First Look: ELITES ROUGE Playing Cards by DMC

The fifth generation of Magician Drummond Money-Coutts' (DMC) signature cards will be released for sale in less than a week. The DMC ELITES: ROUGE Playing Cards were created with the intention to be nothing short of the greatest deck of playing cards for performing card magic available today. ROUGE is simply the best deck DMC have ever produced. Every aspect of the deck has been iterated and re-engineered again and again.

The immediate feature of the deck, and the thing that makes it most exciting to every magician who handles one, is also the most cunningly hidden: the unique world-class optical marking system. On the marking system, DMC said,

We have been told by magicians and dealers alike that the ELITES are a quantum leap in marked cards. The markings can be read from up to six feet away - and yet under intense scrutiny remain invisible until the secret marking is revealed.

The system hides the value and suit of the playing card in plain sight, with no decoding necessary, no mental working out to do to process some binary signal – it literally just says the value and the suit, clearly and visibly, with an incredible range on it.

The deck features standard faces to maintain familiarity for the performer and audience without drawing too much attention. The stock is a new cardistry grade board engineered specially by Cartamundi. DMC added,

The finish is the revolutionary new "No.9 Finish" from Cartamundi, and the ELITES ROUGE are the very first playing cards in the world to be printed onto this unique stock. The cut, paper, print, varnish, card box and gold foiling are are all of immaculate quality - and I couldn't be prouder of this as a timelessly beautiful and disarmingly powerful addition to the armoury of any magician.

DMC ELITES: ROUGE will be the most useable deck for card magic out there. High-quality materials, world-class design, and a great price point will generate both demand and interests amongst working magicians and card aficionados alike.

Now available for pre-order at SovereignPlayingCards.com


To find out more about ELITE ROUGE Playing Cards and anything DMC, head to dmcmagic.com or follow him on Instagram.

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

Card Radar: DMC Elites V5- Phantom Finish 1st Edition

The fifth generation of Magician Drummond Money-Coutts' (DMC) is the best deck DMC have ever produced and now, they come with a new finish and colorway. The limited Phantom Finish DMC ELITES V5 now sports a Cobalt Blue colorway and a slightly thicker stock. According to the product page,

...this finish is both more robust and long-lasting than many of the slimmer cardistry decks of today, and promises a much firmer handling of the cards.

When combined with Phill Smith's world-famous 'Optical Marking System', which now includes full four-corner markings, Juan Tamariz's genius MNEMONICA numberings, and a unique one-way back design, this is truly the most powerful, comprehensive, and usable deck ever created for magicians! 

 

The system hides the value and suit of the playing card in plain sight, with no decoding necessary, no mental working out to do to process some binary signal – including the new stack markings for mnemonica - the cards are supplied in the stack and come with an instruction card explaining the system and a two-way crib to help you with the stack. 

The deck features standard faces to maintain familiarity for the performer and audience but upgraded to an ultra-high-definition rendition of the standard faces!

Available NOW from store.dmcmagic.com for $20.

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News: 7 Questions with DMC on the Elite Rouge's

Now available at sovereignplayingcards.com, the latest in the DMC Elites Series, Rouge. Beautifully crafted with a familiar look and feel and the fourth generation of the Optical Marking system, the deck is sure to appeal to a wide range of card aficionado's. 

We were honored when Drummond Money-Coutts (DMC) took some time out of his schedule to talk with us about the deck, work and passion behind it.

Your decks are very easily identified, how involved are you in the creative process?

On each deck that Phill and I have produced together (the ELITES ROUGE now being our fifth) it’s been very much a collaborative process between us both.  The genius marking system (The ‘Optical Marking System’) is very much Phill’s brainchild - but on all other aspects of design we will collaborate on ideas, and Phill will bring it to life on screen.

Do you feel your decks are a reflection of yourself in terms of style and presence? 

Very much so.  It’s been a roundabout journey to reach our current design style, but today the ELITES feel very much an authentic representation of my approach, style and philosophy with magic.

With new features and designs, are there certain things that you feel all of your decks need to have, a foundation, if you will?

Yes, with ELITES we struck upon a design theme that moving forwards I’d certainly like to continue to orbit.  Our intentions were to create an innocuous, harmless looking deck that wouldn’t arouse suspicion or special interest when used for an audience, but that which also beneath the bonnet holds a powerful strength.  Today the ELITES are the only cards I use and with the flexibility and possibilities that the marking system allows in so many elements of card magic  – it’s unlikely I’ll move away from this any time soon.

Over time some of your decks have become very sought after, do you see your decks as collectibles or more so "working" decks?

The honest truth is we never set out to create decks to sell to magicians; the first few decks we created were literally for my own private work and to be given as gifts to my clients.  When Phill created the ‘Optical Marking System’ that we first used for the GREAT WHITES in 2014, we only ran 500 marked decks (now incredibly sought after).  Even then, the quality of stock held us back a little and it wasn’t until we really launched the ELITES in 2015 (printed by Legends PCC) that magicians and dealers suddenly took a keen interest in buying the decks.  Those initial ELITES sold out within weeks of release – and since then we’ve been in discussions with Cartamundi to create the ultimate version using their incredible new advances in card production.  I’m proud to say that after months of development with Cartamundi we now have the ultimate design version of the ELITES printed onto what I think is one of the most beautiful card stocks available in the world today.

How challenging was the development of the Optical Marking system?

This you’ll have to ask Phill.  From my side – he sent me an email saying that he’d had an idea, and asked if we might try it out on the next deck.  The instant I saw it I knew we had something special – and we haven’t looked back since.

Cartamundi is producing your new deck, how involved was the process of finding the right stock and finish for the new Rouge edition?

This was a crucial element for us – and something that we know held back previous decks in the past.  I’ve now printed with four different card producers around the world, and for this deck wanted to make sure we had one of the best card stocks, finishes and cuts in the world.  I’ve now been to the Cartamundi factory in Belgium twice to advise and consult on the stock and finish for these new ELITES, and they really are a thing of beauty.  I am confident that we will see Cartamundi entering into the magic and cardistry industries in a major way within the next few years.

What one thing excites you the most about the new DMC Elites: Rouge playing cards?

I’m excited that, holding this deck in my hands right now I know we have the ultimate marked deck available for magicians today.  The refined marking design is flawless, the style of the deck and the box is beautifully timeless, the gold foiling against the red looks better than I could have imagined, and the cards handle as well as any of the greatest stocks available today.  It’s been an organic process to reach this moment, and like I said we never set out to sell these to the magic industry – but almost five years on I sincerely believe this deck is set to become a hallmark deck in the armoury of magicians around the world.

We want to thank Drummond for his time and graciousness in helping us bring our readers a bit of insight into his craft and the latest entry into the Elite Series, Rouge is available now!

News: Great Whites By Drummond Money-Coutts Now Available

After various teasers and much speculation for most of the summer, world renowned magician Drummond Money-Coutts's (aka DMC) second playing card deck in his Shark Series of playing cards called Great Whites (seen above) started showing up in card retailers this week. The Great Whites are the follow up to the critically acclaimed Sharks playing cards. The first deck in the series, simply called Sharks, can be seen in the last image below.

The Shark series, which is not printed by the United States Playing Card Company, is printed in the UK by a Carta Mundi affiliate. According to TuckCase.com sponsor JP Playing Cards, the Great Whites use a 320um Sure Slip playing card board and are plastic coated.  Great Whites were released as a marked deck as well as a standard deck. The deck features custom Anglo-American court cards as well as a subtle one way back design that is not noticeable by the naked eye. The deck also features a Joker reveal.  DMC distributor Sovereign Playing Cards (UK)  had the following to say about the Great Whites' design....

The logo is a visual reminder of old school casino style, and the whole thing has been built around the shark, right down to the shark-skin denticles on the back.The deck has custom kings, all nautical except for DMC as the diamond. Poseidon has some company with the Queen of Hearts, an alluring mermaid. The ace of spades rhymes with the casino cool logo and the Jokers are spear hunting scuba divers.

Here are more images of the Great Whites courtesy of Sovereign:

Deck View: DMC ELITES V4 in Forest Green

Magic. Marked. Green.

The ELITES are a unique collaboration between DMC and designer and magic creator Phill Smith. The new edition ELITES now sport a forest green colorway and feature the latest revision of the unique OPTICAL MARKING SYSTEM (OMS), a powerful 'reader' system designed specifically for the use of magicians and mentalists.

All faces are standard USPCC faces to maintain familiarity with your audience. One thing that stands out is the ingeniously hidden marking mechanic that is readable with extreme speed, at great range and even in poor light. It hides the value and suit of the card in plain sight with no decoding necessary - the back of the card literally says the value and the suit.

The DMC ELITES V4 is printed by the United States Playing Card Company. Available from your favorite Murphy's Magic Retailers.

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Top 12 Best Marked Deck of Playing Cards for Magic

The custom playing cards market has boomed over the past year, investment in crowd-funded decks have surged and new designs and concepts are pushing the boundaries of the simple constraints of one tuck x four suits x thirteen cards. Marked decks are used in card and mentalism effects and allow for the magician to focus their attention purely on connecting with the people they are performing for. Here are our top 12 picks.

Note that the selection expressed in this top 12 are solely those of the author.

Kings

From Ellusionist, the Kings Playing Cards is the ultimate representation of Daniel Madison and Peter McKinnon joint creative forces. Readily stacked in Mnemonica and fully marked. Also included. a double-backer and two unique and personalized jokers, and on top of that, an Angle Z Gaff card.

MINT Limited Edition

Designed for the workers by 52Kards, the stunning Mint Limited Edition playing cards feature elegant borderless back with beautiful tri-color design, gold line accents, and masks an incredibly intuitive marking system for the clever magician to take advantage of. Printed by the United States Playing Card Company and coated with the legendary Air Cushion Finish.

Brooklyn Red Edition

The Brooklyn 101 Back Playing Cards are brought to you by the Brookyln Playing Card Co. The company's vision was to create a functional deck of cards for the working magician, performing direct and impossible magic. The result is a timeless blend of tradition and innovation. The deck features a custom vintage design, reimagined Jokers, custom Ace of Spades bearing the silhouette of the Brooklyn bridge. Printed by the Expert Playing Card Company on their improved Classic Finish stock,

Mirage Dawn Edition

Patrick Kun's Mirage Dawn Edition features a crimson/gold colorway, which compliments the original Mirage Dusk edition perfectly. The court cards are fully custom. The eye-catching tuck case was printed with stunning gold foil on a brand new premium pearlescent paper and gold champagne ink covers the interior of the box, and closed-off with a matching gold perforated seal. Also, the deck includes a subtle marking system. Printed by Legends Playing Card Co. and comes in Juan Tamariz’s Mnemonica stack.

The Code

Smart and intuitive. Theory11's the Code is more than a method. From the mind of Andy Nyman, instantly divine the name and location of a selected card - with no forces, no sleights, no memorization, and without even looking at the chosen card. Easy to read, multiple applications and most important of all, Bicycle Mandolin back that looks almost identical to standard Bicycles. Official Winner of The Thurston Spirit of Magic Award 2014.

Keepers Red Edition

Conceived by Adam Wilber and illustrated by Oban Jones, the Red Edition Keepers are a follow-up to the original Blue Keepers released by Ellusionist early in 2016. Designed for the worker in mind, the new deep red colorway has been specifically chosen to invite trust, and go unnoticed by the audiences. As such, the deck features recognizable pips and faces of a standard deck.

Rouge

The DMC ELITES: ROUGE is simply the best deck DMC has ever produced. The immediate feature of the deck, and the thing that makes it most exciting to every magician who handles one is also the most cunningly hidden: the unique world-class optical marking system. The markings can be read from up to six feet away - and yet under intense scrutiny remain invisible until the secret marking is revealed. Printed by Cartamundi.

Butterfly

Conceptualised by Ondrej Psenicka and designed by Swedish graphic designer and magician Stefan Eriksson, this groundbreaking deck features a unique marking system hidden in its beautiful back design. It has standard faces as it is intended mainly for magicians who prefer standard faces as they are familiar and easily recognizable by the audience. The cards are printed in Belgium by Cartamundi on their brand new card stock.

Aquila Standard Edition

A collaboration between Three of Clubs and Kardify Projects, Aquila Standard Edition Playing Cards are meticulously designed by Indonesian graphic artist, Ade Suryana. This exotic deck features fully custom back design, eye-catching Ace of Spades, diptych Jokers and stunning courts. The Standard Edition comes with unique Marking System, the tuck is embossed and adorned with a touch of gold foil. Printed by Legends Playing Card Company.

Marksmen

Meticulously developed by acclaimed mentalist Luke Jermay, the Marksman Deck has been designed with the professional performer in mind. It’s not just a marked deck: with one glance at the back, you’ll know the card’s identity, the one after it, how far away the mate is, and FIVE other hidden features. It features an array of information expertly hidden in its Mandolin Back design.

Ultimate Marked Deck

Yes, the Ultimate is the marked deck you have been dreaming of! Manufactured in the recognizable "Rider Back 808-R" Bicycle Cards by the United States Playing Cards Company. That means you don't have to mark the standard Bicycle decks yourself and you can hand out the deck without fear of detection. Available in red and blue.

Cadenza

Designed by Hong Kong magician NKW with the working magicians in mind, the deck features a classic, timeless floral back design. Cadenza comes with 3 different marking systems, each with its own features and functions. Available in two colors: blue and red, giving it a vintage feel to the deck. Printed by Legends Playing Card Co. on diamond finish, the deck comes in Mnemonica order out of the box.

Honorable mention: GT Speedreader, Madison Dealers by Ellusionist, Phoenix Deck, NOC v3 by House of Playing Cards, and While Lions by David Blaine.

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JPGames Unleashes COBRA Black Edition Playing Cards

Our friends at JPGames have just released the limited edition black COBRA Playing Cards. Cobra is illustrated by the talented Rick Davidson and inspired by some of JPGames owner, Paul Middleton's favorite decks - DMC's Elites and the industry-changing Monarchs deck from theory11.

COBRA features easily recognizable face cards standard traditional faces, and indices. Stunning gold metallic inks were used on the courts and backs, making COBRA a premium deck made for everyday use.

For the working magician, 2 gaffs have been included in the deck- a blank face card and a double backer.

The deck is neatly packaged in a gorgeous soft-touch black 330gsm tuck box complete with gold foil COBRA logo and detailing.

The deck has been printed using Cartamundi's durable B9 Cardistry stock which has a lovely soft feel and finish. Available now from JP Games for £11.99.

News: JPGames Unleashes COBRA Playing Cards!

COBRA Playing Cards is JPGames' first release outside of their popular LUXX series. COBRA is illustrated by the talented Rick Davidson and is inspired by some of JPGames owner, Paul Middleton's favorite decks - DMC's Elites and the industry changing Monarchs deck from theory11.

COBRA features easily recognizable face cards standard traditional faces, and indices. Stunning gold metallic inks were used on the courts and backs, making COBRA a premium deck made for everyday use.

For the working magician, 2 gaffs have been included in the deck- a blank face card and a double backer. The deck is neatly packaged in a gorgeous soft touch burgundy 330gsm tuck box complete with gold foil COBRA logo and detailing. Simple and effective!

The deck has been printed using Cartamundi's durable B9 Cardistry stock which has a lovely soft feel and finish. Available now from JP Games for £9.99.

News: Westminster Playing Cards from Penguin Magic

Launching today from Penguin Magic, Westminster Elite Playing Cards. Penguin has been doing a pretty nice job on their in house deck releases. Spotlighting some great designers and their fantastic work.

So the information we've been given from Penguin on their new deck:

Westminster playing cards are the ultimate collaboration between England and the US.  Designed by Phill Smith (creator of Stegosaurus and the DMC Black/Gold Marked deck), the Westminster deck is inspired by the gothic architecture of Westminster Abbey and offers a timeless look combined with a premium feel.

Printed by USPCC on high-end Bicycle stock with top-of-the-line finish, traditionally cut, and with metallic green ink on the back design, these cards are just as amazing to handle as they are to look at.  The deck features a custom Ace of Spades, custom gargoyle jokers with a built-in reveal effect, as well as a duplicate 2H and a versatile gaff card.

Classic enough for any poker table or magic routine, yet beautiful enough for cardistry with its intricate design and metallic backs, this is a deck that you will love to use!

 Westminster also features some nice details in quality, design and finish.

• Limited 1st Edition
• Custom Back Design in Green Metallic Ink
• Custom Ace of Spades
• Custom Gargoyle Jokers with Reveal Effect
• High-Grade Bicycle Stock & Magic Finish, Printed by USPCC
• Traditionally Cut for Easy Shuffling
• Duplicate Card and Gaff Card Included

Westminster should appeal to a wide range of Playing Card aficionados. The intricate design coupled with the familiarity of a poker deck keeps it unique enough without distraction. At the time of publication we did not have an exact release time or price. Once we receive the information we'll be sure to update it here for our readers. I would suspect, in what's become a pattern at Penguin Magic, a nice discount on brick purchases for early buyers.

Keep up to date with information on Westminster, along with everything Penguin Magic on social media. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and of course their main site at Penguin Magic.

We want to thank our friends at Penguin for the opportunity to bring our readers some info and images of their new products.

Deck View: Nicholas Arnst Playing Cards

Magician. Belgium. Intricate.

The Nicholas Arnst Playing Cards is an intricate deck printed by Cartamundi for Belgium-based professional magician Nicholas Arnst (@nicholas.arnst). The deck features custom tuck in a blue-red colorway, a stylized Ace of Spades and mirrored back design with intricate line work. Like most magician decks, the pips and court cards remain pretty much standard, which maintain familiarity and easily recognizable by spectators.

What makes this deck so special is that it is the first printed with Cartamundi's improved finish which was subsequently used in DMC's Elite Rouge, Butterfly Playing Cards, Cardistry Touch's ORIGIN and USAGI. The stock is definitely thicker and like all Cartamundi's decks, it is really smooth and handles beautifully.

Find more Cartamundi decks here!