Casino Playing Cards By Cartamundi
Where to buy:
http://www.cards4magic.co.uk/acatalog/c ... Mundi.html
Price: £2.00
For more information about my reviewing methods and a list of other reviews: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=156760&p=1224367#p1224367
Video Addition: (Describes an Aerial cut that is kind of fun.)
Carta-Mundi Casino Deck Review on Vimeo
Initial Impressions: Okay I have been a bit to busy lately to keep up on the writing end of my current review project however I have found the time to play with these decks so this is a combo OOB/1st week review. In a nut shell I’d say that the stock and finish is promising but the artwork and design…not so much. This is a smooth finish deck with a medium stiff flex and a borderless back. It is not that there is anything bad about the components of this deck but, as I’ll discuss in greater detail later, this deck doesn’t seem to have the right combination of individual parts to really make it a great deck.
The Look: This is where my biggest issue with the deck comes from. I just think they have the look of a cheap knock-off of a Bee deck. It has a diamond printed borderless back design just like the Bee deck but somehow this one just doesn’t do it for me. In truth I was never a huge fan of the Bee backs anyways (for a borderless design nothing beats the Steamboats), but these cards are seriously boring. The ace of spades….same thing. Arrcos manage to make a simple AOS look good….these do not. The court cards are not ugly enough or pretty enough to really comment on. The only highlight of the deck are the Jokers. The Jokers have a picture of a jester standing on a globe(earth maybe?) dropping a deck of cards one by one. You get two of these Jokers plus a reveal card with the Joker holding a large King of hearts. It’s always nice when a reveal card is added to a deck of cards although I’m not sure it fits the character of the deck.
Card Construction: As I mentioned this is a smooth finish deck and it is a bit thinner than an 808. They come in at about 14.3mm in thickness and lying next to a Bike they will be about 3 cards thinner. These cards weigh appx 90. The dimensions are the same as standard poker sized decks but like other European cards the corners are rounder.
Handling: Fanning: OOB: 8.5
1 Week: 8
Not bad with a fan, either OOB or after the 1st week, but it certainly won’t match a deck with a well made air cushion finish.
Spring Energy: OOB: 8
1 Week: 8It ranks up there with a UV500 deck in terms of stiffness. If you are interested in smooth finish decks but are afraid that Anglos or Fourniers might be a bit much for you these might worth a look to strengthen your hands.
Dribble: OOB: 7
1st Week: 7.5It dribbles Okay but nothing to get excited about. Their was a slight improvement over a week as the deck broke in.
Crimp Hold/Recovery: OOB: 7
1st week: 7/6This deck has actually been through fairly light use in it’s first week(by my standards) and it is already developing several unrecoverable crimps. Combined with a crimp hold that is just about average and I can safely state that you will need medium to strong crimps for your performances and breather crimps should re-creased prior to a night out on the town.
Single Card Glides: OOB: 7
1st Week:8Though not impressive OOB it seems to have improved. Very strong performance in bottom card glides but only average performance on top card glides. To be specific, top card glides with the fingers are pretty strong but with the thumb can be problematic.
2+ Card Obfuscations: OOB: 8
1st week: 8These cards hold together pretty good and the borderless back will be great for push-off techniques. I have no complaints at all in this category. Your only issue will be, as with many other European decks, how easily you adapt to the rounder edges.
Gaff construction and availability: None that I know of.
XCM Flourishing: I’m going to give this deck high marks for a “Practice Deck.” Frankly I think the deck is just to ugly for performance but this deck has an unusual blend of characteristics. It’s decent in the fan and also holds together well for packet cuts and aerials. That particular combination should appeal to those whose flourishing style is a mixture of fan/spread techniques and complicated packet cuts. It should also appeal to those who are just beginning flourishing and are unsure of what style they are likely to adopt.
Who Should Buy?: Flourishers fitting the above criteria who a looking for a solid “practice” deck.
Who should not buy: Probably everyone else.
Final thoughts:So on the face of it, the Cartamundi’s seem to be a deck that has a nice blend of stiffness and fanning smoothness, and most of the performance characteristics are above average at least. So why don’t I like them…..The looks. Sounds harsh I know, especially from a guy who tries not to recommend decks based on the looks but in this case it is more than the simple cosmetics of the deck. I don’t really like the looks of the Aladdin’s but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them. This is different. A cheap appearance might be forgivable with such a nice stock and finish but the problem is the stock and finish lend themselves more towards modern style of card magic while the borderless back lends itself towards gambling demos and the like. Simple fact is that a lot of the best modern effects may include reversed cards and the borderless back just doesn’t lend itself to that kind of stuff. Furthermore, a good gambling demo is more than just disguising the second deals. Good gambling Demos often require nice shuffle work and bottom dealing. Both of those techniques are generally easier with a softer deck. Regardless of how much I break in my stiffer decks they still won’t faro like a Bee and neither will these. Buckling the bottom card for a bottom deal get ready will be easier with the Cartamundis than say an Anglo but they still won’t beat a Bee. So basically the advantages of the stock/finish are lost with the borderless design and vice versa making these good for flourishing practice and that’s about it. Cartamundi makes a bunch of cards and I assume the stock/finish combo will be similar with most of them. If you happen to find a deck with a design you like definitely check it out but I can’t recommend the Cartamundi “Casino” deck.
Where to buy:
http://www.cards4magic.co.uk/acatalog/c ... Mundi.html
Price: £2.00
For more information about my reviewing methods and a list of other reviews: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=156760&p=1224367#p1224367
Video Addition: (Describes an Aerial cut that is kind of fun.)
Carta-Mundi Casino Deck Review on Vimeo
Initial Impressions: Okay I have been a bit to busy lately to keep up on the writing end of my current review project however I have found the time to play with these decks so this is a combo OOB/1st week review. In a nut shell I’d say that the stock and finish is promising but the artwork and design…not so much. This is a smooth finish deck with a medium stiff flex and a borderless back. It is not that there is anything bad about the components of this deck but, as I’ll discuss in greater detail later, this deck doesn’t seem to have the right combination of individual parts to really make it a great deck.
The Look: This is where my biggest issue with the deck comes from. I just think they have the look of a cheap knock-off of a Bee deck. It has a diamond printed borderless back design just like the Bee deck but somehow this one just doesn’t do it for me. In truth I was never a huge fan of the Bee backs anyways (for a borderless design nothing beats the Steamboats), but these cards are seriously boring. The ace of spades….same thing. Arrcos manage to make a simple AOS look good….these do not. The court cards are not ugly enough or pretty enough to really comment on. The only highlight of the deck are the Jokers. The Jokers have a picture of a jester standing on a globe(earth maybe?) dropping a deck of cards one by one. You get two of these Jokers plus a reveal card with the Joker holding a large King of hearts. It’s always nice when a reveal card is added to a deck of cards although I’m not sure it fits the character of the deck.
Card Construction: As I mentioned this is a smooth finish deck and it is a bit thinner than an 808. They come in at about 14.3mm in thickness and lying next to a Bike they will be about 3 cards thinner. These cards weigh appx 90. The dimensions are the same as standard poker sized decks but like other European cards the corners are rounder.
Handling: Fanning: OOB: 8.5
1 Week: 8
Not bad with a fan, either OOB or after the 1st week, but it certainly won’t match a deck with a well made air cushion finish.
Spring Energy: OOB: 8
1 Week: 8It ranks up there with a UV500 deck in terms of stiffness. If you are interested in smooth finish decks but are afraid that Anglos or Fourniers might be a bit much for you these might worth a look to strengthen your hands.
Dribble: OOB: 7
1st Week: 7.5It dribbles Okay but nothing to get excited about. Their was a slight improvement over a week as the deck broke in.
Crimp Hold/Recovery: OOB: 7
1st week: 7/6This deck has actually been through fairly light use in it’s first week(by my standards) and it is already developing several unrecoverable crimps. Combined with a crimp hold that is just about average and I can safely state that you will need medium to strong crimps for your performances and breather crimps should re-creased prior to a night out on the town.
Single Card Glides: OOB: 7
1st Week:8Though not impressive OOB it seems to have improved. Very strong performance in bottom card glides but only average performance on top card glides. To be specific, top card glides with the fingers are pretty strong but with the thumb can be problematic.
2+ Card Obfuscations: OOB: 8
1st week: 8These cards hold together pretty good and the borderless back will be great for push-off techniques. I have no complaints at all in this category. Your only issue will be, as with many other European decks, how easily you adapt to the rounder edges.
Gaff construction and availability: None that I know of.
XCM Flourishing: I’m going to give this deck high marks for a “Practice Deck.” Frankly I think the deck is just to ugly for performance but this deck has an unusual blend of characteristics. It’s decent in the fan and also holds together well for packet cuts and aerials. That particular combination should appeal to those whose flourishing style is a mixture of fan/spread techniques and complicated packet cuts. It should also appeal to those who are just beginning flourishing and are unsure of what style they are likely to adopt.
Who Should Buy?: Flourishers fitting the above criteria who a looking for a solid “practice” deck.
Who should not buy: Probably everyone else.
Final thoughts:So on the face of it, the Cartamundi’s seem to be a deck that has a nice blend of stiffness and fanning smoothness, and most of the performance characteristics are above average at least. So why don’t I like them…..The looks. Sounds harsh I know, especially from a guy who tries not to recommend decks based on the looks but in this case it is more than the simple cosmetics of the deck. I don’t really like the looks of the Aladdin’s but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them. This is different. A cheap appearance might be forgivable with such a nice stock and finish but the problem is the stock and finish lend themselves more towards modern style of card magic while the borderless back lends itself towards gambling demos and the like. Simple fact is that a lot of the best modern effects may include reversed cards and the borderless back just doesn’t lend itself to that kind of stuff. Furthermore, a good gambling demo is more than just disguising the second deals. Good gambling Demos often require nice shuffle work and bottom dealing. Both of those techniques are generally easier with a softer deck. Regardless of how much I break in my stiffer decks they still won’t faro like a Bee and neither will these. Buckling the bottom card for a bottom deal get ready will be easier with the Cartamundis than say an Anglo but they still won’t beat a Bee. So basically the advantages of the stock/finish are lost with the borderless design and vice versa making these good for flourishing practice and that’s about it. Cartamundi makes a bunch of cards and I assume the stock/finish combo will be similar with most of them. If you happen to find a deck with a design you like definitely check it out but I can’t recommend the Cartamundi “Casino” deck.