⚡

Card Snapshot: Ekans (Hidden Fates, SM115-25)

  • Name: Ekans
  • Set: Hidden Fates
  • Rarity: Common
  • Type: Psychic
  • HP: 60
  • Stage: Basic
  • Attack: Wrap — Cost: Psychic. Damage: 10. Effect: Flip a coin. If heads, discard an Energy from your opponent’s Active Pokémon.
  • Weakness: Psychic ×2
  • Retreat Cost: 1
  • Illustrator: MAHOU
  • Legal in formats: Expanded (Standard not legal)
  • Variants: Normal, Holo, Reverse
  • Dex/Number: SM115 / 25

Ekans’ modest toolkit belies an interesting narrative for collectors and strategists alike. Hidden Fates is famous for its vibrant holo cards and chase-worthy variants, and this Ekans lives in that environment as a common card that can appear in both non-holo and holo forms. With its single Psychic energy requirement and a neat coin-flip mechanic, it’s not a powerhouse in competitive play, but it anchors many early-game boards in budget or experimental decks where players value versatility and pool-building potential. The art by MAHOU adds a nostalgic touch to the package—a reminder of the set’s love for color and character. 🎨

Rarity vs. Pull Rate: A Statistical Lens

Rarity labels—Common, Uncommon, Rare, and so forth—act as a guide for what you might expect in a given booster pack. Yet pull rate is a probabilistic reality shaped by print runs, set structure, and the distribution of holo and non-holo variants. In Hidden Fates, Ekans appears as a common card, but the set also features holo and reverse-holo variants that carry their own desirability. This creates a layered pull-rate story: while you’re statistically more likely to pull a Common Ekans in a random booster, the holo Ekans, when you do pull one, represents a rarer, more valuable burst of luck. ⚡

From a numbers perspective, market data across the ecosystem helps illustrate the distinction. On Cardmarket, the non-holo Ekans from this set shows an average price around 0.07 EUR, with holo variants climbing higher (avg-holo around 0.24 EUR). The market’s pulse for the same card on TCGplayer paints a parallel picture: the standard non-holo version sits around a low price near 0.01–0.07 USD with mid-to-high values rising toward 0.15–1.49 USD depending on condition and whether it’s a reverse-holo foil. The reverse-holo and holo pools tend to command the stronger premiums, underscoring how rarity and player demand align with collectability. This price dynamic is a clear signal: if you’re chasing the holo Ekans, you’re chasing a rarer pull that often travels in a higher value corridor, even though the base rarity remains Common. 💎

“Pull rate is not a straight line from rarity; it’s a tapestry woven from distribution, set design, and the pulse of the marketplace.”

So what does this mean for players and collectors evaluating Ekans in practice? For gameplay, Ekans serves as a budget-friendly starting piece that can phase into a larger Psychic or stall strategy, leveraging Wrap’s 10 damage and coin-flip discard to disrupt an opponent’s energy flow. The card’s low HP (60) and basic status make it fragile in a rapid, high-pressure match, but its real strength, in a broader sense, lies in the deck-building canvas it provides: a common footprint that players can populate with other evolutions, trainer support, and energy synergy to reach a stronger late-game presence. In terms of tactics, you might value Ekans not because of its raw punch but because it participates in a larger puzzle—how many Ekans do you want in your binder, and how many holo copies would elevate your collection’s bragging rights? 🔥🎴

From a collector’s standpoint, this card embodies a compelling paradox: an apparently ordinary Common card that can transition into a coveted holo variant, depending on your luck and your willingness to chase the sparkle in the stack. The presence of holo and reverse-holo options in Hidden Fates invites a steady cadence of pursuit—whether you’re completing a full set, assembling a specific rainbow or foil run, or simply savoring the art and tactile delight of a well-graded holo. In that sense, Ekans becomes a case study in how rarity labels and actual pull rates can diverge in meaningful ways that excite both the wallet and the binder. ⚡💎

Collector Tips & Deck-Building Notes

  • Keep an eye on holo vs. non-holo variants. The holo Ekans tends to carry a premium compared to the common non-holo, thanks to demand and print-run dynamics.
  • Use market data as a pulse check: Cardmarket’s holo average around 0.24 EUR vs. ~0.07 EUR for non-holo aligns with typical rarity-driven value gaps, while TCGplayer data shows wider variance driven by condition and edition availability.
  • For gameplay, consider Ekans as a foundation piece in experimental or budget Psychic decks, where its low-cost attack and energy-discard effect can synergize with other mid-to-late-game stabilizers.
  • Appreciate the artwork—MAHOU’s stylings give Hidden Fates a distinctive flair that helps this common card stand out in a sea of illustrations.
  • Track expanded-legal formats if you’re building around Hidden Fates-era cards; Ekans is Expanded-legal, which affects which sleeves, binders, and play spaces you use to protect it in play or display. 🎮

As we watch market values ebb and flow and new print runs shuffle the odds, Ekans remains a reliable lens for examining how rarity and pull rate interact in the Pokémon TCG. It’s a perfect reminder that a card’s street value is not just a function of its rarity label, but a rich mix of print history, collector appetite, and the tiny spark of luck that happens when you crack open a booster. 🎨

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