INTRODUCING DESIGNER STEVE MINTY

Steve Minty is a traditionally educated illustrator and designer, who previously did branding and design for major sport stars and celebrities.   He's even done scenic painting for theatre productions.  But like many artists, his soul longed to be set free from these well-trodden pathways, and he was eager to find other opportunities to develop his creativity.  So now he's doing freelance work of his own choosing, and making his own designs or projects. He's interested in a whole range of things, including photography (he's a creative and skilled amateur photographer) ... and playing cards.

I've seen some beautiful cards, but his decks stood out as being among the very best and most creative.  He has produced several artistic decks of playing cards, including the Muertos series (inspired by the Mexican `Day of the Dead'), the Olympia series (inspired by Greek mythology), and the Anubis and Osiris decks (inspired by ancient Egypt), and is currently working on a deck inspired by Japanese culture called the HANA deck - it was recently funded on Kickstarter (here). 



In this review, let's take a look at some of the other decks previously made by Steve, beginning with the Muertos decks.

MUERTOS DECKS (2014)



The Muertos collection was created in 2014 and was one of Steve Minty's first deck designs.  It was inspired by the Mexican holiday that celebrates life and death: Dia De Los Muertos, also known of the Day of the Dead. 

Funding for this deck was raised on Kickstarter.  To give you some idea of the popularity of this deck, and its enormous success, it had a goal of $13,000, but raised a staggering $159,706!  Wow, that's incredible!

Muertos Night

Steve grew up in Los Angeles, which is where he was exposed to many cultures, including Mexican traditions, and that's how he first became intrigued by Dia De Los Muertos.  He found its imagery and symbolism incredible beautiful, and despite the fact that it involved the sombre topic of death, it also had a lot of whimsy and playfulness; it is this combination of sorrow and laughter that he tried to capture and convey.



He describes his goal in creating the imagery for the Muertos deck as "to honor the message that Dia De Los Muertos celebrates. From Aztec influences to José Posada’s works and even the Mexican-American Wars, I aimed to capture the social classes and implications that are set within the history of the culture."



The aesthetics are classical and yet reflect something of the culture that the deck depicts.  The number cards have pips that still exhibit some of the traditional symmetry, but feature an updated design aimed to feel fresh.



While this deck has a somewhat macabre theme, in a remarkable way, Steve manages to depict The Day of the Dead in a beautiful way using just two colors - gold and black - to simultaneously capture the elements of celebration as well as of loss, a juxtaposition which is unusual and yet works.   



Other Muertos decks

Pictured above is the Muertos Night deck.  Given the enormous success of the Muertos project, it is no surprise that several other similar decks were made available.  So in addition to the Night deck that I own, which is the main deck in this collection, there are also the also four other Muerto decks which featured different coloured themes and back designs:



- Muertos Mourning Gold deck (white/gold) - This features the same designs but with a lovely combination of white and gold colors.

-  Muertos Love deck (blood red) - In Steve's own words, this deck is "based on the blood that runs in our veins. They say that Blood is thicker than water and so is the love of family. Dia De Los Muertos brings family closer together to honor the dead and I couldn't help but use that as my source of inspiration."

-  Muertos Celebration deck (purple/pink) - Steve explains that this deck is "based on the vibrant fun decorations of Dia De Los Muertos. From Papel Picado to Flower decorations, I looked to them all as a source of inspiration."

-  Muertos Sun deck (blue/orange) - According to Steve, this deck is "based on the gifts of Marigold and the sky. Also known as cempazuchitl, cempasuchil or zempasuchitl, Marigolds are used during Dia De Los Muertos so that your deceased loved ones can find their way back home."



Featured as court card characters in the Muertos decks are: El Padre, La Hermana, and El Soldado (Spades); El Catrin, La Viuda, and El Bandito (Hearts); El Caudillo, La Bailarina, and El Vaquero (Clubs), El Azteca, La Catrina, and El Ranchero (Diamonds).

I have the Muertos Night deck, which comes in an impressive black box with embossed gold foil printing.  While the cards themselves don't have gold foil printing, it's certainly an unusual and creative deck that gets immediate attention, looks attractive, and handles well.



OLYMPIA DECKS (2015)




These two decks were produced by Steve Minty in 2015, and were based on a Greek mythology theme.  I'm a sucker for anything to do with ancient Greek and Rome, so this was always going to be a hit with me!  There is a white deck, and a blue Underworld deck, which is the one that I personally have.

Steve Minty describes his aim with these decks as  "to capture the beauty of Greek sculptures in a new medium of playing cards while simultaneously updating it with a graphic twist."  As a result, "Olympia blends the classical beauty of Greek Sculptures with the elegant and sleek lines of modern design."

This project involved two different decks:
- Olympia (white theme)
- Olympia Underworld (blue theme)



These decks were inspired by the gods and heroes of ancient Greece.  Like many of us, in his childhood Steve spent countless hours devouring their stories about love, betrayal, death, vengeance and the heroic deeds within Greek Mythology. 



Olympia

Pictured below as examples of the white cards from the Olympia deck are Poseidon, god of the sea, and Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths, craftsmen, and artisans.



The Greek gods featured as court cards in the Olympia series are: Zeus, Hera, and Hermes (Spades); Poseidon, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus (Hearts); Hades, Artemis, and Apollo (Clubs); Ares, Athena, and Dionysus (Diamonds); Hestia, Persophone, and Cerberus (Jokers). 

Shown here below are Zeus' wife Hera, goddess of women and marriage, and Hermes the protector god.



The number cards also have a very classic Greek style.



Olympia Underworld

This is the deck that I own, and is similar to the regular Olympia deck in terms of artwork, but with a turquoise colour.

Most of the artwork is identical to the Olympia deck, but there are a few small changes to reflect the Underworld theme: The King of Spades and Queen of Spades are now Hades and Persephone respectively, reflecting how Persephone was kidnapped by Hades and became Queen of the Underworld; while the Jokers combine to picture Cerberus, the "hound of Hades". 

Depicted here are the Greek gods Zeus and Hades.



I'm especially fond of the artwork and design on the backs of these Underworld cards, which looks fantastic.



While not quite as successful as the Muertos series, the Olympia decks enjoyed good support, almost tripling the required level of funding on Kickstarter.

The style and colours of the two Olympia decks remind me somewhat of the Egyptian themed Anubis and Osiris decks featured next in this review.  As good as these Olympia decks are, in my opinion Steve was able to build on the designs and colours of these decks, and in his later work produce something even more beautiful by applying what he'd learned to ancient Egypt.

ANUBIS & OSIRIS DECKS (2016)



The following year, in 2016, Steve created the Anubis and Osiris decks, which were inspired by and depict ancient Egyptian culture.

They are absolutely spectacular, and the photos you see here really don't do justice to how impressive they look in real life.   They look stunning, from the moment you first hold them in your hand, as I'm doing here:



They are sealed with an impressive looking gold foil sticker.



Both the box back and the card backs feature an embossed gold foil design which just sparkles in the light - I did my best to capture it in a photo here, but it looks even more beautiful than what you see here!



Anubis

The cards of the Anubis have gold foil artwork on a black background.  I own a copy of both of these decks, and quite frankly these two are my favourites of all the ones I own, because they just exude class, elegance, and quality!



The court cards of the Anubis deck feature artwork that reflects the Egyptian era, and look luxurious and attractive.  The artwork here was inspired by the Egyptian gods and kings of the past, and incorporates into the design elements from the classical Egyptian era and from the Egyptian revival.



The court cards feature the following Egyptian gods: Amun, Mut, and Thoth (Spades); Osiris, Isis, and Khnum (Hearts); Anubis, Sekhmet, and Geb (Clubs); Ra, Hathor, and Horus (Diamonds).



Printed on black cardstock with gold ink etchings, they are designed to be bold and opulent, just like the Egyptian gods/kings that inspired it.

Osiris

The Osiris deck is the counterpart to the Anubis deck.  This deck has a similar style to the Anubis deck, but features a rich turquoise colour instead of black.



The number cards on both decks have a minimalist style that still reflects the Egyptian theme.



If you look carefully, you'll notice that three tones of blue are used on the card faces, making the details pop out even more than the Anubis deck.  I'm a huge fan of the turquoise color used here!



With a funding goal of $20,000, unsurprisingly this project enjoyed huge support, with over $93,000 raised.  As a result of this high level of funding, both decks were produced with metallic gold foil, which looks absolutely stunning on the background.  I really can't say enough about how beautiful these two decks are!



CONCLUSION

I'm extremely impressed with Steve Minty's playing cards for several reasons:


I love the artwork:  Everything about these cards is stunning, from the back designs to the artwork on each card. They really do look beautiful.  In fact, they are probably the most beautiful decks of playing cards that I own.  I have other decks that are truly unique (like the Pipmen decks by Ben Jones), and classy (like the Omnia/Dedalo decks by Giovanni Meroni), but in my mind the Steve Minty decks have to take the prize for being the most beautiful. I own four of his other decks, and these look just as amazing.  I just love the way all the aesthetics come together in a wonderful package.

I love the themes: One things I love about all Steve Minty's decks is how has worked with different cultures and ideas (and even done some research in the process), and how he's found ways to reflect this in the themes.  As a result, each deck has its own very distinct flavour, in reflecting either classical Japan, ancient Egypt, mythological Greece, or traditional Mexico.  Going back to ancient times also gives you a sense that these playing cards are steeped in a long and rich tradition, and make one feel some connection with the past.

I love the variety: Even though there is superficial similarity between some his decks (e.g. both the Anubis deck and the Muertos Night decks rely on a black and gold colour scheme), all his decks have a unique flavour.  This isn't just a reflection of Steve's creativity, but more importantly it reflects the fact that he has been drawing on the unique elements of different cultures, and this comes to fruition with decks that look quite different from each other.  His new Japanese themed decks (the HANA luxury decks) offer nice variety from previous decks he's created.

I love the style: They  just have a luxurious look and feel about them.  The style and class is immediately evident just from looking at the box.  Three of the four Steve Minty decks that I have have gold foil printing on the tuck boxes, and come with a gold seal.  From the moment you first set your eyes on these deck boxes, they look stunning, especially when held up to the light.  I was just blown away by them when I first saw them, because they look even more amazing in real life than they do on photos! This positive impression remains when you look through the cards.  So his decks are typically very stylish and have a great deal of character and class.

I love the quality: Although one of the primary points of attraction with these cards is their visual appeal, they are made from good quality card stock, and handle and shuffle well.  People who enjoy playing card games will appreciate the quality of the card-stock and printing.  His most recent decks were printed by Expert Playing Card Company, and seem to be of an even higher quality than the earlier decks printed by US Playing Cards.  I have given them to an accomplished magician to get his thoughts, and he said the cards handled amazingly well, very smooth, and he just loved them.  The sense of quality and luxury begins with the tuck boxes, where there are tiny details on everything (even the flaps), and the cards on the inside match this high standard.

I love the playability: Despite the wonderful aesthetics, the numbers and suits are still clear enough that you can actually use them in a game, without the artwork getting in the way of game-play and functionality. While decks like these have value for collectors, in the end I don't own cards to look at them, but to play games with them, and these do that job nicely, while at the same time giving players something beautiful to look at during moments of down-time.  My only concern is whether the red and black suits of the HANA Gold deck court cards need to be differentiated more clearly, but perhaps you'd quickly grow to recognize the difference in the shades of red used for this.

I love the service: When I received something from Steve, the decks were shipped very promptly, and in a package that included a box with soft padding inside, a business card and a Steve Minty sticker.  So even the packing materials used shows top quality service and thoughtful attention to detail.

I own a lot of different decks of playing cards, but the Steve Minty decks are easily among the most beautiful decks I own, and arguably they are my most prized decks of playing cards.  If you think they look good in the pictures you see here, just wait till you see them first-hand - they look even better.  So if you'd like to add some delightful decks like these to your own collection, you're in luck: head over to Steve Minty's own website here.



To find out more:

Steve Minty website: http://www.steveminty.com

INTRODUCING DESIGNER GIOVANNI MERONI

Giovanni Meroni is a freelance designer in Italy, who has created the product brand "Thirdway Industries".  To underline his credentials, it's worth mentioning that the clients he has worked for have included companies like Vodafone, Nestle, Schwarzkopf, Gucci, Coca Cola, and Red Bull.  Those are some big names!  He's worked for more than 10 years for agencies and companies, and is currently focused on website art direction and vector illustration.  But amongst other things, Giovanni likes to design decks of playing cards. 

Giovanni's first published deck was in 2014, when he created his Evil Deck. In this deck, all the four suits had their own theme: hearts = passion, diamonds = violence, clubs = nature, spades = magic.  The following year, 2015, he first turned to Kickstarter, and created his Delirium deck.  This is considered to be an intricate but modern deck that was inspired by classic French playing cards but with crazy twists.  It has the distinction of being chosen as the official 2015 deck of the United Cardists forum.

In 2015, Giovanni also created his Omnia: The First series, which had the theme of cyclicality, and featured three decks representing different dimensions of the Omnia universe.  This was followed the next year by a sequel series of three decks, Omnia: The Golden Age, which maintained the Omnia theme, but represented an era of abundance and wealth.  The same year, Giovanni created his Dedalo series of three decks, which is inspired by Greek mythology, and tells the story of the Labyrinth of Crete, Theseus and The Minotaur, including the Labyrinth's builder Dedalo.

And that brings us to the present, 2017.  Giovanni has now created his SINS series of three decks, which is inspired by the literature and art that explores the Seven Deadly Sins.  The Seven Deadly Sins (Greed, Envy, Pride, Lust, Wrath, Gluttony, Sloth) have a long history, and have featured strongly in both art and literature, so it is a rich tradition that Giovanni can draw on.  In fact they go back all the way to the beginning of time, with the Fall of Adam and Eve, all of which these decks depict.  This project has just been funded on Kickstarter (here), so it will be produced.  I'll be giving an overview of it in this review.



The SINS series

The SINS series consists of three decks of playing cards:
- Sins Corpus
- Sins Anima
- Sins Mentis
These correspond to the classic categories of body, soul, and mind.



While there is some continuity between these three decks, there are also significant differences.

For example, below we see the Queen of Hearts, for which different artwork is used in each of the three decks.  Especially noteworthy is how the SINS Anima deck features a dark background on all the cards.  This is typical for many of Giovanni's deck series - one deck stands out, and it is usually the "limited edition" that is produced in very limited quantities, and thus also attracts a higher price.



The card-backs of all three decks represent Eden, where sin happened, as background to the Seven Deadly Sins.

● In Mentis, Eden is still bright, because Eve hasn't yet eaten the forbidden fruit.
● In Corpus, eternal night has fallen on Eden as a result of the eating of the forbidden fruit.
● In Anima, after the fall, Adam and Eve have been banned, and realize their frailty and mortality, but also have gained new knowledge - Eden is empty, and red like blood, hell, but also like the heart, passion and life.



Mentis deck (Mind)

SINS Mentis is based on the sins that influence thought: Greed (Diamonds), Envy (Clubs), Pride (Spades) and Lust (Hearts). After all, as Giovanni reminds us, every Sin begins with a twisted thought!



Spades represents Pride which says things like "Stand above the others. You'll be the best one." and "Look in the mirror, forget you're a human."



Diamonds represents Greed which says things like "You can't get enough, can you?" and "Material things are the keys that open many doors."



Clubs represents Envy which says things like "Look at them. Their life is better than yours." and "Look in the mirror, forget you're a human."



Hearts represents Lust which says things like "Your thoughts are twisted, Sinner." and "One way to improve yourself is crave something that others already have."



The pips in both the Mentis and the Corpus decks are identical.  All they are bigger and taller than normal, to help convey the theme, they are still relatively standard, to ensure functionality.  But there are some small details that have been added, for example notice the tiny blood drop on the 9 of Hearts!



Corpus deck (Body)

SINS Corpus is based on the sins that influence the body: Wrath (Diamonds), Gluttony (Clubs), Sloth (Spades) and Lust (Hearts).


 
Spades represents Sloth which says things like "Are you comfortable? It's okay. Don't do anything." and "If you don't take it easy, someday you'll burn yourself."



Diamonds represents Wrath which says things like "Let the anger flow through you. Destroy everything!" and "Sometimes, the only way to open doors is smash them."



Clubs represents Gluttony which says things like "It tastes good, doesn't it?" and "Hunger is our primary need. Never forget that, Sinner."



Hearts represents Lust which says things like "We may be banned, we may be wicked, but we won't be lonely."



The number cards are the same as the Mentis deck, but the Corpus deck does have unique artwork for its Aces, which have intricate details as seen here.



Anima deck (Soul)

SINS Anima is based on all the seven Sins.  While Mentis is about the mind, and Corpus is about the body, Anima is about the soul.  This deck is totally red, and is a limited edition.



The Spades are inspired by Sloth and Pride, and the Diamonds by Wrath and Greed.



The Clubs are inspired by Envy and Gluttony, and the Hearts by Lust and Wrath.



The artwork on the number cards is similar to the other decks, but with a different colour scheme, and a very elaborate Ace.



Three jokers are included, two representing Adam and Eve (who are featured as jokers in all the decks), and the third representing Prometheus, the Snake that led them into temptation.



CONCLUSION

But I am very impressed with this project for a number of reasons:

I love the style of the artwork

Giovanni lives in Italy, and there is something unusual about his style that makes it stand out from the kind of artwork typically seen in euro-games, or being produced by American artists and designers.  It has both a classic and Mediterranean feel somehow, which I appreciate.  The artwork feels very different from a normal deck of cards, and yet at the same time the suits are still very clear, as are the values of the suits, so the cards are very playable and usable.  I also like the fact that the number cards feature a unique style. I've seen some other artistic decks where the only thing different from normal are the court cards and Ace of Spades, and I rather like a deck which applies something original across the board on all the cards. 



I love the thematic stories

In some of his other decks, Giovanni has drawn on ancient mythology, but he has really taken things to the next level by working with the concept of the Seven Deadly Sins in his latest series of SIN decks.  The classification of the Seven Deadly Sins has a long history (see here for an overview), and I really like the way that each one has been worked into a single suit, with artwork reflective of the concept. The decks create a thematic and artistic unity which is based on a long literary and artistic tradition.  There's a lot of rich symbolism that has been cleverly drawn on as well, theologically and artistically.  What I really hope is that this series will be followed up with a series of decks based on the the Seven Virtues!

With beautiful and unique artwork that ties in well with a rich theme, steeped in literature and art, these decks are definitely more than just a pretty face, but have real personality and character.  Well done Mr Giovanni Meroni, I'm pleased to have discovered your work!  If you're interested in learning more, check out the Kickstarter for the SINS decks here, or else you can check out Giovanni Meroni's own website here.



More from Giovanni Meroni: http://thirdway.it
SINS playing cards: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thirdwayind/sins-playing-cards

These decks are also available at your favourite Murphy's Magic retailer. See the product pages at Murphy's Magic for SINS Mentis, SINS Corpus

This deck of Bicycle Gold Cards was produced by Elite Playing Cards, and originally funded on Kickstarter.  It looks classy from the moment you look at the box, which has glossy black and gold packaging. 



The court cards have custom artwork that looks lovely.



I've used this deck for quite some time, and here is my list of pros and cons:

POSITIVES:

1. The colours: The colours on the cards looks excellent.  Admittedly it's more of a gold/yellow/brown than actual reflective gold colour, as you get with playing cards that use gold foil printing, but it still looks terrific.

2. The card-backs: I love the design on the cardbacks.  It's very intricate, detailed, and especially when you play on a black surface, looks amazing and really brings out the gold colour.

3. The artwork: The court cards have fantastic custom artwork, and really look terrific.  These cards are the highlight of the deck, and are beautiful to look at.

4. The borders: All the cards have intricate borders, including the number cards, making them look classy and luxurious, and very different than a standard deck.

5. The handling: They are printed on good quality card-stock, and handle and shuffle beautifully.



NEGATIVES:

1. Colours: This was also in my list of positives, and while I like the colours, the reality is that the gold here isn't gold foil printing, so it doesn't quite have the luxurious look as decks that use that, and some people have been disappointed by it.  Just realize that while it's pretty, it's not as metallic or shiny as you might expect.

2. Card-back wear: After repeated playing and shuffling, the edges of the cards start to wear.  This isn't an issue with the face of the cards, since they have white borders on the edges.  But the card-backs have gold-coloured edges, so the colour quickly starts to wear off here, and it doesn't take all that much for the deck to start looking a little tattered and weary.

3. Confusion between Spades and Clubs: The pips used for Spades and Clubs are far too similar. This really affects playability, and makes the deck hard to use, because you need to study the pips too closely to distinguish them.  This is a real problem with this deck, and affects any game in which suits matter.



RECOMMENDATION:

Overall this is a beautiful looking deck, but it is geared more for collectors - it's not the most practical to use due to the spades/clubs pips looking similar, and the colour on the card-backs does start to wear.



The Bicycle Gold deck is also available at your favourite Murphy's Magic retailer. See the product page at Murphy's Magic

This review is part of a three part series of pictorial reviews about the Virtuoso deck of playing cards:
Virtuoso - 1. Introducing the group, their deck, and their art-form
Virtuoso - 2. The world's first ever deck created just for cardistry
Virtuoso - 3. The evolution of the world's best cardistry deck


THE VIRTUOSO SPRING/SUMMER 2016 DECK (SS16)

In an earlier review, I introduced the art of cardistry Virtuoso, also known as The Virts, a group of expert cardists from Singapore that was formed in 2009.  With their videos, they inspired many to take up cardistry, which is the art of card flourishing.  What began as a hobby, eventually turned into a business, as The Virts created the Virtuoso deck, a deck of playing cards designed specifically for cardistry.  With its eye-catching design and visual aesthetics that were optimized for cardistry, it proved to be a big success.

The Virtuoso Spring/Summer 2016 deck, commonly referred to as the Virtuoso SS16, is the company's current deck of playing cards.  In this review I'll show you what it looks like, and tell you what's so good about it.



So what's so special with this history-making deck?  Well it's the first in the world designed especially for the purpose of cardistry. That means that the Virtuoso company has given full attention to two main things in particular: aesthetic beauty, and handling/performance for cardistry.  Check out this video clip, which shows some highlights of the Virtuoso SS16 at its best, courtesy of The Virts, and judge for yourself:

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

But this deck has a whole lot more benefits besides those two, so let's just run through some of the things that make it so appealing and attractive, and that are unique about the Virtuoso deck.


1. CARDISTRY-OPTIMIZED VISUAL AESTHETICS

Since this is the first deck designed specifically for cardistry, it comes as no surprise that the deck has been intentionally designed to look visually stunning when flourishing cards in various patterns.  In other words, it makes any card flourish look instantly better, simply because it adds an immediate visual appeal due to the deck's design.  Every shape and line was derived from the geometric movements of cardistry, improving the aesthetic beauty of fans, cuts, twirls, displays, and cascades.  To use the company lingo: it features "Adaptive Aesthetics", which is a fancy way of saying that it has a functional back design that "adapts" to visually accentuate every card flourish.  Traditional decks aren't designed with card flourishing in mind, and have back designs that don't at all lend themselves to cardistry moves; those with intricate designs become a blur, those with small graphics become invisible, those with repeating patterns become become a confusing mess.

 The Virtuoso team began by breaking down card flourishes to their core movements and forms, and used what they learned to create a design that amplified those elements. As a result, the Adaptive Aesthetics of the Virtuoso deck is billed as a "versatile design architecture that gives appearance of swirling shapes, changing colors, and connecting patterns that makes everything you do look better than ever."  The latest version has improved this further, as the ad copy says: "The new edge-to-edge back design not only magnifies each shape for maximum visibility; it liberates the cards to seamlessly merge with one another to establish new forms.  The deeper lines further amplify every rotation, and accompanied with dashes of cadmium yellow, artfully wrap over to the faces to paint streaks of color when spread."  A three colour palette is used to maximize the visual impact.

All that sounds impressive, but is it true?  Well take a look at the pictures and videos, and judge for yourself.  The reality is that the deck does look stunning, and certainly the graphic designs and colours of the cards have a lot to do with that.  When fanned one way, the cards create a sweeping arc in one colour.  You only need to fan the cards the other way, and the deck changes colour, and the triangles and intersecting colours create an instantly different look.  The large shapes and long lines in different directions ensure that even the effect of small flourishes is amplified.  Cascading cards and springs are particularly stunning, creating a blur of colour and streaking lines.  When twirling cards, the rotations of spinning cards create a stroboscope effect, an effect that is heightened with the center circle in the design.

Before I held the deck in my hands, I knew in theory that it would improve the appearance of basic maneuvers, but I wasn't prepared for just how much it improves the look.  Both I and a cardistry friend of mine who is quite serious about cardistry were just blown away by how stunning it looks when you're moving the cards.  It's one thing to see photos of the cards being fanned or spread, but that really doesn't do justice to seeing the cards being spread on a table, or fanned in your hands.  The motion just enhances the fluidity of the colours, and brings the deck to life.  That's why you really need to watch some videos of this deck in action, to see what it can do.  And even though I'd seen some of these clips beforehand, it turned out way better in real life than I was ever expecting.  I'll say it already now: If you're into cardistry in any way at all, you need this deck.




2. OTHER VISUAL DETAILS

But the desire to create a pleasing aesthetic for cardistry went beyond making a deck look beautiful in the middle of card flourishes.  It had to look good even when it wasn't being used for card flourishes too, and had to be a beautiful stand-alone item starting with the tuck-box.  So a lot of thinking went into other aspects of the design you see here.  While the SS16 edition is the fourth model of the Virtuoso deck, already with the launch edition of 2013 much attention went to other small visual details like the following, which are still present in the most recent version:

- The tuck box had a wrap around design inspired by the cards themselves, and placing multiple tuck cases together creates a larger display.
- The Ace was created by tracing out the intersecting lines of the back design, the resulting Ace of Spades being beautifully geometric in shape as a result.
- The faces were illustrated by Morby Lin, one of Singapore's top illustrators, using many straight lines to stay congruent with the back design.
- The suits were given its own theme, providing a modern take on the classic French designs.
- The indices were condensed for more visual fanning.
- The court-cards were depicted in a minimalist fashion and without borders to enhance a continous visual effect during flourishes, or with thinner borders than normal to improve the look of fans.
- The pips on the card face are arranged in geometric rather than standard patterns in order to enhance the look with connecting patterns during cardistry

Wow - talk about attention to detail!




3. ONGOING REFINEMENT

While the core concept of the Virtuoso deck remains the same, the company remains committed to improving its product.  As a result, each time a new version was produced (and the SS16 is the fourth one), small refinements have been added.  The most obvious changes are to the colour scheme, but there are other less obvious changes that nonetheless improve the overall look.

In 2015, the SS15 deck added a "Long Edge" color configuration, with the aim of taking the "Adaptive Aesthetics" to the next level.

In 2016, the SS16 deck added "deeper strobe lines for amplified rotations, and a back design that wraps around to the faces to create streaks of colour when spread".  Removing the borders and creating an edge-to-edge design is certainly a noticeable improvement - I love that this means there are no distractions during fans and other maneuvers, and all the focus is on the colours.  So by making small changes from year to year, the company keeps trying to make an already good deck even better.  From what I've seen of the SS16 deck, it is the best yet in terms of graphic design, which is the result of the benefit of experience and refinement over time.




4. HANDLING PERFORMANCE

The handling and quality of the cards has been optimized for cardistry.  Cardists are very fussy about their decks.  They need cards to be just the right thickness, have just the right weight, and just the right amount of friction to spread easily. To achieve this, the Virtuoso team have used a finish preferred by card flourishers.  They've also ensured a  balanced weight and feel, so that the deck fans with great control, splits into clean packets when cutting, has the right thickness for control, ensures that packets stay together when flying in the air, and has the optimal resistance for performing cuts and springs.  The USPC's casino-grade Q1 standard is used to ensure that the deck clumps less.   Although the precise specifications are a closely guarded secret, unlike some other cardistry decks on the market, the Virtuoso deck is NOT just a regular Bicycle deck with a different look, but has a carefully chosen set of specifications that make it optimal for cardistry.  See, much more goes into making a good cardistry deck than most of us realize!
 
To the average person these kinds of details won't make much difference, but to the serious cardist, it can make all the difference between successfully pulling off a fancy or difficult move, or completely failing that move.  Those who do a lot of cardistry have a great deal of positives to say about the handling and performance of the Virtuoso deck.  I have a friend who is an accomplished magician and also has been developing his cardistry skills in recent months, and he just loves the handling of this deck.  Unlike some other decks, it didn't need to be broken in, but performed beautifully right out of the box.  According to him, he could noticed immediately the excellent quality of the deck, and how it indeed had optimal characteristics for cardistry.




5. DURABILITY

I can't say too much about the durability, because I haven't had these cards long enough to comment decisively on it.  However the Virtuoso team has themselves stated that they wanted to make a deck that didn't just handle well, but was durable as well.  For the average person, it's hard to imagine wearing out a deck of cards.  Certainly if you're just playing Hearts or Spades, and doing the occasional shuffling, it will be quite a while before the cards start showing wear.  But if you're doing springing, dribbling cards, and more advanced moves involving packets, flying cards and more, on a consistent basis, the cards will quickly start to take a beating if they're of inferior quality.

From reports I've read, these cards do go the distance.   If you're interested in taking a sneak look at the factory where they are made, there's a cool video here that shows some clips of the US Playing Card Company’s manufacturing facility, including some cardistry moves here.




6. TUTORIALS

When you order decks directly from the publisher (here), there are packages available that give you access to various different video tutorials that teach you how to do different flourishes and moves.  Some tutorials and trailers for these tutorials can be found on the official youtube channel, thevirts.  This will be very welcome to the aspiring cardist.  The first thing any newcomer to this art will want to do is watch some videos that teach you how to do these cool moves, and these tutorials will allow you to do just that.

First of all, if you are a complete beginner, you can start with some of Virtuoso's free tutorials here: http://home.thevirts.com/category/learn/tutorials/

There are two ways to get the current `paid' tutorial video packages that Virtuoso has available:
1. You can receive selected packages for free as bonus gifts that are bundled with purchases of more than one deck.
2. You can purchase selected packages as "add ons" whenever you purchase a deck.
While they are revamping the website, you can also just email the company via the website, and arrange to purchase the tutorials only.

Currently available for purchase (or as free bonus gifts, depending on how many decks you buy) are the following six tutorials:



The six packages that make up the entire "Summer Special Cardistry Collection" also have promo videos demonstrating what they look like:

- 7 Second Pirouette (video)
- Rubix opener (video)
- Strobe (video)
- Flicker Shot (video)
- Perfect Faro & Cascade (video)
- Squeeze (not available separately)
 



7. LIMITED SEASONAL SUPPLY

The Virtuoso team has decided to opt for a business model revolving around each deck being a seasonal product, that is only available while supplies last, and that will never be produced again.  Each version of the deck has used a three colour palette, made up of different colours.  So that means they'll be coming out with a new model later this year, and I'm told that they're planning to produce a new version in the latter part of 2017.  Previous models were quickly sold out, and often go for high prices online.

This does mean that availability can be a challenge.  When I first visited the Virtuoso website and ordered my deck, it was available for sale.  Since then, however, they've sold out, and now you need to add your name to their list to be notified of when the next version comes out.  Fortunately there are other retailers that stock this deck (although I think then you won't get the video tutorials bundled with it).  Previous editions are available on eBay, but the prices quickly start to sky-rocket as availability becomes limited.  So get it while you can!




8. DESIGNED FOR CARDISTRY

Sure, you could use this as a regular deck, to play poker or card games.  It certainly looks cool and different, and the artwork is unusual, eye-catching, and attractive.  But this is the only deck specifically designed for cardistry.  That doesn't mean that it will automatically make you an expert at card flourishing.  While the quality and style of this deck have no equal, the reality is that nothing will improve your cardistry more than simple and regular practice.  But having a deck that improves the looks of your moves will not only make you appear more slick, but will also serve as a strong motivating factor, and incentive to work on your moves and develop your skill.  There's nothing like having good tools to work with, and this is the best there is.

That also doesn't mean it's the only deck that can be used for cardistry.  There are also other options to choose from.  There's the minimalist Fontaine playing cards by Zach Mueller, which are also popular with cardistry fans.  Zach has been promoting them highly in his own cardistry videos, and has also been able to get them into other videos and even a film.  While it's great to see him becoming successful, his cards are actually produced by US Playing Cards Company and feature the same handling quality as many other decks, unlike the Virtuoso deck which is uniquely made for cardistry.  Zach's decks also don't at all have the colourful aesthetics or sleek geometrics of the Virtuoso deck, but then again there are those who like the minimalism of his style.  Also popular are the Smoke and Mirrors playing cards series by Dan & Dave, which look classy and also are minimalistic.  But when it comes to a deck exclusively designed for cardistry, and with both the looks and handling qualities to match, the Virtuoso deck stands alone and unrivalled.  Little wonder it continues to be the choice of may top Cardists around the world, due to its aesthetics, handling, and durability.




9. ACCLAIM

There's no doubt that people who enjoy cardistry like the Virtuoso deck.  Here are some testimonials and praise:

* "I am thoroughly convinced that the Adaptive Aesthetics design is a game-changer in the world of flourishing… It allows every move to reach its full potential, taking the geometrical natures of moves and expanding them. If you’re into flourishing at all, get this deck." – Ian Chandler
* "This deck will get your skills noticed... I think the Virtuoso deck design is the best design out there – it helps and improves almost any flourish you will do, it transforms them into something effortless, elegant and precise. This deck will change the look of your flourishes drastically, it might be made for cardistry but it will make your flourishes look like magic." – Tobias Levin
* "Opening up the first deck and watching the back design come to life, was truly an incredible experience – even simple stuff began to look awesome." – Oliver Søgård
* "I filmed a video with it almost immediately after I opened it up… and almost EVERY ONE commented on not just the flourishes, but the cards themselves! Everyone seems to love em! C’mon, how often do you see people commenting on a flourishing video about the CARDS?" – Shua Millman
* "The Virtuoso Deck is my single favorite deck I have ever handled. Not only the Adaptive Aesthetics design, but the feel is perfect. I am so glad you guys made this breakthrough in flourishing." – Conor O’Kane
* "This deck actually makes card flourishes even easier. Since the stock is super thin and extremely durable, every cut and aerial gets executed with complete perfection." – Arsh Shah
* "Smooth like butter. Elegant enough to use in nice places, cool enough to use with celebrities." - Scott Perry
* "As a magician who is a closet flourisher,  I think having a deck designed for flourishes gives the art a legitimacy.  It is a “brand” for cardistry. A calling card for anyone interested in the art.  What I love about the Virtuoso deck is the reason it was created.It expands on a already massive market of playing cards by offering something more than a beautiful design. Function. When I pick one up I immediately want to practice." - Tony Chang
* "Why is the Virts deck so good for cardists? As far as the handling is concerned, it is nothing short of a performer deck: the fans are very smooth, the packets stay well together for aerials and most of all, it is so durable that it stays in the perfect conditions for flourishing longer than you could think. For the design part, everything the Virts say about the adaptive aesthetics is actually true especially for my style of flourishing. My advice for any cardist is to get this deck and make the most out of it." - Anthony Chanut

You can read more testimonials here.




CONCLUSION

I've had a lot of fun learning about cardistry in the process of reviewing this deck.  And because I have a friend who is into cardistry, he's had a lot of fun putting this deck through it's paces, while I've had the pleasure of watching him and getting his insights on how the deck handled and looked.  Within five minutes of pulling the deck out of the box and trying some of his cardistry moves, he confidently declared: "This is my new favourite deck!"  And he was serious.  It was amazing to see how silky smooth his moves looked.  Even fairly common techniques like a card spread and a fan looked absolutely stunning!  We were completely blown away by how much of an impact the deck made on standard manipulation that you see card handlers do regularly - this really increased how impressive they looked by tenfold.  Card spins looked absolutely amazing due to the design of the card.  And the colours look fantastic!  We came in with high expectations from the pictures and videos we'd seen in advance, but the real thing turned out to be even way more impressive than we thought it would be.

The Virts have already inspired many people to take up a new hobby with their cardistry videos.  Now with the creation of their own deck, they've inspired even more people to explore and develop this new art-form.  With a proven track-record that reflects success and improvement for several years running, they are definitely the leader in this field.  And because this is a company birthed from people passionate about the art and who are skilled performers themselves, we can be confident that these guys know what is needed in a good cardistry deck.



Due to its origin and intent, it's true that the Virtuoso deck will always be a deck that primarily appeals to cardistry fans as its main target audience.  As a deck designed for their needs, it more than adequately serves its purpose, and has to be considered the top of the line product for that.  Yet fortunately it's not a product that is outside the reach of the rest of us, and it's still a very accessible deck for anyone who is interested in basic cardistry, and wants to learn some elementary moves.   If you are at all into cardistry, or even just enjoy doing a basic spread or fan, then you really need this deck - it will make moves like that seem like art.

But this deck can always be used in the same way as any deck: for playing card games.  While decks do have their alternate uses, we can always fall back to what they were intended in the first place: games.  So regardless of whether or not you're ever going to become an expert at card flourishing, this is still a deck you might want to pick up.  At the very least it will be a good talking point.  At worst, you can always use it to play Hearts!

For more information about the SS16 Virtuoso deck featured in this review, and to be notified when the next version releases, visit Virtuoso's official website.

The Virts - http://thevirts.com

I hope I'm not touching on a sensitive topic here, but I'm a newbie with a genuine question about this. 

I'm still new to the world of playing card forums, and I noticed that there are two forums in particular that seem to be the most widely known: PlayingCardForum.com and UnitedCardists.com.

How do these compare with each other?  Are there ways in which they are different?  Which has the greatest number of users and is the most active?  Or are most people on both?  And are there any other particularly popular forums about playing cards besides these, or are these the top two?

Once again, I don't mean to offend anyone, and it's not my intention to step on toes, but I'm asking out of genuine ignorance, having no idea about the history of how they both came about, and whether they overlap, or whether they serve different purposes and different audiences.  I'm eager to learn, and to get some sense about this by hearing from people who have more experience with this territory than I do.

BEAUTIFUL PLAYING CARDS

Let me warn you in advance.  You're going to read some gushing enthusiasm in this review.  That's pretty normal for me, and here's why.  To begin with, I'm a pretty upbeat person.  But more importantly, I only review things that I'm very enthusiastic and positive about. So naturally, that enthusiasm will show up in how I write my reviews.  Because of the time and effort that goes into making one of my pictorial reviews, I'm not usually going to waste my time with something that I'm lukewarm about, or that I think is merely mediocre.  I am going to write about stuff that I'm excited about.  And right now I'm really excited about The Art of Play.

Now anyone who has read my reviews previously will know that I have a real fondness for traditional card games, and also for card magic.  With that dual interest, I love playing cards.  I always have.  But just lately I've come to love them more than ever.  Because recently I've discovered that the beautiful world of playing cards is much bigger than I ever thought, and there are some amazingly talented designers and quality publishers who are producing some stunning looking cards.  I have a bunch of them already.  But now, thanks to Art of Play, I have a bunch more.  This is an addictive and dangerous hobby!  Let me introduce you to Art of Play, but enter at your own risk!



THE ART OF PLAY

As far as a source for creative playing cards goes, you won't really find many better places online than Art of Play (artofplay.com).  I've recently been scouring the internet to research some of the places you can get beautiful playing cards.  There are lots of small publishers that have done a small handful of Kickstarters.  There are also individual designers who have produced a quality deck or two or three.  And there are the larger well-known companies like Ellusionist and Theory 11 that produce a bigger range of custom decks.  But as beautiful as their decks are, the focus of publishers like Ellusionist and Theory tends to be on decks that are intentionally designed not to look too different from a normal deck, but just add small touches to make it look more classy.  Typically they put a lot of work into making a custom and attractive tuck box, unique card backs, an impressive looking and unique Ace of Spades and court cards, and a sophisticated joker.  But aside from that the majority of the cards look fairly plain and ordinary.  These are decks that look very professional, are typically of a high quality with good handling, but still look relatively normal - presumably so that they won't distract too much from a game you're playing or the magic you are performing.

But then, there is Art of Play.  When I first discovered the Art of Play website, I was blown away.  Here I was on the hunt for beautiful custom decks, and after finding some gold here and there in isolated places, I felt I'd struck the mother lode!  "Designer Playing Cards, Puzzles and Amusements", boasted the main page.  I clicked the "Playing Cards" link, and found myself on a page that declared "A collection of the absolute finest playing cards in the world. Featuring hand-painted works of art, award-winning design and luxury packaging."   Taunting me below this, was a full page of 30 stunning looking decks of creative playing cards!  But wait a moment, not just one page.  I clicked "Next".  A second page of 30 more stunning looking decks appeared!  "Next".  A third page!  You can see where this is going.  Five pages!  Around 130 different decks in total!

Now I'd seen some of these decks for sale separately in other places.  But this was the one-stop-shop that seemed to have all these treasures in one place.  Plus countless treasures I had never seen before, and never imagined in a deck of cards. Go check it out - you'll soon find yourself lost in the pages for the individual decks, where they have galleries that show you sample cards from each deck.  There's some really beautiful stuff here!  Just wow!



DAN AND DAVE BUCK

So what is Art of Play?  As it turns out, Art of Play is a subsidiary of Dan and Dave Industries.  Dan and Dave?!  Wait, I've heard of these guys before!  They run the website dananddave.com, a lifestyle brand for magicians, where I'd previously come across a much smaller selection of these decks.  But also, when researching for an article about cardistry, I had learned that these guys are actually twin brothers, Dan and Dave Buck.  Age 32.  Magicians (link).  And cardists.  That's to say, not only are they accomplished magicians, but they are also at the front lines of the fast-growing and rapidly-developing art of cardistry, which is the performance art of card flourishing, which you might describe as "juggling with playing cards".

You can read more about cardistry here, and you can see Dan and Dave featured in a stunning cardistry video right here.  They put together a series of instructional videos called "The Dan and Dave System" (2004) and later "The Trilogy" (2007), which has had a huge impact in growing the art of cardistry, and arguably no single teaching tool has had more impact on cardistry than this video series.  Dan and Dave also appeared in the film "Now You See It" (2013), where their most notable card flourishes were performed by them, and then edited to switch in the main character and magician.  They were also the co-organizers of the world's first cardistry conventions, which have been held annually since 2014; it's the Dan & Dave brand that also manages the Cardistry Convention's official website cardistry-con.org.  So they have been and continue to be a massive influence in the world of cardistry.



So these are the guys who run the website Art of Play.  These guys love playing cards, and they know about playing, and they know about art.  Over at dananddave.com they describe themselves as follows:
"Masters of sleight of hand and pioneers of cardistry, Dan and Dave manifests their lifestyle of wonder, prestige, and fashion. From a curated collection to bespoke offerings, our brand focuses on a timeless aesthetic for the young at heart and wealthy in mind."

But at their website Art of Play they have even bigger ambitions beyond their own brand. I'll quote from the mission statement there, because it's best said in their own words:
"We travel the world in search of objects designed to dazzle the eyes and fascinate the mind. From luxurious playing cards to ingenious puzzles and stimulating amusements— each beautiful item in our collection holds a whisper of mystery, brimming with potential for surprise and delight. Founded in 2013 as a subsidiary of Dan and Dave Industries, Inc., Art of Play has developed into one of the world's leading sources for designer playing cards and accessories. In addition to curating curiosities from around the globe, we collaborate with award-winning designers and brands to create original products."

Welcome to Paradise.  Welcome to Art of Play.  This is where you'll find original products of their own creation, as well as what they consider to be some of the very best playing cards and other curiosities from around the world.  I was hooked.  So what I'm going to do in this review, is show you a selection of some of the decks they carry.  Obviously I'm not going to run through all 130+ playing cards in their online catalogue.  But I'll just show you some of the decks that I now own myself, and which I have first-hand experience with, and give you an overview/review of a sample of them.  In part I'll make use of some of their own great photos, which do a great job of showing how stunning these cards and decks are.  But what you see here is what you get, and perhaps showing you some visuals will whet your appetite to acquire a beautiful custom deck of playing cards for yourself.  I should warn you: just like buying games, collecting playing cards can be addictive!



They have a full range of stunning decks, and I've posted separate reviews of these elsewhere:

ARTISTIC DECKS

Review: Memento Mori Playing Cards, and The Ultimate deck





PLAYFUL DECKS

Review: Odd Bods, and Flourish Playing Cards





AFRICAN DECKS

Review: Jungle Deck, and Lost Wax Playing Cards





ELEGANT DECKS

Review: MAKERS Deck, Sons of Liberty, and Vintage Plaids







DELUXE DECKS

Review: Dan & Dave Private Reserve Deck, and DKNG Gaming Set





CONCLUSIONS

I don't really need to say a whole lot at this point, because the pictures speak for themselves, and you can come to your own conclusions about what you see!  But here are a few thoughts:

Variety: Art of Play has an amazing variety of decks of cards - around 130 by my count.  They carry a range of the usual suspects like Bicycle decks, as well as the more classy and popular decks by Theory 11, and their own home-grown Art of Play range and Dan & Dave range.  There's definitely something here for everyone - you just need to look!

Creativity: Some of the decks here are just amazing in the creativity they exhibit.  The Odd Bods deck and the Memento Mori decks are good examples, at least of the decks that I personally own.  But there are countless others here, just waiting to be discovered.

Luxury: Even the more "ordinary" decks listed in the Art of Play catalogue are luxurious.  I've used words like elegance and classy many times in this review - that's because these decks really fit that description, and are indeed well suited for gentry.  Clearly Dan and Dave don't settle for second best, but only want to carry the most outstanding and high quality decks.  Obviously this comes as a cost, because if you are going to get luxury, it won't be at dollar store prices.  But the "discerning buyer" is almost certain to find something to his liking here.

Quality: The craftsmanship of these higher end decks is outstanding.  I never thought I'd rave about the high quality of a deck of playing cards, but some of the ones I've shown above in this review are truly remarkable.

Exclusivity: While many lines of playing cards are carried in their stock-list, they also carry a number of exclusives, particularly their own range of decks, that you can't easily find elsewhere.



RECOMMENDATION

So is Art of Play (artofplay.com) something you need to check out?  That depends on whether or not you're on the lookout for a deck of playing cards.  If you are, and if you're in the market for something creative, unique, unusual, memorable, and hard to find or duplicate, it's hard to think of a better place to look.  Whether you're looking for that one-of-a-kind high end deck for your own enjoyment, or a gift for another person, Art of Play has something that will suit.

But even if you're not a prospective buyer, you'll enjoy just browsing through the galleries, exploring some of the amazing decks available, and checking out some of the cards.  What I've shown you in this review is only scratching the surface of what they have available at Art of Play, and only reflects the collection of playing cards that I own myself or have first-hand experience with.  Congratulations to Dan & Dave Buck with their growing success, as they continue to add new notches in their belt of achievements, which already includes magic and cardistry, and now with Art of Play adds creativity and entrepreneurship. I'm already looking forward to see what they come up with next!

To see more, head here: artofplay.com
Also see: Brand Spotlight: Art of Play

ART OF PLAY: Deluxe Decks

As far as a source for creative playing cards goes, you won't really find a better place than the Art of Play website (artofplay.com).  I've recently been scouring the internet to research some of the places you can get beautiful playing cards, and When I first discovered the Art of Play website I was blown away by the variety, creativity, quality, and beauty of the decks of playing cards they have available.  Their catalogue of Playing Cards is self-described as "A collection of the absolute finest playing cards in the world. Featuring hand-painted works of art, award-winning design and luxury packaging." And they're not far wrong - it contains over 130 different decks, including some stunningly creative and artistic designs.  Owned and managed by magicians and cardists Dan & Dave Buck, Art of Play carries some of the most beautiful decks of playing cards I've ever seen.  In this review, I will show you some of what I consider to be their deluxe decks that I own myself and have first-hand experience with, and I will give you a pictorial overview of them.



Now arguably all the Dan & Dave decks are deluxe.  But not all kinds of deluxe are created equal, and some forms of deluxe are even more luxurious than others!  Below are some fine examples:

DAN AND DAVE PRIVATE RESERVE

If you really want luxury, it doesn't get better than the top of the line Dan and Dave Private Reserve deck of playing cards.



This baby is ridiculously beautiful and over the top.  I was blown away when I first held this deck in my hands.  An actual wax seal on the tuck box?  That's crazy!  Crazy good, of course.



Playing cards don't get more luxurious than this.  The box has a matt finish with gold foil that just looks elegant and super classy.

The number cards are fairly standard, although you'll get a sense of luxury just by looking at the card backs, which have a classy black design inlaid with gold foil.



The court cards, on the other hand, feature a deep burgundy, with gold/yellow highlights.  This gives them a very elegant look, and makes the court cards in a standard deck look garish and amateurish in comparison!



Each deck is individually signed and numbered!



Naturally in making these, Dan and Dave Buck ensured that they used a premium card-stock and finish, and had US Playing Card Company produce these to their very highest standards, to ensure outstanding quality all round.



This exclusive deck was designed by Jeff Trish.  I especially love the small print on the bottom flap of the tuck box, which reads: "For all that is true, we are makers of magical things, pervayors of gentleman goods. Find us at dananddave.com."

DKNG GAMING SET

The DKNG Gaming Set brings luxury in a different direction, with the addition of a beautiful wooden case that is laser engraved, and has a strong magnetic seal.  This gaming set was the result of a collaboration with DKNG, a Californian creative studio.

The engraving on the outside lid is just beautiful, and you can run your fingers over it to feel the grooves, while the inside of the lid says in neat laser printed letters "Made in the USA" and "DKNG + Art of Play".



Included inside are two decks of DKNG playing cards, a Red Wheel deck and a Blue Wheel deck, plus five custom dice (with skull stamped snake eyes).

The Red Wheel deck features gold accents that are a result of gold metallic ink.



The face cards offer a modern take on the classic court cards.  Notice how the colour scheme on all the cards is red/blue instead of the usual red/black, while all the pips are divided in half, to emphasize the gold ink.



The decks are a reinterpretation of the classic Bicycle Rider Backs, with the bicycle influence clearly evident on the wooden case, the tuck boxes, the card backs, and the gorgeous Ace of Spades.



The playing cards are also available as a separate item, as DKNG Playing Cards, in both the "Blue Wheel" or "Red Wheel" colours.



The difference between these two decks is more than just the card backs.  In the Red Wheel deck a gold metallic ink is used, while in the Blue Wheel deck a silver metallic ink is used, giving the front of the cards and the pips quite a different look.



CONCLUSION

If you're in the market for something creative, unique, unusual, memorable, and hard to find or duplicate, it's hard to think of a better place to look than artofplay.com. Whether you're looking for that one-of-a-kind high end deck for your own enjoyment, or a gift for another gamer, Art of Play has something that will suit, and the decks you see here are fine examples.

To see more, head here: artofplay.com
Also see: Brand Spotlight: Art of Play

Dan & Dave Private Reserve: https://www.dananddave.com/collections/playing-cards/products/2016-private-reserve
DKNG Gaming Set: https://www.artofplay.com/products/dkng-gaming-set
DKNG Playing Cards: https://www.artofplay.com/products/dkng-playing-cards



The DKNG decks are also available at your favourite Murphy's Magic retailer. See the product pages at Murphy's Magic for Blue Wheel, Red Wheel

Any particular reason for not going with black card faces, like Volume One?  I was hoping that the two Volumes would match.

ART OF PLAY: African Decks

As far as a source for creative playing cards goes, you won't really find a better place than the Art of Play website (artofplay.com).  I've recently been scouring the internet to research some of the places you can get beautiful playing cards, and When I first discovered the Art of Play website I was blown away by the variety, creativity, quality, and beauty of the decks of playing cards they have available.  Their catalogue of Playing Cards is self-described as "A collection of the absolute finest playing cards in the world. Featuring hand-painted works of art, award-winning design and luxury packaging." And they're not far wrong - it contains over 130 different decks, including some stunningly creative and artistic designs.  Owned and managed by magicians and cardists Dan & Dave Buck, Art of Play carries some of the most beautiful decks of playing cards I've ever seen.  In this review, I will show you some of what I consider to be their African decks that I own myself and have first-hand experience with, and I will give you a pictorial overview of them.



JUNGLE DECK

The Jungle deck is also somewhat of a playful deck.



It contains "vibrant colors and raw animal magnetism which was inspired by the jungles of Africa."

It's not surprising that it is bursting with African jungle flavours, given that it was designed in South Africa by creator Muti.



All of the cards are custom illustrated and feature elements from the Zulu wilderness.



Even the number cards have exaggerated pips and a unique style of text that is in keeping with the feel of rest of the deck.



The Jungle deck just has this wild jungle-like vibe about it, and looks colourful, creative, and energetic - I love it!



LOST WAX DECK

With the Lost Wax deck we head away from the jungle, and travel back in time to Africa in the 15th century.



This deck immediately gets your attention with an embossed tuck box and gold foil on the outside, but there's also gold to be found on the inside.



Artist  Olutade Abidoye brings us back in time to the Benin Empire, which flourished in an area of Africa that we call Nigeria today.

The court cards seek to recaptures something of the royal figures, with the face cards carrying markings of four distinguished Benin Kings, four Queen Mothers, and four respective Jacks (court servants).



Meanwhile the pips on the number cards are stretched and slender, adding a slimming feel to the traditional markings.



In a very colourful way, this is a deck that pays homage to this prosperous bygone era, and has potential to fire the imagination of card lovers around the world, not just Nigerians.



CONCLUSION

If you're in the market for something creative, unique, unusual, memorable, and hard to find or duplicate, it's hard to think of a better place to look than artofplay.com. Whether you're looking for that one-of-a-kind high end deck for your own enjoyment, or a gift for another gamer, Art of Play has something that will suit, and the decks you see here are fine examples.

To see more, head here: artofplay.com
Also see: Brand Spotlight: Art of Play

Jungle deck: https://www.artofplay.com/products/jungle-deck
Lost Wax deck: https://www.artofplay.com/products/lost-wax



These decks are also available at your favourite Murphy's Magic retailer. See the product pages at Murphy's Magic for Jungle, Lost Wax

ART OF PLAY: Playful Decks

As far as a source for creative playing cards goes, you won't really find a better place than the Art of Play website (artofplay.com).  I've recently been scouring the internet to research some of the places you can get beautiful playing cards, and When I first discovered the Art of Play website I was blown away by the variety, creativity, quality, and beauty of the decks of playing cards they have available.  Their catalogue of Playing Cards is self-described as "A collection of the absolute finest playing cards in the world. Featuring hand-painted works of art, award-winning design and luxury packaging." And they're not far wrong - it contains over 130 different decks, including some stunningly creative and artistic designs.  Owned and managed by magicians and cardists Dan & Dave Buck, Art of Play carries some of the most beautiful decks of playing cards I've ever seen.  In this review, I will show you some of what I consider to be their playful decks that I own myself and have first-hand experience with, and I will give you a pictorial overview of them.



ODD BODS DECK

This Odd Bods deck is exactly that - odd, but artistic!



The artist is Jonathan Burton, who was commissioned to design these cards in 2012 by the Folio Society.



The deck was later re-released by Art of Play with a new back design, and that's the version you see here.



It's definitely one of my favourite decks, because Jonathan Burton has given each character its own unique and quirky personality.



The number cards feature pips that show a range of activity and movement.  The Joker also clearly shows that one never knows what to expect in this imaginative world!



People quickly fell in love with this quirky deck when it first came out, and it's not hard to see why!



FLOURISH DECK

The Flourish deck is a brand new deck that was the result of a collaboration with Column Five, and is Art of Play's first 2017 release.



This baby looks sweet from the moment that you open the box!

The tuck box says "Maker of Delicious Donut and Pie Charts", and is embossed with gold foil and shiny red foil that looks even far more glamorous than how it appears in the photo above!



The sweetness of this deck comes because it has a bakery theme, and the cards immediately charm you with this theme, which is conveyed with cute colours and novel artwork.



The number cards are fairly standard, albeit with some customization of the font and pips, but the Joker is again in keeping with the bakery theme.



The court cards have unique illustrations, and all the face cards also feature a custom look.



CONCLUSION

If you're in the market for something creative, unique, unusual, memorable, and hard to find or duplicate, it's hard to think of a better place to look than artofplay.com. Whether you're looking for that one-of-a-kind high end deck for your own enjoyment, or a gift for another gamer, Art of Play has something that will suit, and the decks you see here are fine examples.

To see more, head here: artofplay.com
Also see: Brand Spotlight: Art of Play

Odd Bods deck: https://www.artofplay.com/products/odd-bods
Flourish deck: https://www.artofplay.com/products/flourish



The Odd Bods deck is also available at your favourite Murphy's Magic retailer. See the product page at Murphy's Magic