Just because you are dealing, doesn't mean you can't be cheated at poker or any card game. When money is involved, there will always be someone who will be ready to exploit you or your friends. The best cheaters are always the ones you least expect, and often will handle the cards sloppily to throw you off guard. There are countless ways to cheat, but the ones we will discuss here are the most common you would come across in a private card game. For more advanced cheating techniques, check out our article on casino protection. Advantage play, marked cards, and sleight of hand are the three mai ..read more

Card games have been around since the dawn of time, filling the pages of great novels for as long as people have put pen to paper. Even as far back as William Shakespeare, we saw references to card games. In his 16th century work Two Gentlemen of Verona, there is mention of a game called Noddy, an early card game and one of the first mentions of such pastimes in popular literature. Since then, there have been numerous characters who have enjoyed a hand of cards. There’s a good reason for this; cards are a great way to advance a plot. You only have to look at cards in other areas of pop cultu ..read more

There have been many advancements in the handling and feel of playing cards over the past decade. Some papers are apt for poker use or by professional magicians, and others are designed for ultimate feel but not as suitable for critical sleight-of-hand because cards can split or warp.  This article is about paper types of premium playing cards. If you are adding special features like cold foil, hot foil, or full foil to your cards or tuck boxes, you can check out this article on special features. There are many variables that contribute to the feel of playing cards, su ..read more

Are playing cards the perfect form of entertainment in the smallest package? Will there ever be another object as widely known, loved, and hated as playing cards? Only time will find out. ABOVE: Groundhog Day, feature film Have you ever met somebody who hasn't seen or used a deck of playing cards? From sub-saharan African tribes to the Inuit Artic dwellers, playing cards have a universal appeal to humans. Surprisingly, they are a relatively modern invention. There is certain mystique to playing cards. Fortunes can be one and lost with the turn of a single card. Th ..read more

Just as with a piece of high art, or architecture, there are varying opinions as to what constitutes beauty. Playing cards are no different, some decks are intricate like our Egyptian Legends #202 deck illustrated by Mark Stutzman, minimal like the NOC series by Alex Pandrea, or abstract like Onida by Nick Vlow. All these decks can be appreciated for the beauty though they vary greatly in style. We have years of experience with card artwork from 200 years ago to the present, and below we outline our thoughts on what makes a deck aesthetically beautiful. Balance is a critica ..read more