Chris Ramsay's 1ST Edition Bicycle Rider Backs Playing Cards

The exclusive 1ST Edition Bicycle Rider Backs Playing Cards are now available on 1st.shop. This eye-catching deck is a historic collaboration between Chris Ramsay’s 1ST Playing Cards and the iconic Bicycle Rider Backs.

The deck features the timeless Bicycle Rider Backs design and a custom tuck case with the 1st gold foil band.

According to the product page,

This is the first collaboration for 1ST Playing cards. We’ve teamed up with the legendary Bicycle Rider Backs for this limited release. The Rider Backs are simply the most iconic deck of cards in history and are heavily protected, in fact, the only other entity to ever manipulate the back design in almost 150 years is NASA, a collaboration that happened over 50 years ago.

With 56 cards, including two jokers from both 1ST and Bicycle, a blank card, and an extra 4 of Spades, this deck is perfect for cardistry, magic tricks, and tabletop games.

Printed by the USPCC and available now on 1st.shop for $15 in red and blue colorways.

Chris Ramsay's 1st V6 Playing Cards

Last month, Chris Ramsay released the 1st Playing Cards V6. The eye-catching new deck sports a predominantly red/white for the red edition and black/white colorway for the black edition. 

The deck features a minimalist design with the 1st logo prominently featured on the tuck box, ace of spades and one-way card back. The traditional courts’ colour palette has been updated to ensure consistency and familiarity. 

The tuck case comes with their respective colorway beautifully wrapped with the iconic 1ST logo in gold foil. The tuck interior also features a repeated 1ST logo in gold foil.

Every deck includes a duplicate 4 of spades, two identical jokers and a blank card. The deck comes in a Mnemonica stack.

Printed by the United States Playing Card Company and available NOW from 1st.shop for $20.

1ST Holo Edition Playing Cards by Chris Ramsay

With little notice, Chris Ramsay dropped the eye-catching 1st Holo edition playing cards last month. The Holo edition sports a holo foil band and embossed 1st lettering on the tuck exterior and 1st pattern on the interior of the tuck box. 

The card backs are bordered and feature the holo 1st logo on the top left and bottom right. This gives a subtle accent to your fans and spreads.

Like the V1's the courts and pip are pretty much standard and come with identical jokers, a blank card, and a duplicate 4 of Spades. 

Printed by the United States Playing Card Co. on Crushed Stock with Magic Finish. Available NOW from 1st.shop for $20.

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Deck View: 1st V3 Playing Cards

Magic. Leaves. Stunning.

Late 2019, Chris Ramsay released the highly anticipated 1st Playing Cards V3. The new addition to the 1st series is simply beautiful. Like the V1 and V2, the deck comes with stunning Metalux foiling on the backs and on some face cards.

Visually, the most prominent design update for the V3 is the inclusion of the leaves throughout the deck, from the card backs and Ace of Spades to the tuck box and court cards. The color palette of the traditional courts have been up updated to ensure consistency. Both jokers are also foil stamped and identical. One ad card features the foil stamped snake designed by renowned artist Abraham Garcia Sanchez. The deck comes in Mnemonica stack with a duplicate 4 of Spades and a playing card reveal on the King of Hearts.

The tuck case printed by Clove Street Press, featuring a mat white cardboard stock with embossing on the leaves and is beautifully wrapped with the iconic 1ST logo. The tuck interior also features a repeated 1ST logo in gold foil.

Printed by the United States Playing Card Company.

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1ST x MADISON Curators Collection

The 1ST x MADISON CURATORS Collection, a collaboration between Chris Ramsay and Daniel Madison, showcase artistry in playing cards with two unique decks that blend breathtaking design and innovative magic utility. This collection is housed in an elegant box featuring intricate artwork tied to both decks, complete with two hidden revelations for added mystery.

The decks showcase an unparalleled concept: 52 unique Renaissance paintings, each framed by Ramsay’s signature 1ST gold foil design and Madison’s minimalist Acolytes symbol. No two cards are alike, yet the consistent gold foil framing creates a sense of cohesion that shines when the deck is in motion.

Every card is a miniature masterpiece, transforming a functional deck into an art gallery. Additionally, the deck includes two special gold-foil ad cards and a MELT gaff card, blending art with utility for magical performances.

The 1ST x MADISON LIONS DEN Playing Cards complement the Curators deck with their bold design featuring the same 1ST gold foil stamp and Acolytes frame. While appearing as a standard deck, it’s specifically crafted to function as an Advocate Pocket Index. This unique tool enables performers to discreetly and effortlessly produce any freely named playing card.

Together, these decks unlock creative potential for magic, allowing integration of artistic storytelling and sleight-of-hand. The included CURATORS Advocate Masterclass teaches the setup and mastery of the Advocate Pocket Index, unlocking the decks' full potential. 

With intricate designs, stunning Renaissance art, and cutting-edge functionality, the Curators Collection is a perfect fusion of form and function for magicians and card enthusiasts alike. Available from Madison's online store for $78.

Chris Ramsay's 1st V3 Playing Cards Released!

Earlier in the week, Chris Ramsay released the highly anticipated 1st Playing Cards V3. The new addition to the series is simply... beautiful.

Like the V1 and V2, the deck comes with stunning Metalux foiling on the backs and some faces of the cards.

The most prominent update for the V3 is the inclusion of the leaves throughout the deck, from the card backs and Ace of Spades to the tuck box and court cards. The color palette of the traditional courts have been up updated to ensure consistency and instead of weapons, they are now holding leaves. Both jokers are also foil stamped and identical.

One ad card features the foil stamped snake designed by renowned artist Abraham Garcia Sanchez. The deck comes in Mnemonica stack with a duplicate 4 of Spades and a playing card reveal on the King of Hearts.

The tuck case printed by Clove Street Press, featuring a mat white cardboard stock with embossing on the leaves and is beautifully wrapped with the iconic 1ST logo. The tuck interior also features a repeated 1ST logo in gold foil.

Printed by the United States Playing Card Company and available NOW from 1st.shop for $15.

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Chris Ramsay's 1ST Playing Cards V2 Will be Released Today!

We've been getting a few DM's on social media and on the site with regards to the release date of Chris Ramsay's 1ST Playing Cards V2. Chris Ramsay announced over the weekend that the deck will be available Monday at Noon ET on his website, Chris-Ramsay.com. Unlike the V1's, V2's will be a DIRECT release. So... No Pre-Orders. No Reprints.

The V2 spots a STUNNING black tuck box with a gold foil band and embossed 1st lettering on the exterior and gold foil 1st pattern on the interior.



The card backs are bordered but now with a black colorway. This makes the gold foils on the back pop!

Like the V1's the courts and pip are pretty much standard but with updated color palette to fit the overall theme of the deck. For every brick you purchase, you will receive a signed V2 deck and as a surprise, Chris is throwing in a limited number of V1's from his personal stock to the first brick orders.

From the comments on Chris' Instagram post, we believe these will go EXTREMELY fast. Set your alarm clocks to Noon ET on Monday (4th Feb). You don't want to miss these!

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Chris Ramsay's 1st Playing Cards Feather Deck

Chris Ramsay released the 1st Playing Cards Feather Deck, a new addition to the series that embodies elegance and sophistication.

Like previous editions, the Feather Deck features stunning MetalLuxe foiling on the backs and some faces of the cards, ensuring a luxurious feel and striking visual appeal. 

This deck introduces a refined feather motif throughout, from the intricate card backs and Ace of Spades to the tuck box and court cards. The traditional court card designs have been enhanced with a soft, flowing aesthetic, replacing weapons with delicate feathers for a seamless, cohesive look. Both jokers are foil stamped and identical.

The deck comes in Mnemonica stack with a duplicate 4 of Spades and a blank card, making it an excellent choice for magicians and collectors alike. The tuck case comes with embossed feather details and is elegantly adorned with the iconic 1ST logo. 

Printed by the USPCC and available now from 1st Shop for $20.

1-on-1: Lee McKenzie [Updated]

[Update] Yesterday brought some much anticipated news to the Playing Card community, something that’s already caused quite a bit of buzz and excitement, the long awaited follow up to the very successful Empire deck from Lee McKenzie. 

The new project is Empire Bloodlines and will be launching on Kickstarter on July 15th. In the meantime, if you would like to learn a little more about Lee McKenzie, take a moment to read our Original 1-ON-1 Series piece about his background and road to card design. 

 Enjoy!

I would find it hard to believe that if you’re a collector of playing cards, a magician or cardist that you don’t know who Lee McKenzie is. If by chance you don’t, you surely know his work. Lee supplied us with some truly amazing concepts and visions that materialized into some of the most recognizable decks created to this day. Designs such as the Arcane, Infinity, Artifice and the Fathom decks all came from Lee’s vision and creativity.

I truly enjoy talking to all these people; everyone has such a great and interesting story. They all seem to hit the proverbial fork in the road along their walk through life and I was sure that Lee was no different. Although, when the opening statement from your interviewee is…”I was almost arrested when I was 11, and I never felt more alive.” You just hold your breath and enjoy the story…so, enjoy.

Born in Manchester in the UK, Lee has always considered himself creative, although he really didn’t define himself as such, but more so was just being Lee. As a youth Lee was obsessed with Ninja’s, Magic, Spies, Martial Arts, Drawing, Movies and B-Boying, and by his own admission, these things still have a hold on him as an adult.

“Anything you could do with your hands, body and mind that seemed completely impossible or just incredible to see, fascinated me. Day dreaming about the possibilities and then trying to make it happen in reality was something so exhilarating”

So of course being the Ninja Lee was, or is, we all know that practice makes perfect, or almost lands you in jail because of it…

“I vividly remember one night 2 of my best friends and I almost got arrested because of it. After being chased for an hour over rooftops and around our local area, the police thought we were thieves trying to escape a robbery or something and we had been reported. The truth was we were just three 11 year olds on one of our regular ninja training missions. Somehow we were seen and failed to remain hidden in the shadows, but it was a hell of a ride. "They gave us a real run for our money" one of the police offers told my friends Dad. We felt so alive!”

During Lee’s early school years he started to lean heavily towards graphic design and really started to get a feel for what his future would hold, or at least the direction he wanted that path to go.

“…I knew that whatever I ended up doing after school had to involve creating some kind of visual delights for people. It's those obsessions I have that make me come alive.”

With an A* GSCE (UK high school qualifications) for graphic design in school, Lee went on to study Multimedia in College at ND and HND levels, graduating with a Distinction qualification. This opened up an entirely new world for Lee’s creativity. From photography, interactive design, animation, 3D Modeling, motion graphics, and editing web design, Lee found his passion and was in his element. He even ended up teaching underclassman…

“I loved it and ended up being asked to teach 3d design, along with my friend, to students in the year behind us! “

Shortly after College Lee interned at a design agency in Manchester, a job he landed when a college friend had given the agency a good word on his behalf. When funding ran dry at the agency Lee decided to get together with one of his best friends and his older entrepreneurial brother to launch their own design studio. To help spread the word and get their work noticed Lee entered competitions, and actually won many of them, garnering not only the attention they were looking for but enjoying the swag and prizes that came along with the award.
Entering competitions slowly took its toll. Lee realized it was part of paying your dues, but during that time he made sure not to lose sight of his current goal…learning to design movie titles.

During the same time period Lee came across a company in Manchester that specialized in DVD menu production, visual FX for TV and other video production processes. After getting his foot in the door spending a brief time subtitling the children’s TV shows, The Teletubbies and Chronicles of Narnia, Lee started feeling that he had hit a bit of a wall and wasn’t really getting anywhere. Spending his lunch and spare time leaving interesting little graphic treats on his computer for the company to “stumble upon” and not getting any feedback, Lee eventually parted ways with the production company. Later, standing firm on his goals Lee actually turned down the offer to produce a brochure for the company, which was the more graphical role he was interested in, but not exactly what he wanted. He was determined to stay the course and realize what his true ambitions were. 2 months later Lee was contacted once again by the same company, this time with a much more appealing offer, that of the DVD Designer position.

Not to sit back and relax, Lee kept busy on the side with a little help from his friends. Entering short film competitions, producing shorts for local TV stations, and teaching himself the ins and outs of visual effects. Just to keep things “bubbling” as he put it. During this time, and always loving magic, Lee learned about Ellusionist and got his 1st glimpse of the Black Tiger and 1800’s decks they were producing. There are those moments in life when you just have that light bulb go off…..this was Lee’s.

“Incredible. My mind was racing and my heart was thumping. I loved magic. I loved graphic design, why can't I do this? In fact I knew I could do something, maybe even better than what was there, because I had the burning passion and knew I had the ideas for it.”

After a visit to Rome, Lee came back inspired and was ready to set the wheels in motion for his 1st deck design. In an effort to have his deck alongside the other products he admired from Ellusionist, Lee sent his work to Brad Christian in hopes of not only showing his talent, but also start to break into the industry he loved and pursue his dream. With a lot of excitement and nervous nights, Lee got the news he was hoping for…Brad Christian loved Lee’s work, and that hard work was about to pay off. It was 2008 and Lee McKenzie was just about to start designing the 1st of a long and illustrious list of custom decks for Ellusionist, the Arcane deck. As time went by Lee focused and put all his energy into creating and designing some of Ellusionists best-selling products, all the while knowing that he wanted something more…

“I knew one day I'd have my shot, but I didn't have the balls just yet…Ellusionist was such an amazing experience”

In early 2013 Lee had left the freelance world and ceased working with Ellusionist with quite a list of credits to his name. This was also when he launched his 1st independent design on Kickstarter…Empire. At that same time, Lee found himself more determined than ever to realize his dream. We all have personal catalysts that move us along at times; during this time Lee was flying back to the UK to be with his Grandfather, who sadly had passed away while Lee was visiting. His Grandfather’s memory and life helped push Lee forward. As the Empire campaign progressed with all of Lee’s time, effort and income, Lee put everything he had into his dream…

“I had no more income and my girlfriend Megan and I were living on the floor of my incredibly gracious friend’s house. However, I was more determined than ever to prove I could do this, and with my Granddads memory powering me forward, I put everything I could into creating this future.”

That “Future” culminated with the funding goal for the Empire deck not only reached, but surpassed and the realization of Lee’s own company, Kings & Crooks. With the successful campaign, the enormous support from around the world and the “Humbling” compliments Lee received from people, his direction and focus for Kings and Crooks was never clearer.

“The future of Kings & Crooks will be heavily focused on pushing the playing card industry forward by creating fresh ideas and creating many accessories and lifestyle items to complement the magician, hustler and playing card connoisseur in raising their game in their art and life.Taking risks and breaking molds for our art so you can do the impossible with yours, that's my aim. For too long, magic and collectors have had to endure a less than favorable image in the press and minds of people outside the industry. I want to bring innovative style and substance to re-enforce a positive, stylish, powerful image by creating bold lifestyle products and tools to help complement and inspire the talented hustlers, artists and collectors among us. Give them the unique tools to express their passions, to help them come alive and make their mark.”

In the end Lee still has goals and an attachment to the item that has driven his dream for so long…Playing Cards.

“The smell, the feel, the sound. I love everything about playing cards and the possibility they represent.”

He is still passionate about magic, gambling, sleight of hand and still has a sentimental memory that he still hangs on to, memories of himself as a young boy getting his 1st Tally Ho deck. He still loves seeing amazing things done with cards. Whether it’s an amazing trick or well executed flourish. And of course with all of these loves and interests one can’t help but start to build a collection of cards of his own. His goals are very similar to a lot of people, but with a creativity and drive that’s all Lee…

“I want to do what I love, every day, for people who like it and in return make a living from my passions. To elevate the world of playing cards, evolve the industry and make awesome sh** for awesome people. To be able to continue to travel the world, injecting each day with creativity and purpose to enjoy a fulfilled and meaningful existence. To inspire others to take risks for their dreams, make them real and to show that not only is it possible, that it's worth every scary new step to get there. Kings & Crooks is bigger than just playing cards, and I hope in time I can show you all exactly what I mean by that.”

So here we are, 2014 and Lee is more driven than ever. He has great plans for Kings and Crooks, along with the follow up project to the Empire deck. The Kings and Crooks website will be up and running soon, if you haven’t checked it out and signed up for notifications yet, I would recommend doing so. Lee has some great sneak peaks scheduled along with some giveaways planned for this upcoming year and you don’t want to miss out.


Lee was nice enough to share his story and even nicer of him was answering a few more questions:

1. Was it difficult to leave Ellusionist and take that 1st step to fulfilling your dream?
It was difficult in the way that I was effectively cutting off all income, until; hopefully my Empire Kickstarter was successful. It was a risk quitting freelancing cold turkey, but what felt so completely right was that I was doing it for the right reason and every single bone in my body felt it. I had a great run with Ellusionist, but I wanted what seemed impossible for them to give, and something I know I couldn't ask for. To not just be a gun for hire, like any other freelancer, but to be a part of each product that I poured my soul into. If I didn't like magic or playing cards so much and I was just a random designer, things would have been very different, but I knew I wanted to make this a bigger part of my life. It meant so much to me. I felt I was hired to build someone else’s dreams, and I wanted to build my own. They gave me such a great experience and freedom to express myself and I enjoyed every second working with them. It was just time for me to take my shot.

Freelancing has been very tough which is why we went to live in Thailand to save money and live so much cheaper than we could anywhere else. The famous "noodle-diet" was our 1 meal a day and I lost so much weight. However, we loved living there and got a chance to really experience a new life, working on our future without it costing us everything. All I wanted was to share my passion with the world and make a living in return, but it's never that simple.

My Granddads passing shown me we don't have a lot of time here and that no matter what you believe, right now in this very moment, we all have this one life to live. You can spend it in regret, always thinking, “I should have done this… I should have done that…” Or you can take a step toward something much more. Do what makes you happy and brings happiness to others. Everything else is secondary. It's never easy, but nothing worth doing ever is. Plus, it’s so much more rewarding.

I believe you should earn your existence. Contribute to something greater than yourself in life and above all, don't live with regrets and "what ifs". When things around you are quiet and you can finally hear the little voice inside you, take note of what it says, take steps towards something happier and don't listen to anyone else who tries to stop you. There will always be resistance.

2. Do you have a “Creative Process” you go through when working on a new project?
Not so much a process, but a selection of things that help to realize a new idea. First of all, being under the open sky creates a powerful stream of imagination that opens me up to so much possibility. My best ideas for everything have always benefitted from some time outside. My head seems like a little theatre that plays movies of all the possibilities I'm thinking of. Joining the dots. Things just come together and I get so excited. Next, to solidify these thoughts and notes, I love to punch relative keywords into Google and see what random things show up. This creates further insight into strengthening and visualizing a much more real idea. Then, it's playtime. Crank up Photoshop or Illustrator, get a sketchpad going and let the floodgates open. Add, subtract, test, move, recreate, delete, and start again.

This is how it goes until something emerges and a story starts to be told in front of me. It becomes like a quest of perfection, creation and destruction over and over until something clicks and feels right. It's hard to nail down the way creativity flows, but that's a bunch of ways that seem to be common in my approach. If there was an actual "process" I feel things would be more efficient, sure, but maybe at the cost of being less inspired. Pumping out the same lackluster execution can definitely still “do well”, but I can’t sleep at night knowing I short changed anyone else, let alone myself. Some people can. I’m just not him. Betraying yourself or anyone else’s trust for dollars is a dirty game, wrapped up in nice packaging and hard to see.

3. Is there a story behind the name “Kings and Crooks”?
It's possible for you to be the magician, the performer, to exist as the entertainer and showman delighting audiences with your miracles and talent. To lead and serve, to deceive with a smile and to give to the people things only you can. A power only you possess. A King. Or, the very same person could take those hard earned skills, leave the spotlight behind and enter underhandedly into dealings and deceptive practices built to strip others of their cash, their belongings and have no one be the wiser. The darker side, the Crook. The same deceptive talents and skills could serve you in the light or in the shade. The choice is ours and people choose different paths. Both paths involve stepping out into the unknown with your art and doing whatever it takes to make your mark on the world. A bolder breed that play in the spotlight or shadows. Give or take. Delight or deceive. They are the Kings and Crooks, the original hustlers.

4. With Empire marking your 1st independent project and 1st Kickstarter, what were the few days before going live like?
Horrible. Back and forth between sickening nervousness and excitement. I cared so much about this, my first move on my own. I worked solidly for almost a year on this. The trailer, the art, everything took so much from me and here I was days before thinking to myself, "what if no-one even cares?” My worst fear. No more income, we were literally living on our last few hundred pounds. It all came down to this. I've faced a lot of challenging situations before through travelling and trying to walk my own path, but this was about to be public. Judged in front of thousands. What if they hated me and I failed. My entire future depends on what people I don't yet know think of my work and me. It was one of the worst feelings, which soon became one the absolute greatest.

I couldn't believe how soon we got funded and how much everyone loved Empire. I could have easily backed out, and the world would never known. But I'd know and I'd have to live with that every day. I promised my Granddad and myself that I would never live to regret again. So, I took the step and even though I'm nowhere near being able to make living doing this for people, I know its worthwhile journey and more importantly, that it's possible if I keep doing things that scare me and move forward. I have such great support from family, friends and relatives; I'd be letting them down now too, which is always a good way to remove any doubts that creep in along the way. If I didn't care so much about this, I wouldn't be so affected. I guess that’s a good sign and a true testament to the hustling it takes to make your mark on the world. That has become some of the core values of Kings & Crooks.

5. Are there any new projects on the horizon or in the works?
So many projects on the horizon I can't begin to tell you. Playing cards galore and lots more incredibly exciting ideas to complement them. It's a bright future, and if I can count on the support of all the amazing people who've backed me so far, it's going to be a great ride for all of us.

As always, any last thoughts or comments for everyone?
Go, do and be anything you want to. It's almost cliché but life IS too short to choose things that don't make us happy. Every choice we have ever made has brought us to where we are now. If you don't like something about where you are now, you need to start making different decisions. Our destiny is reached not by chance, but by choice. It's not something to be waited for; it's something to be achieved. Smile, travel, do what you love and be happy. When something hits you and you know that it would make you really happy, it might seem risky, but just know that the real risk is standing still and not pursuing it. I've come to see fear as a sign that usually means that you should do something. "The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all". As Bruce and my awesome Morgan Freeman impersonator said in the Empire trailer, "Live a life worth remembering"

Finally, thank you Anthony for this opportunity to share bits of my story with you and your readers. I hope it's an interesting read. And thank you to all everyone who's supported me on this ride, before and after Empire was launched. It may only seem like a deck of cards to many, but your support means more than you'll know.

Onwards and upwards.

I can’t begin to thank Lee enough for taking the time to share and collaborate on this piece with me, Lee’s definitely on the list of people I would love to meet in person. Full of energy, drive, passion and creativity…what’s not to like. If you want to keep track of Lee’s upcoming playing card projects you can visit his site and subscribe at kingsandcrooks.com, follow on Facebook, on twitter. You can find Lee personally at @leemckenzie.

Until next time!


This exclusive 1-on-1 is written by Anthony Ingrassia for kardify. No part of this article can be reproduced without written permission from the author. You can check out Anthony's awesome collection at sparkzcollector.

News: Bicycle Club's December Deck Release Revealed; Bicycle AmberStag Coming October 1st

Last month, Bicycle announced a contest called "Find Out First" for all Club 808 members in order to reveal December's Club 808 deck release. The contest involved a riddle that if members solved were entered into the drawing for the contest that would grant the winner the first look into December's deck.

The riddle for the contest read:

An ESPN Award
The vowel in “sword”
What the French do In lakes
Together, A new 52 makes

The riddle was solved and today the news came forward that Bicycle Espionage was the name of the deck in question that will hit Club 808 shelves in December.  Club 808 member Andrea Whitlock aka PrincessTrouble on The Discourse at Aethercards.com was picked as the winner and shared the following photo on the forum revealing the upcoming deck:

Before the spies infiltrate and take over in December, Club 808 also revealed their October 1st deck drop called Bicycle Amber Stag, which was named by another Club 808 member in the Name-That-Deck contest in June of this year.  While the release date was announced for October 1st, uncut sheets were made available today in the member's section of Club 808.

EXCLUSIVE First Look: 52 Plus Joker Club Deck 2014

We are honored to be able to bring you the first look at what is sure to be one of the most sought after decks in recent history, The 52 Plus Joker Club Deck.

The Club Deck is being offered to attendees of this years 52 Plus Joker Convention being held in Charleston, South Carolina at the Charleston Plaza Hotel. The convention draws a huge following from all corners of the globe and you would be hard pressed to find a larger collection of vintage playing cards and related items under one roof.

52 Plus Joker is headed up by such notable names as world renowned playing card expert Tom Dawson, author of the definitive guide to playing cards "Hochman Encyclopedia of American Playing Card" which he worked on with his wife Judy, and teacher, author, creator and magician extraordinaire Lee Asher.

This years convention goers will have the unique and enviable opportunity to own the 1st 52 Plus Joker Club Deck. The deck was designed by Jackson Robinson of Kings Wild Project and is being produced by the Expert Playing Card Company. To be one of the 1st to own this magnificent deck all that is required of you is, one, be a member of 52 Plus Joker and, two, be an attendee of the convention.

The deck itself is just amazing, a bright white two piece "Slip Case" accented by silver foil houses the just as spectacular cards. The Slip Case's outer cover is elegant and simple, sporting the number "52" to represent 52 Plus Joker on the front and a completely foiled back that matches the card back design. The inner part of the slip case has a repeating "52" foil design pattern set on a light grey repeating background pattern, the look of the inner slip case is very eye-catching as it's angles hide and reveal the "52" in the design pattern.

The cards themselves are just as impressive with 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 will also feature a custom numbered seal.

The 52 Plus Joker Club Deck will be available in very limited quantity. The deck will have a print run of ONLY 500 decks available to Club Members who are in attendance at this years convention.

But fear not, non convention goers will have an opportunity of their own to own part of this 1st offering. Once the convention has wrapped up, the remaining supply of the Club Deck will be available to Club Members ONLY on the 52 Plus Joker web site while supplies last. Keep in mind that only 500 of the Club Decks were printed, so they will be limited and most likely not last very long once available....what a better time than NOW to become a member.  Also, later this year Conjuring Arts Research Center will be offering the 52 Plus Joker Deck in a Gold version. The cards are identical to the Club Deck with just a shift in color from Silver to Gold and the deck will be presented in a side-ways tuck constructed of a synthetic water proof paper. The Gold version has the same elegant and simple design as the Club deck and features the same full foil back design on the tuck case, as well as the foil accented "52" pattern on the cards back design.

Needless to say, either deck will be an amazing addition to any collection.

If you would like to find out more about 52 Plus Joker and how to become a member, please visit their website for more details and information. You can also visit the Club's forum, the Discourse at playingcardforum.com, and share and converse with other collectors about the hobby we all know and love.

I hope everyone enjoyed this sneak peak to what is sure to be THE talked about deck for quite some time.

Kickstarter: 7 Questions with Justin Froyd of the Black Widow - Playing Cards

Back in September of 2014 Justin Froyd was busy working on his 1st successful Kickstarter campaign Coat of Arms, a colorful vibrant custom deck based on the imagery and style you would find on many Coat of Arms of that period.

Justin is now returning for his sophomore project in the custom card arena, this time with Black Widow. Little has been said about the deck in the community or by Justin himself, so we were grateful for the opportunity and the time Justin was nice enough to give us on his latest project.

With the success of your 1st Kickstarter project, Coat of Arms, what lessons did you bring to this project?

My Coat of Arms project was a wonderful and exciting learning experience. I learned so much.  One specific lesson I learned a lot about is developing business relationships.  There have been so many people that have been so nice and have taught me a great deal about creating a successful project.  Many of these business relationships have become friendships and  I thank everyone that has helped me though this process.

Your new project, Black Widow, seems to be quite different than your 1st, what inspired the concept?

I have always thought that spider webs are amazing.  The design and strength of spider webs are mind blowing.  Something so light and thin to be so strong and intricate.  I thought it would be cool to bring all the traits of a spider to a playing card project.  Growing up in Arizona I have encounter black widow spiders on more than one occasion. Once I see the distinct red hour glass shape I usually ran for the hills. My black widow spider themed deck shows design, strength and uniqueness.

What aspects of this project excite you the most and why?

The aspects of the project that excite me the most of this project is red foil on the back of the card of the Black Deck.  This premium feature will really make the red hour glass on the back of the Black Deck really pop.  Also the Black and Red tuck boxes will have embossed and foil features along with a printed pattern on the inside of the tuck boxes.

Do you have a “Creative Process” and does it change from design to design, what was it for Black Widow?

I constantly think and brainstorm ideas that I can incorporate into a cool playing card theme.  I keep a list of my ideas and I then choose one of the ideas that I think Gonzo (Artist/Illustrator) and I can make really cool.  Then I meet with Gonzo and show him my sketches and we talk about the direction of the project. After that the card images begin to be developed.

Was Black Widow geared towards a specific type of playing card aficionado? 

I really wanted to provide a deck of cards for everyone to enjoy.  There were a few aspects I wanted to focus on.  I like to play poker so I always want to have two different colored decks for the home games.  I also wanted to provide a "standard" court card feel but have Gonzo work his magic by making everything original and custom art.  I wanted the "standard" court cards to have our flare to them.  Also, I wanted to have an amazing back design for all my flourishing, cardistry and magician supporters.

Can backers expect any bonuses or surprises during this campaign?

Absolutely! One of the cool bonuses is the Black Deck has red foil on the back of the cards and the red deck as a stretch goal to have white foil on the back of the cards.  Another bonus I am excited about is a unique playing card case that will be available.  This is a cigar style box with a magnetic clasp.  There is a single and double case option. The cases are all hand made.  

Lastly, could you share your opinions of the continuing growth in crowdfunded playing card projects? 

The growth has been amazing! As a collector of playing cards I have been able to both offer and purchase unique decks through crowdfunding.  There are many talented people creating some really cool projects.  As a creator, the growth in crowdfunded playing card projects has really increased the competition and pushes me to provide a great product.  I strive to make an amazing product that people will add to their own collection.

We want to thank Justin for his time and wish him the best of luck with his new campaign! 

Update: Launching on Kickstarter Wednesday, June 17 at 11:30am in MST, Don't miss out!

You can follow Justin on his company Facebook page, Jamm Pakd Cards and keep up to date with his current and future projects as well as new information on Black Widow. 

Watch: Chris Ramsay's 1st Playing Cards on Kardify Spotlight

We've partnered up with Omar Chavez (Instagram: @thegentlemanwake) on a series of 'spotlight' videos to give you the rundown on some of the latest and unique decks of playing cards around. We aim to publish the 1-minute spotlight video weekly on social media (Facebook: Kardify) and in addition, a link to @thegentlemanwake's full video if you want to have a more comprehensive look at a particular deck.

This week, we have 1st Playing Cards by magician Chris Ramsay. The deck represents Chris' first solo venture into the playing card industry. 1st comes complete with a custom design, re-colored face cards using metallic ink and custom jokers! Find out more about the deck in the video below (with intro by a special guess!). If you like the video, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE (YouTube: TheGentlemanWake)!

Deck View: 1ST (Vektek Edition) Playing Cards

Puzzle. Escape. Sci-Fi.

1ST (Vektek Edition) Playing Cards emerged in 2022 as part of a hybrid escape-room experience created by Chris Ramsay. While the interactive puzzle game component is no longer available, this custom deck remains an interesting release tied to Ramsay’s signature blend of magic and mystery.

The playing cards lean into a futuristic cyberpunk aesthetic, with symmetrical, modern back designs and a cool-toned palette reminiscent of sci-fi armor. The tuck box avoids overt branding... Ramsay’s usual logo is replaced with a barcode, reinforcing the tech-driven theme. Inside, the court cards maintain their traditional structure but are recolored to match the deck’s sleek visual identity, creating a cohesive and contemporary look.

Originally designed to integrate directly with the escape-room storyline... where players helped Chris escape from a space shuttle via digital clues and scanned content, the deck now stands on its own as a collectible. 

Even without the puzzle component, it remains a stylish, modern pack that reflects Ramsay’s fascination with puzzles, technology, and cinematic design. Available now on 1st Shop for $12.

Issue #56 of Kardify Magazine Released on Patreon

Kardify Magazine issue #56 is now available on Patreon in both EPUB and PDF format! 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-December to mid-January. 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 contribution, 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:

+ Bicycle Launches NFT Collection: Welcome to the future! Bicycle launched their first-ever NFT card collectibles called the “Genesis Collection”. Find out more!

+ Odyssey Genesys: Check out the most ambitious Odyssey playing cards ever! The Kickstarter campaign features 3 different eye-catching editions.

+ 818: Have a look at Theory11’s limited edition 818 playing cards produced in collaboration with Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila. 

+ Alice in Wonderland: Take a trip down the Rabbit Hole in Wonderland with Alice and the wildly unusual and whimsical characters of the beloved story designed in exquisite detail by Jackson Robinson.

+ The Great Creator: Following the success of the Devil’s in the Details playing cards, Widakk Design in collaboration with Riffle Shuffle launched the Great Creator deck on Kickstarter.

+ Captain America: Have a look at the officially licensed Captain America Playing Cards by Card Mafia, designed to take you into the journey of Steve Rogers (a.k.a Captain America) with the iconic Vibranium Shield of red, white, and blue color scheme.

+ Holographic Split Spades: The artist-proof Pearl and Onyx Holographic Split Spades were sold out in under 2 minutes. Find out more!

+ 1st Holo Edition: Chris Ramsay dropped the eye-catching deck featuring a holofoil band, embossed 1st lettering on the tuck exterior, and 1st pattern on the interior of the tuck box.

… and more! 56 pages of articles and deck images. Enjoy!