Bicycle® Masters Edition RED Playing Cards Deck by Ellusionist

by Bicycle

Product Features

• The ultimate long lasting playing cards
• Thickest, premium, casino-grade card stock
• UV500 Elite Airflow Finish
• Exceptionally smooth handling for flourishers
• New, perfect condition. SEE ALL OUR CARDS BY SEARCHING "Ellusionist.COM" ON AMAZON. Guaranteed quality. Lightning shipping.

Product Description

On the surface, Ellusionist's new Masters Edition Playing Cards appear to be completely normal, red-backed Bicycle cards. Underneath the surface lies remarkable quality never before seen in a normal deck of Bicycle Playing Cards. Featuring premium, casino-grade card stock, the Masters Edition represents the most high-end playing cards printed at the United States Playing Card Company (USPCC). The only aesthetic changes are a redesigned, revolutionized Ace of Spades and an amp'd up box. An Ellusionist exclusive.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B000HT4N16
• Item model number: MASTERS
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,876 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wondering which "special deck" to buy? THIS IS IT., July 1, 2010

By 

Sandman (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bicycle® Masters Edition RED Playing Cards Deck by Ellusionist (Misc.)

For many, many reasons that are so subtle you really won't understand until you have Handled these, you absolutely must put this deck into your own hands. THIS is the "PROFESSIONAL" level highest-quality version of standard appearing cards.

Unlike all of the 'special' company decks from Bicycle that use strange colors or transparent plastic, these professional decks use the completely standard appearing Bicycle back design (not shown in the photos above).
They also use the fairly standard faces...except for the gorgeous enhanced Ace design that you see illustrated and on the box.

The result is a deck that 'appears' to be just like the most familiar deck anyone around you has ever seen from the nearest drug-store - until they TOUCH these cards. Watch their eyes pop open and "blink" as they will ask you "where did you find these?" and "how much did they cost?" (actual experience talking here)

This is the highest quality finish I have ever played with on a standard cardstock deck, with a perfect glide and ability to be moved and dealt smoothly but with a texture that is just right for your fingers to take the cards.

The edges are cut - GET THIS - with a perfectly symmetrical BEVEL that allows you to literally slice half the deck right into the other half with the smoothest ease you have ever experienced. They are noticeably 'slightly' thicker than standard cards and this thickness has been used to advantage by this edge treatment.

If you host a little Poker with your friends, likely you have already experienced the wear-down of standard cards and have moved to plastic ones for long lasting use. After rejecting the cheap ones with no textured finish due to the difficulty in shuffling and dealing them, you've likely settled on a higher priced textured deck.
If so, you and your friends have - I would wager - simply forgotten the satisfying, luxurious FEEL of real cardstock cards. Get a few of these Master's decks, and surprise your group with the amazing professional look and feel of these cards. They WILL be impressed. Although I freely admit that I place mine over on the side for use only by the 'finals' table...as kind of a reward...you will be amazed that these cards have such a high-quality finish that they last and last like new for months longer than any other cardstock card you have ever owned. I got my first set over a year ago, and am just now looking to buy new ones.

For those of you who like to do "Card Flourishes" like those fancy riffles and flips and fans and one-handed cuts, I can tell you that my little amateurish attempts gained new confidence with these in my hands. They handle better than any cardstock I have ever tried. I'd heard that some 'professionals' use KEM or special cellulose cards for their longevity - OK, fine, I'm not a professional, but I'll tell you I feel like I am better at doing anything I know when I use these cards.

I have a small collection of Tally-Ho decks (Tally-Ho Viper Fan-Back Deck ~ Black + Silver Playing Cards by Ellusionist.com),
Bee decks (Bee No. 92 Diamond Back Club Special Red/Blue Decks),
various Bicycle decks (Bicycle Limited Edition Series # 1 Collectible Playing Cards by Bicycle,
funky colored decks (Rare Bicycle Tie Dye Deck Playing Cards Tye Die Magic),
Black Tiger decks (Bicycle BLACK Tiger Playing Cards Deck by Ellusionist.com (RARE)),
Ghost decks (Raider Bicycle White Deck Playing Cards),
a Magic deck (Pro Brand Svengali Deck - Easy Magic Card Trick - Includes "How To" Instructions),
a few GHOST decks (Bicycle Black Ghost Second Edition Playing Cards Deck by Ellusionist ) - very cool for Halloween play...
and I love them all for various reasons. For some of them, the custom graphics and typically black-based backs and backgrounds and special face cards, Joker's and Aces lend a unique ambiance for doing even simple magic effects.
You will quickly learn, however, as did I, that anyone for whom you begin to perform a magic trick will immediately suspect a 'trick' going on with a custom deck. They are unfamiliar with the appearance of the cards, and will complement you on your 'cool deck' but squint their eyes and wonder if what you are 'doing' is really magic, or a result of some special thing going on with that deck.
*sigh*

THIS MASTER'S DECK IS THE SOLUTION.
You have now in your hands a deck that is simply amazing in it's unparalleled professional feel, obvious superiority to any standard deck, perfect in finish so that you appear to be truly amazing in your handling, yet TOTALLY FAMILIAR to your audience.

If I had anything else to say in praise of the simplicity and elegance of this deck design I would...but here goes the Bonus:
Take this deck with you to the next restaurant, bar, club, or party where there is some corner of the room using black-lights or deep-blue LED lighting. Sit your friends or family or target with you in that mysterious and slightly secretive location and casually mention "You know...I do have something neat I think you'll enjoy seeing..." and pull these cards out.
Yep - they look like normal cards alright in daylight - but they POP! under blacklight. Score one more for whoever pushed for the extra step of putting a UV-reactive formula into this card coating. Sheesh...as if I needed one more reason to love these cards. ALL my black-backed magic cards should have had this finish!
OK...enough...buy some - lol :)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The highest quality cards I have ever felt. Period., December 3, 2006

By 

Bubloo - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bicycle® Masters Edition RED Playing Cards Deck by Ellusionist (Misc.)

From the moment you open the box, these cards scream top-notch quality at you. They are the smoothest and best designed cards I have ever touched. I used to admire the Ace of Spades from the Ghost deck, until I held a Masters Ace. I could stare at it for hours and it would still hold its elegance. Needless to say, these cards will leave a lasting impression on your spectators.

I used to use Tiger decks for all of my performances and I never thought I would find a better deck at such a great price than those. I was wrong. You can feel the difference between these and any other cards you have used. And at only $4 each, these cards are cheaper than most decks on the market, making the decision a no brainer.

Personally, I love the Tiger design, as the black cards look so elegant. However, they do make it very difficult to gain the trust of the spectator when the cards look so suspicious. The Masters deck looks just as beautiful, though through different means, handles even better, and looks perfectly innocent. Could it get any better than that?

Yes, it could. There are three bonuses included with the purchase of the Masters deck. One is the "2 07 5P4D3S" printed underneath the bar code of the box, making for a free gaff box that can be used in a box reveal. Another bonus is the inclusion of a Ghost Ace of Spades, as a promotion for their Ghost decks. The last bonus is the UV500 finish, which makes for a great treat when performing at those parties with black lights.

- Bubloo (bubloox)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Love This Deck, December 2, 2006

By 

J. Cherry (Kansas City, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bicycle® Masters Edition RED Playing Cards Deck by Ellusionist (Misc.)

This deck is the best deck of cards that I have ever handled, ever. These cards fanned beautifully right out of the box, that just doesn't happen! If you are into cards, be it for card effects or just a little poker, then you have got to get this deck. Durable, and a joy to handle. Did I mention the Ace of Spades, ... beautiful.