News: 5 Things You Didn't Know About NOCs by House of Playing Cards

Alex Pandrea just released the vibrant NOC Sport early this morning, in conjunction with his 30th Birthday. The NOC Sport comes in two different colorway - Neon Green and Electric Pink and spots a sleek new tuck, designed by Toomas Pintson. The decks are printed by the U.S. Playing Card Company on Bicycle Premium Stock with Air-Cushion Finish and like it's predecessor, the cards are marked.

NOC Sports are available from houseofplayingcards.com for $7. Also, remember to check out the birthday bundle Alex dropped on the site. Here are 5 things you didn't know about the NOC series:

1. The origins of the name NOC deck. This is something Alex told when someone asked him in person.
Alex told Kardify, "I have a friend in Wall Street named Michael Nochimson. He invited me to a dinner in NYC one night. I arrived early and asked him what name the reservation is under. He texted back with three capital letters: NOC. I didn’t think much of that when I read it, but when I said it out loud to the hostess, it caught my attention. It sounded cool!"

2. Months later, when Alex was brainstorming for a name for this new concept, Someone asked Alex - But what’s the design? 
Alex answered, “Nothing…Only Color! N-O-C. I then remembered the NOC name from my dinner with Nochimson. I knew I had to find a name that both stood for something and stood out to enough to become a brand, so it all came together perfectly. Now when people ask me in person what does NOC stand for I respond,“Nothing…”, they laugh, then I complete it by saying “…Only Color!”


3. Over the years NOC grew into one of the most recognizable playing card brands to date. The expansion wasn’t easy. 
"We had to constantly re-invent the NOCs with each edition. How do you do that with a deck, which, let’s be honest, has no design? The v1 NOCs were as plain as can be. Thick borders, no marking system, nothing special - but people loved the cards. We asked ourselves, how can we improve? For the v2, we added the suit marking system, thin borders, and the free video with routines you can perform with the marking system, and duplicate card, which was included in the deck. For $5 you got all that! We didn’t stop there though. We released 2 “summer” colors that summer by popular demand for new colors, and by Christmas, had a special Black NOC out on the market."


4. For the v3 NOCs, Alex switched to printing with the Expert Playing Card Company. 
"I really wanted to make the NOC deck the best it could be, and quality of Expert’s cards were amazing. We added something in the v3’s that I’ve wanted to do from the first version - a sideways tuck. This really made the brand stand out even more."

5. Alex wanted to create a bang to start NOC Signature series, 
"I used this opportunity to add two things to the NOCs that people thought was not possible - White NOCs, and having them fully marked. Many people actually requested white NOCs, even though it was more of a joke than anything. I wanted to make it a reality while making them fully marked at the same time. The White NOCs sold out in record time - I don’t even have any left for myself!"

NOC Sport Green and Pink are available from houseofplayingcards.com for $7. Also, remember to check out the birthday bundle Alex dropped on the site.


Images taken from House of Playing Cards.

NOC: The Luxury Collection. Only 5 More Days on Kickstarter!

The NOC Luxury Collection Playing Cards is the first collaboration between HOPC and Riffle Shuffle- the most luxurious NOC ever made! Only 5 days remaining on Kickstarter, the stunning new NOCs comes in Three Editions - The GOLD, SILVER, and BRONZE. Each is elegantly housed respectfully with their colors in a Premium FOILED tuck case. 

The luxurious tuck case finely infuses Two Hot Foil stamps, elevating the overall appearance of the box. The tuck front has the classic NOC Logo embossed on an extravagant Kurz Foil imported from Germany. The whole front of the luxurious tuck case looks like a Gold/Silver/Bronze metal plate!

Each Luxury Edition comes with a beautiful foiled seal. Each seal comes with a perforation that aligns with the opening flap of the deck, making it easier to open. The tuck case doesn’t just look luxurious but FEELS luxurious.

Inside, the entire deck dazzles under your sophisticated moves. Each with its corresponding Gold/Silver/Bronze foiled back design. Like all previous NOCs, these are fully marked as well.

The face cards of the Luxury Collection follow the popular design of the classic NOC decks. However, there are small details that differentiate all three editions of the Luxury Collection. 

The NOC Gold Foiled Edition utilizes eye-catching Premium Pantone Gold Metallic Ink that flourishes through all hearts and diamond suits, constantly elevating the luxuriousness of the deck. While the NOC Silver and Bronze Foiled Edition also utilizes the fabulous silver and bronze metallic ink, they kept it’s traditional red and black inks throughout the suits. The overall design for the faces is not too much that it will be overwhelming, but not too little as to look common.

The iconic Ace of Spades for each edition is infused with sophisticated Gold, Silver, and Bronze metallic ink. Upon first glance, the Ace symbol may seem standard, but you will soon notice a slight change in the iconic design to balance out the overall area covered with metallic ink. 

The Jokers wrap up the entire deck with our newly designed medallion look of the NOC Logo. The simple and clean design beautifully balances the luxuriousness with a touch of classiness. Each luxury edition comes with 2 identical Jokers, they are elegantly printed with corresponding gold, silver, and bronze metallic ink.

The NOC Luxury Collection will be the first NOC deck printed by Cartamundi. The decks are printed on the Slimline Paper Stock, finished with Cartamundi’s B9 True Linen Finish.

Available NOW on Kickstarter for $18. Also, if you pledge for 3 Decks or more, you will have the Access to add-on the NOC Luxury Gilded Edition. The NOC Luxury Gilded Edition is an Exclusive add-on item for Backers and will NOT be available after the Kickstarter Campaign. 

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News: House of Playing Cards to Release Limited Summer NOC v2 Playing Cards

Exclusively released in early July for members of The Blue Crown's Summer Club, the Summer NOC v2 Playing Cards have finally been given a release date for the masses or until they are all gone.  In a Facebook event created by Alex Pandrea of the House Of Playing Cards (Part of The Blue Crown Network) tonight on July 31, the NOC v2 Playing Cards are set to be released for purchase on August 6th at HouseOfPlayingCards.com.

Here is the official announcement courtesy of Alex Pandrea's Facebook Event:

We are happy to announce limited-edition Summer versions of the NOC v2 deck in bright orange and light blue! 

A VERY limited number of each color have been made, and they will never be reprinted! These beauties will be available at 8PM eastern time on Tuesday, August 6th at www.houseofplayingcards.com. 

For the first time ever with a NOC deck, we will also be offering collectible BRICK BOXES for those who purchase 12 decks! The brick boxes will be available in solid colors only.

Like the other NOC v2 decks, the Summer NOCs feature thin borders, simplified and re-colored court cards, and feature a hidden marking system that allows you to determine the SUIT of each card. Every purchase includes a free video download starring Alex Pandrea that teaches you how to use the marking system, as well as the duplicate card that's included with every deck. 

The release is also coupled with a few contests in order to win free Summer NOC v2 decks.

The Summer NOC v2, which come in light blue and orange, join the rest of the NOC v2 collection that already has 5 color variants. With the addition of the Summer colors, this makes the NOC v2 the custom deck with the most color variations.  The original NOC v2 are not limited release and can be found on both TheBlueCrown.com and HouseOfPlayingCards.com.

The NOC Luxury Collection Unlocks Rose Quartz Edition

Late last year, Riffle Shuffle and HOPC launched the NOC Luxury Collection and raised over $287k! This year, the highly collectible series is back on back on Kickstarter with 5 New Editions- Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Aquamarine and Rose Quartz.

Each deck is elegantly encased in a Premium FOILED tuck case of their respective colors finely infuses Two Hot Foil stamps and 4 Levels of state-of-the-art 3D embossing! 

The front of the tuck case displays the embossed NOC on a reflective metal plate design, giving it a luxurious look. The back of the tuck box comes with decorative spade patterns that are blind embossed.

Each Luxury Edition comes with a beautiful foiled Numbered Seal, which is perforated to align with the opening flap of the deck. When opening the beautiful tuck case, you will notice the FULLY FOILED inner tuck case. The tuck case doesn’t just look luxurious, but it also FEELS luxurious.

The face cards of the Luxury Collection follow the classic design of the previous NOC decks, but there are small details that differentiate all three editions from the Luxury Collection to make them all unique!

The NOC Ruby Foiled Edition utilizes a bold, eye-catching Red color with Premium Pantone Gold Metallic Ink. The NOC Sapphire and Emerald Editions, on the other hand, utilize Blue & Green Pantone Colors with the shimmering silver and bronze metallic ink. 

All three editions keep the traditional red and black inks throughout the suits. The overall design for the faces are a good balance so that it is not too overwhelming, but also differs from the common court card.

The iconic Aces have been updated with Pantone ink to follow its elegant theme. “Riffle Shuffle x House of Playing Cards” is beautifully written below the aces.

To tie the whole deck together, the Jokers feature the new medallion look of the NOC Logo design, similar to the first Luxury Collection. Each edition comes with 2 identical jokers, which are printed with their corresponding red, blue, and green Pantone ink to add that nice finishing touch to the deck.

NOC Playing Cards are well known for their suit marking system. For this series, the decks come with a FULLY Marked Marking System. Once you know the secret, you will be able to easily identify the suit and value of any given card without hesitation given its revolutionary system. 

The NOC Luxury Collection is the first NOC deck printed by professionals at Cartamundi on the well-known Slimline Paper Stock, finished with B9 True Linen Finish.

Also, the NOC Holographic Foil Edition Edge Gilding is available as an addon. Only 500 Holographic Gilded decks are available NOW as an add-on! Pledge starts at $18 on Kickstarter. 

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Alex Pandrea's New Winter NOC Playing Cards

Here's another new NOC release by Alex Pandrea. After a year of teasing, the new Winter NOC series has been released and features a soothing pastel color palette and a cool back story.

From the description on the product page,

America, 1608: The North Ontario Company, or NOC, established fur trades in and around New England and Lake Ontario with the natives of the land. They traded a variety of goods such as knives, hatchets, and beads to the Indians for fur and meat. One of the most sought after recreational goods traded were playing cards, hard to find at the time. A prevalent frontiersman during this era is on the hunt for a certain rare and particular item. This is where our story begins...

Similar to previous NOC releases, the deck features a minimal back design with thin borders and standard face cards designed for magicians who prefer standard faces as they are familiar and easily recognizable by the audience.

Winter NOCs are available in 2 regular edition colors (Glacier Ice and Lavender Dusk), and 1 LIMITED edition (Survival Green).

Printed by The United States Playing Cards Company on Bicycle Premium Stock with Air-Cushion Finish. Available now from houseofplayingcards.com. Check out the AWESOME teaser trailer below.



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Cardistry-Con NOC Deck Released!

This eye-catching deck was released over the weekend during Cardistry-Con. This is a very limited release of a NOC deck designed, printed in collaboration with the event.

The Cardistry-Con NOC is different from any other NOC decks released to-date. The deck sports a gradient lime green tile back, giving a unique pixelated look. The face card is standard but comes with an exclusive custom Ace of Spades and Joker with updated colorway.

The tuck features an eye-catching holographic package on the exterior and an interior checkerboard design. Definitely a very well produced NOC deck with a refreshing design update from the previous releases. The holo tuck is definitely a nice touch to give the deck a retro-style feel.

Printed by The United States Playing Cards Company on thin crushed stock. Only 2,019 Decks Printed. Available now for $15 at houseofplayingcards.com.

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NOC Out Green/Gold Edition by HOPC

Wow! 5 NOCs in a month! Alex Pandrea has just released the NOC Out Green Edition playing cards. The deck features everything you know and love about the NOC Out Series with a beautiful GREEN and GOLD to display the elegant back.

Unlike the usual borderless NOC decks, the NOC Outs have sort of a border and can be used as a borderless design to take advantage of false shuffles, deals, etc...

The back and tuck feature metallic ink. The face cards are pretty much standard with the exception of the Ace of Spades and Jokers.

Printed by The United States Playing Cards Company on Bee Stock with Air-Cushion Finish.
Available now from House of Playing Cards for $10! Use coupon code ERDNASE15 for 15% off for the next 24 hours.

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Alex Pandrea Released the 2019 Schedule for 11 NOCs

For the first time, House of Playing Cards will be releasing a brand new NOC deck each month - and founder Alex Pandrea has released the schedule for this year’s NOCs.

Between the new and collab decks, a record number of 11 new NOCs will be released this year! That includes, of course,  the vibrant SuperNOCs, as well as collab design featuring some of your favorite brands and personalities such AGT winner Shin Lim collab released earlier this week. As the holiday season and its accompanying NOC schedule nears, we’ll update you with more info about each deck. But in the meantime, check out the schedule below:

February 4th : NOC (Collab #1- Shin Lim)
March 12th : NOC3000X1
April 23rd : SuperNOC v2
May 21st : NOC Design #1
June 16th : (TBA)
July 16th : NOC (Collab #2)
August 20th : SuperNOC v3
September 17th : (TBA)
October 1st : (TBA)
November 19th : #MyNOC + WINTER NOCs
November 29th : (TBA)

* Subject to change based off USPCC printing schedules.

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Summer NOC Pro's Released!

Alex Pandrea has just released the Summer NOC Pros. Similar to the previous summer NOCs released, there 3 stunning color variations: Sunrise Teal, Sunset Orange, and Limited Edition Pink (only 1000 printed). The NOC series features a minimal design and is defined by its simplicity and elegance. The NOC Pros have been upgraded. The card back design has been upgraded with an added inner border that brings an elegant vibe to a simplistic deck. Crafted for magicians, the Summer NOC Pros are FULLY MARKED for both suit and value! Printed by the United States Playing Cards Company on Bicycle Premium Stock with Air-Cushion Finish. Available now from houseofplayingcards.com for $10.

Theory11 Just Dropped the Ultra Limited Edition NOC x Midnight Edition. One Hour Only!

Theory11 just dropped the Ultra Limited Edition NOC x Midnight Edition in collaboration with Alex Pandrea. Unlike the usual NOCs, the Midnight Edition comes with an exclusive custom Ace of Spades, Joker, tuck, and seal.

The deck itself sports an all-black colorway, ultra-thin border back design... with a hidden secret contained within. According to Theory11's product page, this is the most elite NOC playing cards ever produced.

The tuck features a heated blind deboss, gold foil package - and a deck of cards inside that is true to NOC minimalist style, with a little Theory11 flare.

Only available during limited, one-hour release windows. If you miss a release window, you won't find these anywhere until the next window. Act quickly, $9.95 on theory11.com.