Alex Pandrea Retires: The Last NOC Deck Released

Alex Pandrea of House of Playing Cards has announced in a recent email that he is officially retiring. After over a decade of designing and producing some of the most iconic custom decks, Pandrea is stepping away from the world of playing cards to pursue new ventures. To mark the end of this chapter, he is offering one final release: the NOC Private Reserve deck.

Pandrea launched his career in 2011 with The Blue Crown, a platform that taught magic and sleight of hand through video tutorials. In 2012, he founded House of Playing Cards, which sold over 1 million decks across 300+ designs, generating over $10 million in sales. Over the years, however, his passion for the playing card business began to wane, leading him to take a break in 2022 after the birth of his first child.

Pandrea is offering his followers a parting gift—the last deck of cards he will ever be involved with, the NOC Private Reserve. This limited-edition deck was secretly printed in 2022 for personal use, and now fans have the chance to own it.

A limited number of hand-autographed decks are also available for those looking for an extra-special keepsake. The deck features advanced hot foil printing on the back design, a luxurious 300gsm matte-finish tuck case with 3D embossing, and Thin Crush card stock by USPCC. Available now for $22 on House of Playing Cards.

Final Hours on Kickstarter, Jazz Riff Playing Cards

The Jazz Riff Playing Cards blend art and music in a beautifully designed deck that pays homage to legendary jazz musicians. Designed by John Battalgaz and produced by Chris Hage, each card features fully custom illustrations of jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and Nina Simone, bringing their legacy to life.

The series includes three editions: the Standard Edition, limited to 1,000 decks, with a soft-touch embossed tuck case; the Cold Foil Edition, also limited to 1,000 decks, featuring foil on the card backs and faces; and the Cold Foil Gilded Edition, limited to just 500, with holographic gold foil on the edges. 

For collectors, a custom magnetic closure box set is available, housing one of each edition, numbered 1 to 300. Special features include embellished pips on number cards as a tribute to Dizzy Gillespie, and a lenticular card booster pack unlocked through the campaign’s stretch goal, with court cards featuring bios of the jazz legends. 

Available for $15 on Kickstarter, Jazz Riff Playing Cards celebrate the timeless spirit of jazz through art and craftsmanship, making them an essential addition to any collection. Printed by WJPC on premium German black-core paper with a linen finish, the deck is as durable as it is elegant. 

Messymod V2 Playing Cards

Minimalist. Art. Modern.

Art of Play's Messymod V2 Playing Cards are a minimalist, delightful and weird deck of playing cards conceived by the Los Angeles based creative team, TRÜF born from their love of geometry, pattern, white space, Bauhaus, and Miró and mashed it all into a style called Messy Modernism – “messymod” for short.

The eye-catching deck in red and black colorway features custom design in typical Messymod fashion which can be described as minimal, modern, graphic, and quirky. This deck is that each card has its own presence and personality, making it an ideal piece of artwork that can stand on its own.

The deck is packaged in tuck box adornded with deep red foil. Printed by the U.S. Playing Card Co. on trademark thin stock preferred by cardists. Available from Art of Play for only $23.

52 Plus Joker Diamond Award 2024 Winners Announced!

The prestigious 52 Plus Joker Diamond Awards were revealed last weekend at the 2024 52 Plus Joker Convention in Niagara Falls, NY. For the THIRD consecutive year, Artist of the Year went to Lorenzo Gaggiotti of Stockholm17, solidifying his place as a powerhouse in the world of playing card design.

Marianne Larsen’s Cirque Luciole deck took home the Deck of the Year award. The deck dazzled collectors with its intricate design, paying homage to the magic and mystery of the circus world. 

The competition for Deck of the Year included other notable designs like Forged Playing Cards by Chris Hage & Jody Eklund, La Mouche Playing Cards by Elettra Deganello, Nazo Nazo by Jack Brutus Penny & Portfolio 52, ShanHai Playing Cards by ARK and Space Suits by Russ Gray & Meadowlark.

Congratulations to Lorenzo, Marianne Larsen and all the nominees for their incredible work!