What's wrong with a gimmicked deck? I know a lot of people who made their living doing things with nothing but stacked decks or marked decks.
Nothing at all - dude, I use ID and Svengali - when used properly, they kill - but I wouldn't tip this to my audience...remember, we lie to them for a living? What should I say, yeah, I use trick decks, but this isn't one of them? Come on.
I
really don't see what the big deal is if somebody wants to see the cards. Their freaking cards, let the person do what they want with them.
There isn't a big deal in letting people look at them. However, why do magicians feel the need to let audiences examine regualar objects? This would indicate that there are irregular objects of that make.
Magician: "Examine this coin"
Audience: "For what"?
Magician: "To make sure it is normal/regular"
Audience: "Why wouldn't it be"?
Magician: "Umm, yeah, well...instead, examine this "ordinary" deck"
AND SO ON...
If people ask to look at them, fine...but realize, I have handed marked decks to magicians that have been looking for marks and missed them...so what makes the audience more likely to find or not find something. I always say to my audiences...if a magician lets you examine something, there is nothing to find. Most people don't want to examine the pre-condition. WHICH IS GOOD - because what happens when you CAN'T let them examine this condition because of an indifferent top card, stack, set up, etc??? Sure - give your audience control and more mental barriers. It is your performance, I will stick with my proven approach.
Personally tho I just borrow whatever deck they have on hand. I have also found that not everybody has a bike deck. Most people have 90 year old cards they got from a thrift shop in Vegas or ones that have some weird design on it. Simply because to them, they are just playing cards to bust out when they want to play poker
Hmm, well, working professionally doesn't allows allow for this...as most people don't come to events with cards on them - but, if you are at your friends house and his mommy asks to see a trick...sure, the family cards with a rubber band around it makes it unnecessary to examine them.
Darwin has an interesting explanation not to be stuck with a 90 year old deck...he says, just as you wouldn't expect a world class MUSICIAN to play on your guitar, because he is used to and gets better sound from his, that they hope you understand that he brings his own - because he has worked it in, and it is his. The quality of his cards, are much better than theirs...and he points it out - just as world class musician probably invests in his instrument, so does he.
Regardless...good luck doing anything but key card work with your borrowed deck - god Randy - one day we will meet. Oddly, I look forward to that day.