What's your favourite features in a deck of cards?

[scottmcb]

What are your favourite features in a deck of cards? If you explained to a friend why you liked a certain deck of cards what things would you point out to them?

Here's a brief list of my favourite things:
- Custom court cards
- One way backs that look like two way backs - e.g. Animal Kingdom Playing Card Deck
- Custom regular cards (not the court cards)
- Lots of detail on the back design

That's just a short list. What are your favourite features?

 

[Horia H.]

I just like simple back designs (like Smoke and Mirrors, Wynns, Fontaine)

 

[yyyyyyy]

I don't particularly mind custom court cards, but they have to make sense. The theme has to match the rest of the deck, or else it just seems odd. As for simplified backs, I've always been a fan of the NOCs, which is as simplified as it gets. But, I'm tired that people are slowly moving towards the simpler, more geometric designs. They're all starting to the look the same. It feels like everyone wants to recreate the Fontaines. As for custom regular cards, I'm generally okay with them but similarly to custom court cards they have to make sense. I'm picky with decks of cards, I don't think there are many specific things I like to see in deck. It just has to resonate with me I guess.

 

[Alix B.(1)]

What I like in a deck, is first the back, it's the most important thing for me in the deck, and that's why I chose the deck, because I like the back. I like simplicicty like Jerry's nugget, D&D, virtuoso, Fontaine, Ace fultons, Rounders and NOC.
I also like complicated back designs but only if they're elegant, like the aristocrats, artisan and monarchs.
Last important thing in the back design is the thin borders.
After that, it's the simplicity of the deck, I don't like complicated decks like the carnival dead eyes, but I prefer simple things like the court cards of the carparthia deck, or the D&D decks.
The look of the box is also really important for me, it's what I show to the spectator and also what makes me want to practise. When I see an elegant but simple box, I just want to open it and see what's inside and discover it.

Conclusion: When it comes to cards, I'm really picky and each and every detail is important.