TCI Clubhouse Playing Cards

TCI Clubhouse Playing Cards are a new luxury series from The Card Inn, a UK-based playing cards retailer. Designed as a prestigious “clubhouse” for card players, magicians, and collectors, the series combines traditional playing card usability with high-end production details such as cold foil card backs, embossed tuck cases, gilded edges, and strictly limited print runs.

Designed by Alex Haines of A. Haines Playing Cards, the decks blend classic card design with modern elegance. The faces retain a familiar layout suited for card games and magic, but with refined details that elevate the aesthetic. 

Court cards feature a distinctive gold border that highlights the suit in all four corners, while the traditional color palette has been reimagined using black, red, white, and gold tones that reflect The Card Inn’s visual identity.

The Ace of Spades serves as a centerpiece, featuring an ornate design that pays tribute to The Card Inn’s origins since its founding in 2019. The remaining aces include decorative typography above and below the central symbols, adding further sophistication to the deck. 

Number cards continue the refined theme with elegant frames surrounding the pips, giving the cards a regal and cohesive appearance while maintaining the familiar sizing and layout players expect.

The card backs feature an intricate pattern available in either black or white, both enhanced with cold foil detailing. On the White & Gold edition, the foil appears brighter and more reflective due to the light background, creating a bold and radiant look. The Black & Gold version offers a subtler metallic effect that many magicians may prefer for performance settings where less visual distraction is desired.

The tuck cases are designed to match the luxurious tone of the deck, drawing inspiration from premium playing card brands while establishing their own distinctive identity. Gold foil accents and detailed embossing give the boxes a rich tactile feel and visual depth, turning them into display-worthy pieces even before the cards are opened.

Printed by Kingstar and pledge starts at $21 on Kickstarter.

Issue 106 of Kardify Magazine Released!

Issue 106 of Kardify Magazine is now on Patreon! Patrons who pledged $3 or more will be able to download the latest issue from our Patreon page. This issue compiles selected articles published from mid-February to mid-March. Deck images, articles, and news to keep you informed and up-to-date with the latest playing card news, releases, and previews. If you love playing cards, you will love Kardify Magazine!

Also, don’t forget to check out our other cool reward tiers on Patreon! The tiers include monthly desktop and smartphone wallpapers, a mystery deck shipped to you every 4 months of ongoing contributions, social media shout-outs, and multiple sponsorship tiers! Check it out!

Funds received from the magazine will help us keep the site running and growing, and bring new quality content to you. Our aim is to support designers by backing crowdfunded projects and supporting magic and playing cards retailers with their new releases. If you want to support us, please head over to our Patreon page. If you have an idea for an article you would like us to pursue, do get in contact with us. We hope you enjoy the read. In this issue:   

+ Labyrinth: Designed by Jackson Robinson, Labyrinth is a puzzle-based playing card deck in which every court card is a fully solvable maze. Check it out!

+ Woodland Legends: A richly illustrated deck by Nicolai Aaroe inspired by the folklore of Reynard the Fox and classic tales such as Robin Hood.

+ Cryptids: Combining a love of fantastic creatures, the latest deck from AHPC pays homage to two mythical monsters from England. Have a look!

+ Andersen's Fairy Tale: Room One latest crowdfunded project bring the timeless stories of Hans Christian Andersen to life through a fully customized deck of playing cards.

+ Liminal: A new playing card series by Thirdway Industries that exists beyond the door, suspended in a world that is both hidden and ever-present. Find out more!

+ Room One X Bicycle Rookie: This deck by Room One marks the first official collaboration between Room One Cards and the Bicycle brand. 

+ 1st Vertek Edition: Emerged in 2022 as part of a hybrid escape-room experience created by Chris Ramsay. The deck lean into a futuristic cyberpunk aesthetic, with symmetrical, modern back designs and a cool-toned palette reminiscent of sci-fi armor.

… and more! 46-pages of articles and deck images. Enjoy!

DMC ALPHAS Playing Cards

DMC ALPHAS Playing Cards are not simply a marked deck... they are a purpose-built mentalism instrument engineered for deeply personal revelation. Designed to go far beyond identifying a selected card by Magician Drummond Money-Coutts' (DMC), the ALPHAS system empowers performers to reveal names, memories, and emotionally charged words with clarity and conviction.

First released in 2016, the ALPHAS quickly became a global phenomenon in contemporary mentalism. They were embraced by leading performers around the world who recognized the power of combining technical precision with emotional impact. Nearly a decade later, the deck remains a trusted professional tool for creating moments that feel intimate, impossible, and unforgettable.

At the core of the deck is the Portcullis Marking System, a brilliantly concealed method hidden in plain sight within the back design. To an untrained eye, the pattern appears elegant and decorative. To the performer, it delivers immediate, unambiguous information at a glance. There is no hesitation, no awkward searching—just total certainty. The system allows you to know the exact identity of a card instantly, enabling smooth, confident performance under real-world conditions.

What sets the ALPHAS apart is not merely the marking system, but what it allows you to achieve. When a spectator thinks of a playing card, the effect is clever. When they think of a loved one’s name, a childhood memory, or a meaningful word, the experience becomes deeply personal. The revelation stops being a trick and becomes an emotional connection.

Whether you are exploring mentalism for the first time or performing professionally on stage and screen, DMC ALPHAS provide a foundation for stronger, more resonant demonstrations of mind reading. They transform technical knowledge into human moments—where the method disappears and the meaning remains.

Availalble now from Magination Store for $14.99

Case Study Version 8 Playing Cards

Dan and Dave continue to push the boundaries of playing card design with Case Study Version 8 playing cards, the latest addition in their long-running series exploring playable art. The Case Study series has long served as an experimental canvas, refined through decades of study and practice. 

Drawing inspiration from cardistry, architecture, philosophy, cinema, and Japanese aesthetics, the twins create decks that honor the traditional playing card framework while expanding its artistic possibilities. 

Case Study 8 introduces a borderless, one-way back design composed of circles, squares, and triangle shapes in a striking red and black palette, enhancing both geometric clarity and dynamic visual energy during play and flourish.

Now on Dan and Dave for $30.