Which Deck?

6th

Can anyone recommend a deck of cards? Good quality, nice finish. I could just pick up a pack in a spar etc but some cheap ones are rough and poorly finished.

Do you have a brand you prefere? Where do you buy yours?

Anything else I should consider?

Cheers

6th

Voodu Child

Bicycle brand cards are very popular, mostly because they're very common, cheap, fairly good quality. You don't even need to go anywhere near a specialist shop, you'd find them anywhere, they're just a popular 'general purpose' brand.

You'd find some older guys who prefer non-coated cards, but plastic-coated are the most common, and its pretty important to be comfortable handling 'any' deck that you come across. People will often ask you to show them tricks with their cards, and you don't want to be not able to because they're 'not the right kind'.

Bridge cards are a little narrower than poker cards, if you have small hands they can help alot, especially if you're trying to learn flourishes like one-handed shuffles etc.

6th

Yeah I just want to find a pack I can buy a few of and just get used to moving them about etc.

Popinjay

Then I'd agree with Voodoo on the Bicycle cards or possibly Aviators which are nice too (Not as nice though). As he said bridge cards tend to be a bit narrower - they're still a lot more common around the place too although poker cards are becoming more widely spread. The wider deck can be handy as since a lot of what you'll be handed will be bridge decks, they'll be a bit easier to use after practising with a bigger deck.

6th

Anyone know if somewhere in Dublin has them handy so I can just walk in off the street?

zuroph

casinoshop.ie, are based in dublin, not sure if they have a store or not, but stock all grades of cards, bicycle are a nice deck with the airflow finish, ur as well off learning with bike poker sized decks, they're pretty standard for magic.

Popinjay

Just on the phone trying to find that out for ya. Turns out most of the shops don't have 'em although a few might stock B's - another similar but not quite as good deck. Magictricks.co.uk have recently limited their order to 6 decks max. There's an Irish magician in the Yellow pages who sells them on when he has a few extra (The guy I do my work for has gotten 40 or 50 decks off him in the past). I'd like to point out that I don't - and never have worked - for the guy selling them but I'm not too sure about putting his name up here.

6th

Cheers for that. Feel free to post a link to his site if he has one. I'd like to support irish shops etc were I can.

Popinjay

He's at www.abcmagic.net or abcmagic@iol.ie for email. The name is Pat Fallon. I've never seen him myself but I'm told he's pretty good too.

bigslick

Popinjay wrote: »

He's at www.abcmagic.net or abcmagic@iol.ie for email. The name is Pat Fallon. I've never seen him myself but I'm told he's pretty good too.

Met Pat many times. Real sound guy! Argubaly the most knowledgable guy on magic in Ireland.

Have dealt with him in the past and can say enough about him

But on topic, i use solely bicycle stock. have used them all my magic 'life' and they are just perfect for tricks and flourishes.

6th

Excellent to here the same advice from so many people.

zuroph

bikes are the standard in magic, most of the gimmick cards etc ul find online are made to fit in with them.

horgan_p

+1 for bikes.

dont bother with the ghost or black tiger decks.
they just scream gaffed

oeb

A second vote for casinoshop.ie here, I deal with them all the time for bikes. Delivery is quick and cheap, works out about 30 quid + 3 quid delivery for a brick (12 packs). You will have them within two days.

6th

I ordered a few packets from casinoshop so hopefully I'll be having a shuffle in the next couple of days.

Thanks again.

Mr Magnolia

If you're not happy with the cards you've ordered then consider asking in the poker forum. I would only play with the best.

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

oeb

Plastic playing cards are really really sub standard for magic.

Use bikes, tally hos or bees

King of Kards

How much are the bicycles from casinoshop? I get mine from the States because i find it much cheaper, I get them for about $1 a deck.
Try next time and get some Guardian decks they look so good!

6th

€2.95 a deck and then €3 postage, I got 4 decks and the postage is still €3.

If I'm going to be buying more I will start looking at cheaper options.

6th

Just got them and they have a real nice feel to them. I got the black ones to.

zuroph

Enjoy! tgry not to open decks til u have to, and flex the decks back to square as often as possible. if ur going to carry in your pockets, tape the bottom edges of the box to protect them, as they tend to wear quickly in the pocket and eventually damage the cards. if ur serious about getting life out of them, look for a card protector like this..
http://www.amazon.com/Custom-Guard-Brushed-Playing-Protect/dp/B000L3YCI2



As well as extending the life of the deck, they really look the part!

6th

trés sexy, I might be tempted!

King of Kards

I had one of those, it's made of stainless steel and it warps to easily. Try and get one from Joe Porper his are made from aluminum and they are excellent, i've had mine for 5yrs and it's still perfect. www.porperoriginals.com

oeb

I have a cheap budget guard, but to be honest I never use it. Decks don't last me long enough. If I am preforming I go through a deck a night, minimum

Popinjay

I made my own. I was lucky enough to find one of those card sets that gives you the whole '50 great party games' or what have you. I found it pretty cheap and it came in a black box just big enough to fit a poker deck. There was a bit of writing on it so I wrapped the whole think in Black tape a few times. It has that whole rough and ready street look.

Since then I've graduated to a lovely leather one with a loop to put a belt through and a pop-button close. I like to pick up novelty decks of cards (like a really nice round deck I have amongst others) and I found a set called 'Texas Hold-Ems' or similar. The cards themselves all have three 'bullet holes' through the whole deck and they came with this cool little holder. The black one was getting a little scruffy so I picked up that set. Don't use the cards often but the tan leather holder is great.

dionsiseire

if your going to buy card buy bicycles for sure, lots of packet tricks all come in bicycle including a favourite of mine, I.D.

that and coherence in magic is important, bicycles are easily gotten and if you needed a stacked deck or to switch in another deck or cards from another deck if you have the same deck again its less suspicious, ive started and stuck with bicycles, because if im doing impromptu stuff for people and they ask for a packet trick i normally do, chances are that packet trick is a bicycle deck, so i need just cause to switch it in

mcaul

Ta for the comments all

Standard bikes are €2.49 / deck, but seconds are available for €15 / 12 decks. http://www.casinoshop.ie/shopexd.asp?id=133

Free shipping order over €59 and when you put "boards" into the coupon box 10% magically disapears off your bill.


Will have a few new styles in stock at end of month.

thehomeofDob

Popinjay wrote: »

He's at www.abcmagic.net or abcmagic@iol.ie for email. The name is Pat Fallon. I've never seen him myself but I'm told he's pretty good too.

I met Pat when I was younger, about 12 or 13. I had just started getting into magic and wanted some advice. He was really helpful, had me over to his house, showed me some tricks and how to perform them, and gave me some general tips and pointers. Too bad life got too busy for magic

oeb wrote: »

Plastic playing cards are really really sub standard for magic.

Use bikes, tally hos or bees

+1 I had always used bikes, but Tally Hos and Bees are also very good! Red Bees can be helpful when palming if you have smaller hands than the cards, they blend in better than the white sides of Bikes.

The Ghost and Black Tiger decks look amazing, but as was said earlier, they tend to scream gimmicked deck. I found people were more comfortable around a deck of cards that looked familiar to them, and regular bikes look familiar to everyone.

magic Leon

hey guys there's a magic shop in limerick that sells them too. €5 euro a deck and will probably post aswell. support irish thats what i say.
Leon
www.leonandersen.com

zuroph

6th, hows the practise coming along?

Seachmall

I don't really don't do card magic anymore but I still do a bit of manipulation so heres my 2c on the subject.

Basics (most common in magic/XCM),

1. Tally-ho, best brand imo. Love 'em. Great feel and they slide like butter. They're not too common but they do look fantastic.
2. Bicycles, classic. Great feel and slide, very common and relatively cheap.
3. Bees. They're borderless and seamless patterns which makes them great for manipulation but people get lost in them. Best for gambling demonstrations and practice, very cheap.

Fancy (ellusionist design),
The E designs look great but they don't feel as good as bikes or tallies imo. They last longer and are great for 'posh' performences but I'd keep them off the street, they're too expensive for everyday use.

Custom (for that special touch),
Gemaco, these are the best finished custom design cards I have ever handled. The feel is amazing. They aren't cheap and you can only order in bulk but for the 'exclusitivity' and feel they are probably worth it. If you get any make sure the finish is the glossy embossed type with a canvas (linen) texture. I've never orderedd my own but I have handled them and they are fantastic.

6th

zuroph wrote: »

6th, hows the practise coming along?

With the cards .... not great but I'm starting to look at foam.

SV

Seachmall wrote: »

Fancy (ellusionist design),
The E designs look great but they don't feel as good as bikes or tallies imo. They last longer and are great for 'posh' performences but I'd keep them off the street, they're too expensive for everyday use..

e's decks ARE bicycle decks..?

oeb

I think most of them are now on the same stock as the bike masters.

The decks also look odd. And odd = suspect.

zuroph

ClioV6 wrote: »

e's decks ARE bicycle decks..?

not STRICTLY true...yes they are, but they manufactured different...

oeb wrote: »

I think most of them are now on the same stock as the bike masters.

The decks also look odd. And odd = suspect.

this!!!!! They're an extra specially finished product made by bicycle

SV

just UV500, honestly hardly any difference.

Seachmall

ClioV6 wrote: »

just UV500, honestly hardly any difference.

Black decks and Vipers are definetly thicker than their original counterparts. They last longer but, imo, they feel chunkier and more slugish. I also think they collect sweat, that was one of the reasons I stopped using them. During performences they'd get really sticky from my sweat which was disgusting for the specs aswell.

zuroph

6th wrote: »

With the cards .... not great but I'm starting to look at foam.

work on one good vanish and u can eventually build 1 long routine around it. just get the basics down first, keep a ball in ur hand and just do it any time uv a few seconds to spare. I still catch myself doing the move without even looking, just practising all the time, its just habit now.
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=eNzevg6XjPc

sunny2004

What should I expect to pay for a decent pack of cards ?
Should I wait until I go to the states next month ?

oeb

In the states you can get two packs of bikes for about a buck in walmart. It's about 3 euro for one pack here.

sunny2004

oeb wrote: »

In the states you can get two packs of bikes for about a buck in walmart. It's about 3 euro for one pack here.

Cheers, is there any type of bikes I should watch out for or are they all the same ?

oeb

They are all the same, just different colour backs. Red and Blue are safest because most gaffs come with one of those colours.

sunny2004

oeb wrote: »

most gaffs come with one of those colours.

? i dont understand !

oeb

Haa haa, you will later.

A gaff is a gimmicked card or a prop. I am referring to the fact that many 'magic decks' come in blue and red. This is handy because if people are used to seeing use red or blue anyway, they don't look out of place!

SV

Delighted!
New shop in Carlow(Special Days) sells bicycle cards! and bee cards (which are beautiful to work with)..

2.95 for the bees.
2.50 for the bicycles.

Only place I've come across selling them really, in a shop locally anyway!
happy days

ClioV6

ClioV6 wrote: »

Delighted!
New shop in Carlow(Special Days) sells bicycle cards! and bee cards (which are beautiful to work with)..

2.95 for the bees.
2.50 for the bicycles.

Only place I've come across selling them really, in a shop locally anyway!
happy days

Where exactly is this shop in Carlow?
Is it the one in Fairgreen or am I wrong?

sunny2004

ClioV6 wrote: »

Delighted!
New shop in Carlow(Special Days) sells bicycle cards! and bee cards (which are beautiful to work with)..

2.95 for the bees.
2.50 for the bicycles.

Only place I've come across selling them really, in a shop locally anyway!
happy days

where is the shop?
are we all in Carlow? lol

I've been told that it is the shop that has replaced Easons on Tullow St.

sunny2004

King Mob wrote: »

I've been told that it is the shop that has replaced Easons on Tullow St.

Good man ! Cheers !

No problem.
Let me know if they have them in stock.