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by BoardGameGeek reviewer EndersGameThe relationship between playing cards and card magicPlaying cards and card magic have always enjoyed a close relationship. The original spread of playing cards was largely due to the popularity of card games. And the rise of card games was closely accompanied by the two ugly step-sisters of gambling and cheating. But there was also a Cinderella to be found close nearby: card magic. Magicians employed similar techniques as card cheats, but instead of using them to swindle others, put these methods in the service of entertainment. As a result, the history of playing cards is closely...

by BoardGameGeek reviewer EndersGame Who is Kellar O'Neil? Arguably the single most prestigious award in the playing card community is 52 Plus Joker's Diamond Award. So what better way to introduce Kellar O'Neil than by noting that two of his decks have been nominated for the Diamond Award for Deck of the Year.In 2020 he created Charmers Playing Cards in collaboration with Lotrek, one of the very top playing card designers in the world, and that deck went on to be nominated for the Diamond Award. Then in the past year he created his Marvelous Hummingbird Feathers Playing Cards in...

by BoardGameGeek reviewer EndersGameIt may come as a surprise to learn that collectors are not the biggest consumers of playing cards. In actual fact, the biggest market share of playing cards goes to magicians. That's because a deck of playing cards is an essential tool of the trade for most magicians. And sometimes they will go through a new deck each time they perform, which may be several times a day. Little wonder that magicians tend to buy their playing cards in bulk by the brick (a box of 12), and will usually order multiple bricks of their favourite worker...

Marked Decks for Magicians, Part 5 by BoardGameGeek reviewer EndersGame Introduction In previous articles I've been covering the best and most popular marked decks preferred by magicians for card magic. There's a lot of custom decks appearing on Kickstarter and the playing card market that are marked decks, but in most cases these are more about novelty than practicality, especially if they use coded systems. The ideal marked deck is a reader deck that is quick and easy to use, and looks like a normal Bicycle deck. These were the top candidates identified and recommended so far:Basic reader decks:● 2005...

Marked Decks for Magicians, Part 4 by BoardGameGeek reviewer EndersGame Introduction Today we are not just living in a golden era of custom playing cards, with a massive range of new releases coming out all the time. We are also living in a golden era of marked decks. Compared with what was available to magicians just two decades ago, we have the luxury of multiple options that they could only dream about.It is interesting trawling through magic forums and reading old threads from around 20 years ago on this subject. Magicians often had to make their own marked decks, typically using...