Playing Cards for an Anniversary Celebration

In my current review series, I'm featuring a number of decks I recently received as part of my first ever order from PlayingCardDecks.com (which I'll mostly refer to as PCD in this article). And because PlayingCardDecks is currently celebrating their first anniversary, from 24 - 30 April you can get 20% off everything on their website using the coupon code "YEAR1" at check out. They have 10,000s of decks in stock, with over 1500 different decks as part of their range. In this article I'll take a look at the Super Gaff deck from 1st Magic Studio.



Super Gaff deck

When I first began exploring the world of packet tricks a few years ago, I began hunting for a good gaff deck, which would contain a collection of gimmicked cards, thereby being much better value than buying a few individual sets of cards here and there. The Super Gaff deck from 1st Magic Studio is that kind of deck.



Back in 2014, 1st Magic Studio produced the first version of this deck, entitled "Bicycle Gaff Effect Deck". It is now apparently sold out, out of print, and not readily available. There's an ongoing demand for gaff decks, so in the last year or two 1st Magic Studio produced a second version of this deck, which is the Bicycle Super Gaff Deck featured here. According to one source, "This deck includes many of the favorite cards from the first version, plus about a dozen new designs."

This gaff deck is available with either red backed cards or blue backed cards, both with the usual quality air cushion finish from USPCC's Bicycle brand. Containing 56 different cards altogether, it is a very diverse collection, like some of the ones shown here.



Some cards are only slightly different from regular playing cards, whereas others can be truly described as "outrageous", including cards with "double prints, crazy court cards, misplaced pips, missing heads and much more." There's double-headed queens and headless queens, as well as a 21 of Spades, and the classic 52 in 1 card.



There's certainly a huge amount of variety in this deck, unlike some other gaffed decks I've seen, including the Ultimate Gaff Deck, Packet Killer, and Carnival Tricks Cards, all of which are excellent, but emphasize packet tricks more.



Unlike the just-mentioned decks, the Super Gaff deck doesn't come with a DVD or online video tutorials. To some extent that's to be expected, because it's not a collection of ten packet tricks each requiring a set of cards, but is a much larger collection with many individual cards, and it will be up to the performer himself to come up with ways to use these. But if you are looking for ideas, check this video which contains 10 tricks performed with the first version of this deck.

While this gaff deck isn't suitable for an absolute beginner, if you can master some basic card sleights, it won't be hard to think of applications with the gaff cards included. Considering the wide selection it includes, and the amount of fun you can have with it, it is an excellent value product.



Recommendation

So is PlayingCardDecks.com something for you? I won't repeat the more detailed conclusions about my positive experience with PCD that I've written about in more detail in other articles, except to say that this gaff deck deserves similar praise for its quality. It is a USPCC produced deck, so the cards are standard Bicycle style quality with an embossed finish.

Whether you're looking for decks suitable for card games, card magic, or card flourishing, PCD has something that fits the bill, and this gaff deck is a good example. So if you're looking a high quality deck, PCD is definitely a terrific online retailer to check out, based on my own experience. And getting 20% off with their anniversary sale that is running from 24-30 April (use the coupon code "YEAR1"), now is a great time to discover this site. I'm very pleased to recommend the Super Gaff deck from 1st Magic Studio, and right now PCD is a great place to pick it up.



Want to learn more? Check out PlayingCardDecks.com
- Online Store: playingcarddecks.com (use code "YEAR1" to get a 20% discount site-wide during the first anniversary sale 24th to 30th April 2018)
- Related links: Blog, Kickstarter projects, Loyalty Rewards Program, Pip Box Club
- Social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Direct links for the decks featured in this review:
- Textured decks: Metal - Blue Edition ($17.99), Wood ($14.99), Denim ($12.99)
- Vintage decks: Expert Back ($5.99), Vintage Classic ($9.99), Texan ($6.99)
- Sophisticated decks: Monarchs (Blue) ($9.99), Queens ($11.99)
- Gaff decks: Super Gaff ($13.99)
NB: prices listed in brackets are prior to applying the 20% off anniversary sale discount.

Are the backs gaffed or standard?

Standard Bicycle rider-backs.

You can choose between a red deck or a blue deck.