Cardistry: Dealersgrip to Release Palm Playing Cards Today!

Dealersgrip headed by Oliver Sogard is set to release their third deck, Palm Playing Cards. The deck has been created in collaboration with Danish artist Anton Ian Nielsen.

A post shared by ▊⁵² (@oliversgrd) on Mar 29, 2018 at 11:05am PDT

From the teaser images on Instagram, the bordered card back features illustrations of hand palms in red outline with different poses in the style of minimalism on a black background.

A post shared by ▊⁵² (@oliversgrd) on Mar 26, 2018 at 8:39am PDT

Like all their previous releases, face cards are pretty much standard and the standard courts recolored to match the overall color palette of the deck. The deck is packaged in a minimalist black tuck with the hand palm illustrations on the front.

A post shared by dealersgrip (@dealersgrip) on Mar 28, 2018 at 8:52am PDT

Palm Playing Cards will be available today (Friday, March 30th 3:52pm UTC) on dealersgrip.com.

News: New Mako Playing Cards in Red Colorway by Toomas Pintson

Mako was the first cardistry deck produced by Gemini Playing Card Co. featuring an eye-pleasing back designed specifically for the mesmerizing artform in mind. This week, designer Toomas Pintson just released the Red edition of Mako. It is definitely louder and brighter than its more muted predecessor.

Inside, Mako comes with standard faces to make it appear as an everyday object and a functional deck. The bordered red card backs are definitely eye-catching! Flourishes, fans, and cascade will certainly turn some heads.

Mako is packaged in a bold red/black/white colorway tuck box. This is definitely one of Gemini's more striking offering to-date.

Printed by The United States Playing Card Co. on premium soft crushed stock and traditionally cut. Available now from geminidecks.com.

Here's What We Know About Stockholm17's House of the Rising Spades Playing Cards.

[Update] The House of the Rising Spades is now LIVE on Kickstarter!

Stockholm17 has just confirmed the launch date for the House of the Rising Spades Playing Cards on the social media platform, Instagram. Founder Lorenzo Gaggiotti has been keeping his followers updated on his account. Here's what we know about the project so far:

1. The House of the Rising Spades is an esoteric realm full of mysteries built for cartomancers, cardists, magicians, collectors, dreamers and card enthusiasts. The decks are exquisitely illustrated by Lorenzo.

A post shared by Stockholm17 - Playing Cards (@stockholm17) on Mar 8, 2018 at 9:56am PST

2. Three decks will be made available during the campaign. Cartomancer, Faro, and the limited edition Gatekeeper deck.

A post shared by Stockholm17 - Playing Cards (@stockholm17) on Mar 12, 2018 at 8:43am PDT

3. The face cards have no standard index, particularly the spot number cards (2 to 10). Lorenzo took the inspiration from Thomas Crehore (1820) and the Squared Faro deck (1997-1900) by Russell and Morgan.

A post shared by Stockholm17 - Playing Cards (@stockholm17) on Mar 17, 2018 at 11:01am PDT

4. Two printers will be used. The Cartomancer deck will be printed by Cartamundi on their popular B9 true linen finish with cold foil on both sides of the cards. The Faro edition will be printed by the USPCC on classic linen finish.

5. The Limited Edition Gatekeeper deck will be released during the campaign. It will have the same cards as cartomancer with its own tuck box design and comes with a very cool 'something' (revealed during the Kickstarter campaign).

6. The tuck boxes of Cartomancer and Faro will be printed by Lotrek's Oath Playing Cards. The tucks will feature deep embossing and high quality hot-foil details and registration.

[Update] The House of the Rising Spades is now LIVE on Kickstarter!

The House of the Rising Spades is scheduled to launch on 25th March 2018. To keep updated with all things Stockholm17, follow them on Instagram (@stockholm17).

Watch: Theory11's Citizens Playing Cards Featured on Kardify Spotlight

If you don't already know, we've partnered up with Omar Chavez (Instagram: @thegentlemanwake) on a series of 'spotlight' videos to give you the rundown on some of the latest and unique decks of playing cards around. We aim to publish the 1-minute spotlight video weekly on social media (Facebook: Kardify) and in addition, a link to @thegentlemanwake's full video if you want to have a more comprehensive look at a particular deck.
This week, we have the stunning Citizens Playing Cards by Theory11. This intricate deck meticulously illustrated by Kevin Cantrell is one of the most intricate playing cards produced by Theory11. Find out more in the video below. If you like the video, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE (YouTube: TheGentlemanWake)!

Card Flash: Jetsetter (Premier Edition) Playing Cards by Paul Ruccio

Funded on Kickstarter last year, the Jetsetter Playing Cards: Premier Edition is currently in the fulfillment stage. The deck is inspired by the most secret airline in the United States that transports employees of Area 51 from Las Vegas directly to the highly-guarded top secret facility.

Two decks were funded during the campaign, the Premier Edition in Restricted Red colorway and the Limited Premier Edition deck. I am a huge fan of the Jetsetter brand and what it stands for. I love the vintage feel and detail that goes into each deck. Founder Paul Ruccio did an incredible job with these!

The back design of the Premier Edition showcases the Restricted Red colorway and features the repeated airplane pattern along with the Jetsetter logo in the traditional two-way casino style design. The courts are standard and enhanced with gold and silver metallic ink to give it a touch of elegance! The tuck box has a vintage and classy feel with modern appeal and features a clear UV spot coating precisely applied to the airplane icons on the front of the tuck. One thing I love about the Jetsetter decks is the durable synthetic stock- perfect for traveling!

The Limited Premier Edition deck was released as a secret add-on to backers during the Kickstarter campaign. Only 500 are available, making this one of the rarest Jetsetter decks ever released! The deck sports a minimalistic tuck box with spot UV coating. The tuck box is sealed with a numbered Jetsetter stamp along with the word 'Authorised Personnel Only'. Inside, the cards are similar to those of the Premier Edition but updated with a black colorway on card backs, Ace of Spades and the court cards.

Both decks have been printed in Taiwan by the Expert Playing Card Co on their Classic Finish card stock. They handle great right out of the box! If you have backed this project, you will definitely love both decks! They look great, handles incredibly well and suitable for any occasion!

Available from jetsetterplayincards.com

Kickstarter: Jinto's and Jokers Playing Cards by Wesley Robb

Conceptualized by Wesley Robb and designed by Kayleigh Garret, the Jinto's and Jokers playing cards are created as a way of representing the city of Cape Town, South Africa, and its street identity. The word "jinto" in its harshest translation means prostitute in Cape Afrikaans Slang but also used in a lighter term meaning 'hustler', which is what sleight of hand is built on.

The deck is currently seeking funds on Kickstarter with a $6,000 goal. Fully custom, the Jinto's and Jokers feature a predominantly black/white colorway. The face and card back designs consist of illusional line patterns and geometric shapes. Also, the aces and court cards have been reimagined with a modern twist. The deck is housed in a minimalistic black tuck.

The Jinto's and Jokers playing cards will be printed by the United States Playing Cards Co. on classic paper stock with Linen finish. At the time of writing the deck is only 85% funded with 2 days to go on Kickstarter. Pledge starts at $10.

Deck View: Fontaine (Carrots by Anwar Carrots Edition) Playing Cards

Carrots. Cardistry. Rare.

The Carrots by Anwar Carrots edition Fontaines was Zach Mueller's third release of 2017. The playful deck is a collaboration with Anwar Carrots (Instagram: @carrotsbyanwarcarrots) and was the first Fontaine to be released in a pop-up store at Round Two Los Angeles, CA before releasing online a few days later. The deck was sold out in 79 minutes.

The carrot Fontaines sports an orange colorway with subtle carrot images on the card backs and tuck case along with the iconic Fontaine 'f' symbol. With the exception of the jokers, the face cards are standard, and the red suits have been recolored to orange to match the overall look of the deck.

For more cool decks, check out JP Games.

Stockholm17's House of the Rising Spades on Kardify Spotlight

If you don't already know, we've partnered up with Omar Chavez (Instagram: @thegentlemanwake) on a series of 'spotlight' videos to give you the rundown on some of the latest and unique decks of playing cards around. We aim to publish the 1-minute spotlight video weekly on social media and in addition, a link to @thegentlemanwake's full video if you want to have a more comprehensive look at a particular deck.

This week we have something truly special, a PREVIEW of Stockholm17's exquisite new deck, the House of the Rising Spades Playing Cards. Somehow, @thegemtlementwake managed to get a hold of a prototype deck and filmed it. Find out more in the video below. If you like the video, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE (YouTube: TheGentlemanWake)!

The deck will be released on Kickstarter 25th March 2018 [Updated: Project now LIVE!]. Don't miss out!

Cardistry: Broken Borders Playing Cards by Jaspas

Bold. Loud. Dangerous. Broken Borders Playing Cards is Jaspas' vision for the next big thing in the mesmerizing art of Cardistry. The captivating deck is inspired by the industrial motifs of modern urban life and meticulously integrated into the design. These cards take the simplest Cardistry moves and transform them into something powerful.

Broken Borders features design elements that overlap the borders of the cards, these cards are dramatic and bold. The diagonal stripes make the card look outstanding in cuts and spins, making flourishes loud and hypnotizing. The face elements are more prominent and hence, more eye-catching.

All these, tied together with a yellow and black colorway which, stretches from the cards to the tuck case, to the seal, to the brick box, and into the world around you.

Available now from newdeckorder.com for $13 or get a brick at a $36 discount!

Card Radar: Outlaws Playing Cards by Scam Stuff

Brian Brushwood (Twitter: @shwood) and his team at Scam School never fails to impress! The Outlaws is a deck of playing cards themed around the old west fused with elements of modern technology. With the help of Theory11, this deck took more than a year to developed and the results are incredible!

These decks look amazing on the inside and out! From the eye-catching tuck box to the gorgeous artwork on the face cards, all aspects of the deck are fully custom and will sure to turn heads.

The court cards feature Knights, Shamans, Assasins, Daredevils, and Gambles- Archetypal outsiders through all of history find themselves face-to-face with each other at a haunting crossroads. All these characters and elements are tied together beautifully with metallic inks on the face cards and card backs. Giving it a consistent look and feel throughout.

Printed by the United States Playing Card Co., the original Outlaws, and Outlaws Crimsons are available on ScamStuff.com for $14.99.

News: Ellusionist Releases the Secretive Staff Deck!

Previously, the Ellusionist Staff was only given to Ellusionist staff members, but for a limited time, this rare  deck will be available on Ellusionist's online store in conjunction with their Super Sale Weekend.

The catch is, you have to make a choice.... the blue pill gives you access to the secretive deck for $10 or the red pill, giving you access to the super sale event with up to 90% off rare deck, best-selling magic, uncut sheet and more!

Click here for the event landing page to make your choice. Event ends this Friday (23rd March).

News: National Playing Cards Green Edition by Theory11

On St. Patrick's Day weekend, Theory11 has released the Green Edition of National Playing Cards on their online store. Previously, the green edition was only available from Barnes & Noble.

National Playing Cards showcases the vibrant, retro-styled art of Harold Apples inspired by the mystery and the pursuit of power. Fully custom, the face cards features mysterious symbolism and elegant, playful imagery. The elegant tuck case is embossed and detailed with striking gold and green foil, inside and out.

With the exception of the new green-colorway on the tuck box and card backs, the artwork and colors of the face cards are similar to that of the original black version. This can be seen in the promotional images of Green Edition Nationals on Theory11.

The Green National Playing Cards are now available from Theory11 for $9.95.

Kickstarter: Silver Sackbut Playing Cards v2 by Magic Square Co.

Some of the most notable vintage playing cards were produced in the 1950's-1970's for casinos in Las Vegas. The card stock of these vintage decks are also highly prized by magicians and cardists. Most notably, Jerry's Nugget and Golden Nugget produced playing cards.. which are now collector's item going for $500-$600!

Magic Square's Silver Sackbut v2 Playing Cards was made to look like a vintage deck you might find in an old Las Vegas warehouse from the ’50s. The deck took inspiration from a lesser-known vintage casino deck, the Silver Slipper, who once offered complimentary decks to guests of Casino in Las Vegas.

Silver Sackbut Playing Cards v2, comes in four different colorway- Emerald, Cyan, Violet, and Gold color. The decks feature a custom minimalistic Ace of Spades, Jokers and mirrored 2-way card backs. The pips, indices, and courts are standard. Suitable for the working magician or poker nights.

The decks are printed by the USPCC on Bee Casino Stock, Q1 Quality with air-cushion finish. They handle exceptionally well. Available NOW on Kickstarter for a limited time. Pledge starts at $15.

News: The Final Edition Madison Rounders Playing Cards by Ellusionist in Pink!

A few years ago, Ellusionist jokingly released a fake image of the Pink Madison Rounders on April fools Day. But after the joke had passed, Daniel Madison felt a little bit sad that it was only a joke and he couldn’t get the Pink Rounders out of his mind. According to Daniel on Ellusionist newsletter,

Since the inception of the Madison Rounders, I always hoped that there would be many color additions, but it wasn’t until an April-Fools-Day joke that I began to dream of one day having a deck of Pink Madison Rounders.

The Pink Madison Rounders were released privately on Ellusionists' Secret Menu 2 weeks ago before the public release late last week.

The deck features a mirrored card backs with the iconic Madison emblems on the pink card backs. Like most of the recent Madison releases, the court cards are standard with the exception of the King of Diamonds. The Ace of Spades and Jokers are carried over from the White Rounders. The deck is housed in a minimalistic tuck box with the Madison spades on the front in pink!

According to the newsletter, the Pink Rounders mark the end of an era and the end of the line for additions to the Madison Rounders family. Available now from Ellusionist for $10. Printed by the United States Playing Card Co. on crushed stock and traditionally cut.

Deck View: Diamon Playing Cards N° 2

Green. Eye-Catching. Precision.

What better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than a striking green deck! Crafted for cardistry, the eye-catching Diamon Playing Cards N° 2 by Artedame Dutch Design Studio features a striking diamond pattern with shades of lime to forest green and cyan to night blue. The diamonds are assembled with mathematical precision to create a harmonious composition.

The deck is fully customs and have a very modern look and feel to them. The standard courts, Ace of Spades and pips have been updated to harmonize the theme and pattern with a complementary color palette. Not only has the theme translated beautifully, the striking card backs are aesthetically pleasing and functions incredibly well, making flourishes, fans and shuffles look exceptionally great!

Printed by the United States Playing Card Company with Linoid finish on Bicycle grade stock. Avaialble now from diamoncards.com for €15.00

Cardistry: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Diva Playing Cards by Alex Matencio

[Update] Diva Playing Cards are now LIVE on Kickstarter!

Created by Alex Matencio (Instagram: @alxmtnc), Diva Playing Cards is a vibrant geometric deck designed with cardists in mind, launching on Kickstarter 17th March. The deck was born after Alex met with Lucie Leger and Claire Fournier in May last year. They spoke to Alex about designing a deck of cards after learning that he is a designer.

According to Alex,

I had this idea of customizing a deck since I started Cardistry back in summer 2015, but never really found a solid idea. To be honest I simply wasn’t really dedicated to it. It’s only after we had this conversation the three of us that I came up with a back design idea a week later. I showed them the result and they loved it! I worked diligently until I finished designing and customizing all 54 cards.

Here are 5 things you didn't know about Diva Playing Cards:

1. The name Diva came after Claire & Lucie, who, Alex believed, are the real Divas.
Alex told Kardify, "It actually has a long story, I didn’t come up with it instantly. But long story short, I named it in honor of those two young French Divas."

2. Street Art.
For the Diva teasers, Alex often shoots in locations in Paris with street art.
"I moved back in 2015 in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, where I discovered the quite astonishing street gallery of Galerie Itinerrance, which employs various worldwide artists to give life to this « low-cost » neighborhood of Paris. Trust me on this, when you’re surrounded by aged, gray-ish social housings (mostly towers) in a city of predominant gray clouds, but spot around the corner an immense artwork covering an entire facade right in between of the splenetic ambiance and insipid colors, it warms your soul and makes your day. Street art significantly changed the way I see art today." Beyond street art, Alex's main inspiration is the 3D artist Peter Tarka (Dribble:   Behance:   ), who endorses geometric design as its best.

3. Geometric Art
The second inspiration is the late Ukrainian Sonia Delaunay (1885 - 1979), and her modern and geometric art of her time. "Although you will see more in the near future how much of an influence she became to me, she has her part in Diva as it is. My upcoming deck is more complex."

4. Cardistry-Con 2016
Adding to the list of inspiration (a few might have already noticed), is the Berlin CC16 deck by Next Exit, but contrary to what people may think, it is not the main. "When I spotted the design for the first time before the Con, I realized how modern card design could evolve like today if done well. It is for me a major turn in deck design - not mentioning the Dot deck by Anyone Worldwide. While the geometric genre is older than most of our parents, it remains a strong compound of today’s flat art since the rise of vectors, and I’m happy to see it making its way into Cardistry this well. Since I’m into web/app design and flat illustrations (conceived for the web), I have to say that flat design is something I deal and work with on a daily basis, and, even if it is not that apparent in Diva, it has its huge impact on the way I conceive art today."

5. Colors
The colors of Diva Playing Cards are highly inspired by Alex's mother, Patricia Matencio. "It’s an actual very unconscious influence. She’s the eccentric kind of artist, who will use various vivid colors of all genres to enlighten her environments such as her home decoration, atelier, and garden. Great against melancholia. It’s only a few months after I started communicating about the Diva deck and investing about my own color choice, that I realized I took inspiration from my own home. Mothers always tend to become an influence in your way of being or seeing things in life."

[Update] Diva Playing Cards are now LIVE on Kickstarter!

Diva Playing Cards be available on Kickstarter, March 17th! The deck will be printed by Cartamundi on their famous B9 stock. Follow Diva Playing Cards on Instagram to get updates on this eye-catching deck.

News: Issue Ten of Kardify Magazine Now Available!

We've just released the March issue (#10) of Kardify magazine to our Patrons who pledge $3 or more on our Patreon page. The monthly magazine compiles selected articles we’ve published from mid-February to mid-March. Our goal is to help you stay on top of playing card news.

Funds received from the magazine will help us keep the site running and growing, and bringing new quality content to you. Our aim is to support designers by backing on crowd-funded projects and supporting magic and playing cards retailers with their new releases. If you want to support us, please head over to our Patreon page.

If you have an idea for an article you would like us to pursue, do get in contact with us. We hope you enjoy the read. In this issue:

+ Juggle Marble Edition: Find out more about the second edition of Juggler Playing Cards by Julio Ribera.

+ Green Lucky Draw: New colorway released in celebration of St. Patrick's day by Art of Play.

+ Marduro Playing Cards: New Kings Wild deck designed in the colorful style of cigar band and box art.

+ LUNATICA: A look at Thirway Industries' fully custom bright and loud deck.

+ Peau Doux Playing Cards: Check out the story behind Cardini's special deck.

+ 2018 UC Deck- De Novo: A futuristic-themed deck by the popular playing card forum and designer Rick Davidson.

+ Q&A with Josh Boyle of Buyworthy: A chat with the team behind the Modern Aircraft Playing Cards, the 2nd edition of the military series.

+ Luna Moon Playing Cards: 5 things you didn't know about the popular crowdfunded deck by Bocopo Playing Cards and Kevin Yu.

… and more! 39 pages of articles and deck images. Enjoy!

Watch: Dan and Dave's Drifters Playing Cards Featured on Kardify Spotlight

We've partnered up with Omar Chavez (Instagram: @thegentlemanwake) on a series of 'spotlight' videos to give you the rundown on some of the latest and unique decks of playing cards around. We aim to publish the 1-minute spotlight video weekly on social media and in addition, a link to @thegentlemanwake's full video if you want to have a more comprehensive look at a particular deck.

This week, we look at Dan and Dave's Drifters Playing Cards, a gorgeous deck showcasing the majestic beauty of the great outdoors. This deck was also featured on our Top 12 Playing Cards of 2017. If you like the video, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE (YouTube: TheGentlemanWake)!

Kickstarter: 5 Things You Didn't Know About TIKILANDIA Playing Cards By Robert Jimenez

From the mind of designer Robert Jimenez, TIKILANDIA Playing Cards is a fun, fully custom Tiki-themed deck currently seeking funds on Kickstarter. TIKILANDIA is based on a bar and lounge on the fictional island paradise. The face cards and backs feature original artwork and illustration with a fun and bright color pallette. Robert briliantly captures the unique tropical vibe of the island!

Here are 5 things you didn't know about TIKILANDIA Playing Cards:

1. TIKILANDIA in an actual bar (kind of).
I try to create a narrative through most of my art, especially in my Tiki art. The locale for these pieces is a place called Tiki Tower Island, a paradise populated with sophisticated apes, Tikis, mermaids and more. On the island is a bar and lounge called Tikilandia. The first of these pieces was, Last Call At Tikilandia (pictured below), which featured an inebriated chimpanzee at the bar. Subsequent paintings and illustrations feature the bar in some way. This card set is an extension of all that. I’d like to think it’s the house deck, played by the various humans and simians who frequent the place!

2. The Queen for the Tikilandia Playing Cards is based on my wife.
In researching the look for the queen I knew I wanted curly or wavy hair. After some searching I was not having any luck finding many images that appealed to me. I turned to personal albums and in looking through a bunch of family pics, I found the perfect inspiration in a photo of my wife.

3. The moon is a motif often found in my paintings and illustration and is also a part of this card set.
In addition to the slogan, BEST PLAYED ‘NEATH MOONLIGHT, the moon will also be represented in the final art for each of the face cards.

4. Faux ad.
One of the rewards options in the Kickstarter is a faux vintage ad for the cards. In my work, I love to create art that harkens back to vintage publications, especially pulp magazines. I also create pieces that have a built in worn or distressed feel. The Tikilandia cards will be printed with a slight vignette to give the sense of a deck you may have found in your grandparents attic. So, in keeping with this direction, I designed this reward to feel as if the ad was “torn” from the pages of 40’s pulp magazine.

5. TIKILANDIA logo.
The logo and illustration for Tikilandia Playing Cards, found throughout the campaign as well as on the front of the tuck box, incorporates many images and symbols from my Tiki art. The Marquesan-styled Tiki, the octopus tentacles, mermaids, jellyfish and more can be found in my paintings and illustrations from the last few years.

TIKILANDIA will be printed by the United States Playing Card Company with an Air-Cushion finish. At the time of writing, the project is only 70% with 28 days to go! Pledge start at $10 on Kickstarter. Add-ons such as enamel pins, mini art prints and uncut sheets are avaialble during the campaign.