Hey guys,

Hope it's OK to post this here...

I'm new to Card Magic and Magic in general, but in your opinion, what is the best way to break-in a new, stiff deck of cards?

Which brand of cards typically need the least amount of breaking-in, or even better, what brand of cards are best for beginners?

I'm currently using Bicycle - The Tragic Royalty Deck. (which I have to say, has a pretty neat art direction.)

Thanks Guys!

-WillHayden

Hi and welcome to the Café! Your post will most likely be moved to the "New to magic" section, but anyway:

I break in cards by first rubbing my hands along the sides for a while to polish the edges a little. Sometimes I use an ultra fine file from a hobby store for this. You aren't looking to tear paper fibers, just polish off what is already rough. However, if you aren't yet working on things like Faro Shuffles, this step will have little point really. Some will say that it prolongs the longevity of the cards, but I haven't found that to be more than wishful thinking.

The next thing I do is just to do a lot of in the hands Riffle Shuffles which softens the paper a little. But most cards won't really start to actually feel broken in until after a week. That is in my hands tho. It all depends on who you are and what you do with the deck. I find that my cards last a lot longer now than two years ago because I probably have a lighter touch now that I have been handling cards for two years. But sometimes you're working on a particular sleight which is a card killer and the decks do not last as long.

When your cards are very warped, do not buy and expensive clips or card presses like many will tell you to. Simply put them back in their box and leave them there for maybe a week or two. They will do a remarkable recovery. No need to press them under anything. The deck I'm using now was originally a throwaway. Now I've been using it again every day for two weeks.

The best cards to use would be CHEAP ones, as you will go through a LOT of decks if you really get into card magic. Get a 12-pack of regular Bicycle Rider Back Poker cards, standard index, and know that you don't have to hold back in order to not damage them. Eventually you will probably end up buying tons of different deck types in search for the perfect cards. You can't go wrong with any of the classics, like Tally-Ho or Bee cards. But you have to decide for yourself.

The easiest cards to break in (that are easily available) would be the OLD type Walgreen Stud cards. They are so thin that they feel almost broken in right out of the box. A lot of famous pros use these. They are (probably) no longer made but can still be found by the dozen from several eBay vendors, such as "fullboatdealer" or "merz67". Look for bright red or blue boxes (not burgundy or dark blue) and make sure they are regular poker cards and not Pinochle decks or something like that.

Now, the REALLY important thing to remember as a beginner is to not over exert your hands. Sleight of hand can be addictive. When you feel that you need to rest, do so.

Best of luck and congratulations for having chosen a wonderful world to step into!

TWO YEARS..........!!

Chris

Many card guys I know (including myself) get their cards at Costco. You can get a 12 deck box of Bicycle cards for about $14.00. These cards not only feel good, but they are familiar to most audience members. The big problem with using "off" brand cards is that spectators often think they are gimmicked. This problem can be easily overcome though by letting the spectators handle the cards a lot to shuffle, etc. So, my advice would be to find a brand that you personally feel comfortable with and stick with it. Noobini is right about going through lots of cards, so the cheaper you can purchase them the better.

Wesley James has a wonderful write up about breaking in cards in his book Enchantments.

Paul

I think you can expect to get a different reply on this board than others since people here tend to be fans of the memorized deck.

To break cards in, I always do do a combination of things that bend the cards back and forth. I tend to dribble cards from hand to hand often, which puts a concave bend in the deck. A faro with bridge bends them back. I also use the expanded deck principle in the both directions to "unbend" the slight bend the cards have from other moves.

I think I am unique in how I like my decks, in that I prefer them to stay very flat. Whenever I hold someone else's deck, they tend to have a serious concave bend to them. I can't stand that.

Though I don't typically use my card guard anymore, I used it with success for a long time. I wouldn't immediately dismiss them.

I would stick with the higher quality cards such as Bicycles for now. You should be able to break any deck in within a matter of minutes. It's not a big deal. When you're more familiar with handling cards and have more experience under your belt, you can do more experimenting. I prefer Tally Ho fan backs (just aesthetic preference), but they're more expensive, not as easy to get ahold of, and handle almost the same. Try those out for a treat once in a while.

I just do about a dozen in the hands faro shuffles and bridges.

I like them a little looser and tend to spring them back and forth in addition to doing faros and riffle shuffles.

The tragic royalty deck is a good looking deck, but due to the black light paint on them (Angel riders, and face cards), they don't work to well for manipulation. As the other's have stated, regular cards are good to get going with, and shuffling them a few times will get them in working order. I start with faro's, one handed shuffles, then work more into just warming them up with every type of cut and suffle I know. By this time, you should be good to go!

Brandon

I agree with the above, by the way. The Tragic Royalty cards don't feel like normal Bikes. They don't fan right unless I pressure fan them and they feel slightly extra thin or something to me. I'd recommend a different deck for learning sleights.