Playing Card Buyers Guide: The Jacks of all Trades
What are the “Jacks of All Trades?”
The “Jacks of All Trades” are cards in the mid range of flexability. Bicycles and Tally Ho decks are the two most common brand in this category.
Flourishers who do a little bit of everything and flourishers who have yet to adopt a distinct style, will be drawn to these decks. Daniel Madison’s style of flourishing is very much a Jack of all Trades style, though the Buck Twins and Andrei Jikh could also be categorized here. (In my opinion, however, Jikh and the Bucks each reside on one side of this spectrum)
Magicians who fall into this category will also be into a little bit of everything and, or, beginners or intermediates. As far as famous examples…..too many to count!
The truth is that the vast majority of all magicians and flourishers will be in this camp.
Aladdin 1001 Smooth Finish:
Going Rate: $3.00-$5.00
Width: 15mm (-1 or -2 Bikes) Surface: Smooth
The best “Fanning” smooth finish deck I have tried. Many people like these and even the Buck twins used them on their AndThenSome DVD. I think they are a good deck and they prove that USPCC can make decent smooth finish decks but honestly there are much better cards on the market that take more advantage of what smooth finishes have to offer. If you can buy them for $3.00 or under don’t hesitate to pick up a few but don’t go searching high and low for them or spending high prices for them. They are not worth that much effort.
Angelback Squeezers:
Going Rate:$5.00
Width: 15.1 (2 or -3 Bikes) Surface: Dimpled Cambric
This is is essentially a Tally Ho stock with a commemorative back. The ad card has been replaced with a “History card” which was a nice touch and indicates that current USPCC management at least has some interest in the companies history. Unfortunately this one with quality standards(Q3 or Q4 would be my guess) that indicate USPCC was more interested in protecting the trademark of the back design than they were in producing a good qualitycommemorative deck.
Anglo Poker Edition:
Going Rate: $6.00/ deck depending on exchange rate
Width: 15.5 mm (Same as Bike) Surface: Mini Dimpled Cambric
This is the younger, uglier, dumber, brother to the Anglo Rug Backs. If I was an English Lord and the Anglos were my sons this is the one I would send off to the Army. Offason decided to listen to some magicians(who apparently must have been Bicycle fans) and what they wound up with was a card that seems to be trying to hard to be like a bike. The stock is thicker than the Rug deck but softer as well. They switched to a cambric pattern finish but somehow it didn’t seem to help this one. It lost many of the qualities that made the original Anglos great but failed to improve on the Anglos “Achilles Heel”, its poor fan. There is a line of gaff cards available for Poker editions but for a guy who does little gaff card magic, and what I do I gaff on my own, this deck held little appeal for me. Would I prefer it to a Bike 808? Sure. But when you add in the price, $6.00 vs. $3.00, I’ll pass.
Arrco U.S. Reg. Deck:
Going Rate: $6.00-$7.00/Deck
Width: 15.5(same as a Bike) Surface: Dimpled Cambric
Arrcos are an odd deck. In feel almost identical to an 808 except for the final finish, yet some how this finish makes a difference in performance of this deck for high end sleights. Add to that the beautifully detailed artwork on the back design and somehow a mid range, non-custom, deck snagged a four-star rating out of me. Don’t listen to just me, this is also the favored deck of up and coming card star Chad Nelson. Warning: the Green and Black Arrcos that hit the market recently are not the same deck and have not gotten good reviews. Be sure you are getting the real deals and those are only available in red and blue.
Bulldog Squeezers:
Going Rate: $3.00-$4.00 / pack
Width: 15.2mm (-1 or -2 Bikes) Surface: Dimpled Cambric
This is truly a 5 star deck! This is an outstanding deck of cards performance wise, and it helps that I like the looks too. It has a very bold one way design that some claim is bad for magic performances but I have yet to have spectator get suspicious. Mostly they just think they look really unique. If you are a fan of Tally-Hos and Bees then this deck is your baby. This feels like a “best of” deck incorporating all the best feature of the Bee and the Tally. These have just been taken off the market but the stocks are still flush(final Printing 2009) so you have a year or two to fetch these at a cheap price. I strongly recommend you do so. (Quick heads up, some people have claimed they smell funny? Got no clue as to why but it may have something to do with the final printing that came out of the Kentucky plant. I didn’t review the Kentucky Bulldogs so I can’t really comment.)
Conjuring Arts Bee “Erdnase” Acorn Backs(Cambric):
Where to buy: Secondary Market
Going Rate:$8:00-$10:00
Width: 15.8 (+1 or +2 Bikes) Surface: Dimpled Cambric
Promising deck printed on Bee Casino Grade stock. This performs almost in the range of the Elusionist UV500 decks. More than most decks this one suffers from humid climates in a BAD way.
Conjuring Arts Bee “Erdnase” Acorn Backs 2nd. Ed.(Cambric):
Where to buy: Secondary Market
Going Rate:$8:00-$10:00
Width: 15.3 (-1 or -2 Bikes) Surface: Dimpled Cambric
A new stock was designed that was advertised as being more resilient to humidity. Did it work? You bet! This may be one of the best Dimple finished cards for coping with highly humid climates. If Conjuring arts continues printing their cards on this stock then they have a winner on their hands. With a traditional cut this deck also handles gambling demos like a champ. When first released it sold for $3.50-$4.00. Considering the overall quality to price it makes new Conjuring Arts decks the best overall buy in the custom playing card market.
Conjuring Arts Bee Smith Back 2nd. Ed (Cambric):
Where to buy: Secondary Market
Going Rate:$8:00-$10:00
Width: 15.8 (+1 or +2 Bikes) Surface: Dimpled Cambric
For all intents and purposes this is the same deck as the Acorn decks except for the back design. The back design is a nice hybrid design that will work almost as well for dealing bottoms and seconds as it will for covering reversed cards (such as for a triumph effect.) A design that will appeal to those who want one deck that can do it all.
Carta-Mundi Casino deck:
Going Rate: $3.00-$4.00
Width: 15mm (-2 or -3 Bikes) Surface: Smooth
The Carta Mundis have an excellent, long lasting, stock and finish. While this card wont fan as well as most USPCC cards in the same category(generalists) it will hold together much better in complicated cuts, aerial flourishes, and for difficult sleight of hand. To bad this particular deck is ugly as sin! Keep your eyes out for ascetically pleasing decks on the Carta Mundi Stock.(Hint: Magic Castle Cards)
Split Spade Lions (1st ed.) “David Blaine Signature Series”
Going Rate: $7.00-$10.00
Width: 15.2mm(-1 or -2 Bikes) Surface: Dimpled Cambric
A great deck of cards printed on a Tally Ho stock(or at least very similar.) A great deck but nothing unique enough about its handling to set it above the other great decks on the market.
T-11 Bicycle Centurions:
Going Rate: $5.00/deck
Width: 15.5 (same as Bike) Surface: Dimpled Cambric
This seems to be a deck on standard Bicycle stock but printed on a higher quality press and with more stringent quality controls. Expect good performance, a little extra life expectancy, but other than that it doesn’t stand above the competition.
T-11 Bicycle Guardians:
Going Rate: $5.00/deck
Width: 15.5 (same as Bike) Surface: Dimpled Cambric
This feel like it is almost the exact same card as the Bike Centurions even though they were each produced from a different factory. Like it’s brother it seems to be a deck on standard Bicycle stock but printed on a higher quality press and with more stringent quality controls. Expect good performance, a little extra life expectancy, but other than that it doesn’t stand above the competition.
T-11 Propoganda:
Going Rate: $5.00/deck
Width: 15.2mm(-1 or -2 Bikes) Surface: Dimpled Cambric
Before the release of the Sentinel this was the best performing T11 deck for magical purposes. If you like the looks you probably will love this deck. The performance reminds me of Bulldog Squeezers and the David Blaine Split Spades.
T-11 Sentinels:
Going Rate: $6.00/Deck
Width: 15.2 (-1 or -2 Bikes) Surface: Dimpled Cambric
These things start out super smooth. So much so that it’s hard to hold a secure double. Once it break in it becomes one of the most outstanding performers in the “Jack of all Trades” class of cards. Artistically this is a masterpiece of modern card design. A true 5 star performer!
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