Hey everyone, By request from our friend @franciscoufarte0155 (I hope I got the username right, Paco), we're going to take a look at how to get a card inside an orange. So, let's break down how it's done. The photo shows everything we'll need to get a card inside an orange. Let's list it out: An orange – obviously, right? You could try another fruit, but a card hides really well in an orange. Two identical cards. One will go inside the orange, and the other we'll conceal. A utility knife (or hobby knife) to make a perfect cut. I have two: the yellow one for the card, and the blue one I'll use for the orange. Stainless steel straws, or something hard and hollow, roughly the size of a rolled-up card. A hot glue gun, to seal the orange afterward. The 'Contraption.' This is something I built to trim cards and create gimmicks. In fact, the first trick I performed with it is the one we're about to demonstrate. I used my contraption for this, but if you put your mind to it, you could figure out other ways to do it. Basically, it involves weakening the card by cutting through two layers of paper; the spectator won't notice a thing. This way, when we tear the corner in front of the spectator, it will perfectly match the one inside the orange. We weaken two corners so they always tear off identically, and then we break one of them. The other corner we keep hidden in our deck... For this, I use the two straws that I use for card stripping... Check out our friend @Zeta's posts, and you'll see what I'm talking about. With the help of the utility knife and extreme caution (if you're underage, please ask your parents for help), we remove the stem from the orange. For this, we'll use a stainless steel straw, being very careful not to push all the way through the orange. We'll apply just enough pressure to create a hole in the fruit. Then, very carefully, we slide the card into the orange. If the orange is going to sit with the card inside for a while, it's a good idea to wrap it in plastic film so the orange juice doesn't damage it too much. To seal it, we'll apply a tiny bit of hot glue and carefully place the orange stem back in. Here's the final result! Click the link below to watch a video of the orange with the card inside. Happy Sunday!

I was thinking it would be a cool idea to set up a card deck tournament to see which one's the best and get everyone else's opinions. Here's the tournament bracket: Alright, so please vote: Which do you prefer? Bicycle Bee In a week, I'll check the results and post the next round. Let's see who wins!

First off, since this kind of DIY project involves tools, I STRONGLY recommend that any minors ask for adult supervision and help if they want to tackle this project. A quick recap: This was one of many projects I'd been meaning to get around to. The other day, one of my magician friends brought me a few old decks to try some on them, and honestly, the decks came back to life in an incredible way; even a lot of the grime on the edges came right off. At that moment, my friend commented... "Man, all these cards need is a press, and they'd practically be new again..." As soon as he left my place, my brain started hearing the tick-tock of DO IT NOW! . 😁 Materials needed: Acrylic sheets; Dimensions: Width: 120mm x Length: 150mm x Thickness: 5 mm Price (including shipping): €24.07 / 10 = €2.407 per sheet. In my case, I 10 sheets, since the shipping cost was the same, and the more sheets I got, the cheaper they were. Cost for 2 sheets = €4.814, rounded up to €5 5mm bolts (€0.9), 5mm wing nuts (€0.85), springs (€0.8), and washers (€0.40) – around €2.95 Total material cost (€5 + €2.95) around €7.95 + labor. Tools needed: Cordless drill. A wide-fluted, polished, and helically ground drill bit (a metal drill bit works perfectly) Support board for drilling (a kitchen cutting board works perfectly) Clamps to secure the sheets while drilling. Needle-nose pliers (to tighten the nuts securely) Assuming we have ALL the materials ready, the next steps are pretty straightforward. First off, you'll want to create a template. Something like this. I'm assuming it goes without saying how to make a template, right? 😅 Just in case..., here's how you'd do it: First, trace the outline of the acrylic sheet, then center a deck of cards within it and mark its perimeter. The holes will be drilled along the remaining outer edge. Next, secure the acrylic sheet onto the template, and both onto a support that can withstand the drill bit (meaning, don't drill directly on an unprotected table). Everything should be securely clamped down (you need to prevent any movement of the sheet while drilling, both to avoid cracking the sheet and for safety). From here on, we'll use the drill with the bit I mentioned and run it at the LOWEST speed. We'll just drill enough to mark the holes. This way, we won't damage the template and can use it multiple times (if you want to use it again; otherwise, it doesn't matter). Then, remove the template, re-clamp everything just like before (but without the template), and finish drilling the holes. The slower, the better. If you notice the drill bit getting too hot, you can use petroleum jelly (regular or even scented) to lubricate and cool the bit. Once you're done drilling the holes, it's time to assemble the bolts, and you're all set. Easier than IKEA furniture, for sure!!! 🤣 And you're done!!!! You've got your card press . If you want to extend the life of your decks , especially your special editions, I recommend getting at least one of these. As always, I'm delighted to share ideas with the community. Greetings everyone, and happy magic!!!

Hey there! Quick question, is this deck good quality? It says it's from theory11, and I know they have other decks, but I'm not sure about the quality of this one. I also wanted to ask where you would buy it since Magia y cardistry doesn't carry it. Thanks!

Hey everyone! Currently, I don't own any marked decks, and I'm looking to get one. I'd love something easy to read, like the Bicycle Ultimate, but the price is holding me back on that one. I've seen the Phoenix is pretty similar and half the price, so I'm leaning towards that one, but I'd love to hear your opinions. For my daily use, I typically use Bicycle Rider Backs, but it wouldn't be an issue if it wasn't a Bicycle deck, as I switch up my decks quite often. If you have any recommendations, and it's not too much trouble, I'd love to see a photo of the marking so I can get a good look at the details. Thanks a million in advance! Cheers!

Of all the plastic decks I own, I'd like to highlight four of them. FIRST DECK: It's a BIERDORF Black Plastic, Bridge size. The box and the backs both have an incredible motion effect ( which doesn't really show up in a picture 😅), but that alone makes them worth having. Visually, they're beautiful. They feel great to the touch. But... They're horrible for doing a fan or a spread. Otherwise, they're perfectly fine for performing magic. SECOND DECK: A plastic Bicycle ( no idea what its name is, if it even has one ), one of the first ones I bought 10 years ago. Like the previous ones, they're visually beautiful and feel great ( almost better than the last deck ) but again, you can't fan or spread them. Everything else works perfectly, even perfect faros. THIRD DECK: An Aqua deck by MPC . Of all the plastic decks I've tried, hands down, one of THE BEST. In fact, I'd say it's on par with ANY PROFESSIONAL DECK . I repeat, ANY PROFESSIONAL DECK . Unlike the previous ones, these decks CAN indeed be fanned and spread. SOME OF THE BEST OUT THERE when it comes to plastic decks. And for me, one of the best in the world. FOURTH DECK: Last on my list is a Bicycle Prestige . But be careful... NOT THESE PRESTIGE decks: Which are "insignificant" by comparison. The Bicycle Prestige decks I'm referring to are Dura-Flex , and they're the ones you see next. This is, without a doubt ( and obviously in my opinion ), THE BEST PLASTIC DECK IN THE WORLD You can do EVERYTHING with them. I hope this info is useful to someone. Have a great day and happy magic!!!

From all the magic videos I've watched, I still haven't seen any major magicians use Spanish playing cards or a Spanish deck. I haven't found any somewhat well-known performers using them on Google or YouTube either. This isn't a criticism, but I'd really like to know why they're so rarely used. I think they're beautiful decks!

One of the simplest and easiest gimmicks to make is the elastic band gimmick. There's not much to it beyond a few stitches here and there, and they'll practically be ready to use. First, let's go over what you'll need. Required Skill: Basic sewing skills ( and you don't even need to be perfect at it ). Materials: 1.5cm sewing elastic ( 60 cents ) and 3cm ( 60 cents ) Needle and black thread ( which I already had on hand ). Contact cement ( I had some on hand, but it typically runs about 3€ ). A safety pin ( for each gimmick ) I spent less than 5 euros on all the materials and can make about 7 gimmicks. Pro Tip: I have leftover 1.5cm elastic. If I bought another 3cm piece (which would be 60 cents more), I could double the number of gimmicks I make and still keep the total under 5€. Even if I had to buy every single item, I'd probably only spend around 6€ to make 14 gimmicks. Once you have everything, all that's left is to get going! We'll cut the 3cm elastic to about 16.5cm in length, and the 1.5cm elastic to about 13.5cm. On one side of the 3cm elastic, apply contact cement and let it "set" for about a minute. Then, attach the 1.5cm piece. Press down firmly to ensure it adheres well. Now, carefully sew the pieces together, being extra cautious not to shift the elastic bands as you start. The contact cement will help a lot, and it will also prevent the elastic from fraying. It should look something like this: Repeat the contact cement process. Glue the other side, press firmly to ensure the contact cement bonds it well, and then finish it off with some stitching. Now we just need to repeat the process for the securing elastic. Glue and sew. Once all that's done, I recommend letting it sit for a few hours for the cement to fully cure, though you could probably use it right away. And here's how it looks. I hope this is helpful, and be careful with that needle! 😊 Cheers and happy magic!!!

I'll start by saying this is just my personal opinion . 😊 Besides loving magic, I'm also a deck collector. These past few years, it's been torture watching manufacturers constantly pump out new decks, solely because they see a business opportunity (and I get it). Personally, I love all this, but at the same time, it's a real struggle if you're trying to collect everything. There are hundreds of different brands, many of them with hundreds of unique decks, each with their own color and design variations. (By the way, I still don't have any of Julio's decks 🙄) The simplest example would be Bicycle itself, with its color variations of the Rider Back design (except for the fuchsia pink, which is a Standard ). Clearly, this adds a 'visual' touch, making it more personal for everyone. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to designs, there's enough to bore you to tears. Regardless of how "pretty and visual" they are, what should matter most to us is "functionality," which basically means practical utility. I'll drop a link here to Julio's post, where he talks about what he considers The 5 Best Decks for Magic , and since I pretty much agree, I'll save myself from repeating what he's already covered. 😅 So..., depending on what you're doing, what's the ideal deck??? I believe that for performing good magic with techniques that aren't overly complex (self-working/mathematical tricks, Key Card, peeks/glimpses, Control, false cuts, etc.), any deck will do, even those cheap ones from dollar stores. What's more, I actually consider it an ideal handicap if these types of cards are of poorer quality. Because when you use them to practice hard for a while, then finally get your hands on a deck like a Second or Standard Bicycle, you'll feel like a 'God' of card manipulation just from the feel of a normal deck. For example, decks like these: On the left, imitation Bee decks, the BCG from dollar stores (in my case, their utility is obvious: I use them as memorization tools), or decks you get for free from some random promotion. These types of decks are ideal for practicing for the first time. It's not the same if these cards fall to the floor compared to a quality deck. They're great for practicing your first shuffles and getting comfortable, working on card Control to the Top and to the Bottom, gaining confidence with genuine and false cuts, and much more in general. Advantages of practicing with them? As I said before, once you've trained with these types of decks for a while, when you pick up any decent quality deck, you'll feel like you can do anything... you'll *feel* it, but that doesn't necessarily mean you *can*... 😅, though you'll definitely feel a huge improvement in your handling and dexterity. Plus, these types of decks are the most common in bars and restaurants, perfect places to perform your first (and not-so-first) magic tricks. Being able to handle one of these decks professionally requires having used them before. If you start with Bicycle and *only* use Bicycle (or BEE, or Tally-Ho, etc.), chances are that when you get your hands on a cheap, crappy deck like these, you won't be able to do anything (except self-working/mathematical tricks) and your fingers will feel clumsy with them. So I believe, just like weights in a gym, these types of decks... are a kind of 'training weight'. Okay, but what if I want a good, acceptable deck? Which one would that be? Among the most well-known, we'd primarily be talking about Bicycle, and more specifically its Standard decks, although for just about 1 Euro more, we could easily get better quality. The lineup would look something like this: From left to right, clockwise: at 9 o'clock, the Second ; at 12 o'clock, the Standard ; at 3 o'clock, the Rider Back ; and at the bottom, together, at 6 o'clock (L to R), the Sello de Oro and the Supreme Line . Okay, from my point of view, the Second , the Standard , and the Rider Back are THE EXACT SAME thing but with different boxes and prices. Seriously, if I buy a pack of Second s, put them in a Rider Back box, I GUARANTEE you, I could hand them to a magician, and they wouldn't even notice. It's true that some Second decks come with misaligned backs or even faces (never happened to me), but for the most part, if they come out good, they're identical to Standard and Rider Back s. NOTE: The ones that come misaligned... have a wider white border on one side. Break out the paper cutter, and, if it's the long edges that are off, welcome your new Stripper Deck If it's the short edges, welcome your new Short Deck That being said, for me, the best deck to really put through its paces is the Second , since it's the cheapest, followed by the Standard , and finally the Rider Back The next step up for me would be to move directly to the Bicycle Supreme Line For their price point, I consider them by far the best in terms of quality/price – as good as (or maybe even better???) than Richard Turner's Gold Seals , and I say that without a doubt. They feel incredible in your hands for any kind of technique, and the Faro shuffles... oh, those smooth, buttery Faro shuffles. Pure bliss. And for Cardistry? Well, I haven't been doing Cardistry for long, but I'll say that when it comes to moves and especially glides, the Tally-Ho s are my favorite. I consider them excellent decks; they feel great in the hands, and their finish typically holds up to a lot of abuse, more so than 'normal' Bicycles. And obviously, for magic, they're perfect, no doubt about it. Other decks that work well for me for cardistry (and magic) are Bee s and... Phoenix s? ( 🤔) The Bee decks are more casino-grade and therefore have really good quality. Their borderless backs are perfect for starting to practice the ' Second Deal ' and not much else; a very good deck. And the Phoenix decks, 'made by magicians, for magicians' well..., what can I say..., I... I still haven't quite gotten the hang of this deck... My fans come out terrible (and I've opened several decks already), and I can't even get a decent Faro shuffle out of them. I've used them for magic and tried Cardistry too, but there's something about them that just doesn't click for me. I can't tell you what it is, because I don't know yet 🤫 It might just be my hands and ME, or some subconscious hang-up. As always, my personal opinion . Cheers to the whole community and good magic to all!!!

CABINETARIUM: The Deck That Took TWO YEARS to Make. My girlfriend travels a lot for her job. Last year, she had to go to Paris, and like anyone visiting Paris, she stopped by the Louvre Museum. To her surprise, she found this deck in the gift shop and brought it back for me. What she didn't know was that I was already *very* familiar with the *entire* story behind these cards. That's right: the Cabinetarium deck from Art of Play has been years in the making. Trust me, you'll understand as soon as you see it. Dan and Dave, owners of Art of Play, and creators and leaders in the playing card market, never cease to amaze. I've followed their work for years, and they always have surprises in store for us, but this one has to be one of my favorites: this deck was hand-illustrated by Armando Vive, a talented illustrator from Philadelphia. The level of detail in his work makes you understand why it took two years to illustrate. Regarding the technical details of the deck, it was printed by USPCC in the United States and features Dan and Dave's Thin Crushed finish. This means it's a typically thin deck. The cards retail for $25 USD. I've photographed my favorite parts of the deck so you can appreciate Armando's work. The last one is my favorite. Art of Play defines this deck as "a blended gallery of surreal fantasy," and I couldn't agree more. Back then, I defined it as "the entrance to the most terrifying part of your dreams." How would you define it? Honestly, -Monet.

VERTIGO: The Deck ONLY for Movie Buffs. If you're a film fanatic, you've undoubtedly heard of Alfred Hitchcock. He was a hugely influential Director, Producer, and Screenwriter in the history of cinema. His most famous films? Vertigo Psycho The Birds North by Northwest But getting back to the main point, we've seen plenty of decks that are studio or movie collaborations, but NONE of them are as bold a move as this one. Everyone loves Avengers, and we know that's easy money (and that's perfectly okay! People deserve to have decks based on whatever they want :face_with_hand_over_mouth:), but Alfred Hitchcock is a completely different subject, much less commercial compared to what I just mentioned. NONE of these were made by the owners of the playing card industry. Yep, that's right. This deck was designed by Brad Fulton and produced by Dan and Dave, so we're confident the product is of the highest possible quality. Why is this important? Well, it's pretty unique: it's a deck based on a very important movie in film history, made by the people who created the world of playing cards. This shows us that playing cards, Magic, and Cardistry aren't that far removed from pop culture. Now nothing is impossible for the world of cards. For me, this really opened a huge door. I snapped a few pics to show you the deck: As for the technical specs of the Vertigo deck, it was printed by USPCC in the United States, and, being produced by Dan and Dave, it features their Thin Crushed finish. To me, this is top of the line. You can buy it at this . If you'd like to see this deck in action, I made a video when Fulton's Playing Cards sent them to me. I'll leave the video . What collaborations would YOU like to see in the world of cards? For more, follow me on Instagram: Honestly, -Monet.

I'm just starting out in magic and I'm trying to find the ideal deck. Could you give me some recommendations?

Hey everyone! I'm looking to buy a deck with all different backs, like the one shown at the 1:50 mark. Can anyone tell me where to get it?

Does anyone know if you can create your own custom deck, like Julio, and where to do it, if it's even possible?

Hey everyone, I'd love to get some videos of simple tricks to get started. Thanks! 😁 (Ideally card magic)

What do Bicycle decks and a golf ball have in common? Do you know? Today, you're going to discover one of the reasons why Bicycle playing cards slide so smoothly through your fingers. I don't know if you've ever held a golf ball, but even though they're small, they've got some serious weight to them, and a hit to the head from a certain distance could be deadly. The maximum speed ever recorded for a golf ball is 349.38 km/h (Ryan Winther in 2013). Almost as fast as a Ferrari. How does a ball that size achieve such speed? The "secret" lies in its texture—in the tiny dimples that cover the entire ball. In the early days of the sport, it was thought that smooth balls would have less air resistance, but over time, the opposite was proven. Those small grooves on the ball are responsible for creating less air resistance, allowing them to travel much farther. Alright, but... what does that have to do with playing cards? If you look at a Bicycle card box, on one of the sides it says " AIR-CUSHION FINISH ". It literally translates to "air cushion finish," and it refers to the micro-indentations you'll notice on the card if you look closely with good light. Playing cards aren't smooth; they have a certain texture (just like a golf ball!). This causes that when one card is placed on top of another, they don't "fully" touch, allowing air to "flow" between them, creating that smoothness when spreading a fan. Isn't that amazing? Here are 3 links if you want to learn more about this world. Here, I explain how to create your own custom deck: And in these last two, you can see inside a playing card factory; it's incredible everything that happens before a deck lands in our hands. There's a lot of "technological magic" involved in that whole process too.

Hey everyone, this might be a silly question, but I used the same deck for both magic and cardistry for two years, and it got super worn out to the point where the cards can't fan smoothly anymore. Now I have two new decks, and I wanted to ask if it's better to dedicate one just for magic and the other solely for cardistry to make them last longer. Thanks!

Another quick one. I just picked up some Bicycle Rider Backs, and every now and then when I buy them, I end up with decks coded 808. Even though most of them are 807. Does anyone know why this happens, or if there's any difference? And if not, are there any interesting tidbits? Since I've noticed the Ace of Spades always has this number for some reason. And I heard somewhere that there's something special about them, though maybe it's just a myth, who knows. Question 2: Specifically, the 808s I got this time have a blue seal instead of the usual black one. Does anyone know what that's about..?

Here's another deck loader that's relatively easy to make. Let's start with what we'll need. Skills Required: Using a utility knife. Using a drill or hand auger. * A note for younger folks: If you decide to make this, please ask an adult for help. Materials: Black craft board, "Chinese" A4 size, which comes out to about 20x30 cm (instead of the standard 21x29.7 cm). 3mm round elastic cord. A good, large utility knife. Cordless drill and a 4mm wood drill bit. As an alternative, a 4mm wood auger would also work and be safer for younger folks. Fine-grit sandpaper. File and wood gouge. Metal binder clips. Safety pins ( preferably black ). Permanent marker. Let's start by cutting the board. The board ( which I bought at the dollar store ) measures 20x30cm. Therefore, 20 divided by 3 equals 6.667cm. Make the divisions with a ruler and pencil, then with a lot of patience run the utility knife over the lines again and again, about 20 to 30 times ( it's better to take your time and not press too hard ). Little by little, it will cut perfectly. You'll end up with strips measuring 30x6.667cm. Take those long 30cm strips and divide them every 10cm, repeating the previous cutting process. Ultimately, you'll have pieces that are 10x6.667cm. Using fine-grit sandpaper, sand all the edges until they're perfectly smooth. Now, make some marks, roughly as shown in the picture. If you look closely, I've lined up the board with the grid on the cutting mat to give you a measurement reference. Using an awl, mark the four spots where we'll drill holes, then secure the board. 4mm wood drill bit. Drill the holes. Be careful not to drill too fast to avoid splitting the wood on the exit side. It can also be fixed with a permanent marker. Now, use sandpaper to start the grooves. Wood sandpaper is better but in my case I didn't have such fine wood sandpaper, so I used metal sandpaper. Then, use a gouge to complete the groove. Now, using the permanent marker... Grab the elastic. And start threading. Make a knot at the end. Tighten it well. Then pull it taught so it acts as a stopper. Measure it, more or less as shown in the picture, and then cut off the excess elastic. You'll need to experiment a bit to get the tension you prefer. Knowing the distance the knot needs to be at ( where there isn't one right now, that's where you need to make it ), pull the elastic to make it easier to tie the knot. Once the knot is made, pull the elastic taut to where it should go. Trim any excess from the knots, then tension the elastic as shown in the pictures. Now we'll just need a safety pin and a binder clip to finish up. I assure you that clip holds the deck's weight and handles tugs perfectly without coming undone. At least for me, it works pretty well and doesn't come undone ( sometimes it shifts a bit and I have to adjust it ). But to prevent it from moving or coming loose under pressure ( if you yank on the deck like crazy 😅), you can secure it with polyurethane glue or cyanoacrylate (super glue). And you're done! It should be easy to understand. However, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. All the best and happy magic!!!