Break
A live sale where many buyers each pay for a spot in a sealed box or case. The seller opens the product on camera, and each card goes to the buyer whose spot matches it.
Link to this termGlossary
Break words, explained.
Short, plain definitions of the words you hear on live card streams. Last updated 2026-11-04.
Spot / slot
Your share of a break. In a team break, a spot is a team. In other formats it can be a numbered slot, a pack or a pick in a draft. The listing should say what a spot includes.
Link to this termHit
A big card that comes out of a pack: a rare, a numbered card, an autograph, or a card the seller calls a highlight. Sellers announce hits on stream and note which buyer gets each one.
Link to this termChase
The most wanted card or cards in a product. A set's chase cards are the ones collectors hope to see, such as a top rookie or a rare alternate-art card.
Link to this termRip
Opening a pack, box or case. "Ripping" a pack means opening it. In a rip show, a seller opens packs live for buyers, often without selling spots.
Link to this termCase
A sealed carton that holds several boxes of product. Case breaks open a whole carton and usually have bigger, pricier spots.
Link to this termHobby box
A box sold through hobby shops and distributors, usually with guaranteed hits in every box. The exact contents vary by product.
Link to this termPYT (pick your team)
A break format where each buyer chooses the team or player they want and pays for that spot. There is no randomizer, and popular teams cost more.
Link to this termRandom team
A break format where a randomizer assigns a team to each buyer after the spots are sold. Every spot costs the same, and you get all the cards for your assigned team.
Link to this termHit draft
A format where buyers get a draft order and pick hits from a pool after the product is opened. Details vary by seller, so ask how many picks you get and how the order is decided.
Link to this termRepack
Product that was opened and re-packaged by a seller or third party. It is not sealed manufacturer product, so ask what is inside and who packed it.
Link to this termBreak number
The number a seller gives to one break, such as Break 212, so buyers and sellers can talk about the same show. A Breaker OS record carries the title and number of the break it covers.
Link to this termRandomizer
A tool that assigns teams, slots or draft order at random. Many platforms have their own built-in randomizer. The result should be shown on screen and saved.
Link to this termBase card
A common, regular card in a set. Base cards are the bulk of what is in a pack and are usually worth little, but they make up your share in a team break.
Link to this termParallel
A version of a card with a different color, finish or pattern, often printed in smaller numbers than the base card. Parallels can look similar, so check the exact version.
Link to this termNumbered (/99)
A card stamped with its print run, such as 12/99, which means card number 12 out of 99 printed. Lower print runs are scarcer.
Link to this termRC (rookie card)
A player's first officially licensed card from a major set. Rookie cards are often the most sought-after cards for a player.
Link to this termSIR / alt art
Short for special illustration rare, a Pokémon card with full-art artwork that tells a small scene. "Alt art" cards use alternate artwork instead of the standard picture.
Link to this termRaw
A card that is not graded or sealed in a slab. Raw cards are judged by eye, so condition photos matter.
Link to this termSlab
A graded card sealed in a hard plastic case by a grading company. The case shows the grade and a certification number.
Link to this termGrade (PSA / BGS / CGC)
A score a grading company gives a card for condition, usually on a 1 to 10 scale. PSA, BGS and CGC are three grading companies. Their scales and standards differ.
Link to this termComps
Short for comparables: recent sale prices of the same or similar cards. Comps are a reference point, not a promise of what a card will sell for.
Link to this term