Afternoon all,

I'm in the process of learning a few card tricks and sleights. I'm a complete beginner and so I'm practicing the overhand shuffle controls, along with trying to get breaks and double lifts.

I was wondering how much difference the packs of cards makes to my learning progress.

For example, the only cards I can get my hands on locally all seem to be highly waxed. I find them really slippery, to the point where trying to remove the top card only via overhand shuffle leads to the top few cards on the poacket sliding over and looking a bit dodgy.

Is this something you just have to get used to, or am I making things harder for myself by using these slippery cards?

Are Bicycle cards slippery/waxed like this?

RM

Yes they are when new.

Try using fanning powder on the cards. It will stop them being so 'slippery'. Quite strange that by being less slippery they become better to fan... Give it a go, I know some flourishes like the Cobra Cut etc are much easier to do with fanning powder applied to the cards because they stop sliding everywhere!

James

Before getting fanning powder I would try a different deck of cards.
I started with a cheap deck from a local supermarket and the difference when I bought a bicycle deck was amazing.

Bicycles have the distinction of being the cheqapest "good" cards around. They are best discribed as sliding easily against each other, but not too easily. They have a textured finish that both prevents them from sliping against each other, and yet allows them to slip against each other when the slightest preasure is applied. Do you have to have Bicycles? No. However it will make a difference in your card handling. If concievably possible, get a few decks of Bicycles and replace them when they become worn. Results will vary slightly.

USPCC Bicycles truly is a good and inexpensive cards. Good in the sense that the cards are made to a high standard and they just feel good in the hands. I have tried other cheaper brand and they don't have the textured finish and the edges are pretty rough. I tried using the off brand a few times practicing different sleights and my hands were tender and sore. Use Bicycles and they last longer too.

On this topic, any one know a way to prevent the black edges the cards get with mass handleing? Someone showed me a way to make old cards still look new with a oil and vinegar I think, but I cannot remember what he showed me. I was not into cards at the time but now I could really use that trick when my loaded card shows the black edges of over handled time and the rest of the deck looks new and clean. I think he used to wipe the edges of the cards with a mix of water oil and apple vinegar but I would think that would make the cards to slick. Has anyone tried anything else to clean there cards?

I would think a rag with a touch of naptha on it would work. Honestly, you can't fix the edge flar, so what's the point?

You could just buy a new deck of cards instead of cleaning them, and use your "dirty" cards for practicing?

I use dollar store cards for things like card warp, immaculate connection etc, but bikes or some comperable cards are very necessary if you do anything that requires a card to be signed, the cheap ones cant be signed with a sharpie

I have to agree that Bicycles are very good. I started with non brand little cost cards and since getting my first pack of bicycles I have not gone back. I have even tried bicycle seconds (factory rejects) and these decks are good for tricks that require signing of cards and so on. They are still good quality but a couple of cards per deck might have tiny marks on or be slightly miss printed. nothing that will stop the trick working and I doubt anyone would notice the small marks or missprints unless shown. I also found that most cheep UK cards (not sure if USA is the same) are slightly smaller than bicycle. This can be an advantage for palming but the quality beats the advantage

Bicycle brand cards are a very good card...the most popular brand in the U.S. They come in two basic styles Poker and Bridge. The Poker card measures 3.5"(length)x 2.5" (width) and the Bridge card measures 3.5" (length) x 2.25" (width). The cards in Europe are of the Bridge size; that's why your "cheap" cards are slightly smaller. That doesn't necessarily mean they are of cheap quality, only smaller in size. The most popular size here across the pond is Poker. There was a time back in the early days that the Bridge size was the norm, but after the '80s Poker size became commomplace. Learn card sleights with the larger Poker size...the transition from that size to the smaller Bridge size is much easier than the reverse transition, IMHO.

<<<KRaZy4KaRdZ>>>

Thanks for the info KRaZy4KaRdZ. Its always interesting to find out stuff like that.

Any well made deck is going to seem slippery when it is brand new. One of the things that 'breaking in' a deck does is add the natural oil from your hands to the deck causing them not be slicker, but in fact stickier which adds control to the cards. It's really a matter of getting a break in session into the cards to get them to the point at which you are comfortable with the feel. Best,