I've been doing magic for a few months now, but I didn't have good cards in the beginning. First it were really bad, cheap cards that couldn't even rifle or fan. Then, I bought a poker chip case, which included a deck of cards which was great for rifling, but didn't fan whatsoever. That deck is totally broken now. So, I bought two Theory 11 decks, Contraband and Deck One. Both of them are great and so detailed, though after I think 4 days of using them they are still a bit 'ferm' I guess, and it doesn't rifle very easily (but I'm used to the old poker deck, which rifled really easy), but I think it will get better after a bit. But anyways, my main question is, how do I make sure I can use the two decks for as long as possible? I heard someone say that if you would use a standard Bycicle deck for 2 hours per day, it would already be broken after a week. And I don't wanna use the cards for a very short time per day, cause I'm totally in love with them. So, is it a good idea to change the two decks every 30 minutes or so? And how long will they last if I use both of them for 90 minutes per day?
How to handle cards
- Thread starter MagicianOne
- Start date
Good question. From my experience , I think it's a matter of how you use them. If you are going to just be doing false deals and tabled sleights the cards should last you a while. However , if you do Lepaul Spreads, Springs and that sort of stuff then be prepared to change your cards constantly.... Moreover , if you use your cards from morning until night, then even with tabled sleights you're going to have to change them frequently. So to put this way, there are a few variables at play. The temperature(whether it's really humid or dry) , How often you use the cards, The intensity of which you use the cards as stated above. The fingers also give off oils which are absorbed by the cards so take this into account as well. To answer your question you should be fine if you only use your cards 90 minutes per day. One deck should last you about six months to a year depending once again on the above variables. In The Expert at the Card Table Erdnase says that cards should be fresh and that after about 3 hours of use they become clumpy and no good for manipulation. It's funny that here we are about 100 years later and the guy is still right. Hope this helps.
Yeah the stiffness is because the decks are fairly new you just have to break them in, as for maintaining them just keep you're hands clean and dry when using them also I would recommend you getting yourself a decent carp clip since the card are good quality they should last you a pretty long time it all depends on how much you use them and how well you take care of them
Go ahead and break them in. Spend some time spreading, fanning, airing, vegas style washing, riffling, shuffling, dribbling, springing, and faroing (though don't try to spring and faro if you don't know how to do so well, you will just damage the deck).
Wash your hands and dry them thoroughly before using them, whenever possible.
Buy yourself a nice card clip. Keep your cards in there. They wont get beat up as you carry them around, and will remain relatively flat. If they start warping, shuffle them face up into face down, put them in the box, then put them in the card clip overnight for a few days.
I've also heard people recommend storing them in a fridge for a few days, but I've never tried it.
Wash your hands and dry them thoroughly before using them, whenever possible.
Buy yourself a nice card clip. Keep your cards in there. They wont get beat up as you carry them around, and will remain relatively flat. If they start warping, shuffle them face up into face down, put them in the box, then put them in the card clip overnight for a few days.
I've also heard people recommend storing them in a fridge for a few days, but I've never tried it.
First off, below are some videos that I covered card care in, so there are some tips should help you a lot within them.
Also, as Gabriel Z. has said how long you handle a deck consistently (e.g. 30 minutes straight) before it begins to clump or develop a warp depends on your environment (humidity, dryness, etc.) and also your hands (do they get oily/sweaty fast? or do they get dry/stay dry?). This definitely will determine how many consecutive minutes you can handle a deck for. Personally I recommend only 30 minutes before rotating decks and cleaning your hands if they naturally swing more to the oily side than dry.
Another few things I've discovered in response to the things already said, while card clips are very effective to protect your cards, the Porper card clip is the best design to roll with. Next, for me at least, the fridge/freezer method to "fix" a warped deck has never worked and in the end made the warp worse, as it tends to be that both pull moisture from the cards (which is the opposite of what I need living in a dry desert environment). Maybe the method works for humid areas, but I've found that I get better results in those areas by just putting the deck back into the box for a while the minute I feel a "click" starting to develop.
The most important piece of advice on using the cards themselves that I can give is this: If you have to force the cards into a move (such as a faro, spring, dribble, etc.) you're doing it wrong, and should stop immediately. The worst thing you can do to the corners of a deck is apply pressure to the deck in your faro the wrong way (e.g. upward pressure to a face-down deck with a traditional cut).
I also have an eBook on the subject if you're interested here: http://bit.ly/2fJzDLH
Another few things I've discovered in response to the things already said, while card clips are very effective to protect your cards, the Porper card clip is the best design to roll with. Next, for me at least, the fridge/freezer method to "fix" a warped deck has never worked and in the end made the warp worse, as it tends to be that both pull moisture from the cards (which is the opposite of what I need living in a dry desert environment). Maybe the method works for humid areas, but I've found that I get better results in those areas by just putting the deck back into the box for a while the minute I feel a "click" starting to develop.
The most important piece of advice on using the cards themselves that I can give is this: If you have to force the cards into a move (such as a faro, spring, dribble, etc.) you're doing it wrong, and should stop immediately. The worst thing you can do to the corners of a deck is apply pressure to the deck in your faro the wrong way (e.g. upward pressure to a face-down deck with a traditional cut).
I also have an eBook on the subject if you're interested here: http://bit.ly/2fJzDLH
Wow, thanks for all the tips guys! I just read trough them, and I will watch the two videos afterwards. My hands don't get oily or sweaty at all, so that's a good thing right? And I thought it wouldn't be a good idea to faro them, especially beacuse there not totally broken in yet, and because I'm not very good at it. Basically riffling, dribbling and fanning are the only things I've done that might harm the cards in a way, dribbling probably being the most harming from what I heard from you guys.
I actually showed some magic tricks on a sort of family reunion, which was really cool. The idea was that I would show some tricks to a family member that liked magic when I showed him around two months ago. Then I still was terrible at card handling, DL's and stuff. Also, the cards just didn't really work and he kept heckling and stuff, telling me how I did it etc. Well, not really to annoy me, but because he was just really curious, so I can't blame him. Anyways, I showed him a few tricks, but then other people started watching too. After 45 minutes of showing some tricks, they were pretty impressed and trying to figure it out. I also showed two card monte, the one where you let them hold on to the cards (I think aces are most used cards for the trick). That one was really awesome too, the person I did the trick on squeezed so hard on the cards, so he thought I couldn't change them. But then they were talking about a pretty famous Dutch mentalist (I'm from the Netherlands), that he did this kinda stuff too. And they started joking about how I might be able to read minds too, because that mentalist did mind reading tricks too. The good thing was that I didn't force a card yet, so I was like: 'No sorry, I can't read minds. Or, I could try.' So I forced a card and let him show it to everyone. I obviously already knew what the card was, so I was thinking of a cool way to tell him what the card was. He asked me if other people could see it, and I said: 'Yes, show everyone the six of diamonds'. That was definitely the best moment of the whole night, everybody was amazed. The only bad thing was that after I showed three card monte to a few kids, they wanted to inspect the cards, but they kinda bend them doing it. But after they sat in the box for the night they're almost good again.
Just realized that the whole story doesn't have to do anything with the subject of handling cards, but it's a waste to delete it now :3 Anyways, thanks again for the tips and sorry for the long story
I actually showed some magic tricks on a sort of family reunion, which was really cool. The idea was that I would show some tricks to a family member that liked magic when I showed him around two months ago. Then I still was terrible at card handling, DL's and stuff. Also, the cards just didn't really work and he kept heckling and stuff, telling me how I did it etc. Well, not really to annoy me, but because he was just really curious, so I can't blame him. Anyways, I showed him a few tricks, but then other people started watching too. After 45 minutes of showing some tricks, they were pretty impressed and trying to figure it out. I also showed two card monte, the one where you let them hold on to the cards (I think aces are most used cards for the trick). That one was really awesome too, the person I did the trick on squeezed so hard on the cards, so he thought I couldn't change them. But then they were talking about a pretty famous Dutch mentalist (I'm from the Netherlands), that he did this kinda stuff too. And they started joking about how I might be able to read minds too, because that mentalist did mind reading tricks too. The good thing was that I didn't force a card yet, so I was like: 'No sorry, I can't read minds. Or, I could try.' So I forced a card and let him show it to everyone. I obviously already knew what the card was, so I was thinking of a cool way to tell him what the card was. He asked me if other people could see it, and I said: 'Yes, show everyone the six of diamonds'. That was definitely the best moment of the whole night, everybody was amazed. The only bad thing was that after I showed three card monte to a few kids, they wanted to inspect the cards, but they kinda bend them doing it. But after they sat in the box for the night they're almost good again.
Just realized that the whole story doesn't have to do anything with the subject of handling cards, but it's a waste to delete it now :3 Anyways, thanks again for the tips and sorry for the long story
One last question though. In your video you said that you should never use a deck two days in a row. But in my situation, what is the best thing to do? Because I only have two decks (and a bunch of very old decks that can't even rifle shuffle). Should I rotate the two decks every 30 minutes and still use them every day?
Honestly, it doesn't matter how much you rotate them. Rotating helps, but it all depends on how you practice, how much you practice, where you practice, what you practice, etc.
30 min is a bit excessive though. Honestly, just rotate them a bit. Don't overuse one deck over the other, try and keep them consistant, but don't fret about them too much. If they get completely ruined after x amount of months, buy a new deck. Go ahead and buy some Bicycles, or experiment with other cheap, classic cards, like Tally Ho, Bee, etc.
If you live in the U.S., go to Costco, and ask where they may keep playing cards. They sell Bicycle Bricks (12 decks!) for just $15! Its probably next to the board games or books section.
I advise that system as I've discovered that it works the best to improve the life of a deck, especially after a day of vigorous practice. My best advice for you with the limits is the same as Maaz; if you really like the Theory 11 decks and money is short, get a brick of Bicycle cards (or even a four pack) and use those the heaviest. The best thing in your scenario though is that if the deck seems to have gotten a little soft (from body heat), set it down for a bit. If it develops a click set it down for a few hours. Overall though just make sure your hands are clean and the environment you set your cards down on out of the tuck case is relatively clean. After that it's just a matter of getting a feel for when the deck doesn't feel right (you'll know it as this is when the deck feels more soft than crisp, when a click develops, etc.) and putting the deck down for a bit after (30 mins if it's just too warm, 3+ hours if a click develops).
If the click is still there five hours later you'll have to actively attempt to remove the click.
I hope this helps,
- Steven
Okay, thanks to all of you for helping out. The deck clearly feels better now, so it's working well
Some sleights or cardistry moves are easier with a new (or slightly broken in) deck and others are easier with an older deck. Experience and see what works best for you. After a while you'll know which moves you can do when and than you can practise certain moves when you open a new deck and do some other moves when it's getting older. By doing this you'll enjoy your cards longer.
E.g. I like to do the 'Yo' or 'Yo Stab' and that's best with slightly broken in cards. Older decks can be used for magic tricks that don't involve difficult sleight of hand or tricks were you destroy your cards (voodoo or torn/restore etc.)
(if you don't know Yo Stab: https://www.instagram.com/p/BWTBO2RAtlY/?hl=en&taken-by=house_of_magicardistry )
E.g. I like to do the 'Yo' or 'Yo Stab' and that's best with slightly broken in cards. Older decks can be used for magic tricks that don't involve difficult sleight of hand or tricks were you destroy your cards (voodoo or torn/restore etc.)
(if you don't know Yo Stab: https://www.instagram.com/p/BWTBO2RAtlY/?hl=en&taken-by=house_of_magicardistry )