MARKED DECK BASICS

What is a marked deck? Shh, don't tell anybody. But it's true that magicians and mentalists sometimes use marked decks. A marked deck is a deck with secret marks on the back of the card, that allow you to identify the value and suit on the opposite side, just by looking at the card back.

How does a marked deck work? There are two main types of marked decks that you'll commonly find being produced commercially: reader systems and coded systems. Marked decks with reader systems are what you'd expect: hidden somewhere in the back design, if you know where to look, it will say what the card is. For example, 7S would mean 7 of Spades. With these decks, your job is simply to "read" the back of the card, and you can immediately identify it. Marked decks with coded systems rely on using other codes or clues to indicate the value and suit of the cards. For example a clock face disguised on the card back might have a dot in the place corresponding to the number of the card.

How can you identify a marked deck? A quick way to see if a deck is a marked deck is to "take it to the movies", or give it "the riffle test". This involves flipping through the entire deck quickly with your thumb or finger, and watching the card backs closely to see if there are any changes in the design that appear while doing this. Depending on the marking system used, some marked decks will be more obvious than others.

When should you use a marked deck? Now that you know about marked decks, don't think that all card magic relies on a "marked deck" or some other "trick deck". Far from it! By far the majority of card tricks are done with an ordinary deck - any deck. Most card magic relies on sheer sleight of hand, skill in handling cards, and a good dose of misdirection and showmanship. But just like a mechanic will have a toolbox with different tools, so there are occasions where a marked deck is exactly the tool that a magician will need. It can certainly be used to perform `miracles' that you simply cannot accomplish with an ordinary deck.

When should you not use a marked deck? Don't even think about using a marked deck for card games, especially when playing for money! Here's a word of warning to the wise: a social game gets ruined if you're cheating, and you'll only spoil the experience for yourself and others. It's even worse to do so in a gambling game, because it's really a form of stealing - and eventually it will catch up with you and you'll get caught. But for card magic, it's totally a legitimate tool, because conjuring is all about creating an illusion, and the spectator knows that you are using hidden secrets to accomplish this. Moreover a marked deck won't work miracles on its own - you still need to come up with tricks that are entertaining to watch. Simply staring at the back of a card and telling someone what the card is doesn't make for interesting watching. On the other hand a well-presented card trick is all about being entertaining, and your audience never needs to have any idea that you're using a secret weapon to accomplish your magic.

What can you do with a marked deck? To get an idea of what you can do with a marked deck, check out this video where magician Jay Sankey shows a very simple routine you can do. He also explains how you can make your own marked deck with a standard Bicycle rider back deck.

What marked deck should I get? You can certainly make your own marked deck, as Jay Sankey explains. But the good news is that there are some fantastic marked decks on the market. The explosion of the custom playing card market over the last decade also means that over the last number of years some excellent marked decks have been produced. You need to decide whether you want a deck with a reader marking system or a coded marking system. You also need to decide on the style of deck that suits your needs, since some people will want a deck that looks very discrete, and as much as possible like an ordinary Bicycle riderback deck, while others will want a deck that looks more classy, luxurious, or even creative. Much of this comes down to personal preference, and you'll have to combine that with whether the marking system is right for you.

Which marked decks are covered in this article? In this article I'm only covering marked decks with reader systems, and I'll cover some marked decks with coded systems in a separate article. For someone who has never used a marked deck before, one that uses a reader system will be the easiest to use, and is the best place to start. Even so this is by no means a complete list of all marked decks that use reader systems, since new marked decks and new ideas are coming out all the time. There are many other great candidates that could be considered top marked decks, so I won't pretend that this is a definitive list of the all-time top marked decks. But I will cover some top ones, which are some of my own favourites and which I have personal experience with. An important criteria was also that they had to be decks available for purchase, so I've excluded any marked decks that you can't easily get.



KEEPERS v2 RED

The Keepers deck was produced by Ellusionist and is available in several colours, including blue and green. Not all of them are marked decks, but the Keepers v2 Red deck certainly is.

The concept of this deck was inspired by the idea of a lighthouse keeper, which also accounts for the lighthouse design on the card backs.



The card faces immediately give the suggestion that everything is normal, with the usual artwork we've come to expect in a traditional deck. The number cards and pips are all standard.

But there are small exceptions, the main one being a custom Ace of Spades, which features an oversized Spade pip adorned with artwork to match the lighthouse theme of the deck. In addition there are two original Jokers, plus some minor adjustments to the artwork of the Jack and Queen of Clubs.



The artwork on the card backs was created with the goal of producing a design that would have the potential to be as classic as Bicycle rider backs. Geared to please the worker magician, the design is elegant but effective, depicting the lighthouse that our keeper inhabits.

And of course within the design lies our hidden secret. It's very easy to read, and not likely to stand up to close scrutiny, but this makes it ideal for being able to read quickly and easily. As an extra bonus this deck also comes with a duplicate Queen of Hearts.



MARKED MAIDEN BACK

The Marked Maiden Back deck looks like an ordinary Bicycle deck using the popular Maiden back design, which is a slight variation from the rider-backs.

Unlike many other marked decks, the markings are very easy to read, so you don't have to strain to figure them out or decipher them. Many consider it the best modern marked deck for exactly that reason.



One thing I really like about the Marked Maiden Back is that it looks completely like a regular deck, so it doesn't draw attention to itself. But perhaps more importantly, the markings are very easy to read, so you don't have to strain to figure them out or decipher them. There's no real code or system to learn - they say what they are. You wouldn't want a spectator studying the backs though, because they are somewhat obvious, so I wouldn't give these out to inspect.

Having two online videos that explain how these decks work and how to get the most out of them is also very handy. With teaching from Jon Armstrong and Rick Lax, these also provide some good ideas for tricks you can do with these and other marked decks.



COHORT

From big magic brand Ellusionist comes their Blue Cohort deck, which is a companion to their Red Cohort deck.

Both are of these are marked decks, and employ the same design and marking system on the card backs. The only difference between them is the colour and the thickness of the cards.



The card faces have a somewhat standard look to them, but because this is a Cartamundi produced decks, they are more similar to the style of Cartamundi's Copag decks than to the traditional Bicycle courts. The marking system is well integrated into the design and quite cleverly hidden, so you will have to look quite closely to read it.

What's special about the blue deck is that it features the debut of the new slimline E7 stock from Cartamundi. You'll likely find this to be the thinnest deck you've ever used, and to me it feels even thinner than a standard Bicycle deck with USPCC's thin-crush stock. Admittedly, because these cards are so thin, they might not hold up to the exacting standards demanded by heavy usage, although that depends on the kind of moves you do. Magicians may find that sleights like double lifts or colour changes come with the increased risk of bending the cards, and some will find the E7 stock too thin. None of this is an issue with the red deck, however, so you might want to make your colour choice depending on your preferred card thickness.



But the cards of both decks handle very nicely, feeling super soft from the get-go, and they spring beautifully, while feeling snappy and durable. They also use the "true linen" embossing pattern common to many of Cartamundi's decks, so they don't have the look of the traditional air cushion style that you will find on most USPCC produced decks. As far as I can tell, this doesn't have much of an impact on the performance or handling, but just affects the look.

Another good thing about these Cartamundi decks is the excellent print registration. USPCC decks are known to often feature print registration errors, occasionally resulting in misaligned borders. Especially when a deck has been designed with relatively narrow borders, this can present a real problem, and more than a few buyers have been disappointed with a USPCC-produced deck for this reason alone. I've not noticed any such issues with Cartamundi decks, and even though the Cohort decks I have feature very narrow borders, the printing is spot on.



DAPPER DECK

Produced in the United States by magic supplier Vanishing Inc Magic, the Dapper decks are geared to be a colourful deck for the stylish (= dapper!) magician.

The Dapper Decks are available in a choice of two different colours: navy blue or orange. Both decks look absolutely lovely, with attractive colours and patterns.



The tuck boxes feature a custom design with a spade shape that incorporates the unique pattern from the card backs.

I particularly love the vibrant colour and design of the card backs of this deck. The "Jerry's Nugget Orange" deck, with its fiery orange colour, is the most striking of the two. The companion "Navy Blue" deck is basically a matching and identical deck, except that the card-backs feature navy blue as the dominant colour.



I also really appreciate how the damask/paisley pattern from the card backs has been incorporated into a single pip on some of the number cards as well. This pattern has also been built into the over-sized Aces, with the Spades and Clubs using the colours of the blue deck, and the Hearts and Diamonds using the colours of the orange deck. Introducing the paisley design from the card backs onto the card faces in subtle ways like this really helps set this deck apart and adds style and character.

The court cards have designs that are along traditional lines with some custom elements, but they feature a colour scheme that matches the rest of the deck. The colour of the red pips is especially noteworthy, being slightly orange in colour, to complements the colour scheme of the overall design.



KING & LEGACY (GOLD EDITION)

King & Legacy Gold Edition deck was designed by Destino and presented by Julio Montoro, a magician, consultant, and creator from Spain.

The thematic concept this deck is intended to evoke is the ancient idea that when kings died, they left behind a legacy through which they lived on. Life is about creating memories and footprints, and these remain when we ourselves are no longer here. These playing cards are imagined to be the legacy of a departed king, and by opening the doors of this box we feel his presence even though he himself is absent.



The tuck box is presented with a soft white look, which features delicate lettering and patterns in metallic gold inks, plus embossed concentric circles that help make a strong first impression. The back of the box features the same design as the card backs, which we'll see in a moment, while a custom seal completes the overall presentation.

All the faces are heavily customized, especially the court cards, and that immediately makes this deck feel unique and special. The court cards are either all red or all black, and the minimalist colour scheme helps accentuate the styish artwork. The pips are also very stylized without being over-the-top, to ensure that the deck doesn't abandon all practicality.



I especially love the Aces, each of which has a single Giant pip inscribed with a labyrinth design that picks up some of the feel of the card backs. The Ace of Spades is particularly lush, with a rich metallic stripe of gold decorating the outskirts of the over-sized pip, along with a banner that reads "King & Legacy".

The card backs have an ornate and classy design that incorporates all kinds of icons and symbols into the design, and the more you look the more you will see, like music notes, eyes, flowers, and fish, in an overall pattern that looks like a labyrinth.

The secret markings are easy to read, and an additional card provided with the deck provides a complete key to the marking system. It will literally take you less than 30 seconds to learn and master, despite being well integrated into the pattern on opposite corners of the card backs, with a cursive font style assisting in their disguise.



ORBIT V7

The Orbit series from Chris "Orbit" Brown is extremely popular with card flourishers, in part because of the circle design on the card backs. So it may come as a surprise to see the Orbit v7 deck on this list. A marked deck?

Surprisingly, yes it is. The creator doesn't even market this as a marked deck, which I think is a mistake on their part. There's a real risk some people could buy this deck, thinking it is an ordinary deck that could be used for poker, card games, or magic, and it would be a real bummer to discover after the fact that it's marked. So I do wish the publisher had been more transparent about the fact that it is a marked deck, unlike the other Orbit decks, because buyers have the right to know what they're getting. But that's a minor complaint, because I do really like the deck.



The colour of the tuck box and card back immediately give some indication of the 80s feel that this version of the Orbit deck seeks to capture, with blue and pink. These colours also return on the card faces.

The style of the face cards has a somewhat standard look, but I appreciate the fact that there are some deviations in the usual font and artwork, to help give this deck a personality of its own, while still looking very familiar. At least three of the court cards are actually based on real people that the designer is close to. Two astronaut Jokers also inject some humor and colour to the faces.



Version 1 of this deck first appeared in 2015, and the Orbit decks have proven to be a big hit in the cardistry world. Thematically, the series is considered to be a tribute to space exploration, with the hint of some sci-fi. Many small touches in the artwork of the deck are inspired by different aspects of space travel or details from our planets. The card backs in some versions picture a rocket travelling around our space circle, but in Version 7 we instead see constellations of stars which surround around our pink epicenter as a beautiful star belt.

I have a few of the previous Orbit decks, and I can see that it was a good move to combine a retro look with a proven design, so Version 7 has what it takes to be a popular choice for cardistry. One only needs to look to the stars to find the marking system, and it's really quite ingenious. Once you know it, the markings will be very obvious to you, but I can see that they will completely escape the notice of all but the most observant. It's very clever and well done, and while perhaps not suitable for a professional card worker, it's certainly a marked deck you can have fun with.



DMC ELITES (FOREST GREEN)

Last but not least are the DMC Elites, and it could even be argued that I've saved the best in this category for last. The publisher brands this as an "optical system" due to the unorthodox style of the markings, but I still consider this a reader deck because you are still reading the suit and value, and there's no real system to learn.

As our gateway to the magic inside, the tuck box of the DMC Elites deck (Forest Green edition) is a matt finish in forest green, and is finished with gold foil touches for a classy look.



DMC represents the initials of English magician and card shark, Drummond Money-Coutts, who has been the subject of several TV magic specials. Money-Coutts has teamed up with magic creator Phil Smith to produce a series of decks called DMC Elites, and this is considered version 4. The formula that made previous DMC Elites decks so successful is continued, but for the first time the markings are now on all four corners, not just two.

Everything is relatively standard, besides a custom Ace of Spades and the stylish silhouette Jokers, one of which has a card reveal, so it's a great deck well-suited for professional use. Two ad cards cover a short introduction to the Elites decks, and instructions about the marking system.



What makes the DMC Elites so highly regarded is that these cards don't require you to squint in order to try to make out the semi-hidden or tiny markings. Instead, the marking system on these decks is in plain sight, and works best when viewed from a distance. And yet unless you know the key, it's completely undetectable.

Many in the world of magic consider these innovative decks to be the best in the business for exactly this reason. Even pros will struggle to find the markings unless they've been let in on the secret!



FINAL THOUGHTS

There's frequent debate about which marked decks on the market are best, and it's not something that I'm going to even attempt to answer, because this often depends on what your needs are, and in what setting you're using a marked deck in the first place. If you are choosing a deck marked with a reader system, you do want to be sure that your eyesight is good enough to easily pick up the markings, and that the text isn't too small, so that will be a big consideration.

If you're looking for a simple reader deck that won't draw attention to itself, your best bet is the Marked Maiden Back deck. The beauty of this deck lies in how ordinary it looks. Because it looks like a standard Bicycle deck, there's no reason for spectators to even think there is anything unusual about it. In contrast, a more customized deck does run the risk of drawing extra scrutiny or suspicion. My copy of the Marked Maiden Back deck also came with free access to two online videos from Jon Armstrong and Rick Lax, which provided some wonderful ideas for routines with marked cards, which was a real bonus.

Another good choice for workers is the Keepers v2 Red deck, due to the standard look of the face cards. The Red Cohort deck makes a good choice for similar reasons. Both of these decks are printed by Cartamundi, so they will handle slightly different than a Bicycle deck.

If you're looking for cards that can be easily read, even from a significant distance away, then the DMC Elites deck is a clear winner. Some reader decks have well disguised markings but you have to squint to read or interpret them, but there's no issue with that at all with the DMC Elites, because you can practically read them from across the room. The deck includes an instruction card that tells you all you need to know to read the markings, but there's also a terrific companion book available for separate purchase. Entitled Passport to Marked Decks, and by the creators of the deck, DMC and Phil Smith, this 32 page mini-book explains the deck along with instructions for nine different effects you can do with it.

What about decks with coded systems of markings? Look for more information about that in a follow-up article!



Author's note: I first published this article at PlayingCardDecks here.

Just an excellent rundown here...All you need to know and more. 👍🏽

Another great job, Game! 💯

*** 7 MORE TOP MARKED DECKS ***

CODED SYSTEM MARKED DECKS

Marked decks are a very special tool, because they contain a variety of secrets that helps magicians perform amazing tricks that would never otherwise be possible. You do not need to learn any complex moves that take a long time to master, because you can use the markings on the card backs to identify cards, and this enables you to accomplish apparent miracles with relative ease.

The markings on marked decks typically come in two main forms: reader systems and coded systems. Reader systems are very straight forward to use, because somewhere hidden on the card back is printed the actual value and suit of the card, e.g. 9 of Hearts would be indicated by 9H. While this makes them easy to use, it also means that there's an increased risk that the marking system can be detected.

Coded systems are much more subtle than reader systems, because they rely on other visual indicators to tell you the value and suit of the cards. One example is the famous marked deck by Theodore De Land, which first appeared more than a hundred years ago in the early 1900s. It's still published today with names like "DeLand's Original $100 Deck" or "DeLand's Automatic Playing Cards". The artwork on the back had circular patterns that corresponded to a clock face, and depending on which dots were coloured in, you could immediately identify the value and suit of a card.



Coded marking systems like this can be very subtle, and it's much less likely that a spectator will figure it out, unless they are told. Even if they notice some unusual dots, or variations in the pattern of the card back design, these will often seem meaningless to the unenlightened unless they know the secret. But when you do know the secret, these marking systems can quickly be mastered and used for strong magic tricks.

I've already covered marked decks using reader systems in a previous article, so in this article I'm only covering marked decks that use an coded system of marking. It's not an exhaustive list of all such decks, since there are many, many such decks that have been produced over the years. I also wanted to ensure that anything recommended here is actually readily available on the market today, so I've only included decks that you can easily find for purchase. I won't pretend that this is a definitive list of the all-time top marked decks with coded systems, since there may well be other candidates as good as the ones included here. But these are some of my own favourites that I have used myself, and most of them are popular, and are well worth considering if you're looking for a marked deck of this sort.



MINT v2

The Mint v2 decks are available in either blue (Blueberry) or green (Cucumber). They were the brainchild of Asad Chaudhry, who runs 52Kards, a popular youtube training channel for card magic and cardistry.

The Mint brand was created with the goal of providing the perfect deck for magicians, by combining classic playing cards with a modern design pattern that feels contemporary and stylish. This is the second version of the deck, with some enhancements to the original, and was produced with the help of over half a million dollars of support on Kickstarter - a real testament to the popularity of the Mint brand.



This beautiful deck immediately impresses once you hold the tuck box in your hand, with a simple look topped with stylish foil, that conveys a sense of luxury and class. The lavish use of foiling on the back of the box accentuates the tiled design that is this deck's signature. Full interior printing with a tiled design in metallic foil confirms this impression once you open the box.

The card faces have had a makeover from the standard look, and the adjustments that have been made to the pips and court cards results in a fresh approach that still looks familiar and practical. The indices employ a thinner and more elegant font which also emphasizes that this is an original design while not being too far removed from the traditional style we are all used to, to ensure that they will still be at home in the hands of a magician.



To figure out the marking system, you'll have to head to the 52Kards youtube channel. Asad has made a 12 minute video where he explains all the ins and outs of the marking system, and you can check this out even if you don't own the deck.

It's a very practical and well thought out system that isn't hard to learn, and the Mint V2 deck is a definite improvement on the original version of this deck in several ways.



MECHANIC

The crew at Mechanic Industries first created their Mechanic decks, which featured card backs with flipbook animation, and more importantly with a marking system hidden in the cogs and wheels. The Mechanic v2 deck is the improved and revised version of the original.

After the success of this deck, they decided to produce a very special version of their deck to celebrate the fifth birthday of Mechanic Industries in 2017. And what better birthday present can there be than something new and shiny? The Mechanic Metallic decks are a matching pair entitled Glimmer (gold) and Shiner (Silver). For added luxury, the interior of these tuck boxes is entirely foiled, for a visually stunning look! The outside of the tuck boxes also employs extensive use of foil, along with stylish embossing.



Metallic gold and silver inks are used for the card backs to ensure a completely glamorous look, which has a design similar to the original Mechanic decks.

To match the stylish look of the tuck boxes, metallic gold, silver, and red Pantone inks have been used on both the backs and faces of all the cards. Metallic silver ink decorates the court cards of the Shiner deck, while metallic gold ink is used for the court cards of the Glimmer deck.



As an extra bonus for magicians, the included Jokers include images of the Grinder coins from Mechanic Industries, giving possibilities for combining card magic with coin magic.

Like the original Mechanic Deck, the metallic decks have both a flip book animation system and a marking system built into the card backs. Riffling through the deck shows the cogs turning, and therein also lies the secret for identifying the suit and value of each card, which is cleverly built into the design.



MORTALIS

Despite only being a teenager, Pravar Jain is a professional magician and cardist from India, who has accomplished more than most of us. He formed his own company Area52, and it's under this label that he produced the Mortalis deck, which was released in very limited numbers in October 2018.

The actual design of the playing cards is by Canadian Christofer Lacoste, who was also behind the art of the popular Mint Playing Cards.



This deck has a very practical look, with standard indices and pips on the faces for the most part. One exception is the changed look of the court cards, which have been re-coloured by replacing the usual garish yellows and reds with more muted colours including a soft beige, which creates a more professional look. The Ace of Spades features a giant pip that reprises the design from the card backs, and looks similar to the look on the front of the tuck box.

One surprise is the absence of Jokers. Pravar has never felt the use for Jokers, and decided to opt for two gaff cards instead. Given the love for magicians that is shown in the card backs, this won't come entirely as a surprise. The gaff cards are a double-backer, and a duplicate King of Hearts.



The deck comes with a link to a seven page PDF that explains how the marking system works. It features a coded marking system that Pravar himself created, and is based on how you read a clock. As the back of the tuck box proclaims: "The closer you look, the less you see."

The markings are fairly well hidden, and rather clever, although a riffle test will show that something unusual is going on. Pravar states that it can be read quickly in under 3 seconds, although I think it will take quite a bit of practice to be able to read it that quickly.



KNIGHTS

Created by Daniel Madison and Chris Ramsay, the Knights deck from Ellusionist draws on a tradition as old playing cards themselves: chess. It pays tribute to this golden foundation stone of modern gaming, and takes its name from the piece with the unusual movement: The Knight.

Pictured here is the Gold edition, which has a tuck box with an elegant and distinguished combination of white with gold foil, giving an immediately luxurious and classic appearance. The popularity of this deck is evident from the fact that this edition was followed by several other versions in different colours: Green, Red, and Blue.



The number cards and court cards feature a uniformity in style, but retain a limited colour palette within the confines of a somewhat traditional look, to enhance the look and feel of complete class.

I especially love the Joker, which features a check-mated king and a raven. But there's no doubt that all the cards evoke an immediate sense of style and sophistication, and it is also a very practical and functional deck.



The back of the cards has a college of small chess pieces decorating the artwork, and therein of course lies our clever secret.

When it was first released, this wasn't even advertised as a marked deck, and the secret will escape the notice of all but the very careful observer. What I like about this system is that it doesn't use clock-style markings, but a very different system, one that is also thematically related to chess and the point value of the pieces.



1900 SERIES

The Blue 1900 Series deck is a brand new release from Ellusionist.

But it doesn't come out of nowhere, because it is a successor to their highly popular vintage series 1800 marked decks, and is perhaps even intended as their replacement. The 1800 series decks featured standard Bicycle rider-back designs that had been put through a very convincing faux aging process.



Just like its predecessor, the 1900 series deck literally looks like it is more than a century old, and it's just as if a deck of cards has survived more than a century. Even the tuck box is designed to look genuinely ancient and worn.

Yet despite the old, rustic, and grungy look, which makes the cards look cracked and worn, the cards themselves are the same high quality as a normal Bicycle deck, and handle beautifully. Their vintage look, combined with quality handling, never fails to impress people.



I haven't included the popular 1800 series decks on this list, because their availability is limited and they aren't being reprinted. I suspect this because of strict new rules that Bicycle has implemented to prohibit publishing decks that change the rider-back design, which would exclude the reader system of the 1800 series decks.

As a result of this new policy, the 1900 series deck relies instead on carefully distinguishing the location of dark stains and white scratches that indicate the suit and value of the cards. This marking system requires fairly close attention to detail, and tired eyes may find this a little tricky. But the weathered look is brilliant, and the deck is worth getting for that alone. The style of weathering is different than the 1800 series decks, but it is equally effective - although I am concerned that it could also draw attention to itself, and thus give away this deck's secret. Even so, it's a very stylish deck.



POLYANTHA

The Polyantha deck is from Daniel Schneider, and is part of his series of "Black Roses" decks. Daniel had previously created his first deck, Black Roses Playing Cards, in 2014. This was his second deck, so he employed similar artwork for the card faces, but he removed every colour for an exclusively all-black look in a classic casino style, to target magicians. The word polyantha is taken from the Rosa Polyantha species of rose that was popular around the turn of the 20th century, and is simply a name that Daniel found appealing.

The Polyantha deck did already appear in 2016, with printing by MPC. This 2019 re-release sees this deck get a wider distribution and a higher quality printing courtesy of USPCC.



Looking at the faces will reveal that despite the traditional look, customization has been applied, by featuring various personalities from the world of magic and the world of playing cards. If you look carefully there are some other fun details, such as the two black roses below the giant Ace of Spades pip, which indicates that this is Daniel's second deck design. Two extra cards are also included: a jet black casino cut card, and a 50/50 gaff consisting of a 2 of Diamonds and a 8 of Spades.

Given the jet black look, these are the kind of playing cards perfect for low light situations where the colours are hard to distinguish anyway. It is precisely the kind of sleek deck that you'd expect to find in the hands of James Bond types in a casino setting. It won't be for everyone, and it won't be ideal for most card magic due to the all-black cards, but there will be some magicians for whom this deck will make the perfect look given their style.



The cards have a borderless back design that produces an eye-catching pattern in fans and spread. A closer look reveals a tiled pattern consisting of tiny black roses. Studying these closely will prove to be the key that unlocks this deck's secret markings. These will not easily be detected by the unenlightened, because the markings are extremely tiny and well-hidden, and you'll need very, very good eye-sight to pick them up.

My deck didn't come with any information explaining the marking system, and it proved quite challenging to figure out, even though I knew it was a marked deck. I contacted Daniel and quickly received an image that clearly explained everything. Technically it is a reader system rather than a coded system, but I've included it in this list given that it's very well hidden, and that you do have to rely on a coded system for figuring out the suits of the cards.



BUTTERFLY

Once again I've left one of the best decks for last. The Butterfly deck from Ondrej Psenicka deserves special mention for having a truly innovative system that allows you to do things with it that are truly impossible to do with any other deck.

The second edition of this acclaimed deck comes with a choice of either red or blue card backs. It is very well presented, and makes an immediate impression with the gorgeous custom wrapper that the deck is shipped in.



The faces of the deck have a fairly standard look to them, but the card backs feature a stunning borderless design that revolves around the beautiful buttterfly, and I love how this looks in fans and spreads.

Also noteworthy is the fact that this deck is produced by Cartamundi. As a result the cards are slightly thicker and yet feel softer than a standard USPCC produced deck.



More importantly however, is the fact that this ground-breaking deck employs a unique and ingenious marking system that even trained magicians won't easily detect. With the deck you get a key card that explains how the marking system works, as well as a link to full video instructions (53 minutes!) that explains everything thoroughly.

When the two built in marking systems are combined, it's incredible what you're able to do with this deck, because you can read a card without even spreading the deck. It takes some time to master, but you can do real miracles once you have it down, including finding any card just by looking at the side of the deck. It's truly amazing, and as proof of this deck's power is the fact that its creator, Ondrej Psenicka, used it successfully to fool Penn and Teller on their Fool Us show!



FINAL THOUGHTS

One series of decks that I haven't included in the above list is the NOC decks. These have a minimalist back design, which accounts for the acronym behind the name (Nothing Only Color). This makes them very popular with cardists, and they have been released in a wide range of different colours, and slight adjustments for style. Because these cards only indicate the suit, it's not a fully marked deck in the strict sense, which is why it doesn't qualify for the above list. But the markings are so clever, that they are almost impossible for the `unenlightened' to figure them out even if they're looking for them. Many people who own these decks don't even realize that they're marked!

Of the ones listed above, which ones are the best? This will largely be a matter of pure preference, and can be decided by which style you like the best. You should consider how much effort you are willing to put into deciphering a coded marking system, and how easy it is to use. And this is by no means a complete list, or even an attempt to list the definitive top coded decks; there are certainly many others, although the Butterfly deck would certainly be a strong contender to be included in any list of all-time best marked decks.

Do remember that none of these decks are intended for your weekly poker night. The secret that is built into the card backs specifically has the professional magician and mentalist in mind, so don't be tempted misuse them! But if you do enjoy card magic, it's terrific to see the growing range of marked decks available, and the ones featured here are among the best you'll find.

Where to get them: See a large range of marked decks over on PlayingCardDecks.com here.



Author's note: I first published this article at PlayingCardDecks here.

Hello Ender,
Just picked up a deck of the Mortalis cards. If my eyes don't deceive me. it looks like the 2H is missing the marking from one end. That means if you don't check both ends you could misread the 2H as that other card!
Regards,
Phil

Hi Phil, I think you're right about this.

I just checked my copy of this deck, and the 2H has the marking for the suit on both sides of the card, but the marking for the value 2 is missing on one side.

It might be worth contacting the creator of this deck, Pravar Jain, about this over at Area52Magic. His email addresses are listed at the end of the PDF which has the info about the marking system.

Thanks Ender, I just dropped him line. In the mean time I'm pondering fixing the card with a small "nick" on the "2" value with a fine line sharpie.

Do let us what his response is, if you hear back from him.

Will do!

This is just an awesome article explaining the marked deck. Thanks so much for sharing it.

Nice rundown. I'be been playing around with a few decks that are only partially marked (Royal Reserve/Republic, NOC), and trying to find ways to incorporate them into routines. It can be a lot of fun, and sometimes saves you from having to mark the deck yourself in a particular way.

Thank you for the excellent articles!

What do you think of the Phoenix marked decks?

I feel like I need to give a shoutout to Daniel Madison's Blood System, which has saved me a lot of money by allowing me to mark my own decks. I do a lot of marked deck work and so for the past 10 years, the first thing I always do when opening a new deck of cards is first marking them.

What a cracking resource

Great overview. My personal favorite (of those I own) are the DMC Elites.

Excellent review resource, thank you!

Does any one have any idea where I can buy a pack of the Ellusionist 1800 series deck? (The reader system 1800 series decks not the regular ones.) any help in the right direction would be awesome, Thanks.

Unfortunately these are out of print, and can no longer be reprinted due to new restrictions USPCC has put on alterations to the classic Rider-back design.

As a result I don't think they are readily available anywhere, but maybe someone knows of a retailer that still has some in stock.

I really like the DMC Elites best. The advantage of using the much more affordable penguin cards is that they are cheaper to replace and they will also match most of your other gift cards.

Great review! Amazingly comprehensive! Thanks for posting this. I have the DMC Elites, which I love, but am intrigued with the Butterfly Deck and King & Legacy deck.
I love the booklets that are part of the DMC elites!

The DMC Elites have particularly been well received by the magic community, due to how easy they are to read, even from a distance, and yet completely escape notice from spectators.

The Butterfly Deck has also been highly regarded, due to what you can do with it. It's also a lovely back design, and multiple versions of it have since been produced, including some unmarked gilded versions in gold and silver.