Category: Cardistry

WHAT IS CARDISTRY?

Posted on September 20, 2022 by - Cardist, Cardistry, Playing Cards

Cardistry

Many of the uses of a deck of playing cards are well known to everyone. After all, playing cards have been used for centuries in order to play card games, and perform card magic. But what exactly is this new kid on the block, that goes under the name “cardistry“, is wearing out many an old deck, and is having brand new decks designed especially for its use?

To whet your appetite, if you really do not know anything about cardistry at all, I would suggest that you start by checking out the following four-minute video clip. It already has more than 2 million views due to its popularity, and you will soon understand why when you see the cardistry highlights featured here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njstvj2M0WA  

 

A New Art Form

Cardistry can best be defined as “the performance art of card flourishing”. It is what happens when you take traditional playing cards to the next level – literally! It is about spinning them, tossing them, cutting them, and otherwise manipulating them – up, down, sideways, and around, and however else you can – in order to create an aesthetically pleasing display.

Cardistry does have a long history, because when card tricks became popular in the 19th century, magicians would often do simple card flourishes as a way of demonstrating their skills, to entertain, or to otherwise enhance a magic performance. It is true that many magicians are good at cardistry and card flourishing, simply because using cards is part of their job, and so they like to play with cards in new and interesting ways. However true cardistry on its own is not magic, and does not involve any magical manipulation or sleight of hand, but is rather a display of skill.

The word “cardistry” is a combination of the words “card” and “artistry”. So it is an activity that is about sheer skill and manual dexterity, in which a performer tries to create a beautiful display through the movement of individual playing cards or an entire deck. Cardistry takes an ordinary object that we are all familiar with – a deck of playing cards – and turns it into an art-form, by doing unfamiliar things with it.

You could describe cardistry as the next step in the evolution of playing cards, because their original purpose for playing games or performing magic has been completely dispensed with. Instead, they are used for a brand new and interesting dexterity game of their own, without the strict rules and boundaries we are used to. And that is how it becomes a performance art, because this activity lends itself to creativity, and forces you to widen your usual perspective on a deck of cards, and do things with it that you previously have never even thought of, and things that you previously did not even think were possible!

Some have referred to cardistry as card juggling, and that is an apt description, because cardistry is much like juggling, but with playing cards. Zach Mueller, who is a big name in this relatively new art-form, describes it as “kinda like yoyo tricks with cards.” Cardistry is about doing things like fanning and cutting cards in a creative way and with a high level of skill, thereby turning it into a performance art. Instead of doing ordinary cuts and shuffles, expert cardists are able to do one-handed cuts, complicated shuffles, turnovers, tosses, and catches, in a way that is a beauty to watch.

Cardistry moves typically have unusual names that reflect their creator, origin, or appearance. There is Kevin Ho’s “Flurf”, “Off the Hook”, and “Racoon”, Joey Burton’s “Skater Cut”, Huron Low’s “Firefly” and “Flicker”, Daren Yeow’s “Rev 2 Twirl”, Bone Ho’s “Anaconda” and “Tornado Deck Split”, Oliver Sogard’s “Friffle”, Dan Buck’s “Vertigo”, and many more. Chris Kenner’s two-handed “Sybil Cut” flourish uses multiple packets of cards, and is a good example of a popular flourish. It is arguably the most well-known and recognized move among cardists, and is a common starting challenge that newbies to the art try to take on. But from there, there are all kinds of advanced maneuvers to learn, some almost being a sub-genre of their own, such as “isolations”.

Here is a spectacular video produced by Kuma Films, which covers the international cardistry convention that was held in Los Angeles last year. It introduces cardistry, includes some stunning footage, and features commentary and moves from some big name cardists:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JukHBOhBxBY

 

A Growing Art Form

In the last few years, cardistry has enjoyed a huge boom. What was formerly described as “card flourishing”, and considered to be an activity used as a filler in a magic performance, has now become its own separate art form. Creative and skilled performers are performing moves of increased complexity. And yet anyone can give it a try, because the ingredients are simple: as long as you have a good deck of cards, you are ready to go, you can do it anywhere, and you are limited only by your imagination, creativity, and manual dexterity.

As testimony of how big this new art-form is growing, you will find many performance videos and cardistry tutorials on the internet. Social media and sites like youtube and instagram have really helped popularize and advance the art, because cardists can share their new moves and tutorials and videos with other enthusiasts globally.

There are even international gatherings of top performers, and over the last few years, a Cardistry Con was organized as an international and annual convention for cardistry enthusiasts. The next event is planned for September 2018, and will be held in Hong Kong. Some of the big name attendees from around the world have included Dan and Dave Buck, creators of the biggest selling instructional DVDs on the subject, and a huge influence on the art; Zach Mueller, a viral video sensation, and creator of the popular Fontaine Playing Cards; and The Virts team from Singapore, makers of the Virtuoso deck, the world’s first playing cards optimized for cardistry.

As an indication of cardistry’s popularity and appeal, Zach Mueller’s Hypnotic Cardistry Kid collaboration video by Kuma Films has over two and a half million views. The follow-up California Cardistry video seems destined to crack the one million views mark as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfOwe6Ronb8

 

An Evolving Art Form

But with time, cardistry has continued to evolve, and with that comes the creation of new toys. Today the playing card market is full of custom decks that particularly lend themselves well to cardistry, and the last few years in particular have seen an explosion of new decks created specifically for this purpose. Since cardistry is all about creating a visual impact, creating a deck of playing cards that have carefully designed aesthetic qualities to maximize their visual appeal when fanning and spreading cards makes obvious sense. It is only a logical progression to create a deck with aesthetics that will visually accent every card flourish, from spins, to cuts, to pivots, to fans. A growing art form needs evolving materials, and that is what cardistry decks are all about.

And there is a steadily growing throng of cardists around the world who are more than ready to support this growing market, by throwing money at projects that produce decks designed specifically for cardistry. As a result, we are seeing some beautiful decks of playing cards being produced, with stunning colour combinations, and striking visual designs. These decks are just a dream to use, and make even a basic flourish like a fan or spread look like a work of art.

One of the best known examples of this is the series of Virtuoso Playing Cards created by The Virts, which is considered to be the world’s first deck of playing cards specifically designed for cardistry. This deck has a real visual appeal when fanned and flourished, and many other cardistry decks followed suit. At the extreme end of this trend are the School of Cardistry decks from the New Deck Order. With these decks, playing cards have arrived a point they have not been before: 52 completely identical cards, front and back, designed purely for cardistry – and so further removed from the original purpose of a deck of traditional playing cards than ever before! But for the most part, cardistry decks still include traditional suits and values on all the cards, although their creativity and new purpose often makes them quite unsuitable for playing a card game or performing magic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMaagZXYhJQ

 

A Filmable Art Form

Not only is cardistry a new art form, and not only are there many wonderful new decks of custom decks available that give it opportunity to really shine, but this new art form also has at its disposal new tools that allow this art form to grow in an unparalleled way. After all, we live in a digital age, and that means that the technology is there for people to produce high quality instructional and educational videos in the comfort of their own home. In addition, the global use of the internet and social media means that it is possible to easily share these videos with the rest of the world.

All this means that at almost any other point of history, this new art form would be consigned to the fate of being unheard of, and at best experimented with by a select few. But in our modern age, cardistry enthusiasts can connect with and learn from each other, and share their expertise. While cardistry is a rewarding hobby even when performed in the privacy of your own home, cardistry will often be at its best when shown on film, with the benefit of slow motion video and accompanied by a suitable soundtrack. The progression and availability of technology means that high level and creative performances of card flourishing can be performed and filmed, and shared via the internet for the rest of us to enjoy and admire.

A fine example is this stunning video from The Virts, which features one of the newer versions of their popular Virtuoso deck, and has already clocked up more than 2 million views.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0KSaqiv5C0

 

A Community-driven Art Form

Because social media, shared videos, discussion forums, and other internet tools have played an important in growing cardistry, this also means that this young art form is very community focused. For the most part, the way that cardists connect and share is online. Social media platforms like Instagram and youtube, have played a key role in developing relationships and building friendships among cardists, and these provide ideal mechanisms to exchange ideas and learn from each other. The role of the community in the advancement of cardistry cannot be understated. The internet doesn’t just help bring new cardists into the fold, but more importantly it helps ensure that the art form keeps exploring new territory. Because cardists are constantly coming up with new moves, it is by sharing these novelties that others in the community can then build on these further and take these new ideas in different directions. This ensures the ongoing evolution and maturing of this young art form in healthy and creative new ways.

The fact that the actual number of people who enjoy cardistry in a particular location is usually quite small, makes it all the more important to connect with fellow enthusiasts over the internet. But while learning from videos posted by fellow cardists is one of the most important ways to advance your skills, there is nothing like meeting up and learning from another cardist in person. The annual international convention, Cardistry Con, is one way that physically brings together cardists from around the world. But cardists will often look for informal opportunities to do this and seek them out. So it is not at all uncommon to come across posts on internet forums from cardists who are travelling to another city, and looking to meet up with other cardists that they can “jam” with. Its vibrant community is one of cardistry’s biggest strengths, and almost certainly guarantees that it will continue to grow in years to come. Here is a group shot of all the attendees from the 2016 convention in Berlin, Germany.

 

Cardistry

 

An Accessible Art Form

But do not let the highly skilled performances you see of experts dampen your enthusiasm. Cardistry is an art form that remains well within the reach of beginners, because all you need to try it is a good deck of cards. From there you are limited only by your imagination, creativity, and manual dexterity.

Certainly you can buy specialized decks of playing cards that particularly lend themselves well to cardistry. And if you would like to give cardistry a go, definitely consider picking up a deck like the Virtuoso deck, because it will automatically make some of your basic moves look amazing, and make the whole experience far more enjoyable, motivating you to stretch yourself and try new moves.

But technology also means that there is also a wide range of excellent instructional materials that is readily available online. Using this material will give you a head-start in your new cardistry career. Begin by heading to the School of Cardistry channel on youtube, which was started in 2013 by cardistry team New Deck Order. This channel currently has almost 100,000 subscribers, and millions of views. While there is no shortage of cardistry tutorials online, some are very poor quality, and in contrast The School of Cardistry has been professionally produced. It was designed to function as a centralized and structured platform for complete beginners to pick up the wonderful art of cardistry, as its own mission statement describes it: “School of Cardistry is the best free Cardistry resource for absolute beginners. Tutorials for each card flourish are kept short, and include easy-to-follow verbal instructions.”

For those new to cardistry, the School of Cardistry is a fantastic place to start, and will give you the ability to start with the basics, and naturally progress to more advanced moves. Their progressive system of learning ensures a systematic approach in which you can build up skills, with the benefit of videos that are short and yet have clear instructions. If you are serious about learning some cardistry, head to the fantastic Resource and Beginner’s Guide that was created by cardistry enthusiasts on Reddit.

So why not try something right now?! If you have never tried anything much more complicated than a shuffle before, why not start by learning a classic beginner-friendly two-handed cut, The Werm, from the very best, the Buck twins themselves:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LywWQm0ivUE

 

Want to give cardistry a whirl – literally? Why not treat yourself to a nice cardistry deck from PlayingCardDecks, and give cardistry a go for yourself? The Virtuoso FW17 deck created by The Virts is an ideal place to start, but you will find many other creative and colourful decks that are ideal for cardistry by checking the range at PlayingCardDecks here.

Want to check out some more cardistry videos? Here are a couple of videos that are compilations of short clips posted by cardists around the world on Instagram, and feature some mind-blowing moves: Best Cardistry Compilation 2017 Video #2 and Video #3.

 

About the writer: EndersGame is a well-known reviewer of board games and playing cards. He loves card games, card magic, and collecting playing cards. This article first appeared on PlayingCardDecks.com (here)

DIFFERENT USES FOR PLAYING CARDS IN PREVIOUS CENTURIES- PART II

Posted on April 12, 2022 by - Affirmation Cards, Card Designers, Card Games, Card Magic, Cardistry, Custom Design, game night, History, Oracle Cards, Playing Card History, Playing Cards, Poker Cards, Tarot and Oracle Cards, Tarot Cards, Tarot History, Tarot Readings

DIFFERENT USES FOR PLAYING CARDS IN PREVIOUS CENTURIES- PART II

This article is the next installment of a two-part series about how playing cards were used in different ways in previous centuries. Before our modern deck obtained its traditional look, playing card decks were often highly customized, and used for a variety of different purposes. The previous article covered how playing cards were used in more typical ways: for playing card games, for art, and for education. But the past has also witnessed playing cards being commonly used for other purposes, like the ones described here.

For Fortune Telling

Fortune telling, or cartomancy, has a long history and association with playing cards. While a traditional deck is rarely used for fortune telling today, the connection between playing cards and cartomancy continues, even though playing cards were used for playing games long before they were ever used for fortune telling. Especially in some cultures, there continues to be a close relationship between cards and fortune telling, which is why in the popular mind gypsies are associated with fortune telling cards.

Despite what some people think, the origin of our modern deck does not lie in the fortune telling Tarot deck. Tarot cards appear to have been a separate and later development from a standard deck of playing cards, and rather than pre-date the traditional deck, the 78 card Tarot deck actually came a century or two later. In fact, historical evidence suggests that the additional 22 cards common to a Tarot deck originated as trump cards for more advanced games, and at some point the addition of these cards to a standard deck led to a larger Tarot deck. This was first used for more complex trick-taking games, but later began to develop a life of its own in the hands of cartomancers and occultists.

The rise of divination eventually did see the use of playing cards for fortune telling and cartomancy, and the earliest known fortune-telling deck is by John Lenthall and dates from around the late 1600s. While the legitimacy of fortune telling will be dismissed by most modern secularists today, it cannot denied that it has made an important contribution to the history of playing cards and also had an impact on its artwork. This is particularly the case with the larger Tarot deck, which soon became a tool of choice for cartomancers, and is still commonly used as such today. Many Tarot decks were created with all the cards having colourful images that depicted all manner of disasters or good fortune. Many different Tarot decks exist, and these often feature wonderful artwork, and continue to be popular with collectors worldwide.

For Magic

As we’ve seen already, playing cards were first used only by the aristocracy that could afford them, and it was only with the arrival of mass production that playing cards found themselves in the hands of the general public. Along with this welcome development came a less welcome one: gambling. Gambling soon became a real problem, especially because this is what the lower class chiefly engaged in when playing card games. It’s for this reason that the church frequently and strongly denounced card playing. And along with gambling came another dark activity: cheating.

But what about if cheating techniques are used to create illusions which are designed purely to amuse and entertain? That’s effectively what magic is all about, and so playing cards became an obvious tool for magicians to use, using similar techniques used by crooked gamblers. Magic as a performing art has a much longer history, of course, and sleight of hand existed long before playing cards, whether it was intended to cheat or to entertain. But playing cards did lend themselves very naturally to magicians looking for ways to create illusions, especially because they were a familiar item for the masses who used them for playing card games.

18th century Italian magician Giovanni Giuseppe Pinetti is often credited as being a pioneer that paved the way for playing card magic. His charismatic popularity made him a popular entertainer, and he was one of the very first to include card tricks in his official theater performances, and he even entertained royalty. Prior to this, the only place you could expect to see card magic was on the streets or in private rooms, and it didn’t have any real respect or credibility. Many famous magicians followed in Pinetti’s footsteps, such as the 19th century icons Robert-Houdin and Hofzinser, the latter being considered by some to be a father of card magic. From this time onwards, magicians began to include card tricks in their repertoire more and more, and card magic became a growing art form. Names like Dai Vernon, Charles Bertram, and Erdnase, are well known to magicians today, but these magicians played an important role in popularizing and shaping card magic as we know it.

Today we are building on the work of these pioneers, and magic with playing cards is often one of the places that beginners now start their journey in magic. Almost everyone has a deck of cards and is familiar with them, so they are an ideal starting point, requiring no real investment. Magicians tend to use cards extensively for practicing and performing, and the production of playing cards for working magicians represents one of the biggest shares of the playing card market in our modern era.

For Souvenirs

Playing cards have long served as an ideal souvenir, particularly when each individual card is used for a different picture. This turns a deck of cards into a mini photo album of 50+ individual works, making it perfect for depicting places or events. Souvenir decks started emerging in the 1890s, coinciding with the growing popularity of photography, which was at that time a very expensive undertaking. In contrast, a deck of souvenir playing cards allowed you to own a mini photo album of an exotic place or country you visited at a relatively low cost.

Special events have long provided a rich source of material for playing card artwork as well. Notable events such as various wars led to the production of commemorative decks of playing cards, to serve as memorials of the Napoleonic Wars, American Civil War, and many others. Royal occasions and other special state events have been commemorated in a similar fashion. Royal coronations and weddings have often featured on playing cards; so too anniversary celebrations of important discoveries or conquests.

Current events have also been a catalyst for new decks of playing cards, the First World War being a prime example. Some of these decks were used for the purposes of propaganda, with decks in Germany printing court cards that gave places of honour to the Kaiser and other leaders, while war scenes were depicted on other cards. Meanwhile playing cards reflecting Allied sentiments were produced in the United States, some featuring court cards depicting generals, officers, and other ranks. During the Second World War, a pro Allied deck produced by Van Mierle Proost included Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, and de Gaulle as Kings, while the Aces had outlines of Big Ben, the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, and the Kremlin.

But souvenir decks aren’t limited to events, with many decks created that depict colourful images of towns, countries, and cultures, geared to serve the tourist industry in particular. This, too, doesn’t exhaust the potential, since playing cards can depict almost any hobby or interest under the sun, and so we have seen the production of playing cards with images of anything from house-cats to antique furniture. Decks have been created to commemorate all kinds of unique interests, from ancient mythology to modern bull-fighting. A good example of this is a deck that was produced to honour the medical profession, featuring doctors, nurses, chemists, and research workers in hospital gowns, along with the expected equipment of stethoscopes and medicines.

The scope of souvenir and hobby decks is limited only by the imagination of the creators. Today’s custom playing card industry continues to benefit from this, and decks that celebrate popular films, celebrities, or sports, have a ready market. And virtually anywhere you travel, you’re bound to find a deck of cards with pictures that you can take home as a souvenir of the place you’ve visited.

Other Uses

This list by no means exhausts the many ways that playing cards have been used. For example, an important secondary usage of playing cards in previous centuries was as a source of writing paper. Early playing cards didn’t have artwork on the card backs, and were simply blank on the reverse side. Given that paper was often expensive to produce, this made a deck of playing cards a valuable source of paper. Individual cards became a very handy resource, and could be used for writing notes or lists, and were even used more formally as invitations, calling cards, coupons, or as a record of financial transactions, debts, or currency.

Playing cards no longer have blank card backs, so that particular secondary use has all but vanished. But today we are seeing new uses for playing cards emerge, the most notable one being for card flourishing. Cardistry is a thriving industry, and since cardists tend to wear out their decks even faster than magicians, and because of the importance of visual aesthetics, there’s a growing demand for colourful and creative designs.

The Standard Deck Today

Our historical overview demonstrates that playing cards have been used for a variety of uses across the ages besides playing cards, and so it comes as no surprise that in the past there has never really been a “standard” deck as we often imagine it today. Customized decks have existed for centuries, and there are many fine examples of playing cards created especially for the purpose or art or education. This means that the typical Bicycle style card deck as we usually think of it is in reality by no means “standard”.

Even today there’s actually a great variety of different types of decks used around the world, not just in terms of style, but also in size. Most of these are localized in their usage, but you will find places where 32 card decks are very common, or 48 card decks, and even 100+ card decks. In many cases, the size of the deck is closely connected with games that are popular in a specific region, and these games can’t even be played with a deck of a different size.

And not only is the size of a deck non-standard, but so is the artwork. Given the multiple uses for playing cards across the centuries, it was inevitable that there would be a diversity of artwork and styles. In that respect the modern custom playing card industry is hardly new, and customized playing cards have existed for centuries.

Yet despite all this rich variation throughout the history of playing cards, there does remain a commonly accepted “standard” for playing cards today. This standard is primarily based on the French suits that swept Europe and spread across the globe in previous centuries. Today’s court cards largely go back to printer Thomas de la Rue of London. Mr de la Rue was granted a patent for printing playing cards by letterpress and lithography in 1832, and subsequently took control of the playing card market due to his enormous success. With prices and taxes dropping, his production and sales increased significantly. Smaller designers that produced custom decks simply could not compete with him, and slowly disappeared, leaving de la Rue with a monopoly.

For better or for worse, it was the fact that de la Rue effectively cornered the market that led to cards becoming more or less standardized. In his book Playing Cards, Roger Tilley gives this very unflattering assessment of this development: “To add insult to injury, the very expressions of the cardboard court have been crystallized in commercialism. The kings’ looks have become those of company directors, strained and indicative of ulcers, while the queens and knaves have taken on the air of the attendant secretaries: the personal are pawky, and the company ones circumspect … Thomas de la Rue was without doubt a very great printer; yet that very genius proved calamitous to this small branch of the graphic arts … it might be said of Thomas de la Rue that he found a small quantity of marble and left a great quantity of brick.“

Certainly there have been attempts from time to time to create new designs that break with tradition, by designing and producing playing cards that are more easily recognized or with fresh or more contemporary patterns. But these have always failed to receive any serious degree of general acceptance. Of interest is the fact that the De La Rue Company itself promoted a competition in 1957 for new playing card imagery for the court cards to help celebrate the company’s 125th anniversary. But while the prize winning efforts of Jean Picart le Doux were beautiful, they were a commercial failure.

So it could be argued that the history of playing cards has become somewhat stale in the last era, since there have been no significant alterations to the “standard deck” of playing cards for a long time. The dominance of the USPCC has also led to the Bicycle rider-back design becoming somewhat iconic, and its success has also stifled other designs somewhat. Perhaps that is changing given the enormous success of the custom playing card industry, and the gradual acceptance of custom playing cards in the world of professional magic. But for now, at any rate, it seems that custom playing cards will continue to remain somewhat of a novelty rather than becoming a new standard. Even cardistry demands and encourages constant novelties, rather than the adoption of a new accepted standard.

A Lesson from the Past about the Present

We are fortunate to live in a new era of history, which has witnessed the explosion of custom playing cards, and also a growing acceptance of these by the general public. It remains to be seen what future generations will consider to be our contribution to the ongoing history of playing cards. I believe that the increasingly high standards of modern printing techniques, and the ability of the internet to connect creators and consumers, means that we are living in a time that is unprecedented. Highly imaginative and attractive playing cards are being produced, the likes of which have never been seen before. Perhaps today’s biggest contribution to the history of playing cards lies in new abilities to produce high quality decks, and to connect creators with backers and buyers, while ensuring that the entire enterprise remains affordable. The result is a marketplace flooded with new and exciting designs. Not only are we witnessing some very imaginative designs, but we are seeing incredible innovation in the area of tuck box designs, with the use of unprecedented techniques that allow boxes to be created with embossing, metallic foil and inks. The final product of the custom decks we can buy today is often a real work of art, and no wonder collectors love them.

Perhaps for now the lesson of history is this: to consider ourselves privileged for the luxuries we enjoy today. The future will undoubtedly look kindly on what our era has been producing. May we have a real eye of appreciation for the rich heritage that has produced this wealth, and respectfully tip our hat to those who have gone before us, and to the designers, printers, and middle men that help get these works of art into our hands and onto our game tables today.

About the writer: EndersGame is a well-known reviewer of board games and playing cards. He loves card games, card magic, and collecting playing cards. 

10 MORE TYPES OF PLAYING CARDS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

Posted on July 8, 2021 by - Cardistry, Entertainment, History, Playing Cards

Custom-printed playing card and tuck box. In my previous article I introduced you to ten different types of decks of playing cards. That doesn’t exhaust the types of decks, and so to follow up, here are another ten different types of decks you should know about!

Souvenir decks

A souvenir deck is a deck of playing cards created in order to serve as a souvenir for tourists or visitors. Typically such playing cards have scenes from different locations, and depict things like notable landmarks, buildings, wildlife, flora, or other unique elements about the place in question. In many cases the card backs will have an image or text that captures something of the overall locale. Each card will then have a different photo or image that occupies most of the space on the card in the area where you would normally find the main images for the court cards and pips. Indices on opposite corners that indicate the suit and value of each card ensure that it can still serve as a playable deck of cards. Effectively such a deck of playing cards serves as a miniature photo album, capturing key images of a place, so it’s an ideal product for tourists to purchase in a souvenir shop.Souvenir decks need not necessarily be about a particular country or city, but could even be created for an attraction like a Zoo or theme park, and even for a notable event. They are primarily created for the visual images on the cards, rather than for intensive use in playing card games. As a result, they tend to be made very cheaply, with thin card-stock that performs poorly for handling and shuffling. But they do make great novelty items, and achieve the purpose for which they were created, which is as an item of memorabilia. At the same time they have some practical function, and enable you to play card games while you’re on vacation if you really want to.While not strictly souvenir decks, many of the decks produced by US Game Systems Inc and Piatnik almost qualify for this category. Their novelty decks don’t come close to matching the quality of a Bicycle deck, but they are quite inexpensive, and contain many delightful images and pictures that are the center-piece of the individual cards, which are the real attraction and reason for buying these decks.● See a range of Piatnik-produced novelty decks

Advertising decks

It didn’t take playing card manufacturers long to realize the potential to use playing cards as a means of advertising. In a way much like souvenir cards, playing cards are ideal for companies to use to market their business or products. Advertising decks have been around for a long time, and there are some wonderful examples of 19th century decks. My favourite one is the Murphy Varnish deck, which features transformation cards, and wonderful court cards that depict and promote Murphy’s Vanish.Many advertising decks are created on a budget, since the goal is about marketing a product or a brand, rather than producing a quality deck of playing cards that will be durable or visually exceptional. But there are many famous brands that have devoted fans, that makes advertising decks featuring these companies or products immediately attractive to collectors who collect memorabilia associated with that company or product. For example, a deck of playing cards that pays homage to Coca Cola won’t only appeal to playing card enthusiasts, but will have a crossover appeal to anyone who collects Coca Cola paraphernalia. Decks that feature brands of beer and whisky are popular for similar reasons. As a result you’ll find playing cards that advertise popular alcoholic drinks like Jack Daniels, as well as famous makes of motorbikes and motor-vehicles, like Harley Davidson and Ford.● See a range of advertising decks

Licensed decks

Closely related to the category of advertising decks are playing cards that pay tribute to popular movies, TV shows, books, music, or other icons in popular culture. These are extremely collectible, due to their immediate appeal for anyone who is a fan of the cultural icon in question. But to make them, creators of playing cards often need to pay a licensing fee to the owner of the “brand” or intellectual property that appears on the cards, and hence the unofficial designation “licensed decks”. They could equally be considered “fan decks”.Examples of these include playing cards that pay tribute to films like Jaws, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings; TV shows like Saturday Night Live; comic strips like Peanuts, Spider Man, and Marvel’s Avengers; and characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck from Disney. Some of these are created as pure novelty decks, and the artwork is such that they could never even be used for card games.● See a range of licensed decks

Cardistry decks

Card flourishing is not something new, and magicians have long incorporated flourishes within their acts. However in the last decade cardistry has really developed an independent existence alongside and separate from card magic, and is rapidly cementing its legitimacy as an art-form in its own right. Cardistry can loosely be described as the performance art of card juggling, and typically involves someone doing visually impressive cuts, twirls, spins, and more with a deck of cards. Social media and the ability to share videos online have really helped cardistry grow rapidly, and it’s especially being embraced by a younger generation.But cardistry has also spawned a new type of deck, created especially for cardistry. Given that it is all about visuals, card flourishing will benefit the most when the deck used is colourful and has striking patterns that enhance the visual aesthetics of the flourishes themselves. This led to the creation of decks that were optimized and designed specifically for the purposes cardistry. Singapore-based cardistry group The Virts was at the forefront of this development, with the creation of their Virtuoso deck, which became a popular and highly sought after series.The success of the cardistry movement meant that playing cards did not have to be functional for playing games or card magic, and that there was a ready market prepared to drop money to buy decks that were simply about visual aesthetics. Some cardistry decks can serve a dual purpose of being used for games or magic, but the primary goal of a cardistry deck is the visual appeal. Typically a cardistry deck demands the very highest standard in terms of quality and performance, and features a design and pattern that looks great when the cards are being handled. Some cardistry decks abandon pips and indices altogether, and there are even cardistry decks where every card is identical on both the front and back.● See a range of cardistry decks

Throwing decks

Also deserving separate mention are decks intended specifically for card throwing. Card throwing has received significant media attention as a result of the impressive feats of Rick Smith Jr, who has been featured in some remarkable viral videos from Dude Perfect, and who holds several world records for throwing playing cards the fastest and furthest. While any deck can be used for card throwing, there are custom decks that have been created specifically with the idea of enhancing this unique use of playing cards.In some cases, the intended goal of a dedicated throwing deck is all about creating a visual effect when the cards are rotating and in motion. Rick Smith Jr’s Falcon Throwing Cards have been designed with exactly this kind of aesthetic in mind, and even incorporate a special marking system in the artwork to help measure how deep the cards go when thrown into objects like foam or fruit. Besides this, they are a relatively standard deck of playing cards in terms of the quality and feel, although a thicker than normal card-stock has been adopted in view of their intended use.Some of the Banshee decks also include a measuring system on the card faces, but also have bevelled edges geared to maximize their ability to penetrate objects. Perhaps best of all, they incorporate custom holes uniquely designed to produce a sonic scream when the cards whiz through the air.● See a range of throwing decks

Animation decks

In a unique category of their own are decks designed specifically to be animated. Typically this involves using a flip-book animation technique. The method used to do this is sometimes described as “taking a deck to the movies”. The idea is that you use your thumb to flip through all the cards rapidly, thereby creating the illusion of a moving image.The Bicycle Cinema Playing Cards are one example of such an animation deck. It has cards that look like a film strip, with a classic yellowed finish for a nostalgic and old time look. When flipping through the cards, an animation feature creates the 3-2-1 count-down that old movies would have, while the film strip sides also appear to move vertically. The Mechanic deck uses a similar technique to create the impression of moving cogs, while the Optricks deck is designed to create a mesmerizing hypnotic effect with moving lines. Also belonging in this category are the Clockwork decks.Those interested in card magic will also love Dan Harlan’s Card Toon deck, which is a gaff deck featuring an animated stick man, and which uses this principle to reveal a selected card in an amusing manner.● See a range of animation decks

Limited edition decks

Not every deck of playing cards is intended to be used for playing card games, or for card magic or cardistry. There many collectors who enjoy the hobby of collecting out of sheer love for the variety and novelty of the playing cards themselves. Particularly in the crowdfunding era, many creators have emerged and cemented themselves with a solid reputation as designers whose goal is to create highly collectible playing cards, some of which are produced in limited editions to make them even more exclusive. In some cases, these can be in high demand in the secondary market, and over time can be highly sought after by collectors.These limited edition decks often have extra touches that make them appealing to the card collector, with an individually numbered tuck seal being a key element of this. Such tuck seals will often indicate the size of the print run, and give each deck an individual number, e.g. 578/1000. Limited edition decks often have lavish tuck boxes, or have other intriguing features about them to help make them unique and interesting. They tend to be produced by well-known designers with an existing reputation of creativity and success, but even new creators will sometimes produce a limited edition version of a project, in order to appeal to the collector looking for something especially classy or unique.● See a range of decks with numbered seals

Gilded decks

Once in a while what you’re looking for is something absurdly expensive and over-the-top. There are lots of ways to add bling to a deck of playing cards, including gold foil and embossing on the tuck box, or else flashes of iridescence or UV spot printing on the cards, all delivered in an exotic looking tuck case. But perhaps there is no other feature in a deck of playing cards that screams “luxury” as much as gilded edges.Traditionally, gilding was accomplished by hand, with master craftsman literally painting the edges of the cards with gold or silver paint. Sometimes this manual process is still used to create a gilded deck, although technology has opened up other ways of accomplishing this. But there’s no doubt that the end result looks absolutely fantastic! Gold and silver are the two most popular colours of choice for gilding, but modern gilding methods allow for a range of different colours to be used, so you’ll find gilded decks of all styles and colours.Often a gilded deck will arrive with the cards still stuck together, because the gilding is still intact. That’s perfectly normal, and you need to carefully separate the cards individually before using them. Regular use will cause gilding to wear, so you can’t expect a gilded deck to retain its shiny look forever. However, even after lots of shuffling and handling, you will still be able to recognize that a deck was gilded, and distinguish it from a non-gilded deck. Primarily intended for collectors, a gilded deck certainly adds an impressive amount of bling to your deck, but naturally this also means that it comes at a much higher cost.● See a range of gilded decks

Tarot decks

Tarot decks deserve a separate category, and are often misunderstood. To begin with, the key difference that distinguishes a Tarot deck from a standard deck of playing cards is that it has 26 extra cards. Each suit has four court cards instead of three, and there are also 22 additional cards, usually described as Major Arcana. These extra cards are the simple explanation that lies behind the emergence of the Tarot deck, since it simply came about as a way of increasing the complexity of card games by including extra trump cards.The origin of the Tarot deck is often the subject of controversy, with some people believing that Tarot cards had roots in the occult and that they were linked to ancient secret societies that disseminated esoteric knowledge. According to this view, Tarot decks were the original form of playing cards, from which the standard deck developed. But after the publication of The Game of Tarot: From Ferrara to Salt Lake City (1980) by respected academic Michael Dummett, there is a growing consensus that there is no evidence of Tarot decks being used for fortune-telling and the occult until the 18th century, while standard playing cards already appeared in Europe in the 14th century. The “Major Arcana” was first added to the traditional deck already in the 15th century, long before any occultic use, and it served as a fixed trump suit in trick taking games. That’s how Tarot decks were used for several centuries, until they cartomancers became infatuated with them around the 18th century, causing them to develop a life of their own for fortune telling, and taking their artwork in a new direction.Regardless of the history, the number of cards in a Tarot deck is quite firmly established, and today it is clearly distinguished from a regular deck. It typically comes with highly attractive and visual artwork, often reflecting occultic themes linked to fortune-telling. Regardless of your position about their history, development, and function, it’s not hard to see how Tarot cards are very collectible, in view of their distinct characteristics and visual appeal.● See a range of Tarot decks

Oracle decks

Unlike traditional decks, and Tarot decks, Oracle cards don’t have a set number of cards or fixed structure. A deck of Oracle cards could consist of anything from 12 to 100 cards, for example. There are no real rules about what cards a deck might contain, other than that the cards are spiritual in nature. Besides that, an oracle deck can be anything that its creator wants to make it consist of, both in terms of the number of cards, and which ones. The Lenormand decks are good example of this kind of fortune-telling deck.While the Tarot deck can be used for card games, Oracle cards are strictly used for fortune-telling. The expression “fortune-telling cards” need not refer exclusively to Oracle decks, however. The practice of fortune telling using a deck of cards is referred to as cartomancy, and the most popular deck used by cartomancers today is the Tarot deck. Sometimes even a traditional deck of 52 playing cards can be used for fortune telling and divination. There are also decks of standard cards that are particularly created with a view to cartomancy, such as the Ye Witches Fortune Cards (1896), Kadar Fortune Playing Cards, and Cartomancer Fortune deck.● See a range of Oracle decks
Well, there you have it, an introduction to some of the diverse types of decks that you’ll find on the market today. There is indeed a tremendous amount of diversity, so the modern playing card collector has plenty of choice for different types of decks to enjoy.Happy collecting!About the writer: EndersGame is a well-known reviewer of board games and playing cards. He loves card games, card magic, and collecting playing cards. This article first appeared on PlayingCardDecks.com. ● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Tarot Cards at: ShuffledInk

10 TYPES OF PLAYING CARDS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

Posted on May 6, 2021 by - Cardistry, Entertainment, History, Playing Cards

10 TYPES OF PLAYING CARDS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT People new to playing cards are typically familiar only with what they’ve seen and experienced firsthand, namely the classic Bicycle deck with standard court cards. The average person simply isn’t aware of the many beautiful custom decks of playing cards that are on the market today, and how popular these are.But as any collector will know, there is a wide range of fantastic and creative playing cards available today, and a vast array of different types of decks is being produced on a regular basis. Many of these display wonderful creativity in terms of their graphic design, with heavily customized faces and pips, card backs, and stylish tuck boxes. This variety is not a new phenomenon by any means. Already in the 15th and 16th centuries, when playing cards were first spreading rapidly throughout Europe, they were anything but “standard”. The history of playing cards is a rich tapestry that includes a wide range of different styles of playing cards.So what are some of the different types of decks that are available? In this article, we’ll introduce you to some of the more common types that have been produced. It’s not an exhaustive list, but is intended to serve as an introduction to some of the different types of decks that are available. The aim is to arouse your curiosity about these types, and perhaps whet your appetite to learn more about them, and explore some of the other kinds of non-standard or unique decks that you’ll find in the wonderful world of playing cards.

Standard decks

When collectors refer to a “standard deck”, what they typically have in mind is a deck that has a very traditional look. Over the years the court cards have become more or less standardized, and so has the shape and style of the pips and indices. While card backs vary, and the Ace of Spades and Jokers can also be customized, the rest of a standard deck typically looks the same. Typically the faces of the cards are exactly as you’d expect to see them in a normal Bicycle style deck, aside perhaps from minor variations, such as in the colours used for the court cards.Card gamers tend to prefer relatively standard decks like this, primarily for practical reasons. While it’s fine for a deck of standard playing cards to have a classy looking tuck box that exudes sophistication and style courtesy of embossing and foil accents, the cards themselves need to be functional and immediately recognizable, in order to play games with them. A standard deck of playing cards, with clearly recognizable indices and suits, will usually serve that purpose best.Most magicians also prefer to work with a standard deck, because they don’t want their spectators being distracted by fancy artwork or hard-to-read pips and indices. Furthermore, the sleight of hand skills they have developed will often make tricks seem more impossible and miraculous if the deck of playing cards they are using looks ordinary in every respect. So despite the success of custom playing cards, we can expect standard decks to continue to be popular for card games and card magic.

Novelty decks

A “novelty deck” is simply a different way of referring to a “custom deck”. The definition of the word novelty is something new, original, or unusual. As a result, any deck that has been heavily “customized” with original or unusual elements will sometimes be described as a novelty deck.In contrast to a standard deck, a novelty deck or custom deck will at a bare minimum have completely customized artwork for the court cards. Often the pips and indices will be stylized and customized as well. A fully custom deck is usually preferred by collectors since each and every card in the deck has a unique look that sets it apart from a standard deck.

Game decks

Some standard decks have been slightly altered to optimize them for use in playing popular card games, even though many of these card games could be played just as easily with a traditional deck of playing cards. Often this simply involves adding point values to specific cards. A classic example is Canasta, which was especially popularized in the 1950s. Canasta sets usually consist of two decks, and point-scoring cards have their values printed on them to make it easier to play the game.The popular trick-taking game Euchre, on the other hand, doesn’t employ anywhere near a complete deck. Decks of Euchre cards typically include enough cards for two games of Euchre, along with special cards that can be used for scoring during the game. Wizard is another very successful trick-taking game, and is effectively just a standard deck with slight adjustments to incorporate custom Wizard and Jester cards. The classic card game Pinochle, on the other hand, requires a custom deck because it consists of two copies of the 9s through Aces in each suit, thus creating a 48 card deck. These are also sold separately, but strictly speaking it is no longer a traditional deck given the unusual composition of cards.

Gaff decks

Just like there are decks for gamers, so too there are decks for magicians. Most custom decks nowadays will come with some “gaff cards”, so collectors will usually be accustomed to getting a modern deck of playing cards that comes with a double backer or blank card. These cards are used by magicians for card magic, and are typically included because USPCC offers a 56 card deck as a standard when printing, meaning that there’s two additional cards besides the Jokers and the deck itself. While these can be used as ad cards, using these extra cards to include gaff cards increases the likelihood of a particular deck having appeal to magicians, and so creators will often choose that option.A gaff deck, however, is when an entire deck consists of gaffed cards, also sometimes referred to as gimmicked cards. Sometimes these will just consist of a deck with individual gaff cards that are intended to be used separately, like a double backer or blank card. But there are also some special decks created purely as “trick decks”, and these enable you to accomplish things that you couldn’t achieve with a regular deck. Highly specialized gaff decks are occasionally created for a single magic routine, but there are also some very common gaff decks that are widely known and readily available. These are often sold to the general public by pitchmen at fairs and markets, such as the Svengali deck and Stripper deck.

Marked decks

Another handy tool for the magician is the marked deck. Don’t expect me to reveal everything here, because some performers use these as part of their livelihood! Let me first say, however, that while it is true that magicians and mentalists will occasionally use marked decks, the bulk of card tricks you’ll see performed are accomplished with a completely regular deck, by sheer skill and sleight of hand.But occasionally a magician will rely on a marked deck, which is where the playing cards have secret marks on the back of each card, enabling them to identify the value and suit of the card in question. There are two main systems used by marked decks. Marked decks with reader systems actually have the name of the card written somewhere on the back – usually just with a number and letter that indicates its value and suit – carefully camouflaged into the artwork. Marked decks with coded systems indicate the value and suit of the cards using shapes or some other visual clue that needs to be decoded from the card back.Marked decks do have an Achilles heel, because they can usually be identified by “taking the deck to the movies”, or giving it a “riffle test”, which involves using your thumb to quickly flip through the entire deck, in the process watching the backs closely to see if there is any movement or change in the back design. Marked decks certainly shouldn’t be used for cheating in a card games or gambling, and are strictly to be used for performing magic type routines.

Vintage decks

Serious collectors will usually be careful to distinguish the term “vintage” from “antique”. While “antique” technically refers to something that is more than a hundred years old, the word “vintage” is more flexible, and can refer to anything from an earlier generation or time.A vintage deck, then, is a deck that hails from a previous era. Vintage decks from before World War II that are in good condition are often quite rare, because playing cards are a commodity that was created to be used rather than preserved, and most playing cards from that era have long since been thrown away, or if they do surface, are very well used. As a result, the market for vintage and antique decks typically brings prices into a much higher bracket, considerably more than what the average playing card enthusiast is prepared to pay.However just because a deck has vintage look doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be old. There are some delightful and eye-catching decks that look very tired and old, even though they are in fact made of high quality playing cards that are brand new. This can be achieved by using a graphic design which gives the cards a vintage or a deliberately distressed look. Sometimes these are actual replicas of a classic deck from the past, while other times they have artificially been given a vintage look using artistic license to create something that merely has the appearance of age. Either way, many of these modern decks can be described as “vintage decks”, and look like they have arrived into the present straight from the distant past, while still being quality products that feel great and perform well.

Reproduction decks

With the availability of technology that enables us to quite readily reproduce decks from yesteryear, a whole category of playing cards has sprung up that is devoted to producing reproductions of historically significant or rare decks from the past. This is not a new development, since historically important and attractive decks like the J.G. Cotta transformation decks have seen several reproductions of the original since it first appeared more than two centuries ago. But today’s technology certainly makes it easier to accomplish this, with the help of digital scans and digital art. And with the advent of crowdfunding and the internet, there are now more ways than ever before for collectors to find out about these projects and to support them.One of the publishers leading the way here is Home Run Games, who have produced some delightful and authentic reproductions of some of the very first playing cards produced in America. These include iconic and notable decks like Hart’s Saladee’s Patent (1864), Triplicate No. 18 (1876), Mauger Centennial (1876), Murphy Varnish (1883), and Tally-Ho No. 9 (1885). All of these reproduction decks were produced by USPCC in high quality editions with a modern air cushion finish, so they handle beautifully and look great.PlayingCardDecks has also been at the forefront of this development, and has brought some wonderful reproduction decks to the market in recent years. These include Eclipse Comic (1876), Faro Vintage (1887), Vanity Fair (1895), Hustling Joe (1895), Ye Witches Fortune Telling (1896), Circus Reproduction (1896), and most recently the J.G. Cotta decks (1805).Another contributor in this area is publisher US Games Systems Inc, and they have produced some lovely reproduction decks, although not with the same quality. I particularly like their Airline Spotter and Naval Spotter decks, and some of their other reproduction decks are well worth looking at as well, e.g. Samuel Hart’s 1858 deck, Cohen’s 1863 Patent National deck, and Cohen’s 1864 Highlanders deck.

Faro decks

Faro decks are a particular kind of Vintage deck, and have come to refer a particular style of deck, namely one with no indices. The name may be familiar from the Faro Shuffle, which is quite well known among playing card enthusiasts and cardists. That is a technically difficult move where you place the two halves of a deck into each other, card by card, and weave them together like a zipper. The name however, has its origin in a 19th century gambling game, which first appeared in France, and became extremely popular throughout Europe. From there it migrated to the United States, and quickly became the gambling game of choice in American casinos until it was eclipsed by Poker in the 1950s.Gambling decks from this era typically had one-way court cards that occupied the full face of the card, and had no indices. Indices only became standard on playing cards as a result of American innovation in the mid 19th century, and prior to this point, playing cards simply consisted of the pips and courts. Given the popularity of the game of Faro in the pre-index era, playing cards without indices have come to be described as a Faro deck, because they epitomize the look of the gambling decks from the Wild West when Faro was the game of choice. Today, the term “Faro deck” is an indication of the style of playing cards from this period, and can be used to describe any deck that has playing cards without indices.

Transformation decks

Now we come to one of my all-time favourite types of playing cards: transformation decks. These are playing cards where the pips have been incorporated creatively and artistically into a larger image. So for example, the pips on a Six of Clubs might be transformed into the leaves of a tree, and the pips on a Two of Hearts might be transformed into two swans, with the tree and swans perhaps being part of larger pictures that occupy most of the space on the card faces.A conventional transformation playing card retains the original location and shape of the pips, while a semi-transformation deck gives the artist more freedom to work with, because the pips can be altered and moved however the artist wants. A fine modern example of a semi-transformation deck is the Ultimate deck produced by Art of Play. It’s not hard to see that this type of artwork brings with it a real limitation on the part of the artist. At the same time it gives scope for tremendous creativity, since there is the challenge of producing something that is innovative and attractive, while operating within the constraints of the genre, and it is this creativity that makes them so attractive and popular.Transformation playing cards first started appearing at the turn of the 19th century, with the famous J.G. Cotta transformation decks being the very first complete decks of transformation playing cards that were published. This led to a period of real fascination with transformation decks, and some delightful decks were produced in this style towards the end of the 19th century, and again towards the end of the 20th century. In our modern crowd-funding era there has been a renewed appreciation for this type of playing cards. Some classic transformation decks have been reprinted in fine reproduction editions, while new transformation decks created by original designers have also hit the market and been well received.

Regional decks

Playing cards aren’t the same the world over, not just in terms of the designs, but also in terms of the composition of the deck. Most of us are used to a standard Bicycle deck of playing cards which consists of 52 cards, plus two Jokers. But this is the result of centuries of development, and even the “traditional” artwork as we know is the result of a long period of evolution. Even the Joker is only a very late American addition. When playing cards first arrived in Western Europe in the late 14th century, and first spread throughout Europe, there was considerable diversity in the names and styles of the suits, and even the number of cards in a deck.The suits used in Italian and Spanish cards were cups, coins, swords, and clubs, and Spanish court cards consisted of a king, knight, and knave, with no queens. German decks adopted more rural flavour, with acorns, leaves, hearts, and bells used as the suits, while in Switzerland the leaves were replaced with flowers and the hearts with shields. A 52 card deck with the four suits of hearts, spades, diamonds and clubs only became dominant after the French developed techniques to produce playing cards more rapidly and cheaply than other parts of Europe, and it was their success in production that saw their form of the deck monopolize Europe.But regional decks still persist in parts of Europe, and many of them trace their roots back to earlier centuries. Such decks aren’t likely to disappear quickly, because they are closely linked to a particular cultural heritage, and also to regional card games that remain incredibly popular in these parts of the world. Many of these decks also consist of smaller numbers of cards, such as a 40 card deck or a 32 card deck. European publisher Piatnik still publishes many of these regional decks in large numbers for the European market, and they often have incredibly vibrant and beautiful artwork. One of my favourites is the Tell deck, which depicts characters from the story of William Tell.
These ten types of decks of playing cards don’t exhaust all that there is just yet. In a follow-up article we’ll be covering ten more different types of decks, including several types of novelty decks.About the writer: EndersGame is a well-known reviewer of board games and playing cards. He loves card games, card magic, and collecting playing cards. ● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk

THE MAGICIAN’S OATH

Posted on March 4, 2021 by - Card Magic, Card Trick, Cardistry, Entertainment, Magician, Playing Cards

THE MAGICIAN'S OATH

What is the Magician’s Oath?

You don’t have to know much about magic to be aware that that there is a long tradition around maintaining secrecy, in order to preserve the secrets of magic. There is even an ancient “Magician’s Oath”, which is a kind of magician’s code that practitioners of magic are expected to uphold. In its modern form is often worded as follows:”As a magician I promise never to reveal the secret of any illusion to a non-magician, unless that one swears to uphold the Magician’s Oath in turn. “I promise never to perform any illusion for any non-magician without first practicing the effect until I can perform it well enough to maintain the illusion of magic.”

What about the internet?

This oath is understandable in a context where the only way you could learn the secrets of magic was directly from another magician. Magic was carefully passed on from one conjurer to another, and an oath of secrecy ensured that these secrets would be carefully protected.In today’s age of the internet and rapid communication, it is much harder to preserve the secrets of magic. The infamous TV series by the Masked Magician (Val Valentino) entitled Breaking the Magician’s Code: Magic’s Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed put many inside secrets from the world of magic directly into the public eye. Today anyone can purchase books on magic from Amazon, buy tricks from eBay or your favourite magic retailer, or watch video tutorials on youtube that teach you how to do card tricks. Within hours of a magic performance on a popular show like America’s Got Talent, videos will start appearing online with apparent “Reveals” of the method.The internet hasn’t been all bad for magic. Improved technology and communication also means that magic can be promoted in a way like never before. Streaming video means that there are new and wonderful ways for people to watch videos of their favourite TV magic, including popular shows like Penn and Teller and Masters of Illusion. Serious students of magic can also easily exchange ideas, share videos, and access content that will teach some of the very best tricks of all time. In many ways it is an exciting time for magic, because the magic student has access to the very best resources at the click of a mouse, and the latest downloadable video content instantly becomes yours with the help of “Add to Cart” and PayPal. It’s easier than ever for a new generation to discover magic, get excited about it, and find the tools to begin their own journey of learning this time-honoured craft.But this exciting time does come with challenges, not the least of which is the danger of exposure, and of using these new tools to hurt magic as an art-form. On balance, is the internet hurting magic more than it is helping it? You don’t need to take a position on either side of that debate to recognize that in this new territory it is important for everyone with an interest in magic to think carefully about the ethics of magic, and to work with the underlying principles of the age-old Magician’s Oath in our modern day.

What does this mean for you today?

Ultimately the solemn and ancient pledge of magicians aims to uphold the secrets of the art of magic, in order to help promote and defend it as a unique performing art. If you enjoy doing card magic, even just as a hobby for family and friends, here are five things you can do to apply the underlying principles of the Magician’s Oath today:1. Guard your secretsRegardless of whether or not you make a formal promise like this as a member of an official magic organization, the reality is that magic does have an informal code of secrecy and of ethics that is important to be familiar with and abide by. The real issue is not first of all whether someone finds out the secret of how we’ve done a particular trick, but whether we are hurting the art of magic or helping it. Exchanging ideas and secrets about magic with a fellow magician is very different from the kind of exposure that hurts magic.2. Create magic, not puzzlesThe real heart of the Magician’s Oath is that it wants to uphold magic as an art-form that creates astonishment in our audiences. To cheaply reveal the method behind your magic robs them of that very sense of wonder and mystery that it’s your job to create in the first place. If we really want to give people the gift of magic, then we mustn’t turn our performances into mere tricks or puzzles that must be figured out, but retain this sense of surprise and amazement, and do everything we can to create wonder, rather than take it away.3. Be an entertainer, not a superheroThis is also the reason why magicians will typically shy away from suggesting that they have actual abilities to read minds or bend spoons. We want to entertain our audiences by means of a performing art. But that entertainment comes through creating a very believable and convincing illusion, not through making them think we have genuine super-powers. Our job is to bring our audience into a world of imagination where they can suspend their sense of disbelief, rekindle their childlike sense of wonder, and so escape the trappings of normal life for the brief time they are watching our routines.4. Give credit where credit is dueIn addition, the Magician’s Oath implies that we must respect those who have gone before us, by recognizing that many magicians have worked hard to come up with the effects and routines we are privileged to perform. When we casually pass on the secret behind a commercial effect, we may even be hurting the livelihood of the creator. This is also why magicians are often so fussy about attributing moves and tricks accurately and carefully, and are insistent on preserving intellectual property.5. Practice before you performThe commitment to practice sufficiently before performing an effect to a non-magician further confirms that the Magician’s Oath is ultimately all about magic as an art. If we are going to make magic entertaining and live up to the high standards of this art, then we cannot cheapen it by acting like trained monkeys, parading poorly practiced tricks that are full of sloppy handling and unrehearsed patter.
https://youtu.be/Xlyp43F7lhk

Astonish and entertain!

In the end, the reason we all love magic is precisely because of its ability to astonish and entertain. So have another read of the Magician’s Oath, and think about the ways that you can promote magic as an art-form, not just by working hard to create a real sense of wonder in your spectators, but also so that future generations can continue to enjoy magic just as we do today.Where to learn? If you’re interested in learning card magic, I highly recommend the terrific videos from Big Blind Media with self-working card tricks and easy-to-do card tricks. Also see our previous articles on How to Get Started in Card Magic and Recommended Resources for Beginners in Card Magic.
Other articles you might find interesting:About the writer: EndersGame is a well-known reviewer of board games and playing cards. He loves card games, card magic, and collecting playing cards. This article first appeared on PlayingCardDecks.com here. ● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Magic Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk

COLLAB WITH CARDIST AJEK MORSIDI

Posted on September 25, 2020 by - Card Magic, Card Trick, Cardist, Cardistry, Collaboration, Partnership, Playing Card Influencers, Playing Cards, Social Media, Sponsorship

Cardist Ajek Morsidi We are extremely excited to collaborate with talented cardist Ajek Morsidi. He’s showing off his incredible skills with our various smooth and linen finish playing cards. Order your own custom cardistry decks today and follow Ajek for more videos and updates.For collaboration inquiries, send us a Direct Message on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.To receive complimentary samples of our card products, include your delivery address and phone number on your custom request a quote form.

Cardistry Videos (5):

GUK70:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFRQU9pAfc5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Wonderland:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CF2TyGvgqpg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Pendleton Square:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGT0bYgg3lL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Sip & Social:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGzkkZnAclj/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Centurion:

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    • ALTERNATIVE USES FOR PLAYING CARDS

    Posted on August 6, 2020 by - Art, Artist, Card Games, Card Magic, Cardist, Cardistry, Entertainment, Magician, Online Games, Playing Cards, Solitaire

    ALTERNATIVE USES FOR PLAYING CARDS There are all kinds of reasons why people collect playing cards, and it can even be a hobby in itself. And why not? People collect all kinds of things, so why not playing cards! Especially given the wonderful and creative designs of the high quality custom decks that are being produced in recent years, they do make the perfect collector’s item.But maybe you’ve got a growing collection of custom playing cards, and you’re wondering what else you can do with all those playing cards. Or perhaps you’ve worn out a deck, and it no longer handles well enough for performing with, so it’s ready for retirement – what do you do with it now?It turns out that there’s a whole lot more you can do with a deck of cards than you might think. Here are a baker’s dozen great ways to get some real mileage out of your playing cards. Some are silly, some are creative, and still others are just mundane – but perhaps you’ll find something here that inspires you!

    1. Magic

    If you have an interest or background in magic, then you already know this, and it may even be the main reason you own a deck of playing cards in the first place! Every kid growing up should learn at least a few good card tricks, and all you need for that is a decent quality deck of cards, and the help of your public library, or of course the internet and youtube. Any set of playing cards will work, but ideally you want cards that handle well.

    2. Cardistry

    Cardistry has been defined as “the performance art of card flourishing”, although “juggling with playing cards” is an equally apt description. Many readers have probably heard of cardistry before, but for the doubters, I can assure you that it is a real thing, and it even has a Wikipedia page on the subject here! Cardistry is about doing things like fanning and cutting cards in a creative way and with a high level of skill, thereby turning it into a performance art. Instead of doing ordinary cuts and shuffles, expert cardists are able to do one-handed cuts, complicated shuffles, turnovers, tosses, and catches, in a way that is a beauty to watch. You can even buy decks of playing cards that particularly lend themselves well to cardistry. A good example is the Virtoso deck, which was specifically designed for cardistry, and has a real visual appeal when fanned and flourished. Search for “cardistry” on youtube and you’ll find lots of tutorials to get you going with any deck.

    3. Card games

    There are many wonderful card games that can be played with a deck of cards, including popular traditional favourites like Bridge, Hearts, Spades, Euchre, Rummy, and Cribbage. And if you like the excitement of gambling style games, there’s Poker, Blackjack, and many more. Besides the traditional favourites you might already know, there are many excellent card games, and in most cases you can learn the rules for free online. The best website on games with playing cards is easily Pagat.com here. Some easy games that I highly recommend trying include Knock Out Whist, Blitz, Scopa, and President, while games like Oh Hell give room for more skill. If you need more suggestions for great card games, check out this list of my personal favourites here. There are some great books on the subject too, with David Parlett’s Penguin Book of Card Games being the most comprehensive – it’s a great resource, and will help put those arguments about rules to rest once and for all!

    4. Solitaire games

    There’s some terrific solitaire games that you can play on your own with a deck of cards, and it can be a good way to pass the time, or even to enjoy your favourite custom deck of cards. Personal computers have popularized solitaire games like Canfield, Klondike, Freecell, and Spider, but there are many other excellent solitaire games out there. A good place to get started is the Wikipedia page on the subject here. If you’re new to this kind of thing and want to begin with something fairly easy, I’d suggest Golf, Pyramid, or Monte Carlo. For something more challenging, try a fan game like La Belle Lucie, or one of its easier variants (e.g. The Fan, Bristol).

    5. Artwork

    Many crowdfunding projects for playing cards offer an add-on option to purchase an “uncut sheet”. This is a complete printed sheet showing all the cards in a deck prior to them being cut into playing cards. I never really saw the value of this, but a family member recently bought one of these uncut sheets and put it into a glass frame, and it looks absolutely amazing! Or try making your own with your favourite custom deck. Especially with a creative and artistic deck, putting playing cards on display in this way can turn them into beautiful works of art. These works of art make great decorations to hang on the wall, while also giving a tribute to your passion for playing cards and magic.

    6. Bookmarks

    A deck of playing cards can make a great supply of bookmarks! Especially if it’s a special custom deck with nice artwork, but is a little too worn for continued official use, why not re-purpose the cards and use them as bookmarks? I’ve often done this, and my playing cards have often found themselves doing wonderful service to keep track of which effect I’m working on in my magic books, or even as a handy marker in a fiction novel I’m reading at the beach or beside the pool. Any custom deck will work, but cards with metallic ink or foil backs make especially classy looking bookmarks!

    7. House of Cards

    Building a house of cards, or a “card tower”, is not as easy as it looks! Also called “card-stacking”, there’s a Wikipedia page here devoted to this subject too. Bryan Berg (USA) created a world record 72 stories in 1992, and since then has kept and broken this and numerous other related records, including the tallest house of cards, and largest house of cards. In 2010 he built a replica of a hotel, which took 44 days and 218,792 cards (more than 4,000 decks) – it weighed over 250kg, and was 3 metres tall and 10.5 metres long. See a video profile about Bryan here. Some googling will help you find some techniques to improve your card stacking abilities.

    8. Polyhedrals

    George Hart has some great ideas for using playing cards to create complex polyhedral shapes. You can find out more at his website here, which includes full instructions. A great idea for math class perhaps?

    9. Impossible Bottles

    Put a deck of cards into a bottle! Wait a moment, you say, that’s impossible! Well, isn’t that why they call it an impossible bottle?! But there are ways to do this, although you may have to dig a little to find the secret. Some Kickstarters offer these as add-on options for purchase with a new deck of cards. Jamie Grant is a well known creator of these, and his impossible bottles typically cost $100-200. So unless you’re really keen, perhaps this is something to the experts. I’m certain there’s only one way to get something into a glass bottle, and that’s through the neck, and it’s a very time-consuming, difficult, and near-impossible job. I know someone who makes these as a hobby, and they are impressive and mystifying to see firsthand, but they do require a lot of effort to create.

    10. Card Throwing

    Have you ever tried throwing a card? It’s much harder than it sounds, but there are techniques you can learn to throw playing cards long distances and at high speeds. It’s not that difficult to learn the proper grip and method for throwing a card. To get some idea of the basics, head to Wikipedia again here. If you get real good, maybe you can start competing with Rick Smith Jr, who is the world record holder for throwing a playing card 216 feet and 4 inches at a top speed of 92 miles per hour. Seriously! When you’re as good as him, you actually can slice fruit with a playing card! There are several instructional DVDs available that will teach you how to do this kind of thing, but for now you can check out Rick Smith Jr’s tutorial on youtube here. But even if you aren’t ready to start destroying fruit, it’s a lot of fun to try, so I definitely recommend giving card throwing a shot! You can even buy special cards designed for the purpose, like the Banshees deck, which add a “sonic scream” when the cards whip through the air.

    11. Fortune telling

    One of the oldest forms of fortune-telling is called cartomancy, and uses playing cards. Personally I don’t give it any more credibility than reading palms, tea-leaves, stomach rumbles, or cloud shapes, but it certainly uses playing cards. Many specialty Tarot and Oracle decks exist. But cartomancy can also be done with a standard deck of 52 cards and Jokers as well. While any deck will work, some decks like the KADAR Fortune Playing Cards are especially geared to this purpose, and they work great for magic too.

    12. Bicycle Noisemaker

    How do you make a bicycle sound like a motorbike? By affixing a playing card to your bike frame with a peg, and having the card flap loudly on the spokes as the wheel turns. Using playing cards to soup up bikes and make them sound like an engine is something that kids have been doing for years – certainly I did it many times in my childhood! Nowadays you can even buy an official product (Turbospoke Classic) to do this. But using a playing card works just as great for kids today as it always has! If you need help figuring out how to do this, head to Instructables here for directions.

    13. Emergency Kit

    When you’re really stuck, you never know how a playing card might come in handy. Do you have a wobbly table that needs levelling out due to an uneven table leg? Playing cards are perfect to use when you need just a few layers underneath that one table leg to get things straight. Has that steak dinner left something between your teeth at a fancy restaurant? In a pinch, you could even use a playing card as a toothpick, and while it wouldn’t be my first choice for re-purposing a deck of cards, in an emergency it might work! Playing cards to the rescue!
    Finally, let’s conclude on another magical note. Some tricks and moves can be brutal on playing cards, and even destroy them. And yet as always, you need to be able to practice these tricks before you’re ready to perform them in public. An old deck of cards is perfect to use for this purpose. Many magicians will put their old decks to good use by “destroying” them as part of their magic practice. The “Mercury Card Fold” and routines involving a “Torn and Restored Card” are just waiting for your old playing cards!Isn’t it great to know that playing cards have such a variety of uses?! So next time someone challenges you about the amount of decks of cards you own, point them to this list. Meanwhile, happy playing with your playing cards!About the writer: EndersGame is a well-known reviewer of board games and playing cards. He loves card games, card magic, and collecting playing cards. This article first appeared on PlayingCardDecks.com here.   ● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Card Games at: ShuffledInk

    WHY CHILDREN SHOULD TRY CARDISTRY

    Posted on May 13, 2020 by - Card Magic, Card Trick, Cardist, Cardistry, How To, Playing Cards

    WHY CHILDREN SHOULD TRY CARDISTRY I work with a lot of youth, so I have many opportunities to share some of my passions with children and teenagers. As part of that, I’ve enjoyed volunteering and teaching kids some simple card tricks and card flourishes. Many of them have never had any exposure to these things, besides seeing some magic on television. For the majority of them it was even their first experience with a custom deck and with quality USPCC printed playing cards.What especially amazed me was the positive response I had from these kids to cardistry. Most of them had only ever used playing cards for social card games like President. Some had toyed with some card magic, but typically nothing beyond the 21 Card Trick or another simple (and usually boring) mathematical self-worker. Seeing the possibilities of card magic made them super-keen to learn more, and they made rapid progress over several months, quickly mastering intermediate sleights and performing some solid card tricks for me.But their excitement for card magic paled besides their enthusiasm for cardistry. Card flourishing proved to be a massive hit with these kids, and it was incredible how keen they were to learn and practice different card flourishes. They would happily spend hours watching video tutorials at home, practicing different moves, and learning new flourishes. I even started getting positive feedback from their parents, who were thrilled that their children were developing new interests and hobbies!Today cardistry is still very much a niche performing art, but slowly more people around the world are being exposed to this phenomenon, and the ranks of cardists are growing rapidly. I’m thrilled about this, because I’ve seen first hand the joy that cardistry can bring to the lives of children and teenagers. There are some terrific reasons why kids should try cardistry, and here are some reasons why you should consider introducing the children in your life to this exciting art-form:

    1. Cardistry gets them interested instantly!

    There’s something about cardistry that immediately inspires. Like few other hobbies or art-forms, it has the ability to energize and generate instant enthusiasm and excitement. I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen kids and teenagers watch some cardistry videos online, and very quickly get passionate about trying cardistry for themselves. Before you know it, a complete beginner that had previously never even heard of cardistry, is a new convert, spending hours with his playing cards. One of the great things about cardistry is that you will rarely need to twist kids arms to get them to try it, because they’ll usually be keen to give it a go, simply after seeing some videos.

    2. Cardistry gets them excited about a new hobby!

    One of the challenges of being a parent is to keep coming up with interesting things for your children to do. Some kids naturally find things to do all the time, but others constantly need a helping hand to keep them busy, and get bored very easily. It’s all to easy to use movies, TV, or the internet as a babysitter, but what about finding something constructive to do? That’s where cardistry can really help. Very few teenagers have ever come across it before, so when they first see card flourishing in action, it quickly captures their enthusiasm and excitement. With a brand new deck in hand, it won’t take much for them to get hooked, and before you know it they have a whole new hobby that they are passionate about and spending time with. Often they’ll be so keen, they’ll drag their friends into it too!

    3. Cardistry gets them unplugged from their phones!

    Most parents will readily admit that kids today get too much screen time, and don’t spend enough time in the outdoors or doing things creatively. In today’s era of technology, too many teenagers are glued to their phones, and seem wired permanently to their favourite social media platform and to the internet. Anything that helps them get away from their screens is a good thing, because it will assist them develop a healthier balance to life. Cardistry will do exactly that, and I’ve seen many parents thrilled that their children and teenagers were developing new interests outside of their phones and computers. Admittedly they will also spend time watching video tutorials online. But cardistry is especially about having a deck of cards in your hand, and doing a physical activity with those cards. Manual dexterity and skill is required, and it’s refreshing to see kids spending hours practicing tossing around playing cards instead of being on their phones.

    4. Cardistry gets them exploring their creative side!

    There are no limits to what can be done in cardistry, because it has no fixed rules or boundaries. That’s why we’re seeing constant innovations, as creative individuals try new things that haven’t been tried before. Untapping this element of creativity is just what many children need. Rather than being forced into learning a fixed system, cardistry gives kids the opportunity to explore all kinds of unfamiliar territory, including creating routines of their own. It’s an art-form that encourages creativity and experimentation, and treading the path less travelled. As such it means that you’re engaging in a creative activity where the new and unusual is seen as a good thing, and where there are ample opportunities to develop new skills and routines.

    5. Cardistry can be enjoyed by anyone!

    Unlike many other hobbies and activities, there’s not only a low cost to enter the world of cardistry, but the bar is also very low in terms of the abilities required. You can begin with next to no knowledge of playing cards, and yet be having fun flicking and tossing cards very quickly. Granted, those who have experience with shuffling and handling cards, and who have a good sense of manual dexterity, will progress more quickly. But there’s no barrier to entry, and you can be a genuine novice and have fun learning card flourishes. This draws many people to give cardistry a whirl, because it is quite simple for anyone to get started with it.

    6. Cardistry can be enjoyed anywhere!

    If you enjoy playing soccer, then aside from your backyard perhaps, you’re really only going to be happy when you’re chasing around a soccer ball along with 21 other people on a soccer field. Let’s be honest, the amount of time you’ll find yourself in that ideal setting won’t be that often, perhaps once or twice a week at most. But with cardistry, there is no such limitation. You can be sitting on your bed, standing by the road waiting for a bus, or killing time at school, and these are equally ideal moments for doing cardistry. Aside perhaps from being outdoors on a windy or rainy day, or a sober moment like being at a funeral or in the middle of an exam, there’s no bad time to be doing cardistry. As long as you have a deck of playing cards in your pocket, you are ready to go, no matter where you are.

    7. Cardistry can be enjoyed independently!

    What about if you don’t have friends or family to do something with? Many activities require the active involvement of other people. And without another willing party, you’re stuck, because there’s nobody to catch the football you kick, or to hit the baseball you’re throwing. Cardistry has the real advantage that it doesn’t need other people. While you certainly can perform it for others, it can be enjoyed for the sheer pleasure of learning and performing the moves on your own. It’s very much a solitaire activity, and this frees it of many of the restrictions that make it difficult at times to get into other hobbies or activities. Some people have even found cardistry a great way to keep their hands busy instead of doing less constructive things like biting their nails or smoking.

    8. Cardistry can be enjoyed cheaply!

    Cardistry is very inexpensive to get into, and you don’t have to break the bank to enjoy it. I know that some people reading this will look at their growing collection of cardistry decks, and say: “You’ve got to be kidding, right?” Sure, you can spend money on expensive cardistry decks, but you certainly don’t have to. In fact, to enjoy cardistry what’s of foremost importance is a deck that handles well. A standard Bicycle rider-back deck or similar branded deck from USPCC like Tally Ho is generally very inexpensive and easily available. Compare that for a moment with other hobbies and activities, like horse riding, ice hockey, or piano lessons. All of those tend to involve specialized equipment, and the costs will quickly become very expensive. In contrast, you can get a lot of mileage out of a few decks of playing cards, and that’s really the only expense there is. All the learning happens via online videos and tutorials, the majority of which are free. In the final analysis, cardistry is a very cheap hobby, compared to most others.

    9. Cardistry is as fun to watch as it is to do!

    The greatest thrill in cardistry is mastering a move and doing it yourself. But it’s also a real thrill to watch other cardists at the top of their game. Not only will you get ideas of flourishes to try yourself, but it can be tremendously exciting to watch experts in cardistry who have put together an outstanding video, that leaves you completely gob-smacked as to how they could possibly accomplish what you’re seeing. When seeing other cardists in action performing difficult maneuvers, you are well aware of the significant time they’ve invested to achieve what you’re seeing. Some of the videos of the best cardists in the world doing their thing are just amazing to watch, and kids won’t quickly grow tired of it. What other activity lets you produce beauty out of small rectangular pieces of paper?

    10. Cardistry is flexible and varied!

    One of the wonderful things about cardistry is that it doesn’t have any fixed rules. There is no right or wrong way to go about learning it, and you can simply learn whatever you want to. If there are certain moves that you don’t enjoy, then there’s no need to learn them. Admittedly, there are certain foundational skills that can become important to master in order to do more complicated flourishes. But for the most part, there’s a lot of different directions that you can go in, and it’s totally up to you which way you want to go. This free-thinking and free-flowing approach is ideal for children, because they can learn at their own pace, and just go along the path that interests them, rather than being constrained or forced into a particular direction which might not appeal to them.

    11. Cardistry helps them become good at something!

    There’s no doubt that once you start with cardistry, you can become genuinely good at it. It’s definitely possible to learn new techniques and moves, and progress from simple card flourishes to more advanced ones. Once you’ve learned a particular card flourish, it tends to stick with you, and you won’t quickly lose the ability to do it. Some moves are knacky, and require persistence and practice to master. But once you’ve mastered something like the faro shuffle and cascade, you won’t easily forget how to perform it. Instead, you’ll build on the moves you already know, adding new flourishes to your repertoire, and developing techniques that rely on more basic moves as prerequisites. This makes it a rewarding hobby that teenagers can become genuinely skilled at, the more time they spend with it. They will quickly learn to impress people with simple flourishes when they start out, but over time they will be able to perform some truly eye-popping moves that will amaze.

    12. Cardistry helps them develop other life-skills!

    I can already hear some people saying: “You’ve got to be kidding, right? Do you really believe that cardistry helps develop life-skills?” Absolutely! This may come as a surprise to some, but I believe it’s true. Granted, this may not be the biggest outcome from a hobby in card flourishing, but it certainly is one outcome. Because to become successful at cardistry, you need to practice – and practice some more. When learning moves from video tutorials, you have to process what you’re being taught, follow instructions, and remember the moves that are shown, in the right order. And then you have to practice some more. All this requires real self-discipline and commitment, and those are important character traits and life-skills that all children need to develop! Seeing yourself progress is very rewarding, and will teach kids the value of applying yourself to something, and what you can achieve in this way.

    13. Cardistry is a trendy art-form!

    Kids love things that are trendy and “current”. There’s no doubt that cardistry meets that requirement. Even though card flourishing has a long history as something closely related to card magic, its emergence as a separate art-form with the sheer popularity it enjoys today is only a recent phenomenon. One only has to consider the rapid growth of online cardistry communities and online forums, which are increasing in size and numbers all the time, and the increasing presence of cardistry videos on social media. The very first international Cardistry Convention only date back a few years, and yet it’s quickly become an annual event, with increased participation every year. There are many factors that account for this, among them the ability to share ideas quickly and easily via online videos and communities, another being the advent of crowd-funding which has helped fuel a growing custom playing card market where cardistry decks play a big role. But one thing is for sure: cardistry is an exciting new kid on the block, and is definitely the cool kid that everyone wants as their friend right now, and that’s not likely to change any time soon.

    14. Cardistry is an evolving art-form!

    Because cardistry is a quickly growing field, we are constantly seeing new ideas being explored, and frequent innovations, as cardists stretch beyond the boundaries of what has been done previously. This makes it a very exciting hobby to be part of, because there are regular new developments. Part of this includes the commercial side of new cardistry decks, but let’s just ignore that for a moment. More importantly, we are seeing people building on each other’s ideas, and coming up with new things all the time. Children and teenagers love this, because there are constantly new things to learn and discover. There’s no single website where you can go, to learn there is to know about cardistry, and now you know it all. Instead, there’s new things coming out all the time, and this constant sense of evolution and innovation gives it a feel of freshness and excitement that helps keep the passion for it alive.

    15. Cardistry is a unique art-form!

    Even though cardistry is a growing art-form, it is still not something that is so main-stream, that everyone has seen it or given it a shot. When a teenager is good at cardistry, they will immediately attract attention and interest. Most people watching them do some simple card flourishes have never seen anything remotely like this before. A simple card spring can often generate more oohs and aahs than some magic tricks. So it’s something that is attention-getting and novel. For kids, it’s important to have something about themselves that helps them stand out from others, and makes them feel unique and respected. Cardistry can help them do that. It produces something that is visually beautiful, and this accounts for much of its appeal.

    16. Cardistry is a positive art-form!

    The online communities for some hobbies and interests are very toxic, full of trolls and constant arguments, and parents would rightly be concerned about their kids being immersed in a poisonous environment like that. My experience with the cardistry community has been very different. These are often filled with teenagers and young people who are super enthusiastic about their art, and just love to share videos of their performances with others, and to encourage fellow enthusiasts and even beginners in what they are doing. They also tend to be very respectful of the fact that there is no “one path” to doing cardistry, so it’s totally fine to enjoy one type of cardistry and not another, and be at different levels. And if you’re stuck learning a move, someone will usually be happy to jump in and give you tips to help you progress. They’ve likely walked this road themselves and had someone help them, and they know the feeling of satisfaction that comes with mastering a move, and want others to enjoy that too. You are certain to make many great friends with others around the world who share your passion.

    17. Cardistry makes the most of their custom decks!

    Today’s market of custom playing cards has grown enormously over the last decade, largely with the help of crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter. But cardistry has become an explosive catalyst that has really caused the market to boom, because many decks are being designed especially for card flourishing. A custom deck can already be something special to use for playing card games, or for card magic, but such decks still have to be somewhat familiar and functional. But cardistry focuses on aesthetics rather than function, and this means that a whole new set of criteria becomes important for designing playing cards. Many decks have been made purely to show-off the beautiful visuals that can be created with fans, spreads, twirls, cuts, and other cardistry moves. Fiddling with my playing cards has always been enjoyable, but that’s taken to a whole new level with card flourishing. It’s hard to think of a better way to enjoy the gorgeous artwork and visuals of a lovely custom deck, especially if its design has been optimized for cardistry. There are so many stunning decks appearing on the market today, that this injects a whole new element of excitement to the cardistry hobby.

    18. Cardistry makes the most of their technology!

    This may seem to contradict another point on this list, namely that cardistry can help kids get unplugged from their mobile devices and get busy doing something active in the real world. That’s still true. But the fact is that kids will still use technology, and we can’t expect them to throw away their phones and computers completely. As far as that goes, cardistry is a hobby that makes very good use of all the technology that they are already using and will keep using. There is a lot of garbage on the internet and on social media, but in comparison cardistry videos and online forums are refreshingly positive for the most part. This community thrives on making good use of the possibilities afforded by sharing videos and ideas online, maximizing the positive potential of sharing good things with fellow enthusiasts.

    19. Cardistry makes the most of their free time!

    Young people have a lot of free time which they won’t have later in life. When you’re an adult, life will usually keep you busy with the responsibilities of looking after a family and a home, alongside completing your daily job at the office or factory. Quite frankly, once you reach this stage of life, you won’t usually have a whole lot of free time. Starting a new hobby like cardistry isn’t impossible by any means, but the ideal time to begin is when you’re young. Kids and teenagers often have a ton of free time, something that will often be at a premium later on in life. So what better thing to do with all that free time that something positive, like cardistry? Some flourishes can require a lot of practice in order to master, and that makes the time of youth the perfect time to learn them, because often you have all the time in the world, and just don’t know what to do with it. Kids won’t have quite that amount of free time later in life, so why not put it to good use when you can – when you’re older and learning cardistry, you’ll just wish that you had the amount of time that most children have for it!

    20. Cardistry is enormously enjoyable!

    Like card magic, card flourishing is genuinely fun, and can be enjoyed as a rewarding activity for its own sake. It’s very rewarding to finally master a new flourish that you’ve been working on, and especially if it is visually appealing, it will remain satisfying to do, even if you’ve done it hundreds and hundreds of times before. There’s simply something about doing cardistry that captures the imagination. Almost every child that I’ve taught some elementary cardistry moves has found it exciting and entertaining, and found it captivating and thrilling. As a hobby, it quickly becomes self-motivating for them. You don’t have to force them to practice, like you might need to do with a youngster learning how to play the violin or piano. Because it’s something that most kids love, they’ll find it incredibly enjoyable, and just want to experience the fun of playing with their cards in this way, because it’s so much fun. To me, that says it all – case closed!
    About the writer: EndersGame is a well-known reviewer of board games and playing cards. He loves card games, card magic, and collecting playing cards.  ● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Card Games at: ShuffledInk

    HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR CARDISTRY

    Posted on October 25, 2019 by - Card Designers, Card Magic, Card Story, card suits, Card Trick, Cardist, Cardistry, Client Feature, court cards, Custom Design, Custom Gifts, How To, Pips, Playing Cards, Shuffle Cards, shuffling techniques

    HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR CARDISTRY

    “The services (Shuffled Ink) provide(s) and the process for printing decks is by far the most pleasant I’ve had the opportunity to use! That paired with the high-quality printing makes for a great experience!” —Jared Hall, OxT Cards Creator

    Custom Printed Playing Cards for client Jared Hall
    Shuffling playing cards may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether your shuffling skills need polishing or you’re not quite sure how to handle a deck of cards, these simple techniques will help you further develop your signature style in the art of cardistry.

    So, What is Cardistry?

    Cardistry is a well-known term specifically among those in the playing card universe. It is typically defined as “the performance art of card flourishing”. This non-magic shuffling technique allows for cardists to manipulate their deck of playing cards in a visually appealing manner.Cardistry got its name by combining the words “card” and “artistry”. And while the name may be simple, this craftsmanship can be difficult to execute.One of Shuffled Ink’s clients, Jared Hall, creates decks for cardistry. His love for the technique actually stemmed from magic, which resulted in him watching various tutorial videos on the art form. Soon enough, inspiration struck and he wanted to create and execute cardistry on his own, so he did. And you can too!
    Custom Printed Playing Cards

    Shuffling Tips

    1. Practice Makes Perfect

    The number one tip that Hall emphasizes is practice. While the phrase, “practice makes perfect” may seem cliché, it couldn’t be more relevant and true when it comes to cardistry. Hall says, “Cardistry is not easy, but the payoff of learning a move is worth all the time you spend learning it.”Now, the more help you get the better. Watching videos on ‘Cardistry for Beginners’ or from channels like Fontaine Cards and Dealersgrip will get you out of your own bubble. The sooner you submerge yourself into the world of cardistry, the quicker the cards will fall into place…or at least for the time being, fall on the floor.

    2. Steady Hands

    Mastering the art of cardistry doesn’t happen overnight. In reality, you are going to fail more times than you succeed. So, don’t be surprised if you spend more time dropping cards than shuffling them. Similar to professional baseball players striking out or dropping a routine catch, even pro cardists drop cards.If you shuffle playing cards too quickly, it leaves room for more mistakes than intended. A common misconception about shuffling cards is if you shuffle the cards quickly, it will make your performance look better.  There’s a clear difference between shuffling cards quickly and creating the illusion that you are shuffling them at a rapid pace.  The latter is a better technique, especially for beginners.  This is where your personally crafted hand mechanics come into play.

    3. You’re In Control: The Mechanic’s Grip

    There isn’t necessarily one way to hold a deck of cards. But one of the most important tips to note is to find a style that is comfortable, practical and efficient. And each of your fingers has a designated section on the card that it is responsible for.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_TBb6tOTOc

    4. SHUFFLED INK CUSTOM PLAYING CARDS

    Personalized Playing Cards
    Practicing your mechanics will only get you so far, but having the right cards will allow you to perform your cardistry smoothly. It’s understandable that when you’re starting out, you’ll use any dusted deck around the house. But you’re only as confident and solid as the deck you use. Cardistry is all about comfort and finding your stylistic art form, so why not create your signature, quality deck of playing cards to match that? Shuffled Ink’s custom print playing cards are created in 3 easy steps, explore your options today!For more information on Jared Hall’s Cardistry brand, explore OxT Cards.For updates on Hall’s social media, follow @occupiedcards. ● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Card Games at: ShuffledInk