Differences Between Bicycle Decks

Hey @fr_lorenzo,

I'm going to add my comments here, which pretty much align with @Zeta's. Though I do have a few minor disagreements on some points (let's get a little critical 🤣).

For everyday use, I've got plenty of Seconds and Rider Backs. I'm not a fan of the Standard decks because of the tuck box (even though you can snag them individually, and they're super cheap), and I also don't like that one of the jokers in the Standard decks is full of text (call me a snob).

I use several decks and rotate them to let them rest. I agree with @Zeta on that point.

Another deck I use a lot are the Maiden Backs from Penguin Magic. They have Elite paper stock, which is comparable to a Supreme deck (I have a couple), but I prefer P3's Elite paper stock a bit more. I bought the Maiden Backs in a 12-pack, and they came out to $5 a deck. That's the price of a Supreme, but these are marked decks, which opens up a lot of possibilities.

For me, I judge a deck by how well it handles Faro shuffles. And even though I can do a perfect Faro with a dollar store deck or a Burger King promo deck (some of you have seen the video), the effort just isn't worth it. So, I need a deck that doesn't give me grief.

As for being able to distinguish them, I think you'd have to be Richard Turner; otherwise, it's really tough. In my experience, when I've tested them, it hasn't turned out as I expected, and I swear I thought I had it down. But I've come to the conclusion it's like drinking sodas with your nose plugged... (they all taste the same).

Here's a video from Sean Devine where he does a blind taste test of cheap vs. expensive cards, and even he is amazed at how few he guesses correctly... (and I don't consider him a novice).

Enjoy the magic!

P.S. Another deck to try, though it's hard to find now, is the first edition Juggler Marble, with Hanson Chien's stock. They have an incredible feel, and I can distinguish them from Bicycle decks, but not from other Hanson Chien decks I own.

Just a fun tidbit, Hanson Chien only has 7 of those decks left, and they're practically sold out everywhere else... Did you know that, @jribera ?

Today I got a bit particular about my decks and pulled some out of their boxes. I decided to measure them with a caliper, so I grabbed 20 cards from each deck and started measuring to get a general sense of their thickness.

I should mention that some are used and might have puffed up a bit, but they're still performing pretty well for now. The ones I marked as 'new' aren't fresh out of the box, but they were opened fairly recently.

• Bicycle Seconds, new.. 5.70mm
• Bicycle Rider Back, new.. 5.80mm
• Bicycle Gold Seal, used.. 5.80mm
• Bicycle Maiden Back, new.. 5.60mm
• Bicycle Elite, new.. 5.50mm
• Bicycle Elite, used.. 5.60mm
• Bicycle Supreme Line, new.. 5.50mm
• Bicycle Mandolin Back, used.. 6.00mm
• Tally Ho Penguin Magic, used.. 5.55mm
• Bee, used, 6.10mm
• Phoenix Back, new.. 5.65mm

Which means that between the thickest (6.10mm) and the thinnest (5.50mm), there's only about a 0.03mm difference in average card thickness.

Another day, when I have a moment, I'll make a video showing how they handle. But with all the decks in the picture, I can do 8 perfect faro shuffles (I have a soft spot for the Gold Seal, Bee, and Elite decks), so any of these decks work perfectly and I use them regularly. In fact, I have so many Seconds decks it's almost embarrassing to say, but it lets me use them, sign them, tear them, and not have any qualms about it....

Thickness doesn't tell the whole story, though. The paper quality also comes from the finishes used and the type of pressing the paper undergoes. I'm just sharing this as an observation. We'll see what I do with these...

My advice is the same as always: the deck doesn't make the magician, but every magician has their go-to deck... everyone should find theirs. In my case, it's the Maiden Backs, which, as I've mentioned before, are marked and made with Elite stock.

Another day, I'll do the same with other decks, but this thread is all about Bicycle. In fact, I was thinking of putting together a template for reviewing decks at the club so we don't leave anything out... I'll leave that here as an idea.

Cheers, everyone...

Hey there!

I'll tell you what I think...

@fr_lorenzo:

Is there a visible or tactile way to tell them apart? If not, what's the actual difference in how they're used in card magic?

From my perspective, yes, there is. Second and Standard decks are thicker (just enough to feel it) and their cut isn't the traditional one you find in Supreme Line (or Seal Gold) decks; that's another noticeable difference.

Sure, on an individual level, if you slip one, two, or even three loose Supreme cards into a Standard deck, it might seem tough to tell them apart, but it's far from impossible.

You can really feel the difference by touch.

I imagine it takes some practice, but you should be able to do it "with your eyes closed," just by the feel of your fingers.

Personally, I think it's pretty easy, but that's always the case once you know how to do something 😅. Just practice, and you'll see you'll get it without much trouble.

@fr_lorenzo:

And while I'm at it, I'll ask the same about the Bicycle Gold Seal decks, to see if I should pick some up and start learning to spot the differences when performing moves and so on.

Here's my personal take:

I wouldn't bother buying Gold Seal decks (and I probably have about 9 or 10 unopened packs of them myself) unless it's strictly "for collecting" or just to own a few decks, maybe to resell them down the road? 🤔 I'm not sure, basically just to have them, that's it.

Quality-wise, Supreme Line decks (and again, this is just my personal opinion) are just as good, if not better, than the Gold Seals, and they're cheaper.

So, without a doubt, I'd recommend prioritizing Supreme Line decks.

And, of course, have at least one Gold Seal deck (and definitely don't use it!) because they're the Richard Turner decks, but that's pretty much it.

Cheers and happy magic!