Rick Davidson’s design is inspired by a paisley pattern (my wife’s theory is that is why I like it since it reminds me of my old dressing gown) – with no borders – which leads to some spectacular designs when it is spread or fanned.  So I apologise for the number of photos which feature some variation on this theme.
(BTW a brief apology for some of the pictures not being as sharp as they could be – I was working in lighting which was far too low, but time was against me I’m afraid).

The deck has been printed by Legends Playing Card Co on their ‘Elite Finish’ stock which handles very nicely – as well as, if not better than Bicycle stock.

The tuck case looks beautiful and features tasteful embossing.  I particularly like the understated printing on the inside which gives a real air of quality to the whole thing.

All the pips feature a ‘split’ design – hearts, spades and diamonds with a single split, clubs with a kind of double split.  This looks particularly nice on the aces, but it can feel a little ‘busy’ on higher value spot cards – e.g. a ten.

The court cards work well and are strong and bold.  The deck only comes with a single Joker which features a stylised  young lady and continues to pick up the paisley influence.  The second ‘joker’ is actually an advertising card.

I seem to remember that the series of decks was aimed first at Poker players – who will be less bothered by the single joker.  For the magician, having two jokers is often useful.  On the other hand, for anyone into flourishing I cannot think of a more beautiful deck.  Did I mention how nice the spreads are – especially in curves.  Have a look at the mesmerising patterns in some of the following.

So I think the Luxx Palme is another great deck. The cards feel less ‘glossy’ than the earlier decks and if anything handle slightly better. I have a bias for even bolder aces than these, and I’m not completely taken by the split pips design, but I love the play of the back design so much I can forgive these minor details.

Available direct from JP Playing Cards who produced them. They will be releasing some limited edition variations in the new year. £8.99

And if you’d like to get your hands on some of these Palme decks – or some of the earlier Luxx decks which are no longer available to buy, then check out our Christmas Stocking Filler competition – which launches on Black Friday (27th November). We’re giving away over £300 worth of stock – so enter away…

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One is a limited edition deck with a holographic seal, the other is an ‘ordinary’ Luxx V2 deck – though there is nothing ordinary about these decks as you will see in our review.

No purchase necessary to enter – you just need to visit, like, follow or tweet about us – with extra entries for each one you do. So what are you waiting for? Head on over to our competition. Good luck!

The post Competition – Win Luxx V2 Deck – only 5 days left! appeared first on Bicycle Cards.

Standard Tuck Case – Silver

The first thing you notice is the restraint. The original Luxx deck came in a striking blue or orange, but the new edition is darker with a shadow theme. The tuck case is of the same heavy cardboard as the original and we continue to feel this adds class to the deck. The design appears unchanged – just the colouring has been altered. Instead of a glossy silver interior there is a glossy black finish.

V1 next to V2

On the ‘standard’ deck there is no seal on the case – but there are also limited edition decks with a long holographic seal. These were only available during the pre-order period (as a thank you to early customers) and look very smart. If you want to get one now, the only way is as part of a brick and while stocks last, or by entering our competition…!

We continue to love the intricate and elegant back design – which looks good individually and in fans. There are two colour ways –in gold and silver metallic inks – again adding to the feeling of class.

Our favourite face cards are the Aces with gorgeous and substantial pips. They have changed the colouring of the suits – instead of having four different tints they have stuck to two in metallic red and gold. Although I like the colour of the original Luxx Deck I think this is an improvement – if a ‘safe’ choice.

As in version one, I would have liked (from a magic point of view) to have seen 2 jokers – rather than one joker and a poker score card – but since I imagine the poker market is larger than the magic one I can see why this might make commercial sense. You’ll just have to buy several decks if you want to do any sandwich effects using jokers!

The glossy card stock handles nicely. I think the cards are fractionally more suited to poker games than conjuring – but I suspect that is mainly because all the card handling I’ve done in recent years has been on USPCC stock. With a little practise I think there would be no problem.

All in all we think this is a great deck. They’ve kept to a winning formula and made only minor tweaks for V2. And they’ve managed to get the price down a little (£7.99/deck or less) which is always a bonus. Available direct from JP Playing Cards – who also have various bundle deals and Luxx branded accessories.

Review copy kindly supplied by JP Playing Cards.

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It’s a simple giveaway – you can enter using the widget on our competition page – but if we get to more than 200 entries then we throw in a second prize!  A gorgeous deck of Luxx Playing Cards (you can read our review of the Luxx Playing Cards here) in sizzling orange.

So what are you waiting for?  Enter now and tell all your friends.

And if you’re wondering why, out of all the decks in all the world, we went for a Divine Deck to mark this milestone, it’s to do with my day job…  Let the reader understand.

PS if you can’t wait to win one and want to buy your own Divine Deck, you can currently get one here – but when they’re gone, they’re gone!

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From the moment you open the pack you are struck by the quality. The tuck box is of much heavier weight card than a normal deck and has an embossed look with gorgeous metallic inks. The inside of the case is reflective silver foil throughout – which I’ve never seen before – and the custom seal on the deck reminds me of a wine bottle stamp of authenticity. I love the subtle inclusion of the JP logo on the front of the pack (nicely caught by the light in our photo).
The back design has a kind of classic elegance which would look good in a magic context or a classy poker game. The pips on the faces of the cad have a lovely outline effect which is more interesting than a standard USPCC pip.

This is the first deck we have seen in a while which isn’t printed by the USPCC. The cards feel slightly thicker (which I appreciate for card handling) and also have a smoother to the touch finish than the air-flow design. Curiously this means that although they handle well (and will fan etc. with minimal pressure) they actually feel less slippery so feel less likely to shoot out of your hand when first opened!

The court cards area all tinted with individual shades – green for clubs, blue for spades, yellow for hearts and orange for diamonds (though those last two are very close in shade). This might sound garish but is actually pleasing to the eye.

There is only one joker – the other being a handy poker-rankings crib sheet. As a magician, I would probably have preferred to have two jokers and an extra crib-sheet – but this is a small quibble. (This is another difference to USPCC produced decks which often seem to have an extra blank or double-backed card which can be useful in some card magic).

Currently available in blue (pictured) and also a rather attractive metallic orange.

We think this is a great debut deck – the first that JP Playing Cards have put out. We’re looking forward to further releases in this line. They have also produced some nicely branded accessories including a really smart Leather Porper Clip and a Dealer coin.

Available direct from JP Playing Cards for £8.99 (or less if you buy more than one deck).

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