Collections: LUXX Version 2 Shadow Edition by JP Playing Cards

In 2014 JP Playing Cards launched an idea, an idea that consisted of bringing a custom deck to the on-line retailers inventory that was truly its own. That line was LUXX. The coolest part of the LUXX model was that it took one of today’s best designers and utilized their talents to design a truly striking pack of cards. The original release (v1) was hugely successful and has become a bit of a must have in many aficionado’s collections. The follow up to the v1 is the LUXX Shadow Edition. Version 2 offers the same features that were praised in Version 1, but in a new “Classic” color pallet.
The Shadow Edition is available in both Gold and Silver, both tucks have the same design as the original with gold/silver accent foil as well as a black accent that give the tuck a nice pop. The interior of the tuck also brings back the shimmering glossy interior and, as with the original, I just love the stock of the tuck. A nice heave sturdy feel that gets away from the thinner standard tuck stock we see in common decks.

The deck itself once again has completely custom courts, jokers and Ace of Spades, and also includes a Poker Hand Ranking guide. The pips have a subtle customization as to not be distracting in a game of Poker and the same can be said of the court cards, they remain very familiar, yet offer subtle touches to set them apart.  The LUXX line so far has featured the design work of Randy Butterfield, designer of another striking deck, Draconian. Randy’s work is featured on both version 1 and 2. The interesting thing about JP’s LUXX line is that their bringing in some proven talent to let them give their twist on the LUXX line, next up is designer Rick Davidson of the Origins deck.

The LUXX line has been stellar so far, form and function and beautiful to look at whether in a collection or poker table. I think the formula JP’s using thus far is brilliant by bringing in familiar designers to extend the run of LUXX. If you’re unfamiliar with LUXX or JP’s Playing Cards, give them a visit. While the version 1 decks have become scarce, the version 2 Shadow Edition are still available if you haven’t added them to your collection as of yet. The long and short of it is these decks have a beautiful look, feel and design, you won’t be disappointed with the LUXX series.

The Collection segment is produced by Anthony Ingrassia of Kardify. No part of this article, images or video can be reproduced without written permission from the author and Kardify.com. To see more of Anthony's (Sparkz) collection please visit sparkzcollector.com . 

First Look: LUXX Palme Playing Cards by JP Playing Cards

Continuing the series of luxury playing cards, Palme is the second design in JP Playing Cards' stunning LUXX series. Designed by Rick Davidson, creator of the beautiful Origins Cards, Palme is a deck inspired by the beautiful Paisley pattern, which has roots and heritage across the globe.

LUXX® Palme, created by @rickdavidsonz. Pre orders soon! #luxxplayingcards #playingcards

A photo posted by JP Playing Cards (@jpplayingcards) on Sep 4, 2015 at 6:28am PDT

The Palme backs features full-bleed, borderless design, giving this deck a unique look and style which is carried through the deck and onto the tuck. The eye-catching tuck box features a wrap-around design and embossing complete with matte foiled LUXX logo. We asked Paul Middleton what was the inspiration behind Palme and how did he end up working with Rick,

Paisley was a design I’ve always enjoyed and I believed it would inspire a beautiful deck. There was only one choice for the designer really, I've got a pretty good relationship with Rick and he stood out as the perfect person to move the series on. I’m glad he said yes because he’s more with the theme and concept than I thought possible. We’re incredibly excited to see the reception that this deck when it’s our there with our customers!

A piece from the upcoming LUXX Palme deck. Loved working with @jpplayingcards on this one. Coming soon to www.jpplayingcards.co.uk #joker #LUXX #playingcards #customplayingcards #pokercards #USPCC #collectingplayingcards #cardporn #illustration #graphicdesign #playingcardart #originscards #playingcardcollector #poker #cards #design #cardstagram

A photo posted by Rick Davidson (@rickdavidsonz) on Sep 14, 2015 at 3:38pm PDT

With the design, what does this mean for the future of LUXX? Paul continued,

We’d always intended for LUXX to be a series of decks, but it wasn’t clear early on exactly how that would be achieved. I wanted to create a brand which was synonymous with luxury, whilst being decks which people actively use. Randy’s beautiful work on the original first and shadow editions meant that I wanted to ensure that the next design in the series was suitably different at the same time as carrying those brand characteristics.

A Limited Edition of 2000 of each colour printed on Elite Finish by the Legends Playing Card Company, a similar finish to Classic which has increased durability and a slightly different texture.

Palme will be available for pre-order beginning on Friday, October 2nd. To find out more about LUXX Palme Playing Cards or to pre-order, visit JP Playing Cards.

JP Playing Cards: 7 Questions with Paul Middleton of LUXX Playing Cards

Earlier this year, a teaser of LUXX was revealed to the customers of JP Playing Cards and this has generated quite a buzz around the playing cards community. Created by Paul Middleton and designed by the talented Randy Butterfield, their aim was to create a beautiful deck of playing cards which still have some traditional elements - to appeal to as many of JP Playing Cards' customers as possible ranging from magicians and cardists, to collectors and amateur poker and card game players. Finally, LUXX is available as a pre-order from JPPlayingcards.co.uk.

When the first teasers of LUXX were released in March, we reached out to Paul and had a quick chat about his motivation for creating his own deck of playing cards, inspiration behind LUXX, working with Randy and his thoughts on crowd-funding.

From running jpplayingcards.co.uk, one of the fastest growing online playing cards store in Europe to creating your own playing cards. What motivated you to create your own deck of cards? 
I guess it probably started when we first realised that Lawrence (LPCC) was opening up his printing company to work with third parties. His Legends decks have all been extremely popular with the majority of our regular customers and so the motivation became to produce a deck that was practical yet beautiful. An elegant deck of cards that was still something that would be opened and enjoyed. With that in mind the aim has been to go with traditional recoloured courts with a beautiful at of aces and back design. Something we can be proud of as a small family business, and a deck we'd enjoy using ourselves too.

Can you describe the LUXX playing cards and why you’re passionate about it?
The LUXX cards will be elegant, intricate and beautiful whilst remaining practical and fun to use. I've even passionate from the start about seeing these cards be used and enjoyed and the best way we can do that is to make them affordable and accessible, but still with a luxury feel. So we'll do our best to keep the price realistic and we're also planning a potential reprint in the future so we can stock it as a running line in our store. We're working on ways to make the first run special though, so collectors will have something to cherish.

When the teaser image of LUXX was released in January, many were pleasantly surprised to find out that Randy Butterfield created the design. How did you and Randy end up working together?
We had initially agreed to work with a UK based design agency who I was in regular contact with. Shortly before work was due to start I got the feeling that or work was last in the line of a long list of priorities and I began having doubts. I've been talking with Randy of and on since the inception of our company as he's always been very friendly and generous with his time. I can't remember the specific email conversation but I ran the idea past him on the off-chance and he said yes rather unexpectedly. If I'd realised that we would have asked him first! He genuinely is one of our favourite playing card designers.

What role did you play in the art direction and how much time was spent working on the deck?
Realistically - I wanted to give Randy a framework for the deck and the idea and then go with it. I'd told Randy from the very beginning that it was my intention to let him design and to trust his skills and experience. There have been a couple of occasions when I may have had a different opinion to Randy but ultimately I've tried to stay true to my word about trusting his opinion and instincts, after all - we're not designers and Randy is the one with huge successes behind him.

Are you planning to release more decks in the future?
The simple answer is no, we'll see how this goes first of all. Our business has grown at a reasonably fast pace and we don't want to bite off more than we can chew, so to speak. We'd love to produce more decks, but have no plans right now.

Update: Paul pointed out that there are plans for a second LUXX for sure. When and how is up for discussion at this point. That is good news! :D

Do you see the continuous strong growth of playing card projects on Kickstarter as a trend or or fad? Why?
Great question. It's very hard to say to be honest. It's pretty clear that Kickstarter is here to stay in the playing card industry. It's become a big part of the market in recent times with the surge of independent using the crowd funding platform. My own personal opinion is that I'd love to see it being used to actually Kickstart a business rather than be a pre/order process for each and every deck that is created by a company. That being said, it's a risk free no lose situation - who wouldn't be happy with that?

Finally, what are your favourite playing card decks?
As a family - the cards we love the most are Aurum from Encarded, Royal Optik from Uusi, Mana v1 Oracle and Randy's Ornates - but my personal favourite would have to be either the Ornates or Aurum.


I want to thank Paul for his time and sharing about the beautiful LUXX Playing Cards. You can also check out the wide range of playing cards available from JP Playing Cards here!

Revealed: LUXX: Shadow Edition Playing Cards Part II

This is the second part of our first look at the upcoming LUXX: Shadow Edition deck from JP Playing Cards. In part I we looked at the theme colours and the motivation behind creating a new version. In this first look, we will focus on the design, the pricing and the date for the pre-order of LUXX: Shadow Edition.

On the design differences between the two LUXX versions and the price point, Paul said:

No differences in the actual design at all aside from colour and tuck. It’s a colour change, with metallics. We are not ashamed about that but in order to get the price down lower we needed to use those same plates and up the print run, as you probably know. Whilst we appreciate the use of colours is not unique, the idea behind the ‘Shadow Edition’ is that the black replaces the silver from v1 and creates a shadow effect, something that we feel looks unusual and sets v2 LUXX apart.

We’ll have lower pricing for the pre orders along with a special holographic seal for the first 500 of each deck purchased as a thank you to early customers, along with a very cool brick box made of the same tuck stock that the LUXX tucks - and a black nickel v2 dealer coin to complete the set’.

Standard pricing for these decks will be £7.99 or £7.49 each for 2. The special price of £6.99/£6.49 applies during the Pre-Order window only, starting April 30th at 4PM GMT for 2 weeks. As Paul mentioned above, the first 500 of each deck will have a special holographic seal and will be available for sale individually only during the pre-order window.

A maximum of 4 decks with holographic seals will be in any one order, You can order as many as you wish - but only the first 4 will have the seals. It's essentially to give as many people as possible a chance to grab them, If they don't sell out Paul will include them in the split bricks after the release date.

The release date is expected (but not confirmed) to be May 30th. All pre-orders are expected to be despatched by the release date. To find out more about LUXX: Shadow Edition Playing Cards, visit JP Playing Cards - one of the fastest growing collectible playing card stores in the World.

Revealed: LUXX: Shadow Edition Playing Cards Part I

JP Playing Cards has announced that a new version of LUXX will be available for pre-order in the spring of 2015. This is a follow-up to the popular first version from last year that generated quite a buzz and received rave reviews from the playing card community.

LUXX v2 will feature black/gold foil and black/silver foils, the main colour being black to fit the ‘Shadow Edition’ theme. When asked what motivated him to create the new version, Pauls' response was simple.

It was always our aim from day one with v1 to produce a luxury deck for the long term, which can be continuously stocked in our store. Before we released LUXX it was impossible to know exactly how popular the design would be, but since the release beat all expectations we had for the deck - giving us the confidence to release a bigger print run v2 which can be reprinted should there be sufficient demand to do so. We’d considered reprinting the original colours without one or two features but decided , with the help of some valuable feedback from customers and others in the industry that new colour ways would be better.

Stay tuned for the second part on the design and price of the LUXX: Shadow Edition, coming soon!

To find out more about LUXX: Shadow Edition Playing Cards, visit JP Playing Cards - one of the fastest growing collectible playing card stores in the World.

News: The Original LUXX is Back! JP GAMES Releases LUXX Redux Red Playing Cards

The original LUXX is back! JP GAMES has just released the LUXX Redux Red, designed by Randy Butterfield, featuring a stunning tuck, all new design, and an improved back design. Gorgeous!

According to founder, Paul Middleton,

The original LUXX holds a very special place for us here at JP GAMES. The birth of our own brand of premium playing cards back in 2014 was a resounding success and the brand went on to thrive with multiple releases over the coming years. Now, Randy Butterfield is back with a rework of our beloved original.

For the packaging JP GAMES kept the best of the original tuck: Thick black matte stock, gorgeous foiling and superior detail. Using the same style box as for the Palme decks, Randy has refreshed the wrap around design to suit the new housing.

Redux Red features a set of two jokers, and an all new design. The back design has been subtly tweaked and improved to show off the now instantly recognizable artwork.

Available now from JP GAMES. There will be options to pick up a brick; include one of each of the other colors - silver, gold, orange and blue and a set of 5 (1 of each - redux red, orange, blue, silver and gold).

Revealed: LUXX Playing Cards Part I

Here's an exclusive first look of the LUXX deck from JP Playing Cards. This elegant deck was created by Randy Butterfield, designer of the successful White Ornate. In February, the LUXX backs were revealed to customers of JP Playing Cards and this has generated quite a buzz around the playing cards community.

Thanks to Paul Middleton, owner of JP Playing Cards, we are able to do a partial reveal of the tuck case. The first look above is a rendering of images provided to kardify.

When asked to describe the LUXX playing cards, Paul said,

"The LUXX cards will be elegant, intricate and beautiful whilst remaining practical and fun to use. I've been passionate from the start about seeing these cards be used and enjoyed and the best way we can do that is to make them affordable and accessible, but still with a luxury feel. "

Stay tuned for more preview coming up next!

For premium, limited edition and collectable playing cards visit JP Playing Cards - one of the fastest growing collectible playing card stores in the World. Also, to see more exclusives and interviews, please follow us Facebook.

Showcase: LUXX Palme Playing Cards

Welcome to Showcase, our exclusive feature that is dedicated to showing beautiful images of playing cards, from recent releases, old favourites to the occasional prototype decks. For each showcase, we will include a fact sheet associated to the deck for you to discover. Note that line items on the fact sheet are taken from the "Catalogue of the Cary Collection of Playing Cards in the Yale University Library". Click here to find out more!

Country of Manufacture: Taiwan
Standard: S
Suit System: French
Type: Anglo-American

Maker: Legends Playing Card Company, Hong Kong
Date of Manufacture: 2015
Originator: Designer
Name of Originator: Rick Davidson
Title: LUXX Palme Playing Cards
Dimensions: 64 x 89 mm

Stance of Court Cards: Double Figure
Indices: Two
Process: Modern Offset
Back: Paisley patterns
Borders: Full bleed
Corners: Round

Packaging: Tuck case, embossed matte foiled: [LUXX logo], [wrap-around Paisley patterns]
Composition of Deck: 52 [ A, K, Q, J, 10-2], j, ad
Aces AS: [pip] / LUXX / PALME / JP PLAYING CARD CO. LTD / PRINTED BY LEGENDS PLAYING CARD CO.

Images for the Showcase feature are produced by Anthony Ingrassia of Kardify. No part of this article, images or video can be reproduced without written permission from the author and Kardify.com. To see more of Anthony's (Sparkz) collection and work please visit his Facebook page or follow him on Instagram.

Deck View: LUXX Playing Cards

Intricate. Elegant. Luxury.

Created by Paul Middleton and designed by the talented Randy Butterfield, the aim was to create a beautiful deck of playing cards and at the same time, preserving some traditional elements to appeal to as many of JP Playing Cards' customers as possible ranging from magicians and cardists, to collectors and amateur poker and card game players. 

Limited to a print run of 1111 of each colour, LUXX features a two-colour foils (silver/orange and silver/blue) on each tuck with an interior silver foil. The overall theme was inspired by the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas - a touch of luxury and JP Playing Card's unique take on traditional courts and pips sets the LUXX deck apart. 

LUXX is now available from JP Games. 

Deck View: LUXX Shadow (Gold) Edition Playing Cards

Intricate. Elegant. Luxury.

Following the success of the original LUXX Playing Cards, JP Playing Cards released the follow-up, LUXX: Shadow Edition. The decks features black/gold foil and black/silver foils, the main colour being black to fit the ‘Shadow’ theme. Created by Paul Middleton and designed by Randy Butterfield, the aim was to create a beautiful deck of playing cards and at the same time, preserving some traditional elements. 

The tuck is made of the same thick stock from the original. A shimmering black foil twinned by a beautiful gold and silver accent foil makes this tuck truly unique. The backs feature the same intricate design, but based in tones of grey and black with silver and gold metallic inks. The shading creates a very cool effect when spread and fanned. 

LUXX: Shadow Edition decks are now available from JP Games. 

Deals: Get Your Hands on the LUXX First Edition Playing Cards!

IF you have been looking for these beauties… Here’s your chance to get your hands on the rare LUXX First Edition playing card at the original price. JP Games Ltd discovered 72 decks after doing some housekeeping on thier storage units!

Originally conceptualized in 2014 by Paul Middleton of JP Games Ltd and meticulously designed by the talented Randy Butterfield, the aim was to create an elegant yet eye-catchingl deck of playing cards and at the same time, preserve some traditional elements to appeal to as many of JP Games Ltd’s customers as possible ranging from magicians and cardists, to collectors and amateur poker and card game players. 

LUXX first edition features two-colour foils (silver/orange and silver/blue) on each tuck with an interior silver foil. The overall theme was inspired by the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas – a touch of luxury!

LUXX is available Monday (26th June) at 4pm UK time on JP Games Ltd.

Contest: Got LUXX? Win a Red Jerry's Nugget!

In conjunction to the pre-order launch of LUXX playing cards on 29th August 2014, JP Playing Cards and Kardify are pleased to offer you an opportunity to win one rare authentic Red Jerry's Nugget. As you all know, the price for this sought after deck has been on the rise in the secondary market and it isn’t uncommon to see individual decks sell for over $400.00!

Rules and Such

Up for grabs is one RARE Red Jerry's Nugget.  To participate, you must complete all the mandatory entry requirements below:

+ First, follow Kardify on Facebook (contest clues will be posted daily on Kardify FB Page).
+ Follow JP Playing Cards on Facebook (for us to verify and contact you if you win).
+ For each clue, you have to LIKE the clue as an acknowledgement that you seen the post. This of it as a check-in to each of the clue. IF your name is missing in any of the clues, your entry may be disqualified.
+ We will inform you where to submit your entry on the FINAL day. So you don't have to ask us.
+ No cheating. No entry bots. No entering for others. No entering using multiple accounts. Cheaters will be banned permanently from all of our giveaways... forever!

This contest will begin on August 21, 2014 and end on August 30, 2014. No additional entries will be counted after this date.

Prizes:

Grand Prize: Red Jerry's,
Second Prize: LUXX Twin Set + Dealer Coin,
5 x Runner Up: £10 discount code (when spend £30 or more) .

This contest is open to ALL.

Winners will be selected and will be announced on JP Playing Cards Facebook page. The winners have 48 hours (2 days) to respond. If the winner do not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be selected. If a winner is selected, and their entries are found to be fraudulent, they are automatically removed from the list and another winner will be selected.

The winner will be announced on September 1, 2014, after the pre-order launch of LUXX Playing Cards.

Revealed: LUXX Playing Cards Part II

This is the second part of our exclusive first look of the LUXX deck from JP Playing Cards. This elegant deck was created by Randy Butterfield, designer of the successful White Ornate.

Part I featured the partial reveal of the tuck and the back. In this reveal, we have the first look at LUXX tucks and back.



This exclusive first look is provided by Paul. When asked what motivated him to create the his own deck of cards, Paul said,

"I guess it probably started when we first realised that Lawrence (LPCC) was opening up his printing company to work with third parties. His Legends decks have all been extremely popular with the majority of our regular customers and so the motivation became to produce a deck that was practical yet beautiful. An elegant deck of cards that was still something that would be opened and enjoyed. With that in mind the aim has been to go with traditional recoloured courts with a beautiful set of aces and back design. Something we can be proud of as a small family business, and a deck we'd enjoy using ourselves too. "

To be the first to know when the LUXX Playing Cards are released visit JP Playing Cards - one of the fastest growing collectible playing card stores in the World. Also, to see more exclusives and interviews, please follow us Facebook.

Cardistry: International Cardistry Open Season 2

Introduction

Welcome to Season 2 of the International Cardistry Open (#ICO)! After the success of the inaugural ICO and the Off-Season team tournaments, the new season of #ICO is back with bigger prize pool featuring cardists from around the globe to show-off their talents and skills.

The goal is to determine the cardist who excel in all aspects of cardistry. This tournament is organised by theflush.com.au, Kardify, supported by The New Deck Order (NDO) and Lance T. Miller. The tournament will begin in 31st July. Registrations opens on the 27th July.

Rules and Terms & Conditions

Please head over to theflush.com.au to read the full term and conditions of the tournament.

Tournament Format

#ICO Season 2 is a knockout tournament. Consisting of two classes: Novice and Veteran. Each cardists in the Novice class will compete in 2 rounds (preliminary and finals) and the Veteran class, 4 rounds (preliminary, round 2, semi finals and finals). Unsuccessful cardists will be eliminated from the competition while winning cardists advance to the next round. The winners of the final round will be the #ICO Season 2 Champion! Cardists will be asked to produce a 60sec video for each round. The format or content of the video will be announce on the first day of each round.

+ Veteran 
July 31: Preliminary
August 14: Round 2
August 29: Semi-Finals
September 12: Finals

+ Novice 
August 14: Preliminary
August 29: Finals

Judges 

The judging panel for this inaugural tournament consists of:
+ Jaspas Deck, Wold Kardistry Champion 13/14 and founder of NDO.
+ Lance T. Miller, playing card designer and founder of Lance Miller Cardistry
+ Joey Heininger, owner of theflush.com.au
+ Claudia Seow, popular Singaporean cardist (YouTube: Claudia Seow)
+ Ivan Choe, founder of kardify

Veteran Class is judged on best demonstrated overall mastery of all aspects of cardistry, which includes Videography (presentation), Difficulty, Control, Use of Theme (creativity), Overall Enjoyment (execution).

Novice Class is judged on demonstrated basic aspects of cardistry, which includes Videography (presentation), Use of Theme (creativity), and Enjoyment (execution).

Sponsors

We have the biggest prize pool of any cardistry tournament to date and this does not happen without the generosity of our sponsors.

+ Expert Playing Card Co.
+ JP Playing Cards
+ Metropol Cards
+ Cardvolution
+ Kairos Playing Cards
+ Choice Playing Cards
+ theflush.com.au
+ New Deck Order
+ Kardify

Prizes

+ Veteran
Champion: Half gross (72 decks) from Expert Playing Card Co. Mixed decks selected by Kardify and Expert Playing Card Co.
1st Runner-up: 2 Bricks (24 decks) of LUXX Playing Cards from JP Playing Cards. 4 decks of Revelations from Kairos Playing Cards. 2 Black & 1 Red Choice Playing Card decks.
2nd Runner-up: 1 Brick (12 decks) of Luxx Playing Cards.

+ Novice
Champion: 1 Brick (12 decks) from Cardvolution. Mixed decks selected by Cardvolution. 1 Brick (12 decks) of LUXX Playing Cards from JP Playing Cards. Half Brick (6 decks) of School of Cardistry deck from NDO.
1st Runner-up: 1 Brick (12 decks) of LUXX Playing Cards from JP Playing Cards. Half Brick (6 decks) of School of Cardistry deck from NDO.

+ Most Voted Cardist
1 mixed Brick (12 decks) of Metropol Playing Cards.

+ Viewer Giveaways
Total of 1 Brick (12 decks) of Metropol and 1 Brick (12 decks) from the Flush to be given away.

Prizes will be delivered to the nominated address of the respective winners.

Can't do cardistry? Head on over to the #ICO group page and enjoy: leave comments and feedbacks on videos to support your favourite cardists. Participate in the giveaways each round! So, don't miss out! Join us and cardists from around the world over to compete, share ideas, and become the very next ICO team champion.

Deck View: LUXX Redux Red Playing Cards

Intricate. Red. Elegance.

Created by Paul Middleton and designed by the talented Randy Butterfield, LUXX Redux Red is a beautiful deck of playing cards with traditional elements designed to appeal to magicians, cardists, collectors, amateur poker and card game players.

Like the original LUXX series, JP GAMES kept the best of the tuck: Thick black matte stock, gorgeous foiling and superior detail. Using the same style box as for the Palme decks, Randy has refreshed the wrap around design to suit the new housing.

Redux Red features a set of two jokers, and an all-new design. The back design has been subtly tweaked and improved to show off the now instantly recognizable artwork.

LUXX Redux Red is now available from JP Games.

News: Latest Addition to the LUXX Collection- Greille Playing Cards

Beautifully illustrated by Rick Davidson, Greille is the latest addition to the LUXX collection from JP Playing Cards. Inspired by Aztec and modern grid-like patterns, this deck blossomed into life with its' stunning foil printed backs.

The detail and intricacies of the foil backs make Greille stand-out from most decks in the market.



According to owner Paul Middleton,

The goal with LUXX was and always will be to create decks to be used and enjoyed. By printing with Legends on classic finish the deck is just as practical and handles as well as any other in the collection.

We were told that there are less than half of the matching sets (paired numbered seals and matching dealer coin) remaining.

Also, the stunning gilt-edge editions are now available for Elliptica and Palme. These are produced in collaboration with a highly-skilled English craftsman. Definitely a stunning gift collectors during the holiday season. Check it out, here!

Greille Playing Cards are available now on JP Playing Cards.

Top 12: Playing Cards of 2014

It's been an amazing year! As we near the end of what's been a busy and successful year for playing cards, we are going to take one last look back at 2014. Compiling the list has been a lot fun but hard work as there are just so many quality decks this year, making it difficult to narrow them down. If you think we left your favorite deck out, let us know in the comment section below. :)

12. LUXX

Earlier this year, a teaser image of LUXX was circulated to the customers of JP Playing Cards and what a buzz it has generated around the playing cards community! This privately funded deck of cards is created by Paul Middleton and designed by the talented Randy Butterfield. LUXX is elegant, intricate and beautiful whilst remaining practical and fun to use.

11. Origins: Grail Edition

Inspired by the elegance and charm of playing card history, designer and illustrator Rick Davidson has masterfully created Origins Playing Cards. All of the Grail cards are individually researched and custom designed. The amazing fine details on the backs features metallic gold ink. The tuck case is printed on high quality stock, fully embossed and the box details is embellished with gloss gold foil, giving it a touch of elegance and sophistication.

10. Aquila Limited Edition

A collaboration between Three of Clubs and Kardify Projects, Aquila Limited Edition Playing Cards are meticulously designed by Indonesian graphic artist, Ade Suryana. This stunning deck is inspired by the Garuda Wisnu Kencana in Bali, Indonesia. Featuring fully custom back design, eye-catching Ace of Spades, diptych Jokers and stunning courts. The tuck looks incredible with elegant gold foil plus embossing on imported paper giving it a very luxurious feel.

9. Requiem

One of our most anticipated 2014 project, Requiem Playing Cards is a stunning deck created by Lorenzo Gaggiotti. This unique deck is 100% custom and features darkness and pain as a theme. The suits are made out of broken Hearts, Clubs with thorns, cracked Diamonds and dry leaves as Spades. Pips are unique and the gold metallic ink on this blood red deck gives it a touch of class.

8. Seven Seas

First amazing playing card project by Brain Vessel Creative! What a great experience! The Seven Seas Playing Cards is a customized nautical themed deck with beautifully illustrated images of pirates, ghost ships, sea creatures and life on the high seas. The deck is about the dichotomy of a life at sea.

7. Hive

The Limited Edition Hive Playing Card is designed and illustrated by Brendan Hong and independently produced by Kings Wild Project. Inspired by classic playing card art, this fully customized 54 card deck that comes with its own unique court cards to customized back design to Bee inspired Ace of spades. The deck comes in matching set of blue and red back design.

6. Sherlock Holmes: Baker Street Edition

Created by Kings Wild Project, the Sherlock Holmes Playing Cards: Baker Street Edition is the flagship deck of the entire Sherlock Holmes Series. The Baker Street Edition features an intricate back design that includes iconic elements from many of the beloved stories. The court cards for the Baker Street Edition are inspired by the original late 19th & 20th century engravings and illustrations that were released with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novels and short stories. The tuck case features premium paper stock with embossing and Gold foiling and is printed both on the inside and out.

5. Zenith

Zenith is the first deck in the Encarded Signature Series masterfully designed by Paul Carpenter. This impressive deck was self-funded with a very limited release of only 1000 numbered decks. Needless to say they sold out relatively quickly and have found their way onto the Sought After and Must Have lists of many collectors and enthusiast. Housed in a special sideways opening tuck box made of elegant, thick matte black paper, Zenith is adorned with amazingly detailed and vibrant holographic silver foil and sealed with a sequentially numbered seal under the cellophane.

4. RUN: Bankroll Edition

Produced by Jason Brumbalow and Murphy's Magic the Limited RUN series captures detail, stunning looks and an attitude. Beautiful presentation with the outer shell case and just as impressive tuck box makes the RUN a unique concept that is garnering much attention. The deck is 100% Custom from every aspect in and out. Familiar yet different court cards tie the custom Jokers, Ace of Spades and stylized pips together.

3. Independence

This one came as a surprise in 2014. Created by Kings Wild Project, the Independence playing card series is inspired by the American Revolution, featuring both a Continentals Deck and a British (Crown) deck. The courts, back design, diptych joker and Ace of Spaces are fully customized. The tuckcase is created to Kings Wild standards with embossing, custom numbered seals, artwork and foiling both inside and outside the tuckcase.

 2. Ornate - Obsidian Edition

One word: Stunning! This Limited Obsidian Edition decks are part of the White Ornate series. Meticulously designed by Randy Butterfield and produced by HOPC, this beautiful deck exudes elegance. The tuck box is truly mesmerizing, crafted from a deep matte black vellum paper. The design has been carefully stamped in Black and Gold foil, giving the box a shimmer and shine. As a bonus, the inside of the tuck is coated in a solid wall of gold foil.

1. 52 Plus Joker: The Club Deck

Designed by Jackson Robinson, the Club Deck was offered exclusively to attendees of this years 52 Plus Joker Convention being held in Charleston, South Carolina. This ultra-rare deck is just amazing, a bright white two piece "Slip Case" accented by silver foil houses the just as spectacular cards featuring a mirrored and foiled back design of the "52" script. The deck also features a custom Ace of Spades, beautifully rich custom court cards and two custom Jokers depicting the 52 Plus Joker Logo. The Club Deck also features a custom numbered seal.

Honorable mention: Pagan by UUSI, Gatorback (Green) by David Blaine, Tally-Ho by Kings Wild, 100 Years' War by SPAAAADE&Co, the Flight Deck by Paul Roman Martinez, Whispering Imps: Black Edition by Chris Chelko, and Voltige by Dan & Dave.