Waddington’s No.1, Poker Sized
Where to buy: http://cards4magic.co.uk/acatalog/xWaddingtons.html
Price: £2.99
For more information about my reviewing methods and a list of other reviews: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=156760&p=1224367#p1224367
Video Addition: Just some general thoughts and a live gambling demo
Waddington's deck review video suppliment on Vimeo
Initial Impressions:
(This will be something new for me. I’ve been so busy gigs lately that I have actually completed a review before I had a chance to do a write up on it. Some of my impressions won’t be as fresh but I kept pretty good records so I’m comfortable with it.)
I approached this review with a bit of trepidation. The truth is that I had mentioned that I had Waddington’s in the queue for a deck review on a few websites and had several English magicians reply back trashing this deck. It seemed as if, just like my review of the Tally Hos, certain people have their minds made up about this deck. Fortunately it is not, and has never been my intention, to sway the minds of people who have already handled a particular deck. My only goal is to give people who haven’t tried a deck a rough idea of what to expect so they don’t waste their money on a deck that doesn’t suite their style. With that in mind I have to say…I’ve got no clue what Waddington haters are smoking? This is a fine deck of cards and I’ll pit it against any of the standard USPCC brands(Bike, Bee, Tally, ect.)any day. On the flip side it won’t compete with the quality you will get out of USPCC cards run off their casino grade presses(Casino brands, T11, and *********** brands) nor does it compete with some of the old school bad a$$es(Arrco, Steamboat, ect.) In short, this is a good quality, standard run card and if you can get it for a price similar to a Bicycle 808 I doubt you will be disappointed.
The Look:.The back design is green with a thin white boarder. It is okay looking but nothing to exciting. It’s mostly a bunch of mini flower patterns lined up in symmetric rows and columns. The court cards are pretty standard art for anglo cards(meaning cards made for poker, whist, and bridge not “Anglo” cards from Offason). The No.1s have a 4 pip design which can look really good in face up spreads. The Ace of spades is a big spade with flower and stem design patterns within. At the top of the pip is a crown and in the center is a Waddingtons Playing Card Co LTD. surrounding a centerpiece flower. The jokers are a standard full bodied Jester design. The advertising card has a Poker quick reference card with the rankings of all the hands. On the back of the ad card is…tah Dah! an AD! It is for some “Pass the Pigs” Game? I’ve got no clue what that is all about. Apparently if you don’t get the significance of “Pigging out” or “Making Bacon” you haven’t played Pass the Pigs…..I’ve got nothing? Maybe some folks from England might shed some light on that one? The card box is really nice. It’s a green box with all the usual trademark and manufacturing info on the sides bottom and back. On the front is gold lettering for Waddingtons No.1 Poker Deck. Overall I like the looks of this deck though other than the box I wouldn’t say it is a better looking deck than most of the standard USPCC cards.
Card Construction: The cards are obviously cut to poker size but they have rounder edges than USPCC cards, much like many of the other European cards. These cards are 14.7mm and weigh about 89 grams which puts them at about the same thickness and weight as a Bee brand card(about 2 cards less than a Bike). The most unique feature of Waddington’s is the finish. It has a cambric finish although instead of the pattern being made with a series of dimples(like USPCC air cushion) the patter is made with a series of lines. I was skeptical at first but they seemed to hold up just as well and dimpled finishes.
Handling: Overall these will handle similar to a Bee card though they will not fan quite as smoothly as a Bee card.
Fanning: OOB: 9
1st Week: 8.5
2nd Week: 7.5The Waddingtons seemed to fan just about as well as a Bike 808 out of the box. While over the course of the review the fan did deteriorate, it did so in increments. It never seemed to experience any serious clumping issues with heavy use(one of the reasons I usually toss bikes after a week or two).
Spring Energy: OOB: 6.5
1st Week: 6
2nd Week: 5.5This is not a particularly stiff or springy deck. It started off a little softer than the Bike 808 and continues to deteriorate to the point where it was a pretty “floppy” deck. This is one of the reasons I canceled the review after about two weeks. It did just fine for gambling demos(what I was mainly practicing at the time) but probably not the best deck for complicated cuts or in hands knuckle busters.
Dribble: OOB: 8
1st Week: 8.5
2nd Week: 8The No. 1s are an above average deck in this regard but they probably wouldn’t be the “best” card for an Anaconda.
Crimp Hold/Recovery: OOB: 7
1st week: 5 (hold)/ 6 (recovery)
2nd Week: 5 Here is the biggest weak link of this deck. Even after the first week it was touch and go with the crimps. Even a breather crimp might not last a long routine that includes lots of false shuffles. Worse yet, by the 2nd week, it wasn’t even recovering satisfactorily from crimps which only amplified the problems with the crimp hold. Ultimately this was the reason I put it to bed after the second week.
Single Card Glides: OOB: 7
1st Week:7
2nd Week: 8These decks are no more than average in this regard. As is often the case with smooth fanning, soft decks, often times extra cards like to “come along for the ride” while attempting single card glides. I recommend acquiring a break first before pulling a glide. Ironically this statistic actually improved just as I was retiring the deck for other reasons.
2+ Card Obfuscations: OOB: 8
1st week: 8
2nd Week: 6This was an odd stat. Usually I find doubling techniques a little more sketchy with a soft stock but for some reason this one seemed to out perform Bicycle 808s. It was particularly good at the Hugard/ Braue Push-off(I personally thing this was due to the narrow boarder making it easier to put you thumb in the right location in preparation for that move. Unfortunately, by the 2nd week, extra cards started getting pulled on no-get ready push offs and cards started splitting apart on corner displays.
Gaff construction and availability: None that I know of.
XCM Flourishing: A competent deck for competent flourishers though I would not recommend for noobs or even for the seasoned flourisher looking to learn new packet cuts.
Who Should Buy?: Anyone who doesn’t mind softer stock decks and can get Waddingtons at a price comparable to other USPCC brands. The No.1s are also a good deck for collectors who want to have a representative deck of each of the major card manufacturers.
Who should not buy: Anyone who can get standard USPCC cards easier, and for a cheaper price than the Waddingtons.
Final thoughts:I can’t find anything to justify the bad reputation this card has on the net. Certainly some people will prefer the stiffer Bicycle stock but for those who like Bee brand cards there really is no tangible reason not to like these. Most of the Waddington bashing I have heard comes from England and all I can say to that is that it is likely a “Grass is always greener on the other side,” kind of attitude. While these cards certainly have a different feel that a Bicycle I can’t find anything about the card that indicates that it is of a lower quality. Indeed, in terms of printing alignment and cutting of the cards I think you will find the Waddingtons exceeds the standard run USPCC cards. With all that said I won’t recommend these for magicians and cardists from North America. By the time you convert the prices from pounds to dollars, and then add on overseas shipping charges, you are probably looking at 5-6 bucks a deck. If I were to pit the Waddingtons up against USPCC cards in that price range(ie. E & T11 custom decks) the No.1s would have got a much more critical review.
Where to buy: http://cards4magic.co.uk/acatalog/xWaddingtons.html
Price: £2.99
For more information about my reviewing methods and a list of other reviews: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=156760&p=1224367#p1224367
Video Addition: Just some general thoughts and a live gambling demo
Waddington's deck review video suppliment on Vimeo
Initial Impressions:
(This will be something new for me. I’ve been so busy gigs lately that I have actually completed a review before I had a chance to do a write up on it. Some of my impressions won’t be as fresh but I kept pretty good records so I’m comfortable with it.)
I approached this review with a bit of trepidation. The truth is that I had mentioned that I had Waddington’s in the queue for a deck review on a few websites and had several English magicians reply back trashing this deck. It seemed as if, just like my review of the Tally Hos, certain people have their minds made up about this deck. Fortunately it is not, and has never been my intention, to sway the minds of people who have already handled a particular deck. My only goal is to give people who haven’t tried a deck a rough idea of what to expect so they don’t waste their money on a deck that doesn’t suite their style. With that in mind I have to say…I’ve got no clue what Waddington haters are smoking? This is a fine deck of cards and I’ll pit it against any of the standard USPCC brands(Bike, Bee, Tally, ect.)any day. On the flip side it won’t compete with the quality you will get out of USPCC cards run off their casino grade presses(Casino brands, T11, and *********** brands) nor does it compete with some of the old school bad a$$es(Arrco, Steamboat, ect.) In short, this is a good quality, standard run card and if you can get it for a price similar to a Bicycle 808 I doubt you will be disappointed.
The Look:.The back design is green with a thin white boarder. It is okay looking but nothing to exciting. It’s mostly a bunch of mini flower patterns lined up in symmetric rows and columns. The court cards are pretty standard art for anglo cards(meaning cards made for poker, whist, and bridge not “Anglo” cards from Offason). The No.1s have a 4 pip design which can look really good in face up spreads. The Ace of spades is a big spade with flower and stem design patterns within. At the top of the pip is a crown and in the center is a Waddingtons Playing Card Co LTD. surrounding a centerpiece flower. The jokers are a standard full bodied Jester design. The advertising card has a Poker quick reference card with the rankings of all the hands. On the back of the ad card is…tah Dah! an AD! It is for some “Pass the Pigs” Game? I’ve got no clue what that is all about. Apparently if you don’t get the significance of “Pigging out” or “Making Bacon” you haven’t played Pass the Pigs…..I’ve got nothing? Maybe some folks from England might shed some light on that one? The card box is really nice. It’s a green box with all the usual trademark and manufacturing info on the sides bottom and back. On the front is gold lettering for Waddingtons No.1 Poker Deck. Overall I like the looks of this deck though other than the box I wouldn’t say it is a better looking deck than most of the standard USPCC cards.
Card Construction: The cards are obviously cut to poker size but they have rounder edges than USPCC cards, much like many of the other European cards. These cards are 14.7mm and weigh about 89 grams which puts them at about the same thickness and weight as a Bee brand card(about 2 cards less than a Bike). The most unique feature of Waddington’s is the finish. It has a cambric finish although instead of the pattern being made with a series of dimples(like USPCC air cushion) the patter is made with a series of lines. I was skeptical at first but they seemed to hold up just as well and dimpled finishes.
Handling: Overall these will handle similar to a Bee card though they will not fan quite as smoothly as a Bee card.
Fanning: OOB: 9
1st Week: 8.5
2nd Week: 7.5The Waddingtons seemed to fan just about as well as a Bike 808 out of the box. While over the course of the review the fan did deteriorate, it did so in increments. It never seemed to experience any serious clumping issues with heavy use(one of the reasons I usually toss bikes after a week or two).
Spring Energy: OOB: 6.5
1st Week: 6
2nd Week: 5.5This is not a particularly stiff or springy deck. It started off a little softer than the Bike 808 and continues to deteriorate to the point where it was a pretty “floppy” deck. This is one of the reasons I canceled the review after about two weeks. It did just fine for gambling demos(what I was mainly practicing at the time) but probably not the best deck for complicated cuts or in hands knuckle busters.
Dribble: OOB: 8
1st Week: 8.5
2nd Week: 8The No. 1s are an above average deck in this regard but they probably wouldn’t be the “best” card for an Anaconda.
Crimp Hold/Recovery: OOB: 7
1st week: 5 (hold)/ 6 (recovery)
2nd Week: 5 Here is the biggest weak link of this deck. Even after the first week it was touch and go with the crimps. Even a breather crimp might not last a long routine that includes lots of false shuffles. Worse yet, by the 2nd week, it wasn’t even recovering satisfactorily from crimps which only amplified the problems with the crimp hold. Ultimately this was the reason I put it to bed after the second week.
Single Card Glides: OOB: 7
1st Week:7
2nd Week: 8These decks are no more than average in this regard. As is often the case with smooth fanning, soft decks, often times extra cards like to “come along for the ride” while attempting single card glides. I recommend acquiring a break first before pulling a glide. Ironically this statistic actually improved just as I was retiring the deck for other reasons.
2+ Card Obfuscations: OOB: 8
1st week: 8
2nd Week: 6This was an odd stat. Usually I find doubling techniques a little more sketchy with a soft stock but for some reason this one seemed to out perform Bicycle 808s. It was particularly good at the Hugard/ Braue Push-off(I personally thing this was due to the narrow boarder making it easier to put you thumb in the right location in preparation for that move. Unfortunately, by the 2nd week, extra cards started getting pulled on no-get ready push offs and cards started splitting apart on corner displays.
Gaff construction and availability: None that I know of.
XCM Flourishing: A competent deck for competent flourishers though I would not recommend for noobs or even for the seasoned flourisher looking to learn new packet cuts.
Who Should Buy?: Anyone who doesn’t mind softer stock decks and can get Waddingtons at a price comparable to other USPCC brands. The No.1s are also a good deck for collectors who want to have a representative deck of each of the major card manufacturers.
Who should not buy: Anyone who can get standard USPCC cards easier, and for a cheaper price than the Waddingtons.
Final thoughts:I can’t find anything to justify the bad reputation this card has on the net. Certainly some people will prefer the stiffer Bicycle stock but for those who like Bee brand cards there really is no tangible reason not to like these. Most of the Waddington bashing I have heard comes from England and all I can say to that is that it is likely a “Grass is always greener on the other side,” kind of attitude. While these cards certainly have a different feel that a Bicycle I can’t find anything about the card that indicates that it is of a lower quality. Indeed, in terms of printing alignment and cutting of the cards I think you will find the Waddingtons exceeds the standard run USPCC cards. With all that said I won’t recommend these for magicians and cardists from North America. By the time you convert the prices from pounds to dollars, and then add on overseas shipping charges, you are probably looking at 5-6 bucks a deck. If I were to pit the Waddingtons up against USPCC cards in that price range(ie. E & T11 custom decks) the No.1s would have got a much more critical review.