First Look: The Tonight Show (Starring Jimmy Fallon) Playing Cards by Theory11

We knew this was coming, it's just a matter of when. The Tonight Show Playing Cards by Theory11 in collaboration with NBC's Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

These elegant playing cards are a fitting tribute to a show that has entertained audiences of all ages since the 50s.

Playful, fun and intricate, the deck is inspired by the legendary show, with design element showcasing the New York skyline, Studio 6B, and of course, Jimmy Fallon.

The Tonight Show Playing Cards is fully custom, from the Ace of Spades, Joker, to the playful courts and stunning tuck box, sealed with an official NBC gold foil emblem and the initials of the host.

Available on Theory11 Friday, June 30th 11am ET for $9.95.

Kickstarter: Kings Wild's Intaglio Playing Cards Funded In Four Hours

Funded in only four hours, Intaglio is a series of playing cards derived from hand engraved copper printing plates printed in the traditional Intaglio style to create beautiful artwork. The Kickstarter project is a collaboration between Kings Wild Project and Thornwillow Press, New York.

The inspiration for this deck is one of the first decks that made designer Jackson Robinson fall in love with playing card design. Titled the "New Era No. 46" and name such to symbolize a new era of beautiful playing card design heading into the 20th century.

I have long wanted to use the New Era court set as inspiration and create my own "engraving" style versions of them, and I felt this was the project to do it.The interesting thing about the New Era No 46 deck is that it was published around the same time that the actual printing presses that will be used for the Intaglio project were created. For me, this project, in a way, is a new era. I am finally getting to pursue the art style of engraving to its physical form.

Three editions are available in the Standard Playing Cards set: The Black (Kickstarter Exclusive) Edition, Red Edition, and Blue Edition. The artwork for the standard editions is derived from high-resolution scans of the hand engraved prints.

Each edition's court card color scheme is unique and the cards will be housed in an embossed and foiled tuck cases made from premium soft touch material. Pledge starts at $14 and the decks will be printed by The Expert Playing Card Company.

Also available are the Intaglio art prints and the unique hand-engraved Master Printing Plate used in the printing of the playing card designs. Check out it out at Kickstarter!

Top 12: Playing Card Decks Selected by Jeremy Griffith

The custom playing cards market has boomed over the past year, investment in crowd-funded decks have surged and new designs and concepts are pushing the boundaries of the simple constraints of one tuck x four suits x thirteen cards.

A real “expert at the card table”, Jeremy Griffith or popularly known as @lost_angelus on Instagram is one of the most knowledgeable card men around. With his background in mathematics, Jeremy has an unparalleled understanding of different card mechanics. Here are his Top 12 playing cards (Jeremys' comments in italics):

12. Gemini Casino: Vegas Blue

Gemini is a fictional casino deck inspired by classics like Jerry's Nugget and Dunes Casino playing cards. Created by Estonian designer Toomas Pintson, Gemini was made to look like a vintage deck you might find in an old Las Vegas warehouse from the ’70s.

Jeremy: This is a throwback deck that just won't give up. The longest lasting deck I've used so far.

11. Three Little Pigs

Produced by Pure Imagination Projects (PIP) and designed by Joe White of Ye Olde Studio, the Three Little Pigs playing cards are inspired by the classic fable. Featuring original hand-drawn artwork, the story of the Three Little Pigs is brilliantly translated into cards.

Jeremy: Few people pull off 'Whimsical' better than Derek McKee. This deck has a gorgeous back paired with a great storybook face.

10.  Cherry v3

The Cherry Casino Playing Cards is a modern take on a retro casino-styled deck. Simple and effective, the backs are minimalistic and features a white swoosh and twin cherries design.

Jeremy: Also a PIP / Derek McKee deck, this one has one of the most luxurious stocks I've ever used, crushed Bee stock from USPCC.

9. Bee "Erdnasium" Squeezers

From Conjuring Arts Research Center and Dan&Dave, the Bee "Erdnaseum" Squeezers deck is an exact reproduction of an early 1900′s classic. The card backs have been imprinted with an original Scott Kim ambigram that says, “S.W. Erdnase” or “W.E. Sanders” when turned end-for-end.

Jeremy: This is my Go-To borderless deck. It's just well made and very very affordable.

8. Mint Limited Edition

From 52Kards, the Mint Limited Edition playing cards provide a merger of form and function. The elegant borderless back design features beautiful tri-color design with gold line accents and masks an incredibly intuitive marking system for the clever magician to take advantage of. The deck showcases gorgeous semi-custom courts, custom pips and indices, custom Ace of Spades and a minimalistic custom tuck box with embossed gold foil and interior printing.

Jeremy: This deck is so hard to come by that I barely use it. But if I had a heavy stock of it, this would probably be in my top 3.

7. The Casual Deck

Simple, sleek and modern. Designed by Paul Robaia, the Casual Playing Cards features a minimal geometric back-design with simplified face cards and a soothing color palette throughout.

Jeremy: Odd looking and totally "Everyday Carry" worthy

6. Road House

From Ellusionist, The Road House Playing Cards are a version of the classic Steamboat deck. Designed with gamblers and card players in mind, but also smooth for magicians. The deck features borderless designs on high quality, thin stock and.traditionally cut, soft-glide finish.

Jeremy: Oban and Daniel made a borderless deck that has a quality out of all proportion to its price point.

5. VISA

VISA Playing Cards is a collaboration between founder Alex Pandrea and magician Patrick Kun. The concept of the deck is based on travel, discovery, and exploration. The deck features a Japanese artwork which represents Asia and includes simplified standard court cards with metallic ink accents along with custom Ace of Spades and Jokers.

Jeremy: Crushed stock that feels like the original Absolute Vodka deck. It just feels like the cards meld into whatever my handling style is.

4. Green Monarchs 

Released by Theory11, the Green Monarchs was the latest edition of the popular luxury deck back in 2015. The deck feature brilliant gold foil on an embossed, forest green tuck case and composed of two layers. It is the most durable tuck case Theory11 has ever made.

Jeremy: I enjoy the cards very much, but for this one, it's the re-enforcement on the tuck box that had me buying bricks of these

3. Vintage Plaid v2

From the Buck twins, the Vintage Plaid Playing Cards is a classy deck that features an embossed tuck complete with gold lettering, and in addition, all around back-design printing within. Not only have the tuck box been recreated, the Buck twins have gone a step further and created an all new Ace of Spades along with two Jokers and an all new typeface that adds a sleek component to the deck’s already rugged yet refined feel.

Jeremy: This deck speaks for itself. It's harder to come by, but worth every penny. Simple, elegant and just a damn good deck of cards.

2. Fulton's Casino v1

Reminiscent of vintage playing cards from casino's like Jerry's Nugget, the Ace Fulton's Casino Playing Cards combine that retro style with a modern stock and finish. Fully custom, no detail was left unnoticed, including a few "security". Printed by the US Playing Card Company

Jeremy: I was gifted a bunch of these by my friend Elliott on my Wedding Day, and from the moment I opened them, I knew these would be ones I only opened on special occasions 

1. Republic No. 02

Republic #2 is the second release in the Republic brand from the Ellusionist Playing Card Co. The clean and simplistic theme and layout draws the eye and makes fan and color change stand-out! Everything about Republic #2 has been distilled to deliver a pure experience.

Jeremy: Long out of print, this deck is still one of my favorites. If you know me at all, then you know me and this deck have a long history, and I created its sequel out of a love for the original. 

News: Kings Wild Just Revealed the Promo Video of Intaglio on Facebook--and It Is Epic

Kings Wild just released the promo video for the upcoming Intaglio Playing Cards and the Kickstarter Project looks EPIC! This will be Kings Wild's biggest Kickstarter endeavor yet. The video goes behind-the-scenes at Thornwillow Press, New York to show designer Jackson Robinson working on Intaglio from concept to printing the beautiful hand-engraved artwork using an old world printmaking technique.

[Update] Available now on Kickstarter!

Launching tomorrow at 12 pm central on Kickstarter.

Card Flash: Legal Tender Playing Cards

Currently being fulfilled, Legal Tender Playing Cards by Kings Wild are a beautifully illustrated deck inspired by the currencies of the world. There are two editions being offered, the US Edition and Chinese Edition.

The decks accentuated by meticulous and elegant details throughout with an intricate back design and exquisite background patterns on the face cards. If you loved the artwork from Federal 52 series, you will love Legal Tender. The line work is clean and more realistic. The tucks are elegantly embossed and foiled giving it a clean sharp look.

However, the missing holographic strip is a disappointment but this has been communicated to backers. Also, the thicker card stock is snappy but feels plasticky. The decks took longer than usual to arrive but they did arrive and they are well worth the wait!

Images by Anthony Ingrassia of Kardify. No part of this article, images or video can be reproduced without written permission from the author and Kardify.com. To see more of Anthony's (Sparkz) work you can visit his site at AI Photography.

Deck View: Frostbite Playing Cards

Winter. Geometric. Cool.

From Cardisry Hipster, the Frostbite Playing Cards are inspired by the double-edged nature of winter—breathtakingly beautiful and dangerous all at once, the Frostbite feature an attractive, geometric design in cool winter colors.

The eye-catching deck pairs a chill geometric abstract back design with custom minimalist faces. Frostbite features custom striped "winter" pips, geometric courts, and a cool blue & white backs with triangular shapes and a simplified compass rose design. Printed by Hanson Chien Production Co.

For more cool decks, check out JP Playing Cards.

Cardistry: Judges Announces Finalists for the Cardistry-Con Championship 2017

Only 2 weeks away from the biggest cardistry of the year and the final round of the Cardistry-Con Championship (CCC). Last week, the CCC judges announced the two finalists who will make their way to Los Angeles for the final round! The two finalists are Edgar Isaac and James Chesmore. Check out their mesmerizing semi-final videos below:

Card Gear: 56Sealed

Card Gear is our monthly feature dedicated to discovering new inventory, setup, and accessories used every day by card designers, cardists, magicians and collectors. The concept originated from the popular social media site, Instagram: #passthepockets. Whenever one of these hashtags come up on the social news feed, there's always something new to discover, no matter who that person is.

This month, we have the EDC of 56Sealed. For the past 5 years, Ryan has been living in Chicago and works for a Proprietary Trading Firm as a Risk Manager. He picked up cards collecting to occupy his down time at work. Researching, tracking down, and acquiring certain decks is both challenging and rewarding!

You can often find Ryan sketching out plans for the next deck display build or researching the back story for his next deck review for Hocus-Pocus Magic. If he's not with his cards, he's probably cooking out, enjoy some drinks with friends, or trying out the newest restaurant in town! His goal for 2017 is to bring a product to market that represents his creativity and allows him to share his passion with the community! Ryan's gear (Italics are Ryan's comments):

+ Jetsetter Playing Cards (Everyday I make sure a deck of open cards in hand).
+ A notebook and something to write with. (These are my essentials and I feel like I forgot something when they are not with me. My daily planner keeps me on track and my notebook allows my brain to run wild! I take notes about ideas and make sketch about future projects and builds. I highly encourage everyone to try keeping a small notebook with them for a month and write down any and every thing!)
+ ID
+ Debit card
+ Transit card
+ Keys
+ Cash
+ Flash drive (for work and such).
+ Iphone (Not shown. Currently my only picture taking device)
+ A magic related book (to be fair I just finished reading the Al Flosso book; The Cony Island Fakar, and haven't picked up a new one yet!)

Kickstarter: Culminus Playing Cards by Nicolai Aaroe

Inspired by the eschatological literature of the postexilic period, Culminus form the third and final volume in the Light versus Darkness series of deluxe, dark art poker playing cards.

Meticulously designed by Nicolai Aaroe, Culminus aims to represent ultimate evil and ultimate good with two gorgeous standalone deck designs, Infernum and Infiniti, where infernal devils are seeking to wreak havoc to neutral men, and ethereal guardians are trying to stop them. In its essence, Culminus symbolizes the moral compass and ethical dilemmas that all monarchs have faced in history and time as saints and sinners.

Both decks feature a matte tuck cases designed with both exterior and interior gold foil and embossed artwork. Black-brown stock for the Infernum and Ivory matte stock for Infiniti.

Fully custom, the distinctive pips are unique, each court is hand-drawn in collaboration with award-winning illustrator Patrick Leis and ornamentation has been added on the indices. Also, the card back adorned with Metallic ink with gold pigment.

The Infernum deck has black cards matching the Dominus Obscura deck for consistency, while the Infiniti deck has a clean, white design to match its predecessor, the Dominus Divinus deck. Both decks will be printed by NPCC. Available now from Kickstarter. Pledge starts from DKK$89 (~USD$13).

News: Solution to Stockholm17's Gemini Quest

Stockholm17's Gemini Quest ended last week and 22 participants successfully completed the quest. This is the second quest by Stockholm17 and with no hints given, it is definitely more challenging than the first.

Participants are required to solve 3 enigmas and each gets progressively more difficult and complex. Solutions provided by Stockholm17 below:

Enigma 1

Enigma 2

Enigma 3

Congrats to the 22 who made it all the way to the end!

Kickstarter: Wild West Playing Cards by Jamm Pakd Cards

From Justin Froyd of Jamm Pakd Cards, the Wild West Playing Cards are a set of playing cards that depict the Lawmen and Outlaws of the Wild West such as Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and more.

Living in Arizona, Justin has always been interested in the historical characters that created a life in the harsh environment of the Wild West. According to Justin,

I remember my parents taking me to Tucson, AZ to see the old west shootout reenactments. I also enjoy Westerns and movies such as Tombstone.  With the deck, I wanted to capture historically accurate images of the Wild West Characters and not the pop-culture representations (didn't want Val Kilmer's image as Doc Holiday).

Justin did extensive research on the characters and historical photos of the Wild West in order to get as real as possible. Each image is hand drawn and then illustrated by J Gonzo.

Gonzo was able to capture the real representation of the characters but keeping the illustrations of the face cards with that "playing card art feel".

When creating playing card projects, Justin likes to have 2 different colored playing card backs.

One reason is poker games usually use 2 different decks to deal more hands to the players. They use different colored decks to help ensure the decks do not get mixed up. Also many people like to have 2 different colored playing card decks for their collections. I wanted to do something a little different from the norm. Instead of just changing the color of the back I wanted to create 2 completely different decks for this project. 

The Wild West Playing Cards campaign offers 2 different decks: Lawmen and Outlaw. Printed by the Expert Playing Card Co., each deck will have different tuck boxes, different back designs and different court cards for each deck.

Pledge starts from $13 and add-ons such as handmade playing card cigar style box, dealer coin and poker chips are available. Head on over to the project to wrangle up the Lawmen and Outlaw decks.

Deck View: Rarebit (Gold Edition) Playing Cards

Vintage. Elegant. Gold.

Inspired by a vintage, speakeasy restaurant called The Rarebit in Charleston, South Carolina. In 2013, the original Rarebit Playing Cards became an instant collector's item upon release at Theory11 and the follow-up Rarebit Copper Edition was also a fan favorite.

The Rarebit Gold will feature a stunning GOLD FOIL on the card backs. The deck utilizes a revolutionary process where real metal foil is applied directly to the back of the playing cards. The Rarebit Gold also features gold metallic ink on the card faces and custom courts.

Available at JP Playing Cards.

Cardistry: Anyone Worldwide's Checkerboard Playing Cards Sold Out in 2 Hours!

With little surprise, Anyone Worldwide's inaugural deck the Checkerboard Playing Cards was sold out in just 2 hours! The cardistry group thanked their fans on Instagram for the support and announced that the deck will start shipping next week.

Checkerboard Cards sold out in 2 hours! Thank you for the support. Cards will begin shipping next week.

A post shared by anyone (@anyoneworldwide) on Jun 16, 2017 at 10:40am PDT

The deck features a chequered pattern back with a single distinct red square. The courts are standard but updated to include the chequered pattern into some of the dressing elements. Also, the same chequered pattern can be found on the pip cards and the Ace of Spades.

The deck was priced at an above average $18 and printed by the United States Playing Card Co.

Cardistry: Cardvolution Celebrates 8th Anniversary with Cardistry Jam featuring Oliver Sogard, Edo Huang, the Virts, and Jaspas

Cardvolution, a playing card retailer based in Singapore has celebrated its 8th-anniversary last weekend in style – playing cards, magic and cardistry jam.

The anniversary event was bigger this year, with free drinks, mystery decks, shopping vouchers, contest and special VIP guests such as Oliver Søgård, Edo Huang from Indonesia, Kevin and Daren from the Virts, and Jaspas Deck!

Cardvolution has cemented itself as one of the most popular card retailer in Singapore and the region. Founder Alan Teo has managed the company for the past eight years and said he was proud what the company has achieved so far and is appreciative of the support that he's been getting.

I am proud of what Cardvolution have achieved over the 8 years and the event was a success thanks to all that have supported us that day as well as over the past years. Also, a special thanks to Benjamin Loo, Leon Tai, Dylan Tay and Justin Sze for helping out with the event. The jam would not be possible without them.

Eighty cardists were lucky enough to reserve a spot to the Jam held at Fika Cafe on Beach Road, Singapore. The event started with some free and easy time where the cardists got to share ideas with the 5 VIP guests.

This was followed by some fun and games where cardists had to battle it out to see who could execute the most number of ATMs without dropping cards as well as come up with a creative move utilizing a grip that Oliver showed on the spot.

Winners of these 2 games walked away with a deck of STRIPE playing cards signed by Oliver himself. The event ended with a Q&A panel headed by the 5 VIP speakers, discussing creativity, cardistry and more. Check out the official video of the event below: