First Look at Wonder (Emerald Edition) Playing Cards

The beautiful Emerald Edition of Wonder Playing Cards are designed for everyday gameplay, playing card enthusiasts, and card collectors. They embody the essence of wonder with the whimsical and original stacked paisley design on the card backs. The stacked paisley creates a unique, mesmerizing 3D design that gives each card vertical depth and intrigue.

The card faces also add a touch of customization that doesn’t distract from the beauty of the cards or the simplicity of the design. Starting with the colors, designer Chris Hage has added a touch of emerald green to the faces, matching the card backs. According to Chris,

This green gives the cards a customized and original look. In addition to the green, we use a hint of gold metallic ink on the court cards to give them a nice subtle shimmer. Finally, the most important customization on the courts is in the faces of each King, Queen, and Jack. Because this deck is about whimsy and wonder, we’ve redrawn the faces to show them smiling or experiencing wonder in some way.

This subtle addition makes the court cards truly original. The entire deck is inspired by the story of the whimsical W.C. Marks, The Wonder Maker. An immigrant from Germany in 1896, William Christian Marks (later known as W.C. Marks) designed and built one of the best and most luxurious hotels in The United States. Sparkling chandeliers, Victorian art, lavish food and drink, and the finest textiles were the hallmark of his landmark property. Guests at his luxury hotel were often treated to Mr. Marks’ whimsical games, entertaining magic tricks, sideshow stunts and even hand-painted artwork. It was this eccentric array of talent that spawned his nickname: The Wonder Maker.

It’s this legacy of luxury, nostalgia, and wonder that we hoped to capture in the design of this beautiful deck of playing cards. To commemorate The Wonder Maker, there are two matching Jokers, expertly illustrated by award-winning artist Rob Smith Jr., featuring WC Marks holding his box of Wonder.

The tuck boxes on all Wonder Playing Cards are of the highest quality. Each tuck is designed with two foils and strategic embossing on premium matte paper stock. All tuck boxes are letterpress using the highest print standards in the industry.

This will be Chris’ fifth Kickstarter campaign, and fourth Wonder deck, and have created what he thinks are amazing rewards for backers.

The most popular reward tier in our campaigns is always the Elite Bundle tier. This tier gives the backer everything that’s available at the start of the campaign, plus some exclusive items that are not available anywhere else. The Elite Tier will once again be packed with value in this campaign including the popular collector box, custom half-brick box, gilded decks and so many more Kickstarter exclusive items.

The campaign will launch in February, so you’ll want to follow the campaign link to get in early on the best rewards. 

Deck View: Autocycle No. 1 (Purple Edition) Playing Cards

Reproduction. Exclusive. Beautiful.

Available exclusively at Target, the Autocycle No. 1 Playing Cards is a reproduction of the Autocycle No.1 deck produced from 1901 to 1906 and depicts a rider on a motorized tricycle.

The deck features the familiar Bicycle Ace of Spades and jokers, vintage Bicycle courts, and pips. The tucks are inspired by the hand-drawn elements of the Bicycle Junior No. 21 design and are adorned with purple foil.

Fontaine's Latest Drop, Fontaine 5000s Blind Packs

The team at Fontaine Cards has just introduced the Fontaine 5000s playing cards, with the first release window now available. The release will be spread out over the next 4 weekends, with a new video part and release window each weekend. The Fontaine 5000s were originally scheduled to be released on November 2022, but experienced many delays.

The decks come in blind packs and there are 6 different colors of blind packs, but the decks inside are randomly distributed. Each pack contains one of 16 possible new decks, with varying rarity levels.

COMMON, 1 of 3000: USA, CRAZY RAT, INSECT, BAD BOY

UNCOMMON, 1 of 2000: SPF, ALIEN, TEDDY, FELLOW

RARE, 1 of 1000: PLAY, SKANK, TRICKSTER, CRAZY KID

ULTRA-RARE: HEAT VISION – 1 of 400, GUEST – 1 of 300. WORLD – 1 of 200, KNIGHT – 1 of 100

Single decks are available for $15 and a brick (12 decks) for $180 on fontainecards.com this weekend. All decks are printed by USPCC.

C.A.R.D.S., an Immersive Story-Based Puzzle and Playing Cards

C.A.R.D.S. is an exciting new Kickstarter project from designer Brad Gabbard that combines playing cards with a thrilling adventure puzzle. This project follows in the footsteps of Stockholm 17’s Eye of the Ocean, which also used decks of cards along with a book and puzzle to tell a story. C.A.R.D.S is an innovative way to use playing cards in an interactive and engaging way, making it a must-have for puzzle and card game enthusiasts.

C.A.R.D.S. stands for Compliance Aptitude & Restricted Data Survey. The series is based on a retro theme and tells the story of a mysterious company named Rector Industries, which has been contracted by an unknown entity to conduct a testing program for candidates. Each candidate would receive a deck of cards that plays a crucial role in solving the puzzle.

There are two available editions: Ledger Green and Compliance Orange. There are other companion items that come with the deck – the book which explores the lore of the company; the coin with a set of numbers; a mug, a pen holder, and a custom ID badge to complete the experience for the story.

The card back design features a minimalistic yet classic design that bears the fictitious company name and logo on both sides. There are tabs on the left and right sides, breaking the border to compliments a good visual look when the cards are fanned. These are the two main colors for the back: olive green and orange, creating a clear contrast for the design. For Ledger Green, it uses olive green for the back with orange tabs, whereas Compliance Orange, uses orange for the back with olive green tabs.

Both Jokers feature an identical design of an advertisement of Rector Industries, complete with logo and name. It comes in two different solid colors that are the main color set for the decks.

The number cards feature custom numbers, pips, and layouts. It is designed to look like evaluation questions, what looked like “complete the sequence” puzzles complete with an answering box. These are the puzzles mentioned in this series, and not many number cards are shown to preserve the integrity of the puzzle experience.

All of the Aces feature customized enlarged pips. They also come with special instructions from the company on the bottom side, and it is unique – such as licking the card or stamping your fingerprints. The cards served as samples for the new hires.

The court cards feature custom portrait illustrations of characters assigned as members of Rector Industries Supreme Board of Directors. Each court completes with the company logo and job title. The portraits are drawn with eldritch elements, suggesting these characters are hiding sinister plans.

The tuck case will be made with a premium matte stock of green/orange color. There is the matte finish white hot foil on the white band that circles around the box, bearing the name of the deck and the Rector Industries logo.

Printed by Legends Playing Card Co. and pledge starts from $16 for a single deck of Ledger Green/Compliance Orange on Kickstarter. If you are really interested in experiencing the lore of this deck series, you may get the booklet and coin as add-ons.

Card Flash: Snakes & Ladders Playing Cards

Best known for their casino-themed animated playing cards, Mechanic Industries released a new deck based on the classic board game – snakes and ladders.

The card back design features snakes, snakes, and more snakes! Hence, the theme for the deck. The Mechanical Industries logo is prominently featured in the center, encircled with rotating snakes. Also, there are two snakes circling the card back design. When the cards are animated, the snakes spin around- like a rotating DNA sequence.

All of the aces are custom, the Ace of Spades in particular showcases a big ladder with a snake on it, which made the shape of a big spade pip. The rest of the aces featured their respective pip with either snakes or a ladder sticking out of it.

The courts for the deck are slightly modified to fit up with this board game theme. Each royal have yellow snake eyes, with their garments are adorned with that same color. Also, they are holding snakes in their hands or have ladders behind them.

Two Jokers are included, one shows a snake coming in from the bottom side and sliding into the ladder, while the other shows the snake circling around the ladder in a loop in the shape of infinity. These two jokers are part of the magic trick provided with the deck.

The cards are printed by the USPCC and available for $12 from your favorite Murphy’s Magic retailers.

Dani DaOrtiz's Enchanting Card Magic Fools Penn and Teller!

Spanish magician Dani DaOrtiz fools Penn and Teller with his mind-blowing card magic! The judges including the host were full of wonder and joy as they watched Dani perform his close-up card magic. Thoroughly delightful and entertaining to watch… probably one of the strongest performances on Fool Us.

To see Pen and Teller go back to a place and time when they were once full of wonder and joy for the art of magic; fooled and delighted as we all were, was such a beautiful thing to see. The childlike expressions they had, laughing, giggling, jumping up and down in their chair…it’s rare for them to not only be fooled but thoroughly delighted and entertained at the same time!

Special Edition Palme Playing Cards by JP Games Ltd

Palme is back, with a special edition to celebrate JP Games‘ 10th-year anniversary! Originally the second design in our LUXX series, Rick Davidson has refreshed and improved one of JP Games’ most loved releases.

The deck is inspired by the beautiful Paisley pattern, which has roots and heritage across the globe. The first edition Palme was one of our Top12 decks in 2015.

The Palme backs feature a full-bleed, borderless design, giving this deck a unique look and style which is carried through the deck and onto the tuck. The face cards are fully custom and come with metallic inks, 4 custom aces, and 2 beautiful jokers.

The eye-catching tuck box features a wrap-around design and embossing complete with a matte foiled LUXX logo. The 2022 version is a Limited Edition of 1000 decks.

Printed on Classic Finish by the Legends Playing Card Company and available now on jpgamesltd.co.uk for $12.

Deck View: BEYOND Playing Cards

Explore. Rocket. Astronauts.

Designed by Stephen O’Neill, BEYOND playing cards is a space exploration-themed deck. Inspired by the 50th anniversary of the first lunar landing, this deck began as a series of drawings depicting the classic court cards as astronauts.

This fully custom deck features custom Aces, redesigned courts, custom pips, and THREE custom jokers. The card back features a two-way back design prominently showcasing a rocket exploring the solar system with the sun at the center of the card back.

Printed on new slim-line stock and premium B9 finish by Cartamundi. Available now from vanishingincmagic.com for $14.

Card Game: The Best Poker Hand Combinations

Take your card game nights to the next level! Poker hand rankings are a crucial tool for making informed decisions while playing poker. These rankings classify the strength of various poker hands and are used in many popular poker games such as Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and 3-card poker.

For those looking to improve their chances of winning, it’s essential to understand the poker hand rankings system. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the top five-card poker hand combinations to give you an edge at the table. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, this guide will help you master the poker hand rankings and increase your chances of success at the table.

The strongest to weakest Poker-hand rankings

1. The Royal Flush: The Ultimate Poker Hand

The royal flush is the highest possible ranking in a game of poker. It consists of five consecutive cards of the same suit, ranging from 10 to ace.

2. Straight Flush: Almost as Good as a Royal Flush

A straight flush is a hand that contains five cards of sequential values in the same suit, but is not a royal flush. It is only beaten by a royal flush or another straight flush with higher-ranking cards.

3. Four of a Kind: Four of a Good Thing

Four of a kind is a hand that contains four cards of the same rank, with the fifth card being the highest rank among the remaining cards on the table or in your hand.

4. Full House: A Combination of Three of a Kind and a Pair

A full house is a hand that includes three cards of the same rank in three different suits (three of a kind) and a separate pair of the same rank in two different suits. When multiple players have a full house, the winning hand is determined by the highest value three of a kind.

5. Flush: All in the Same Suit

A flush is a hand that contains five cards of the same suit, regardless of their order. When two players have flushes, the one with the highest-valued card is the winning hand.

6. Straight: Sequential Numerical Values Across Suits

A straight is a hand that consists of five cards of sequential numerical value but is made up of more than one suit. An ace can typically rank as either high (above a king) or low (below a 2), but not both in the same hand.

7. Three of a Kind: Trio of Matching Rank

A three-of-a-kind is a hand that contains three cards of the same rank in three different suits. The remaining two cards in the hand are the highest-ranked cards available.

8. Two Pairs: Double the Pairs, Double the Fun

A two-pair hand contains two different sets of two cards with matching ranks. The highest-ranked remaining card completes the hand.

9. Pair: A Single Set of Matching Rank

A paired hand consists of two cards of the same rank in different suits. The remaining three cards in the hand are the highest-ranked cards available.

10. High Card: When All Else Fails

The high card hand is the lowest-ranked hand of them all. It consists of the highest card in the hand, with the remainder of the cards being of lower rank. In this case, the highest card is the king of spades.

On Kickstarter, Damokles Playing Cards

Every day, people would face some kind of danger, whether it is happening at the moment or in future times. “With great power, comes great responsibilities”- that is what people would say to those who have power.

These moral messages are presented as a parable popularized by the Greek philosopher Cicero, the “Sword of Damocles”. Designer Giovanni Meroni of Thirdway Industries decided to choose this deck for his new deck at the start of 2023. Damokles Playing Cards are about the imminent and ever-present peril faced by all human beings.

There are four editions for this series, two are standard editions while the other two are Kickstarter exclusives. The standard editions are Adamas and Cuprum, which will have a standard glossy box with metallic ink. The Kickstarter exclusive editions are Opulentia and Ruinae, which will have an experimental box made of velvet with hot stamped foil.

All of the artworks for the cards will apply metallic inks, three on the front and two on the back. Adamas/Opulentia features silver with gold while Cuprum/Ruinae features copper with silver. The back design of the cards will have borders done in metallic ink based on the edition.

The artwork for the cards is designed to be perfect to play with while also imbued with meaning based on the theme chosen for the series. The Ace of Spades featured an illustration of a sword hanging by a string with the series title.

The courts are drawn as royals with hidden details that reveal each of their hidden stories- also, each of them has its own unique dangling sword, different forms, and shapes. The Jokers are full-length illustrations based on the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”, with each edition having different artworks.

Pledge starts at $15 for a single deck on Kickstarter and Damokles will be printed by the USPCC.

Theory11's Lord of the Rings Playing Cards in GOLD!

Theory11‘s Lord of the Rings playing cards now comes in GOLD. The tuck box features a gold colorway that reflects the luscious landscape of The Shire. Inside, the custom cards showcase the artwork of Kevin Cantrell from its unique pips to the recognizable court cards and Ace of Spades. Easter eggs like the Light of Eärendil, Lurtz, and Minas Morgul are littered throughout the GOLD FOIL card backs and tuck box.

Also available is the special edition premium box set. This premium box set includes four decks: two standard editions and two special gold foil edition Lord of the Rings Playing Cards. The box set is secured with a magnetic enclosure – and a map of Middle Earth inside!

Available NOW on theory11.

Issue #68 of Kardify Magazine Released on Patreon

The first Kardify Magazine of 2023 is available now on Patreon! Patrons who pledged $3 or more will be able to download the latest issue from our Patreon page. Issue 68 compiles selected articles published from mid-December to mid-January. Deck images, articles, and news to keep you informed and up-to-date with the latest playing card news, releases, and previews. If you love playing cards, you will love Kardify Magazine!

Also, don’t forget to check out our other cool reward tiers on Patreon! The tiers include monthly desktop and smartphone wallpapers, a mystery deck shipped to you every 4 months of ongoing contributions, social media shout-outs, and multiple sponsorship tiers! Check it out!

Funds received from the magazine will help us keep the site running and growing, and bring new quality content to you. Our aim is to support designers by backing crowdfunded 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:   

+ Deck of the Year 2022: The biggest recognition this year is our ‘Deck of the Year’ … have a closer look at the deck that took the top prize this year!

+ tAIpestry: We had a chat with Riccardo Conturbia on this experimental AI-designed deck of playing cards by his new brand, Velata Playing Cards.

+ Spider-man: Theory11’s latest deck release is inspired by Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man in stunning blue, red, and gold colorways.

+ Top 12 Playing Cards of 2022: Another great year for playing cards! We’ve compiled our favorite decks for 2022 right here! 

+ Sisterhood: Introduced during the 52 Plus Joker Convention 2022, this beautiful deck sparks essential conversations about women in the magic industry… Learn more!

+ The 3 Musketeers: An eye-catching deck of playing cards by Kings Wild Project based on The Three Musketeers, a French historical novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas.

+ Bident & Thunder: Have a look at the 7th and 8th Weapon of the Arsenal Series by Card Mafia inspired by the Greek God of the Sky & Underworld. 

+ Singularity:  From Red Black Inc, this fascinating deck is the World’s first AI-generated playing cards. Find out more!

… and more! 58 pages of articles and deck images. Enjoy!

Purple Wheels Playing Cards by DKNG

Originally released in 2015, LA design studio DKNG‘s Wheel playing cards have become one of the most popular deck designs on Art of Play.

With a half dozen color variations, the palette of options spans the spectrum. The Wheel playing cards series is playful, vibrant, and eye-catching.

The deck combines modern design with clean bold lines inspired by the classic Bicycle Rider Back. The fully custom features bold backs, gorgeous courts, Ace of Spades, and beautiful pips.

Purple Wheels are housed inside a custom letter-pressed tuck case and sealed with a gold tax stamp. Printed by the US Playing Card Co. on trademark thin-stock preferred by cardists. Get yours from artofplay.com for $15. 

Dan and Dave's Damn Good Cards

Finally, an affordable deck for those serious about cards. Whether cardists or magicians, Dan and Dave‘s Damn Good Cards hit all the right points: thin white borders, crushed stock, no seal, standardized faces, exceptionally designed and produced, limited and affordable. 

According to the product page,

These are features we look for in cards: Thin Crushed because we like our cards lean, no seal because we keep it clean, and white borders for contrast and because the design is constrained. And by affordable, we’ve taken special measures to pass savings on to you. Although we haven’t skimped on the quality of the cards themselves, we have packaged them in a standard box, which substantially lowers costs. We’re also limiting wholesale, which allows for a lower retail price.

Inspired by classic mid-century graphic design, our series of Damn Good Cards feature a colorful collection of bold patterns to enrich a playful quality when in use. 6 decks are on offer for this first drop: Coffee Bean, Kalimba, Red Lotus, Beatnik, Sawtooth, and Orwell. 

The deck comes with a matching colored tuck box with standard face cards and custom Ace of Spades. Printed by the U.S. Playing Card Co. and for a very limited time, get all six decks for just $8 each on dananddave.com.