I have many, many marked decks and definitely can say I only like a select few I have tried. This
deck shocked me, I bought on a whim to give it a shot and now I really hope they offer a deal on a
brick or something at some point and really hope they do this design in more colors and make it a
series. The cards feel good as you’d expect based on manufacturer and stock, the tuck gives nothing
away and looks very standard and clean. The marking system is phenomenal; Very easy to read, as
close to impossible to find for your spectators as I’ve come across honestly and with a little
practice you can read very quickly as well. It’s about as much as anyone could ever ask for,
tremendous. I really hope to have many more in the future!
4 of 4 magicians found this helpful.
I read the reviews panning the readability of the deck. I am 73, wear strong bifocals and have
cataracts developing in one eye. At first I was worried but after about an hour of practice I am
reading the cards without issue. My only issue is that in a spread, part of the marks can be
hidden, which could cause a misread. That is an easy solve by just pushing it out of the spread to
the spectator and double checking it then. All in all this is the first deck I have decided to use
rather than my Boris one and now have purchased 6 of them.
4 of 4 magicians found this helpful.
I've loved making and flying paper planes since my childhood, although until now I've never
previously thought of this as origami, but I suppose it is. This deck is inspired by this classic
art of paper folding and by paper planes, with the front of the tuck box introducing us to our
familiar looking paper glider.
But the real point of interest is the card back design,
where the triangles that make up our paper plane are present in a spiral pattern. The bold blue
circle in the middle is the main point of interest and grabs the eye, but upon closer examination
you'll see that this is set on a backdrop that consists of tiled paper planes. Using a simple blue
and white colour scheme helps emphasize the geometric patterns and the shapes. The overall design
feels fresh and yet familiar.
The custom artwork on the faces of the cards continues the
paper plane theme. The court cards are decked in plain red or black, depending on the suit, and are
heavily stylized with line drawings, with the triangular folding pattern from our gliders being in
evidence everywhere. The characters used for the Jokers have a similar design style. The origami
feel is also evident on the number cards, with all the pips featuring a split design, and divided
into triangular shapes, which gives the impression that they've been folded out of paper. All four
Aces are over-sized and feature giant pips with lines that also suggest folding into quarters.
But perhaps the best secret is discovered when you take a closer look at the card backs: they're
marked. Actually, it's hard to discover this secret, even if you know that you have to look for it.
With the deck you get access to a video that explains the marking system, which is a coded system
that the usual riffle test won't uncover, and yet is surprisingly easy to learn. You'll need a sharp
eye, but fans of marked decks will appreciate having a system that won't quickly be discovered by
mistake.
4 of 4 magicians found this helpful.
This marked deck may take a little practice to read within seconds, but it is worth the practice.
There is no way that the markings can be seen by anyone, unless you own this deck.
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
I was concerned that given my vision problems, these would be unreadable. In fact, the style of
marking is easily seen. Still one should train oneself to recognize the patterns quickly, e.g.,
rapidly separating the colors while quickly dealing, or doing a pile of picture cards and a pile of
numbers. I'm glad I got a few of these decks.
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
NO SPECIAL GLASSES NEEDED, NO UNFOCUSED Vision. The cards are marked, alright, but it's diabolical
how it's done. There's no movie when you flip through, it actually helps a bit if you are a few
feet away from the card you are trying to decipher. I don't mean across the room, but far enough to
remove suspicion.
You do have to practice a bit. This deck is not festooned with the
actual value and suit in bold print on the back, so you can use this deck with your sharp-eyed
friends and they will have no clue (unless they see the add on Penguin). Run through the deck a few
times, shuffle and cut (yes,they are nice to handle) and you'll get the hang of them.
But
what I also like is the faces of the cards. The values and pips have a kind of origami look to them.
The court cards are really unique too. Plus you get the blank face and double-backer, so you can
still use the deck for many of your normal routines and keep the extra out for when you stuck with
an emergency situation.
You'll want several of these neat decks!
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
I wanted to try out this deck because of the review that said you can riffle and not see the marks -
wow, true. I thought the marks were really small and hard to see at first, but once I got going it
came with no problem. The cards do need to be within reading distance. I’m really impressed, and
surprised at how quick you can pick it up. I’m having fun creating ways to use them. I also have
Rick LAX’s cards and love them, but these really do make you feel safe. I would let a sceptic
audience member riffle.
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
Definitely love the design. Having trouble finding the marking system. But not let down on the
quality of uspcc cards. If you do a pirouette with them it’s looks absolutely amazing. Thanks
penguin magic for how quickly you sent them out and free shipping. I’m a customer for life
2 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
Great/ amazing feel.
Great marking system.
The marking system will take time to learn well
2 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
This is my first marked deck and I’m having a lot of fun with it. The markings are easy to read from
a decent distance. After about 10 minutes of practice I could identify cards easily but I still need
to build up my identifying speed. My only complaint is that the card stock quality could be a bit
better.
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.