Know the break rules before the wrapper opens.

Common allocation formats

Some breaks assign participants a character, type, set position, or randomized slot. Others use a draft or fixed team-style structure. There is no universal standard, so the written rules—not the host’s shorthand—control the experience.

The seven-question check

Ask who owns unassigned cards, how randomization is performed, whether every pack stays on camera, which cards ship, how ties or ambiguous cards are handled, when shipping occurs, and what remedy applies if the stream fails.

• Allocation method is written before payment
• Randomization can be observed and replayed
• Every card destination is accounted for
• Shipping and failure remedies are explicit

Red flags worth leaving

Avoid unclear inventory, rules that change midstream, pressure to pay outside protected channels, no written shipping policy, off-camera product handling, and guaranteed-profit language. A trustworthy format can explain itself before taking payment.