Standard Deck
THE MOST COMMON playing card among magicians. If you are starting to learn magic and start looking for information online or other places. You will see people might say that Bicycle Cards are the best card for magicians. Let me clarify that statement. Bicycle Cards is the best "Choice" for magicians, but it is not the best "quality" card for magician. It is the best choice because Bicycle Cards is also common for non-magicians too. Since it is so common, magic company made a lot of card gimmick using the back of the Bicycle Cards. Therefore if you use Bicycle, you can do a lot more tricks. It is a must have.
Probably the second most common deck among magicians. The quality of the cards is a little better than Bicycle Cards, because for its Linoid Finish, which is slightly different than Bicycle's Air-Cushion Finish. They added an extra coat on the surface of Tally-Ho cards to prevent stickiness. When you hold on to the deck it does feel a smoother than Bicycle Cards. Many professionals use Tally-Ho for their routine, and it is also very common for XCM (extreme card manipulation). I love this deck, and I think they should really start making gimmick with Tally-Ho card!
There are two different backs of Tally-Ho Play Cards: Circle Back and Fan Back
Bee Playing CardsIt does not seems to be as common in America as they are in Asia. It is quite easy to find Bee Playing Cards in Asia since they are sold at many store, in America you might have to order them online. It would be the opposite for Bicycle Playing Cards. Bee is not the best choice for magic. The quality of the card is good, but the back of the card is quite boring and not exactly magic friendly. Bee Cards does not have the white edge like the others, which might create a disadvantage for some tricks. It better to use it for games and gamble.
Customize Deck:
Bicycle Master EditionA deck created by Ellusionist. This is my personal favorite. I think this is the best deck of all. For those who has at least some experience with card magic knows that playing cards wear off pretty quickly. Ellusionist decided to strengthen the quality of the Bicycle Deck and created the Master edition that last 7 Times Longer than a regular deck. The cards are a little thicker than normal cards, but it does not feel too different than a normal deck. They are just a little bit harder to bend. They still the normal back of a bicycle playing cards, which means you can do gimmicked tricks with it. The Ace of Spades is Gorgeous! I have never seen such amazing design of an Ace of Spades. I guess the only cons about this deck is that since the cards are a little thicker, triple lift might seems a little unnatural, but double lift still looks pretty good. And the deck is just a little bit more expensive than a normal deck. I believe it is $4.00+tax+shipping.
Probably the very first playing cards that are printed in black. It is quite a revolution from the traditional playing cards. Works perfect if you are a dim light environment such as bars, or clubs. There are some gimmicks that are made for Tiger Deck such as Rising card, Svengali, Stripper, Forcing Deck and Gaff Deck. You should definitely check it out.
Tally-Ho Black Viper Deck
When I first saw the picture I thought it was just another White deck, and I thought it is not going to be as cool as the Black deck (wow! That sounds racist). Until I played with my friend's Ghost Deck, I realized I was COMPLETELY wrong. Everything looks simple but perfect. The white back does bring out a ghost like feeling. The Diamonds and the Hearts are also printed in Black and White except for the symbol right under the number. The Ace of Spades and the Jokers looks very awesome. It is a very cool deck. The gimmicks they made for the Ghost Deck are Mini Deck, Gaff Deck, Rising Card, Invisible Deck (Oh Yea!) and Stripper Deck. Ellusionist also release a new Black Version of Ghost Deck, but they are a little expensive so I haven't try it out yet.
An environmentally friendly deck printed with sustainable forest paper, starch-based laminating glue and vegetable-based printing ink. The deck looks very cool too. Diamonds and the Hearts are printed in green, and so are the face cards too. Quality feel just the same as a regular Bicycle Deck. You should get one as a contribution to the environment.
Deck I didn't get a chance to try out yet:
