Deck Handling

[The Quadfather]

Hi guys. I was talking to a member of these forums today about a new deck that I've received (Moonshine Deck by Enigma ltd) and I was saying what I liked about the design etc. when he asked how the deck handles.

Being fairly new to this, I didn't really know how to put it into words, or even what to look for. For example, I can do a fairly standard fan with a deck of cards, and I can do one with a highly customised deck. I can't say if its better or not.

I've commented on a few decks on here saying they have good or bad handling, only to be corrected. This has made me think maybe I'm looking for (or doing) the wrong things, I know a lot of sleights and a few flourishes, shuffles, etc, so maybe I just not picking the right ones.

What do you guys do to determine how well a deck handles? Just flourishes? Magic sleights? Throw them at the wall and see how far they bounce? And if so, which ones?

Do you compare them to a different deck as a sort of "baseline"?
 
I'd really like to make a review so any help to make sure I know what I'm talking about is greatly appreciated!

[Michael]

Although a lot of people may agree on certain decks handling well or certain decks handling terribly, a lot of people will disagree on handling. It hugely depends on what you do with your decks and even then it's due mainly on your preferences.

I guess you can compare them to standard Bikes but then almost all new custom decks will be "good" in comparison (and in my opinion almost all new decks feel the fairly similar out of the box if printed by the same company).

My personal preference is for stiff and thin cards with a slight slip factor. This is the reason why I'm not very partial towards Ellusionist decks (even though design wise I like them a lot). They feel a lot thicker to me than, say, D&D's new Steamboats or Sullivan's Legends.

But obviously the edges for faroing and the durability of the deck make a huge difference to me as well. But those things differentiate "good" decks from my "favorite" decks. I have enough decks where I can't wear them all out so the good decks are those that fit my preferences. And my favorite decks are those that are good and durable.

After all that is said, I think there is a standard on the make up of the deck like stiffness or thinness that isn't really arguable.

[MrMollusk]

I generally use standard Bicycle rider backs as a baseline for decks produced by bicycle and most custom decks, and standard Bee decks for those with casino stock. Lots of things determine handling. The biggest ones for me in terms of finish are static and dynamic friction. Static friction is the deck's willingness to hold together in packs. This is good for flourishes, cuts, and the like. Dynamic friction determines how well a deck spreads or fans. You need to find a good balance between the two. For example: If you have a deck that clumps crazy bad, but stays together in flourishes, it doesn't have enough dynamic friction. Bad handling. If you have a deck that fans beautifully but just can't hold on to them, it needs more static friction. Bad handling.

The stock preference differs drastically from person to person. Some people like stiff, some like it soft, thin, thick, it's all personal preference. What makes a BAD stock, is if it's noodly. No matter what stock type, you want it to snap back into place quickly. Aside from that, just use your overall judgment on what the deck feels like.

[John B.]

How well they thumb fan, spring, spread, etc. and compare it to a deck of bikes.

[Don Boyer]

How do they feel?

How do they look?

You like the box?  Why?

How easily do they shuffle?

How easily do they faro?  Face-up or face-down?

How easily do they glide off each other?  Fans?  Spreads?

How easily do they glide over a surface like a table or poker felt?

How pliable are they - flexibility, ability to recover from a crimp, etc.?  Springs?  Dribbles?

How FLAT are they out of the box?  Do they have "click bend" - do they make a clicking sound when flexed due to a slight warp?

How thick are the cards?

What special features to they have?  Magic Finish?  Metallic ink?  Subtle (or obvious) one-way mark?  Is the deck marked for suit/value?

Does anything else about the deck stand out in any way to you?

THESE are the criteria used to judge a deck for review.

Remember, a review is completely SUBJECTIVE.  There's no right or wrong.  Just like some film critics love some movies that are reviled by others, it's all personal preference.  Some decks are easily recognized as horrible - USPC's Chinese-made Mavericks certainly fit that bill.  Some decks are easily recognized as great, at least in certain areas - Jerry's Nuggets are renown for their handling, Seasons Primavera and Seronda are almost universally thought of as having beautiful art.  Every single other deck will fall somewhere in between, with some liking them, some hating them, some finding certain attributes laudable, some finding those same attributes damnable.

The key for the audience member is to find a reviewer whose tastes most closely match your own.