Aladdin 1001 Deck Review:
Where to buy: $3.50/ pack http://store.dananddave.com/aladdin-pla ... -blue.html
Other reviews on Penguin: http://www.penguinmagic.com/discuss/vie ... ilit=arrco
Information about my reviewing process: http://www.penguinmagic.com/discuss/vie ... 0&t=156760
Initial Impression: The first thing you will likely notice as you open a new box of Aladdins is the smooth finish on the cards. While there is texture to the cards they are devoid of the dimples common on most cards produced from USPC. The texture does not have the smooth plastic feel of the Fournier but it is still quite a bit different than what most in the U.S. are used to. Overall getting used to a smooth finish card will most likely determine how much you like these cards.
The Look: The back design is nice but doesn’t have the fine detail of the Arrcos or the bold designs of the Tally-hos. The court cards are standard USPC artwork and the Ace of spades is unremarkable. The most interesting artistic feature are the Jokers. The Jokers are a picture of a rabbit coming out of an egg…guess it’s the Easter Bunny? Instead of add cards this deck includes a total of 4 Jokers. This could come in handy for a few effects I know of and is probably there to accommodate some of the card games that are more popular overseas, the market these cards are intended for.
Card construction: The card stock is a bit stiffer than the 808, in fact its’ stiffness rivaled the Tally-ho. The card finish is linen without any dimpling. There is some texture added to the finish, likely to add some airflow to the glides, but it doesn’t appear to be in any set pattern. As it ages this may cause trouble with its' fanning. Over all this deck came in at about 15mm which is about two cards thinner than a Bicycle 808.
Handling:
Fanning:
OOB:8
1 Week:8.5(peaked at a 9 midweek and then lost a bit by the end of the week)
2 week(KIA): 8
It usually fans nicely but occasionally you will find uneven fans even though it’s brand new.
Spring Moves:
OOB:7.5
1 Week:6
2 week(KIA):5.5
A little stiffer than a Bike but just barely. Acrobatic Diving board Doubles seem to have a little more pop but not enough to really set it apart.
Dribbles:
OOB:7.5
1 Week:9
2 week(KIA):9
Dribbles can be clumpy on this one. Likely do to a combination of stiffer stock and the lack of consistency in the finish texture.
Crimp hold and recovery:
OOB:6 hold / 7 recovery
1 Week:5 hold / 7 recovery
2 week(KIA):4 hold / 7 recovery
Ouch! Be careful here. The deck seems to heal itself from crimps all right…the problem is it starts to heal before you may be ready. If you need to use a crimp in an effect just be sure you don’t let your audience go hog wild.
Single card glides:
OOB:8
1 Week:8
2 week(KIA):7
this will be a solid worker for any sleight using this characteristic. The stiffer stocks certainly seem to help with these kinds of moves.
2+Card Obfuscations:
OOB:7.5
1 Week:8
2 week(KIA):6
One corner displays and one handed doubles seem to perform a touch better than an 808 but corner to corner spin moves seemed a bit sketchy for some reason. Overall a better performer than a Bike but not by much.
XCM cuts: Should be fine for this application but nothing about this deck indicates that it might excel in this area.
*1 week Edit* once stock softens multi-packet cuts become insecure.
Card Splitting and Gaff construction/availability: TBD
Who should not buy?: Though I wasn’t terribly impressed this isn’t a bad deck at all. If you already know that you don’t like smooth finished cards then don’t bother with this one, it won’t change your mind.*1 week Edit* Maybe I was wrong? See the 1 week update for details
Who should buy these?: Anyone interested in experimenting with a smooth finish deck will find the Alladins an affordable alternative too many of the European brands.
*1 week Edit* good practice deck for those who wish to save a Massa deck for performance.
Final Thoughts: I had high hopes for this card and perhaps that is why I was a bit disappointed. Working with the Fourniers taught me to appreciate the advantages of the smooth finish card and look past some of the weaknesses. Unfortunately this one just didn’t do it for me. While it did score respectably in all categories except the crimp it failed to excel in any category. Even the 808 excels in a few categories! Perhaps it is important to look at these cards in perspective. The smooth linen finish supposedly helps the cards resist humid climates. As such they are a common card in various parts of South East Asia. These cards are not, nor were intended to be, a high performance card. They are simply the Bicycle of Singapore. A good deck to experiment with but if you already know what you are looking for I’d say pass.
*1 week Edit* I changed my overall impression of this deck once I broke it in. See 1 week update for details.
Where to buy: $3.50/ pack http://store.dananddave.com/aladdin-pla ... -blue.html
Other reviews on Penguin: http://www.penguinmagic.com/discuss/vie ... ilit=arrco
Information about my reviewing process: http://www.penguinmagic.com/discuss/vie ... 0&t=156760
Initial Impression: The first thing you will likely notice as you open a new box of Aladdins is the smooth finish on the cards. While there is texture to the cards they are devoid of the dimples common on most cards produced from USPC. The texture does not have the smooth plastic feel of the Fournier but it is still quite a bit different than what most in the U.S. are used to. Overall getting used to a smooth finish card will most likely determine how much you like these cards.
The Look: The back design is nice but doesn’t have the fine detail of the Arrcos or the bold designs of the Tally-hos. The court cards are standard USPC artwork and the Ace of spades is unremarkable. The most interesting artistic feature are the Jokers. The Jokers are a picture of a rabbit coming out of an egg…guess it’s the Easter Bunny? Instead of add cards this deck includes a total of 4 Jokers. This could come in handy for a few effects I know of and is probably there to accommodate some of the card games that are more popular overseas, the market these cards are intended for.
Card construction: The card stock is a bit stiffer than the 808, in fact its’ stiffness rivaled the Tally-ho. The card finish is linen without any dimpling. There is some texture added to the finish, likely to add some airflow to the glides, but it doesn’t appear to be in any set pattern. As it ages this may cause trouble with its' fanning. Over all this deck came in at about 15mm which is about two cards thinner than a Bicycle 808.
Handling:
Fanning:
OOB:8
1 Week:8.5(peaked at a 9 midweek and then lost a bit by the end of the week)
2 week(KIA): 8
It usually fans nicely but occasionally you will find uneven fans even though it’s brand new.
Spring Moves:
OOB:7.5
1 Week:6
2 week(KIA):5.5
A little stiffer than a Bike but just barely. Acrobatic Diving board Doubles seem to have a little more pop but not enough to really set it apart.
Dribbles:
OOB:7.5
1 Week:9
2 week(KIA):9
Dribbles can be clumpy on this one. Likely do to a combination of stiffer stock and the lack of consistency in the finish texture.
Crimp hold and recovery:
OOB:6 hold / 7 recovery
1 Week:5 hold / 7 recovery
2 week(KIA):4 hold / 7 recovery
Ouch! Be careful here. The deck seems to heal itself from crimps all right…the problem is it starts to heal before you may be ready. If you need to use a crimp in an effect just be sure you don’t let your audience go hog wild.
Single card glides:
OOB:8
1 Week:8
2 week(KIA):7
this will be a solid worker for any sleight using this characteristic. The stiffer stocks certainly seem to help with these kinds of moves.
2+Card Obfuscations:
OOB:7.5
1 Week:8
2 week(KIA):6
One corner displays and one handed doubles seem to perform a touch better than an 808 but corner to corner spin moves seemed a bit sketchy for some reason. Overall a better performer than a Bike but not by much.
XCM cuts: Should be fine for this application but nothing about this deck indicates that it might excel in this area.
*1 week Edit* once stock softens multi-packet cuts become insecure.
Card Splitting and Gaff construction/availability: TBD
Who should not buy?: Though I wasn’t terribly impressed this isn’t a bad deck at all. If you already know that you don’t like smooth finished cards then don’t bother with this one, it won’t change your mind.*1 week Edit* Maybe I was wrong? See the 1 week update for details
Who should buy these?: Anyone interested in experimenting with a smooth finish deck will find the Alladins an affordable alternative too many of the European brands.
*1 week Edit* good practice deck for those who wish to save a Massa deck for performance.
Final Thoughts: I had high hopes for this card and perhaps that is why I was a bit disappointed. Working with the Fourniers taught me to appreciate the advantages of the smooth finish card and look past some of the weaknesses. Unfortunately this one just didn’t do it for me. While it did score respectably in all categories except the crimp it failed to excel in any category. Even the 808 excels in a few categories! Perhaps it is important to look at these cards in perspective. The smooth linen finish supposedly helps the cards resist humid climates. As such they are a common card in various parts of South East Asia. These cards are not, nor were intended to be, a high performance card. They are simply the Bicycle of Singapore. A good deck to experiment with but if you already know what you are looking for I’d say pass.
*1 week Edit* I changed my overall impression of this deck once I broke it in. See 1 week update for details.